Twenty years of building around the homeowner

A remodeling project may begin with a homeowner wanting something new, but Ed Gardner often sees it differently.

Usually, there is a problem to solve.

“Remodeling is rarely just about making something look newer,” Gardner said. “It is usually about solving a problem.”

Maybe a kitchen no longer works for the family. The layout feels disconnected. Storage is inadequate. Or homeowners who have spent years in a house want to remain there as they grow older.

Understanding those problems and finding thoughtful ways to make an existing home work better has become the “sweet spot” for EDY Construction, the Wenatchee Valley company Gardner founded in 2006.

Gardner had spent much of his life around construction before deciding to build a company around his own ideas about how projects should be handled.

“I wanted homeowners to feel heard, understand the process and have a real voice in the decisions being made about their homes,” he said.

That philosophy gave the company its name: EDY stands for “Every Decision is Yours.”

“It is the homeowner’s home, investment and vision,” Gardner said. “Our job is to listen, offer experience and guidance, solve problems and help them understand their options. Ultimately, the decisions should reflect how they want to live.”

That can become particularly important in remodeling, where builders are working within an existing structure and surprises can be part of the job.

When something prevents the crew from executing the original plan, Gardner said he prefers considering several solutions rather than immediately committing to the first one.

“Occasionally, the first idea may be the worst option in hindsight,” he said.

Sometimes that means spending several hours considering the alternatives or even leaving the problem overnight. Gardner said solutions frequently occur to him later in the day.

The approach also reflects the unusual relationship between a remodeling contractor and customer. Unlike building an unoccupied structure, remodeling means entering someone’s personal space and disrupting daily routines.

“The quality of the construction matters, but so does the way you communicate, prepare people for what is coming and respond when something unexpected happens,” Gardner said. “Twenty years has taught us that trust is built through consistent communication and by doing what you say you will do.”

The industry surrounding that work has changed considerably since 2006.

Gardner said building codes have generally become more restrictive and increased costs for consumers considering new construction. One change he sees as beneficial, however, is greater ability to build accessory dwelling units.

Those units can provide another option for families trying to help older relatives remain independent, whether by adding space for a caretaker on a parent’s property or creating a separate home for a parent on an adult child’s property.

Technology has also transformed construction.

While smart-home systems allow homeowners to control devices remotely, Gardner said technological advances in manufacturing have produced an increasingly broad range of finish materials and other products available to builders and homeowners.

Still, after 20 years, Gardner measures the company’s success less by how much it can build than by how well it can do the work it accepts.

“Slow and steady has been the best way to manage growth,” he said. “I don’t feel bigger is better when you talk about the number of employees or dollar volume of work you do.”

Instead, he said, customer service and quality remain the priorities, even when getting something right requires doing it more than once.

EDY’s work has appeared in Building North Central Washington home tours and shows and the company has accumulated awards over the years. Gardner appreciates them, but said the relationships behind those projects mean more.

“We have been blessed to work on amazing projects and for some really amazing clients,” he said. “Those clients who allow us into their homes and lives to be of service to them are what it’s all about.”

After two decades, those projects have also become physical markers scattered throughout North Central Washington.

“There is something meaningful about driving through the community and seeing homes we worked on years ago,” Gardner said. “Those projects become part of the landscape, but they are also places where families have lived their lives.”

That permanence makes the work different from something that ends when the final invoice is paid.

“It is a reminder that the work lasts well beyond the completion date,” he said.

Gardner said what makes him proudest is not a particular house or award, but the trust represented when a customer returns or sends someone else his way.

“When a former client calls us again or recommends us to someone they care about, that means we handled more than the construction well,” he said. “We built a relationship.”

As EDY enters its next chapter, Gardner expects remodeling and problem-solving to remain central to the business. He wants to develop the team and help more homeowners create spaces suited to the next stages of their lives, while resisting growth that would sacrifice the personal involvement on which the company was built.

Construction changes. Homes change. The people living in them change.

For Gardner, the job after 20 years remains much the same as it was at the beginning: listen carefully, understand the problem, find the options and let the homeowner decide what comes next.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media