Your kitchen flows into your living room the way you always pictured it. Your first floor feels bigger, brighter, and actually works for how your family lives now. The bathroom you’ve been putting off for years is finally done—and it’s exactly what you wanted.
That’s what a full house renovation should give you. Not just new finishes, but a home that fits your life better.
When you’re living in a house that doesn’t work anymore—cramped kitchen, outdated layout, spaces you avoid—it’s easy to think about moving. But with Long Island home values where they are and inventory still tight, renovating makes more sense. You get the home you want without the chaos of selling, moving, and starting over somewhere else.
The difference is working with someone who knows what they’re doing. You’re not getting a crew that disappears for days or leaves your house a mess. You’re getting a general contractor who’s been doing this for over 50 years, who keeps the job site clean, and who’s there when you call.
Ray Coleman Home Improvement has been serving Wantagh and the surrounding Nassau and Suffolk County communities for over 50 years. We’re a family-owned business, licensed and insured with a $1 million policy, and we’ve built our reputation on doing what we say we’re going to do.
More than 60% of our work comes from referrals. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because we answer the phone, show up on time, keep the job site clean, and treat your home like it matters.
We know Long Island. We know the homes here, the weather challenges, the permit headaches. We specialize in large-scale home renovations—kitchens, bathrooms, first-floor remodels, dormers, extensions—and we focus on projects that don’t require permits when possible, which means less red tape and faster timelines for you.
First, we talk. You tell us what’s not working in your home and what you want it to look like when we’re done. We walk through your space, ask questions, and give you an honest assessment of what’s possible.
Then we plan it out. We go over design options, materials, timelines, and budget. If something doesn’t make sense or won’t work the way you’re picturing it, we tell you. If you change your mind halfway through about a tile or a layout, that’s fine—we adjust.
Once we start, you’ll see our crew every day. The job site gets cleaned up at the end of each day, not when we feel like it. We manage everything—demo, framing, electrical, plumbing, finishes, inspections. You’re not coordinating five different contractors. You’re working with one team that handles it all.
Throughout the project, you can reach us. We answer calls, respond to texts, and if something urgent comes up—like frozen pipes in the middle of winter—we’re there. That’s been our standard since 1972, and it’s not changing.
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A whole house renovation isn’t just cosmetic updates. It’s rethinking how your home works and making it better. That usually means opening up your floor plan, updating your kitchen and bathrooms, improving energy efficiency, and fixing the things you’ve been ignoring because they seemed too big to tackle.
In Wantagh and across Long Island, homeowners are choosing to renovate instead of move. Home values in Nassau County are sitting around $685,000, and inventory is still limited. Renovating gives you the home you want without the hassle and cost of relocating.
We handle kitchen remodels that turn closed-off spaces into open, functional areas where your family actually spends time. We renovate bathrooms that have been outdated for decades. We add dormers and extensions when you need more space but don’t want to move. And we take care of first-floor renovations that change the entire feel of your home.
Energy efficiency matters too. Better insulation, energy-efficient windows, updated HVAC systems—these aren’t just trendy upgrades. They lower your bills and make your home more comfortable year-round. With Long Island winters, that’s not optional.
There’s no one-size-fits-all number, because every home and every project is different. A full house renovation in Wantagh typically ranges anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000+, depending on the scope of work, the size of your home, and the materials you choose.
If you’re doing a first-floor renovation with a kitchen and bathroom remodel, you’re looking at the higher end of that range. If you’re adding square footage with a dormer or extension, costs go up. If you’re keeping the footprint the same and focusing on updates and layout changes, you’re on the lower end.
The best way to get an accurate estimate is to have someone walk through your home and understand what you’re trying to accomplish. We do that for free, and we give you a clear breakdown of costs so there are no surprises later.
Most whole house renovations take between three to six months, depending on the size of the project and what’s involved. If you’re doing a full first-floor remodel with a kitchen, bathroom, and layout changes, expect closer to four to six months. Smaller projects can be done faster.
The timeline depends on a few things: how much demo is required, whether we’re moving plumbing or electrical, if there are any surprises once we open up the walls, and how quickly you make decisions on materials and finishes. The more prepared you are on selections, the faster things move.
We’re upfront about timelines from the start. We don’t overpromise and underdeliver. If something comes up that’s going to delay the project—like a hidden issue we couldn’t have known about until demo—we tell you immediately and adjust the schedule.
It depends on the scope of work. If we’re renovating your entire first floor including the kitchen, it’s going to be tough. You won’t have a functioning kitchen for weeks, and there’s going to be dust, noise, and crews in your home every day.
Some homeowners choose to stay and make it work—they set up a temporary kitchen in another room, eat out more, and adjust their routines. Others move in with family or rent a short-term place until the work is done. There’s no right answer, it’s just about what you’re willing to tolerate.
We do everything we can to make it easier if you’re staying. We clean up at the end of every day, we contain dust as much as possible, and we work efficiently so the disruption doesn’t drag on longer than it needs to. But you should go into it with realistic expectations about what living through a renovation actually feels like.
It depends on what you’re doing. If you’re moving walls, adding square footage, or doing major electrical or plumbing work, you’ll likely need permits. If you’re replacing finishes, updating fixtures, and making cosmetic changes without altering the structure, you might not.
One of the things we specialize in is large-scale projects that don’t require permits. That’s not about cutting corners—it’s about being smart with the scope of work so you avoid the delays and costs that come with the permitting process. When permits are required, we handle them. But when they’re not, we structure the project to keep things moving.
Nassau County has specific rules, and we know them. We’ve been doing this in Wantagh and the surrounding areas for over 50 years, so we’re not guessing. We’ll tell you upfront whether your project needs permits and what that means for your timeline and budget.
First, make sure they’re licensed and insured. That’s non-negotiable. If something goes wrong and they’re not properly insured, you’re on the hook. We carry a $1 million insurance policy and we’re fully licensed in Nassau and Suffolk County.
Second, look at how long they’ve been in business. Anyone can start a contracting company, but staying in business for decades means they’re doing something right. We’ve been around since 1972, and more than 60% of our work comes from referrals.
Third, pay attention to how they communicate. Do they answer the phone? Do they respond to your questions? Are they clear about timelines and costs? If a contractor is hard to reach before you hire them, they’re going to be impossible to reach once the job starts. We answer every call and respond to every text, because that’s how you run a professional business.
It happens. You open up a wall and find outdated wiring, old plumbing, or structural issues that weren’t visible before. It’s frustrating, but it’s also reality when you’re working on older homes.
When we find something, we stop and tell you immediately. We explain what the problem is, what it’s going to take to fix it, and how it affects your timeline and budget. You decide how you want to handle it. We’re not making those decisions for you.
The key is working with someone who’s seen it all before and knows how to deal with surprises without panicking or disappearing. We’ve been doing this for 50+ years. We’ve handled everything from frozen pipes to foundation issues to asbestos. Whatever comes up, we figure it out and keep the project moving.
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