You’re not looking for the cheapest bid. You’re looking for someone who won’t disappear halfway through your kitchen remodel or leave your bathroom torn apart for three months.
What you get is a crew that shows up when they say they will. A contractor who picks up the phone every time you call. A team that cleans up the job site at the end of each day so you’re not stepping over debris to get to your own bedroom.
Your project moves forward on schedule. The work gets done right the first time. And when something unexpected comes up—because it always does—you get a straight answer and a solution, not excuses or radio silence.
That’s what over 40 years in business teaches you. How to run a job site. How to manage a timeline. How to communicate like an adult. The basics that somehow became rare in this industry.
Ray Coleman Home Improvement has been handling large-scale residential projects across Woodbury and Nassau County since the early 1980s. That’s two generations of Colemans—Ray Sr. and Ray Jr.—building, remodeling, and renovating homes throughout Long Island.
We’re licensed, insured with $1 million in coverage, and ranked in the top 1% of over 77,000 licensed contractors in New York according to BuildZoom. Those credentials matter when you’re trusting someone with a six-figure renovation.
Most of our work comes from homeowners in Woodbury, Syosset, Jericho, and surrounding Nassau County towns who need full kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole house renovations, dormers, or extensions. The kind of projects that transform a 1970s time capsule into something you actually want to live in. We’ve been doing this long enough to know what works in these homes and what doesn’t.
You call or text. We answer. Not three days later—same day. We schedule a time to walk through your home and talk about what you want to change.
During that visit, we look at the actual structure, not just the Pinterest photos you saved. We talk about what’s realistic for your space, your timeline, and your budget. If permits are needed, we tell you upfront. If there’s a way to do the work without them, we explore that too.
Once you decide to move forward, we handle the planning and scheduling. Our crews show up on time, work through the day, and clean up before they leave. You get regular updates without having to chase us down.
When issues come up—old wiring that needs replacing, plumbing that’s worse than expected—we call you immediately and explain your options. No surprises on the final bill. Throughout the project, you have direct access to us. Phone, text, even emergency calls if your pipes freeze in January. That’s part of the service.
The job wraps when everything’s complete and you’re satisfied. Not when we decide we’re done, but when you sign off on it.
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Our focus is large-scale residential work. Full kitchen remodels where we’re tearing out everything and starting fresh. Bathroom renovations that go beyond swapping a vanity. Whole house projects that touch every room. Dormers and extensions that add actual living space.
In Woodbury and across Nassau County, we’re working mostly with homes built between the 1960s and 1980s. These houses have good bones but need serious updates. Outdated layouts. Tiny bathrooms. Kitchens that haven’t been touched in 30 years. That’s our specialty—taking these homes and bringing them into this decade.
We can handle the smaller stuff too—decking, roofing, siding—but usually as part of a bigger project. If you’re doing a whole first-floor renovation and need the back deck rebuilt at the same time, we’ll take care of it. But if you just need three shingles replaced, we’re probably not the right fit.
The projects we get excited about are the ones where we’re transforming how you live in your home. Where the before and after photos look like two different houses. That’s what we’ve been doing for 40 years, and that’s what we do best.
For a complete kitchen remodel in Woodbury or Nassau County, you’re typically looking at $50,000 to $100,000+, depending on the size and what you’re changing. That’s for a full gut—tearing out cabinets, counters, flooring, sometimes moving walls or updating electrical and plumbing.
The range is wide because every kitchen is different. A 10×12 galley kitchen costs less than a 15×20 open-concept space. Stock cabinets cost less than custom. Laminate counters cost less than quartz or granite. If we’re moving plumbing or gas lines, that adds cost. If we’re opening up a wall to create an island, that’s more labor and materials.
What drives the price up in Long Island specifically is labor costs and the age of the homes. When we open up walls in a 1970s house, we often find wiring or plumbing that needs updating to meet current code. That’s not something we can quote until we see what’s behind the walls. We give you a detailed estimate upfront and flag potential issues before we start, so you’re not blindsided halfway through the job.
