A New Jersey Design-Build Firm, One Team From Plan to Punch List
Design-build means one contract, one team, and one point of accountability for the design, the permits, and the construction of your home. It is the model most affluent homeowners choose once they have lived through the alternative, where a designer produces a beautiful plan, three builders bid it at wildly different numbers, and the project starts months late and over budget.
Strong Construction LLC has run projects this way for more than 20 years across Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Union, and Monmouth counties. We design what we can build, we price it honestly, and we stand behind it.
How the design phase works
We begin with an on-site consultation where we measure, photograph, and talk through how you use the space today and what is failing. Next comes a schematic layout, usually two or three options, so you can compare a modest reconfiguration against a more ambitious plan with real cost implications attached. Once a direction is chosen we develop construction drawings, elevations, an electrical and lighting plan, and a written specification. Because our estimators sit in the same room as the designers, the plan you approve is already priced. Nothing gets drawn that cannot be built for the number we quoted.
Transparent written pricing and real allowances
Our proposals are line-item contracts. You see the cost of demolition, structural work, mechanicals, insulation, drywall, millwork, tile, stone, painting, and clean-up separately, plus dollar allowances for every selection you have not yet made. That structure makes the trade-offs visible. Moving a bearing wall might cost $9,000 in framing and steel, and you can decide whether the open sight line is worth it before a hammer swings. Change orders are written and signed. There is no end-of-project reckoning where the number quietly grew by 30 percent.
Permits and inspections are our job, not yours
We prepare and file building, plumbing, electrical, and fire permit applications with your municipal construction office, provide our New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license and certificates of insurance, respond to plan review comments, and meet every inspector on site. For additions and structural work we coordinate zoning approvals, surveys, and engineering. At the end we close the permits out properly so your file is clean when you sell.
Construction managed like a professional job site
Every project gets a named project manager, a published schedule, and a weekly update. We order cabinetry, stone, tile, and long-lead fixtures before demolition so the site is never idle waiting on a delivery. Floors and stairs are protected, dust partitions go up on day one, and the site is swept before the crew leaves. Our carpenters are employees, which is how we keep millwork, trim, and built-ins at the standard our clients expect on projects from $45,000 to well past $1 million.
Where we work in New Jersey
We serve Northern and Central New Jersey with a concentration in Bergen and Hudson counties and regular work in Essex, Passaic, Union, Monmouth, and Mercer. That footprint keeps our project managers close enough to be on site the same morning you call. It also means we already know the construction offices in Ridgewood, Montclair, Summit, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Princeton, along with the historic and preservation review boards that govern work in several of those towns. Local knowledge shortens approvals, and shorter approvals mean a shorter project.
What Every Project Includes
Frequently Asked Questions
How does your design-build process work?
We start with an on-site consultation, measure and photograph the space, and talk through how you actually use it. From there we produce drawings, a selection list, and a line-item proposal with real allowances. Once you approve, we file permits, order long-lead items, and publish a schedule you can follow week by week. One team owns design, permits, and construction, so nothing falls between a designer and a builder.
What do renovations in this area typically cost?
Most Bergen County kitchens land between $45,000 and $85,000. Simpler refreshes that keep the existing layout can start near $35,000, and full-gut renovations with custom cabinetry and premium stone run $110,000 and up. Most bathrooms run $20,000 to $40,000, with high-end primary baths between $40,000 and $75,000. Every number we give you is written into a fixed-price proposal before any demolition begins.
Do you handle permits and inspections?
Yes. We pull the building, plumbing, electrical, and fire permits, coordinate the plan review with the local construction office, and meet every inspector on site. You never have to sit in a municipal office or chase a subcode official. Our license and insurance certificates are filed with the township before we start.
How long will the work take?
A kitchen typically runs eight to twelve weeks on site once materials are in hand, a bathroom four to six weeks, and a whole-home renovation four to eight months depending on structural work. We order cabinetry and stone before demolition so your home is not sitting open waiting on a delivery.
Ready to Start Your Renovation?
Tell us about your project and we'll schedule a free, no-pressure site visit. We respond within one business day.
Prefer to pick a time? Book a free site visit.
Book a Free Site Visit