Remodeling Job Stories | Jemison, AL House Remodel
I. Project Overview
Mr. & Mrs. Tourtellotte’s Whole House/Addition Remodel is truly something to behold!
For this project, an aging small lakeside cabin of only 660-square feet was transformed into a four bedroom and two bath 1500-square foot retreat that the entire extended family could enjoy! Outdoor living was also constructed with a screened deck and grill deck for those hot summer months and cool crisp fall and spring mornings.
II. Project Timeline
The construction ran from late February to late September of 2025. Constant communication and oversight through our project software, Buildertrend, allows all of our clients to be completely aware of all aspects of design and construction from start to finish!
This chart tracks the progress of the entire project in our online project management portal Buildertrend, detailing a clear and organized progression that starts with our early design meetings, the early site work, the exterior and interior work, and more!
Take a closer look at the pictures of Mr. Tourtellotte’s expert whole house remodel for his Jemison, AL home, with this before and after gallery!
III. Design-Build-Remodel – How Did We Get There?
Dan and Gail Tourtellotte’s Lake Cabin remodeling project started earlier than the start date in February, in December of 2024, with minor deck alterations, grading the land, work on the foundation, and more.
The Tourtellotte project began, as all projects do, with several design meetings and site visits. Our team, working closely with our trusted vendors, designers and tradesman, refined the drawings and reviewed the project’s scope of work. These early steps also included material selections, deliveries, and preparation for the project, so that everything would be ready before the project began in earnest.
Preliminary work, which we call site preparation, included demolition to establish subfloor elevation and alterations to the subfloor that was being retained for part of the master bedroom and bath addition that was being performed.
Foundation, as they say, it all starts her! The clients wanted a concrete slab foundation for the front addition to the home, as it would provide additional support to the rest of the main structure. Here you can see where Reliable started to support the already existing foundation!
This was just the first stage of the concrete pouring, there was plenty more of concrete to come!
Here we are preparing the footings for the elevated slab that would become the foundation and subfloor of the 37×18 addition.
Rebar is an important element in the structure of concrete as it provides reinforcement to handle the weights of the structure. We call this weight the “Dead Load”
After the footings were poured and set, concrete block were laid to set the perimeter of the foundation as well as elevation. In the pics below you can see the moisture barrier and web of rebar providing that reinforcement.
Building a foundation is something done in stages, but what is not obvious is the why: a foundation is the base of the structure, and as such a foundation requires some of the most precise measurements of any part of a construction project.
The foundation must be even, square, level, and plumb relative to the adjoining structure!
Once the foundation had completely set, it was time to start framing, the “skeleton” of the structure, so to speak.
Building science and engineering includes a lot of math to figure out the angles, dimensions of lumber, etc….
This is one of the most exciting phases for homeowners because the new spaces take shape quickly! Throughout February and March, our expert trades framed the additions walls, roof systems, outdoor living decks and roof systems. Inspections made sure everything was on the level!
Ongoing site visits and inspections are always the hallmark of a contractor you can trust!
Five Star Lumber in Pelham has been a trusted lumber vendor for us for close to 20 years, and they supplied all of the materials required for the new construction on the Tourtellotte project!
The deck building portion of the project went absolutely swimmingly! A 14×12 deck, roof and screen walls will provide plenty of room for those fall football Saturdays.
You can see just how exactly a new building’s wooden roof is built here!
With expert craftsmen with over three decades of experience, this part of the job happens quicker than you would believe!
By Spring, the project transitioned from structural to completion of the rough installation. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, insulation, and window installations were completed in a coordinated sequence so the home could be internally finished and ready for the drywall phase.
In late Spring, the project entered the finishing phase, which included tile work, trim, carpentry, flooring, cabinetry, painting, and the installation of doors, countertops, and fixtures.
We covered the Tourtellotte’s belongings in protective wraps before commencing any interior remodeling, as we do with every project we’re building for our clients.
We had not begun work on the kitchen as of yet, but we were laying down the groundwork!
Structural alterations to the existing structure were performed to open the living room up to the addition. Over 21 feet of exterior wall was removed and reinforced with LVL Beams designed by our longtime engineer Broadhead Engineering.
Exterior work did not stop when we began moving our work inside the structure however!