It depends on what you’re doing. If you’re replacing a toilet, vanity, or tile without moving any plumbing or electrical, you typically don’t need a permit in Nassau County. If you’re relocating fixtures, moving walls, or doing any structural work, you’ll need permits.
Here’s the reality: permits add time and cost to your project. The application process, inspections, and approvals can push your timeline out by weeks. That’s why we look for ways to accomplish your goals without triggering permit requirements when possible. Sometimes that means working within the existing footprint instead of expanding. Sometimes it’s not possible, and we tell you that upfront.
When permits are required, we handle the process. We pull them, schedule inspections, and make sure everything passes. You don’t have to deal with the Town of Oyster Bay building department or figure out code requirements. That’s on us. But if there’s a legal way to do your renovation without permits, we’ll find it and save you the hassle.
A full whole house renovation in Woodbury typically takes three to six months, depending on the scope. If we’re doing a first-floor gut—kitchen, bathrooms, living areas—you’re looking at closer to three to four months. If we’re adding a dormer or extension at the same time, that pushes it to five or six months.
Weather affects the timeline, especially in winter. Long Island winters mean frozen ground, cold temperatures that affect materials, and occasional delays from snow or ice. We can work through most of it, but there are days when it’s just not safe or practical. That’s why many homeowners start projects in spring or early fall.
The other factor is decision-making. When you’re quick with selections—cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures—the job moves faster. When those decisions drag out, so does the timeline. We give you a schedule upfront with key decision points marked, so you know when we need answers. The crews stay busy, the project stays on track, and you’re not living in a construction zone any longer than necessary.
First, make sure they’re licensed and insured. In New York, that’s not optional. Ask for their license number and proof of insurance. If they hesitate or make excuses, walk away. You need at least $1 million in liability coverage protecting you if something goes wrong on your property.
Second, talk to them on the phone before you meet. Do they answer? Do they call you back within a reasonable time? If a contractor won’t pick up the phone during the sales process, they definitely won’t answer when you have a problem mid-project. Communication is the number one complaint homeowners have about contractors. Test it early.
Third, ask about their experience with projects like yours. A contractor who does small repairs isn’t equipped for a $100,000 kitchen remodel. A contractor who builds new homes might not understand the quirks of renovating a 50-year-old house in Nassau County. You want someone who’s done your type of project dozens of times and knows what issues to expect. Check their references, look at their past work, and trust your gut. If something feels off during the estimate, it’s not going to get better once they start tearing apart your house.
Yes, we work year-round, but winter does affect what we can do and how fast we can do it. Interior work—kitchens, bathrooms, whole house renovations—happens regardless of the temperature outside. We’re inside your heated home, so weather isn’t a factor for most of the job.
Exterior work is where winter gets tricky. We can’t pour concrete when it’s below freezing. Some siding and roofing materials don’t install properly in extreme cold. If your project includes an addition or exterior structural work, we might need to pause that portion until temperatures rise, while continuing interior work.
The other winter issue specific to Long Island is frozen pipes. We get calls every January from homeowners dealing with burst pipes or heating problems. If you’re a current client and you have an emergency, we respond. That’s part of our service. But it does mean that during particularly harsh winters, our schedule can get disrupted by emergency calls. We build some buffer into winter timelines for that reason. If you’re planning a major renovation, starting in spring or fall usually means fewer weather-related delays and a smoother process overall.
We handle everything from initial planning through final cleanup. That means working with architects if your project needs design work, pulling permits when required, scheduling and managing all the trades, ordering materials, and overseeing the job site daily.
For a typical kitchen or bathroom remodel, we’re doing demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC adjustments, drywall, tile work, cabinet installation, countertops, flooring, painting, and trim. You’re not hiring five different contractors and trying to coordinate schedules. We bring in licensed electricians and plumbers when needed, but we’re managing them and making sure everything happens in the right order.
We also handle the details that separate a good renovation from a mediocre one. Job site stays clean. Crews show up on time and work a full day. We protect your floors and furniture in areas we’re not working on. We communicate with you throughout the project, not just when there’s a problem. And if something does go wrong—a delayed material shipment, an unexpected structural issue—you hear about it immediately with a plan to fix it. That’s what 40 years of experience looks like in practice.
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