Most homeowners in Manhasset Hills deal with the same frustrations when hiring contractors. Calls that don’t get returned. Crews that disappear mid-project. Job sites that look like disaster zones at the end of every day.
You’re planning a kitchen remodel or adding a dormer to your 1940s colonial. The last thing you need is a contractor who makes the process harder than the renovation itself.
Here’s what actually happens when you work with someone who’s been doing this for over 40 years. Your calls get answered—every time. Your texts get responses within minutes, not days. If a pipe freezes during one of Long Island’s brutal winters, you’re not scrambling through your contacts hoping someone picks up.
The crew sweeps and cleans the site daily. You’re not stepping over debris in your own home. And if something needs adjusting three weeks after the job wraps, we come back without charging you for a “service call.”
That’s not exceptional service. That’s just how contracting should work when you’re investing $40,000+ into your bathroom or gutting your first floor. You get the project you planned for, finished on schedule, without the chaos most homeowners expect.
Ray Coleman Home Improvement has been operating in Nassau County since 1972. That’s over 40 years of kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, dormers, and whole house projects across Manhasset Hills and the surrounding communities.
Most of our work comes from referrals—over 60% of jobs are from homeowners who’ve either used us before or heard about us from someone who did. Several customers have called back three or four times for different projects. That doesn’t happen unless you’re doing something right.
We rank in the top 1% of New York’s 77,888 licensed contractors according to BuildZoom. Licensed, insured, and bonded across Nassau and Suffolk County. No awards to brag about, just consistent work in a market where homes appreciate faster than 96% of cities nationwide and sell in 19 days.
Manhasset Hills has some of the oldest housing stock on Long Island—nearly half the homes were built before 1939. That means renovation opportunities, but it also means working with outdated systems, tricky layouts, and homeowners who need someone who actually knows what they’re doing. Not someone who’s going to learn on your dime.
You call or text with your project details. Someone answers—not a voicemail, not an automated system. You describe what you’re planning: a kitchen remodel, a bathroom gut, a dormer addition, maybe a first-floor renovation.
A consultation gets scheduled. We walk through the space together, talk through what you want, what’s realistic, and what it’s going to cost. No vague estimates or surprise add-ons later. If there’s a way to improve the project long-term without inflating the budget, you’ll hear about it.
Once you’re ready to move forward, the design and planning phase begins. We handle everything from architectural planning through completion. If permits are required, we manage them. But we specialize in projects that don’t need complex permitting—jobs that can start faster and finish without bureaucratic delays.
The crew shows up on schedule. They work through the project systematically, cleaning up daily so your home doesn’t turn into a construction zone you can’t live in. You’re kept in the loop throughout. No disappearing acts, no ghosting after the deposit clears.
When the job’s done, you do a final walkthrough. If something needs tweaking, it gets handled. If you notice something weeks later that doesn’t feel right, we’ll come back. That’s how you end up with customers calling back for their third and fourth projects.
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We specialize in large-scale residential projects. Kitchen remodels that range from $20,000 budget updates to full custom renovations. Bathroom remodels starting at $40,000 for high-end work. Whole house renovations, first-floor overhauls, dormers, extensions, and new home construction.
We can handle smaller jobs—decking, roofing, siding—but those are typically part of a larger project. If you’re calling about re-siding your house as a standalone job, there are probably better fits. But if you’re doing a whole first-floor renovation and need the exterior updated as part of that scope, that’s the kind of work we’re built for.
In Manhasset Hills, where the median home value sits at $1.4 million and properties sell in under three weeks, homeowners aren’t looking for the cheapest bid. They’re looking for someone who won’t create more problems than they solve. Someone who communicates clearly, manages the job site professionally, and finishes what they start.
You also get emergency support when things go wrong. Frozen pipes are common during Long Island winters, and a burst pipe can dump 4 to 8 gallons of water per minute into your home. When that happens at 11 PM on a Saturday, you need a contractor who picks up the phone. Not one you have to hunt down on Monday morning after the damage is done.
That’s the difference between a contractor who treats this like a business and one who treats it like a side hustle.
Budget kitchen remodels in Manhasset Hills typically start around $20,000 to $30,000. That usually covers new cabinets, countertops, basic appliances, and cosmetic updates without moving plumbing or electrical.
If you’re doing a full gut renovation with custom cabinetry, high-end appliances, new layouts, and structural changes, you’re looking at significantly more—often $60,000 to $100,000+ depending on the size and finishes. Manhasset Hills homes have a median value of $1.4 million, and many homeowners are investing in kitchens that match that property value.
