FAQs
The answers to the questions you have about Universal Design, home remodels, updated kitchens, new bathrooms, and working with Pathway Design & Construction are here for you.
There are a few things to do prior to contacting a design build firm:
- Gather examples you love, and hate, in order to clarify your vision. You don't have to do the design work, but you know what you like and don't like. This helps. Collect clippings, paint chips, etc, or create a specific Pinterest board to illustrate and clarify your vision of the space... namely, how you want to feel and live in the newly remodeled kitchen or bath.
- Consider seriously how the project will be financed. This is often a challenging thought and we do recommend thinking about it early on in order to save time and energy overall.
- Download our Remodel Reality Check. It's a worksheet, front and back, to help you understand a bit of the process, and will guide you through a thinking exercise about your potential remodel.
Starting a remodeling project is no easy task and it looks like you already began the first step: researching and finding a trustworthy contractor.
Before speaking with any contractor, find out if you are really ready to start a remodeling project with our Remodel Reality Check worksheet.
This quick checklist will further illuminate the reality of embarking on a remodeling project and as an added bonus it will help you decide if we are the right contractor for you.
Additionally, here are a few guides we created to help you navigate through your contractor selection process:
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Contractor
8 Questions to ask before starting your home remodel
3 Things to Ask a General Contractor About Residential Remodeling Dust
As a full-service remodeling and design firm we handle all aspects of the project from the concept to completion.
A design-build concept is a team approach where an estimator is involved early on in the process.
Our detail-driven estimator continually tracks the project and will help guide the decisions made during the design process with the budget being considered at all times.
We partner with the best architects and designers in the Greater Seattle Area.
Our well-established network of vetted architects and interior designers share our commitment to craftsmanship and high performance.
We have long-standing relationships with all the people we bring to our projects so you can trust that the professional who performs the work in your home is part of the extended, yet vetted, Pathway family.
Once we evaluate your needs and style we will refer you to one of our architects or interior designers.
We can also share our full list of recommended designers & architects upon request.
Contact us to chat further.
Yes! We have extensive experience working architects and interior designers in the Greater Seattle Area.
We'd be delighted to meet your design professional and work with them on your remodel project.
Contact us to chat further.
Yes, we have extensive experience working with all type insurance claims and companies.
Contact us today. We'd love to assist you.
When you contact Pathway Design & Construction, one of our team members will call you to ask a few questions about your project that will help us get to know you and where you are in the process.
Questions like:
- How long have you been thinking about your remodel project?
- Why are you choosing to remodel now?
- Have you ever been through a remodeling experience before?
- Is green building important to you?
- Are interested in Universal Design?
- Do you already have an architect or a designer?
We will evaluate your needs, and schedule a meeting with our owner, Paul Korchahook to continue exploring the project further and see if we might be a good fit.
Our initial meeting will be virtual, giving you a chance to meet with our team prior to investing significant time or money into your project. We will also dive deeper into our process and explain how we work.
If you elect to work with us further, then we will also schedule an in-home visit, at no charge.
Not quite ready to take the first step?
You can download our Remodel Reality Check worksheet.
Need more time to get to know us?
You can follow our projects on Houzz and Instagram or follow and watch our progressive remodel live videos on our Facebook page.
Not ready to commit to anything?
Here are few guides we created to help you navigate through your contractor selection process:
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Contractor
8 Questions to ask before starting your home remodel
3 Things to Ask a General Contractor About Residential Remodeling Dust
No, we do not. However, we do have relationships with home loan experts who we would be happy to refer you for further discussion and advice.
For an idea of remodeling costs in Seattle, The Cost vs. Value 2023 published by Remodeling magazine provides an unbiased, third-party report on how much it really costs for a professional to do a typical remodeling project.
Contact us directly for a referral to our vetted loan officers.
Questions? Contact us today.
Yes, we specialize in flexible design approaches, such as Universal Design, Better Living Design, and Aging in Place best practices.
Each of these methodologies focus on solutions that accommodate a homeowner's changing needs through all stages of their lives, while retaining beauty and comfort.