You can see here the night and day difference between the finished and unfinished parts of the home, and running all the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC through these walls is a key step with new construction.
House wraps are a lifesaver for anyone in the construction industry.
For those who are not aware, it not only protects the structure from moisture, but UV rays as well! This ensures that the underlying structure is protected for the duration of any construction project!
In a first for Reliable, we got some stellar pictures from a drone! From up high you can see what a difference our project has made on this property!
This was shaping up to be a far cry from what the house looked like originally!
Here you can see how Reliable set up the HVAC unit and the ductwork for it. A top of the line HVAC unit is not just one of life’s true pleasures, but a somewhat overlooked necessity of Southern living!
You can also see our trades hard at work at the interior! The timeline of the project was nearing its end at this point!
The Tourtellotte’s choice of siding and windows brought an already near magical transformation to another level!
We also tackled the new bathrooms of the home as well!
The Tourtellotte’s went with Soho Serena Aqua wall tiles and IWT Spring Time Hexagon floor tiles, in white, a selection whose end result is simply divine.
The green color of the tile was really pops against the white of the grout!
Installation was expertly installed by our tile contractor, and looks absolutely stunning!
You can see the work being done on the new bathroom vanities, as well as our expert painter taking care of the crown molding.
The green aesthetic of the bathroom invites an almost oceanic theme, natural but contrasted with the stark whites and modern materials.
We installed a brand new range vent hood for the Tourtellote’s kitchen, as we prepped the rest of the room for painting!
The vent hood is a 30 inch ZLINE Convertible Vent Wall Mount, in Stainless Steel!
Then came the time to paint the front door of the home in a luscious red color! The paint is SW 6593, “Coral Bells”, in a semi-gloss finish from Sherwin Williams®!
This door is from Builder’s Millwork, a french door with 3/4 lites in fiberglass will provide lots of light and give worry free service.
The Tourtellotte’s bathroom plumbing set out were completed not long after, they chose a 7-Setting SureDock® Magnetic Hand Shower, a H2Okinetic® Single Setting Shower Head with UltraSoak™, and a brand new Maxwell toilet on the far wall and a shower head on the ceiling!
All of the shower hardware comes from V&W supply in Birmingham, and is all from the Delta brand, in Champagne Bronze!
The interior, now finished, held no traces of the remodeling process afterwards!
The synchronization of the old and the new construction is a reason why we love projects like this! Making homeowners dreams come true is always a consummate pleasure!
The kitchen was similarly overhauled with the new flooring, and the new range hood vent was the cherry on top!
The interior walls were painted with SW 7042, “Shoji White” in a Satin finish, and hte trim is SW 9503 “Cheviot”, both from Sherwin Williams®!
The exterior siding and deck matched up flawlessly! The exterior stain is Sherwin Williams® SuperDeck solid body stain!
This is the part of a remodeling project where we as general contractors start with paint touch-ups, flooring punch lists, and any final minor repairs, ensuring the home meets our standards of craftsmanship.
All in all, the project was a stunning example of what precise planning and execution can deliver in a remodeling project!
With an expanded view of the beautiful lake, to say the project was a success is a massive understatement!
IV. Conclusion of the Tourtellotte Project
The Tourtellotte project was wonderful to work on, and is a great demonstration of how updating and adding to a structure doesn’t have to be stressful, but it can be efficient and pain free!
What Can We Do For You?
We’re always so excited to work with clients that embrace the Design-Build process, because it tells us that what we’re doing not only makes every remodeling project a completely successful one, but that what we’re doing actually makes a difference in the industry, and more importantly that we’re making a difference in people’s lives.
Reliable Design-Build-Remodel is a licensed general contractor that provides a wide variety of exterior remodeling services to customers throughout Birmingham, AL and the surrounding areas. Our staff members are proud to be members of this great community and provide services to the following locations:
Our Services
Reliable Design-Build-Remodel isn’t good at just one type of home remodel. We’re adept at many different home improvement services. This means that you won’t have to hire multiple contractors to work on your place if you choose to do more than one update at a time. Our team of experienced professionals can handle the following:
The Barton Project
The Bennett Project
The Branham Project
The Carpenter Project
The Gunnin Project
The Narveson Project
The Tucker Project