The real cost depends on what you’re starting with and what you want to end up with. Older homes—and nearly half of Manhasset Hills was built before 1939—often need more work behind the walls. Outdated electrical, old plumbing, structural issues that only show up once you open things up. We’ll walk through your space and give you a realistic number based on what’s actually there, not a ballpark figure that doubles halfway through the job.
A full bathroom renovation typically takes three to five weeks, depending on the scope. If you’re doing a cosmetic update—new tile, vanity, fixtures, paint—you’re on the shorter end. If you’re gutting everything, moving plumbing, upgrading electrical, or dealing with structural issues, expect closer to five or six weeks.
Delays happen when materials arrive late, permits take longer than expected, or we find problems once the walls are opened. In older Manhasset Hills homes, it’s not unusual to discover outdated plumbing or wiring that needs upgrading to meet current code. That adds time, but it’s not optional.
The key is working with a contractor who manages the schedule realistically and keeps you updated when things change. You shouldn’t be guessing when your bathroom will be functional again. A high-end bathroom remodel in this area often starts around $40,000, and at that price point, you deserve clear communication and a timeline that’s actually followed.
If you suspect a frozen pipe, shut off the water to that section of the house immediately if you can. Don’t wait to see if it thaws on its own. Frozen pipes can burst, and once that happens, you’re dealing with 4 to 8 gallons of water per minute flooding your home.
Call a contractor who offers emergency response right away—not Monday morning, not when it’s convenient. Long Island winters are cold enough that frozen pipes are a recurring problem, especially in older homes with outdated insulation or pipes running through exterior walls. The faster you get someone out there, the less damage you’re dealing with.
If the pipe has already burst, turn off the main water supply to the house and start moving anything valuable out of the affected area. Document the damage with photos for insurance. Then get a contractor on-site who can assess the situation, make temporary repairs to stop the water, and plan the full fix. Tens of thousands of dollars in damage can happen in a matter of hours, so this isn’t something you handle casually.
Yes, most home additions in Manhasset Hills require permits. Anything that changes the footprint of your house, adds square footage, or involves structural work typically needs approval from the local building department. That includes dormers, extensions, and second-story additions.
The permit process can add time to your project—sometimes weeks or even months depending on the complexity and how backed up the building department is. Some home improvement programs in the area have 18-month waitlists, which gives you an idea of how much demand there is and how slow the bureaucracy can move.
Some contractors specialize in projects that don’t require permits—interior remodels, cosmetic updates, smaller-scale work that doesn’t trigger permitting requirements. If you’re trying to avoid the permitting process altogether, talk to us upfront about what’s realistic. Skipping permits when they’re required isn’t an option, but structuring your project to minimize permitting complexity is. We know the difference and can help you plan accordingly.
Ask directly. Any legitimate contractor will provide proof of licensing and insurance without hesitation. In New York, home improvement contractors are required to be licensed, and you can verify that through the Nassau County license board or the state’s licensing database.
Insurance matters because if someone gets hurt on your property or something gets damaged during the job, you don’t want to be liable. A contractor without proper insurance is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and it’s your home on the line. Make sure they carry both general liability and workers’ compensation coverage.
You can also check a contractor’s reputation through third-party platforms like BuildZoom, which ranks contractors based on licensing, insurance, project history, and customer feedback. A contractor in the top 1% of nearly 78,000 licensed contractors in New York didn’t get there by accident. That’s a track record you can verify, not just a claim on a website. Don’t hire anyone who can’t or won’t prove they’re properly licensed and insured—it’s not worth the risk.
Because they’re either too busy, too disorganized, or they don’t care enough about your project to prioritize communication. In a competitive market like Long Island, contractors who are good at their job often have more work than they can handle. That doesn’t excuse poor communication, but it explains why some disappear after the initial conversation.
Other contractors are just bad at running a business. They might be skilled at the actual work but terrible at managing schedules, following up with leads, or keeping clients informed. When you’re planning a $40,000 bathroom remodel or a $100,000 whole house renovation, you can’t afford to work with someone who treats communication like an afterthought.
The contractors who consistently answer calls, respond to texts, and show up when they say they will are the ones who stay in business for decades. They’re also the ones who get most of their work from referrals, because homeowners remember what it’s like to work with someone who actually communicates. If a contractor isn’t responsive before you hire them, they’re not going to magically become responsive once they have your deposit. Move on and find someone who takes your project seriously from the first conversation.
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