Paul Kocharhook, Owner of Pathway Design & Construction, is continually seeking out more education, more design elements, better ways to implement design practices so our clients stay healthier and safer in their homes, for as long as they can.
Paul is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and holds health and safety in a home and during a construction remodel in the highest regard as a core component to our business.
More about Universal Design and Aging in Place:
Remodeling Toward a More "Universal Design"
Could a Remodel Make Daily Activities Easier as You Age?
Remodeling Strategies for Aging Homeowners
You are ahead of most by being aware of your dust sensitivity, especially with regard to construction and remodeling projects!
Construction dust can circulate for years because it’s airborne. You will find dust post-construction on the walls, in drawers, everywhere.
Dust also holds a record of all the chemicals that are used during construction so thorough cleaning of the home after the project is completed is a great benefit, but it still may not be enough.
Before beginning to work with any general contractor, ask and find out what dust management practices the company implements on the property. A few useful, but general questions may include:
- Do you cover parts of the house when it’s under construction?
- Do you use an air filter, or filters during the project?
- I’d like to hear about the dust control systems and practices you put in place on the job site.
Here are 3 dust-specific questions to ask before you hire your contractor:
- How much dust will your project generate?
All projects produce dust throughout the process. You need to know the degree of dust that will be produced. - How will the contractor preserve your home’s livability?
You’re not alone in worrying about this. About 90 percent of homeowners stay in their homes during projects. The best contractors will have a dust control plan that includes the latest technology and best practices. Keep it simple for yourself, and them too… No plan? No deal. - How will the contractor make the plan work?
A simple box fan, a few sheets of taped plastic paper and a vacuum cleaner or shop vac won’t be enough.To really control dust, a contractor needs to use specialized tools to collect dust at the point of generation, while it is still airborne. For example, the BuildClean Dust Control System created for remodel and construction projects.
Pathway difference
“Many of our homeowners can live in their home during construction with reduced impact. The nature of the remodeling process can be dirty and dusty, but it doesn't have to be. There are easy ways to improve the remodel process that can have a positive effect on the occupants and workers.” – Paul Kocharhook, Owner of Pathway Design & Construction.
Some of our practices include sealing off the job sites, utilizing dust control systems (that capture and remove up to 90 percent of airborne dust that accumulates during remodeling projects) and constant cleaning during and after certain tasks. We also only use HEPA vacuums.
We also like testing air quality before, during and after projects with a particulate counter (to capture how well some methods of dust control/practices actually work) to help preserve client’s home livability.
More dust during construction:
3 Things to Ask a General Contractor About Residential Remodeling Dust
“A healthy home is designed, built, or renovated to support the health of the occupants,” says John Lapotaire, a certified indoor environmental consultant and president of the Indoor Air Quality Association.
“A healthy home is concerned with the home’s ventilation, air circulation, filtration, and humidity.”
Think of a house as a system or a body.
How does the air get in and out of the house? How does moisture get in or out of the walls? How do chemicals from the outside get in or pollutants from the inside get out?
This means that one of the most important parts of this healthy home system is having good indoor air quality (IAQ).
High quality indoor air requires a constant, steady exchange of filtered fresh air coming into a space while exhausting the stale indoor air out.
Healthy remodeling/construction is not about masking problems (masking a problem does not solve the issue; we must first look at why a problem is occurring and then find the best remedy for the problem).
Healthy, or health-focused remodeling and construction is about creating highly livable and functional spaces through smart design and eco‑friendly, and energy efficient products and practices.
Ultimately providing a healthier home is no different than improving the function of their space. As a builder, we are there to diagnose problems and to offer solutions to things that the homeowners themselves may not even realize.
More on Healthy Home can be found here.
Yes, we are experienced with building and designing for persons of all mobility requirements, including sight and hearing requirements.
We specialize in flexible design approaches, such as Universal Design, Aging in Place, and Better Living Designs.
These design methodologies focus on solutions that accommodate a homeowner's changing needs through all stages of their lives. Through thoughtful building practices and the use of highly durable products, we help ensure our clients enjoy their remodeled space for years to come.
Paul Kocharhook, Owner of Pathway Design & Construction, continually seeks and implements more education, more design elements, better design implementation practices so our clients stay healthier and safer in their homes, for as long as they can.
Paul is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and holds health and safety in a home and during a construction remodel in the highest regard as a core component to our business.
More about Universal Design and Aging in Place:
Remodeling Toward a More "Universal Design"
Could a Remodel Make Daily Activities Easier as You Age?
Remodeling Strategies for Aging Homeowners
Great question!
While major remodeling projects should be left to the professionals, you can assess your home to identify problem areas and consider necessary solutions.
Check your bathroom and kitchen and see if you can spot areas that could be safer, more functional, and more pleasing to the eye.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking and assessing:
Do you have enough light?
One easy way to begin is with the lighting. If you’re living in a house that’s more than 40 or 50 years old (built in the 1970s, 1980s or earlier), chances are good the lighting may need some attention.
Abundant lighting will improve safety and make the space more attractive.
Are all kitchen cabinets easy and convenient to work from?
Closely examine the cabinets in your kitchen.
Are they too high? Do you need a step stool to reach essential foods or dishes?
Are the cabinets too low? Do you have to get down on your knees and stretch to grab the frying pan or electric grill? Would drawer installation be easier on your knees for the lower cabinets?
Updating and reworking the cabinets can turn a navigation nightmare into a highly functional space.
Is the bathroom accessible?
If your home has its living area and kitchen on the main floor with only a powder room, you may consider expanding the powder room to a full bath by adding a shower and making it accessible for people of all walking abilities and in wheelchairs.
It can be hard to imagine a time in your life when simply exiting a shower or making a sandwich might be a challenging experience. We get it.
But incorporating an updated flexible remodel design in your existing home now will increase your house’s resale value for buyers with and without accessibility requirements, and will transform your house into a forever home.
Have questions or want to chat further about specifics? Contact us.
“Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.”
-Centre for Excellence in Universal Design
More on Universal Design can be found here.
As we age, the seemingly simple tasks we once took for granted can become much more trying...even challenging.
But there are changes you can make to your home’s kitchen and bathrooms that will make tasks more manageable, allowing you to stay in your home longer in beauty, ease, and comfort.
Remodelers can employ universal design — or “aging in place” design — that melds safe, practical and accessible conveniences with a modern and updated aesthetic.
Not only will this make these rooms safer and easier to use, but it could also add value to your home in case you decide to sell it.
For instance
Doorways may be built to a 36” width, according to Universal Design. Wider doorways give a more spacious, airy feel to a space, while also being able to accommodate a wheelchair or power chair.
More on Aging in Place can be found here.
Adaptability refers to the capacity of a home or property to accommodate a substantial change.
Adaptable design makes buildings easier to renovate and reuse.
Over the course of a home's lifetime, change is inevitable, both in the social, economic and physical surroundings and in the needs and expectations of occupants.
The concept of adaptability can be broken down into a number of simple strategies that are familiar to most designers:
- Flexibility, or enabling minor shifts in space planning;
- Convertibility, or allowing for changes in use within the building; and
- Expandability, (alternatively "shrink-ability") or facilitating additions to the quantity of space in a building.
In practice, these strategies can be achieved through changes in design, and through the use of alternative materials and technologies.
Visitability is a growing trend nationwide. The term refers to single-family or owner-occupied housing designed in such a way that it can be lived in or visited by people who have trouble with steps or who use wheelchairs or walkers – National Council on Independent Living
Incorporating visitability design elements into your remodel will make your home more … well, easy to visit.
Easy not only to approach and enter, but also to stay and socialize. Components of a visitable house include:
- A clear exterior and interior path.
- One zero-step entrance.
- Doorways and hallways that are wide enough to navigate through easily (for scooters, wheelchairs, crutches, etc.).
- A bathroom that is located on the main floor and large enough to easily use by the person with additional mobility requirements without any more support or care than they typically use.
Who benefits from visitability?
- Grandma who wants to visit the grandkids but knows she won’t be able to use the bathroom when she visits so her stays are shorter than she'd like and she isn't as able to bake cookies, do art projects, or plant seedlings in the garden with her grandchildren as she'd like.
- Anyone living in the home who suffers an injury or surgery requiring short-term use crutches, scooter, or wheelchair.
- The young mother with a baby in a stroller, who doesn’t have to haul it up and down steps just coming and going from her home.
- Even the college kid moving out with all his boxes and belongings.
Read more on visitability here.
Accessibility in home remodeling housing refers to the construction or modification of housing to enable independent living for persons with disabilities, and/or aging residents.
Perhaps the home owner’s parent or loved one may visit often and wider doorways would be easier and safer for that loved one to manage.
Maybe it will be easier to have that loved one move and live with the owner one day with a safer design in place.
Or, perhaps an owner is looking to stay in their home for as long as possible and wants to remodel
Accessibility is employing universal design — or “aging in place” design — that melds safe, practical and accessible conveniences with a modern and updated aesthetic. Not only will this make these rooms safer and easier to use, but it could also add value to your home in case you decide to sell it.
Wider doorways are just one instance to a Universal Design method. There are many more, with new thoughts and designs continuing to come forward every day.
Note: Home accessibility is different from ADA accessibility. Homes are private residences and properties, while the ADA regulates the accessibility of public and commercial properties and buildings.
Review this article for more on Universal Designs and Aging in Place.
We want all people to feel and be safe in their homes for as long as they possibly can. Vitality, longevity, health, safety and independence are what we think of and want to preserve in partnership with our clients.
With so many older adults and Baby Boomers looking to keep their own independence, we’d like to be a part of their realizing and staying in the house they’ve called a home. Plus, it’s helpful to adult children of seniors who are extremely busy with their careers and families, to have more peace-of-mind about how their loved one is thriving at home.
Paul Kocharhook, President of Pathway Design & Construction, is continually seeking out more education, more design elements, better ways to implement design practices so our clients stay healthier and safer in their homes, for as long as they can.
Paul is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and holds health and safety in a home and during a construction remodel in the highest regard as a core component to our business.
More about Universal Design and Aging in Place:
Remodeling Toward a More "Universal Design"
Could a Remodel Make Daily Activities Easier as You Age?
Remodeling Strategies for Aging Homeowners
Both bathroom and kitchen remodels are great ways to introduce Universal Design, and also Aging in Place, into your home.
These projects are appealing for children of seniors, older adults and Baby Boomers. This type of design functionality can really improve efficiency and create ease for the use of the space, but can also make a space safer as well.
These design methodologies improve existing homes and make tasks easier and more convenient for the owners. Universal Design and Aging in Place Design actually improve the functionality and liveability of a space.
Since we spend so much time in both kitchens and bathrooms, these are the spaces that will make an immediate, improved impact on the home overall.
Plus, remodeled kitchens and baths are known to significantly improve property values in homes.
"I want to make that little bit of difference in the world and if I can help our clients, trade partners, and employees achieve their little part then we are making a difference is someone’s life. When I look the projects that get me most excited they are the ones where we can make that little bit difference in someone’s life whether it be restoring their home after a fire, creating a space that fits their changing needs or remodeling their home and finding that what we have done had unanticipated benefits for the occupants"
– Paul Kocharhook, Owner of Pathway Design & Construction
Each desired project and home is very different and it is difficult to say without having some background information. We’d love to speak with you to learn more.
Your production team will always be available to you. Whether it is by email, phone or text, we strive to be in constant communication. We also schedule a weekly meeting with owners, lead carpenter and the project manager to keep in touch.
Seattle, WA
Check, ACH, Credit Cards (plus convenience fee)
Yes, upon request.
Each desired project and home is very different and it is difficult to say without having some background information. We’d love to speak with you to learn more.
Yes. In fact, we’ve gone beyond the standard state regulations and are also a BIAW certified contractor (https://www.biaw.com/hire-a-certified-builder/).
Greater Seattle Metro area