Steve.
Co-founder and CEO, Completa
Steve writes Completa’s guidance from the perspective of someone who has estimated, sold, scheduled, operated crews, collected payment, and kept the books for specialty-trade work.
Later, financial and tax work gave him a view into the books of hundreds of businesses and the same operating problems: lead costs, underpricing, material and labor leakage, and slow collections.
He is accountable for topic selection, source review, practical interpretation, updates, and corrections. Completa does not present a separate reviewer when one does not exist.
Experience areas
- Specialty-trade estimating
- Home-project scoping
- Contractor operations
- Project scheduling
- Crew operations
- Customer payment workflows
- Small-business financial operations
Published work
Guidance by Steve
Completa vs. Thumbtack and Angi for Austin home projects
How Completa, Thumbtack and Angi differ on requesting work, who confirms the price, what pros pay and how payment works, for Austin homeowners and pros.
CommunityCare for your home. Give back locally.
Choose one of three Greater Austin nonprofits with Completa Gives Back. Your entire homeowner platform fee supports your chosen cause.
Hiring & EstimatesHow to compare home-project apps in Austin
Compare home-project apps by estimates, contractor checks, fees, changes, and the records you can keep. A practical checklist for Austin homeowners.
Hiring & EstimatesDo you need a permit for a home remodel in Austin?
A practical Austin permit guide for structural, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and repair work, plus projects that may qualify for exemption or express review.
Hiring & EstimatesHow to verify an Austin contractor's license, insurance, and permits
A step-by-step homeowner checklist for checking Austin trade licenses, contractor registration, insurance evidence, permits, bids, and written agreements.
Payments & ProtectionThe home-project change-order checklist: what to approve before work continues
A practical change-order checklist covering cause, scope, price, schedule, permits, proof, and written approval before extra work begins.
Payments & ProtectionWhich home-improvement records should you keep—and for how long?
An evidence-based property-file checklist for basis, sale, insurance, warranty, permit, and contractor records, including IRS retention guidance.
Materials & MethodsLead-safe painting and renovation for pre-1978 Austin homes
What Austin owners of pre-1978 homes should know about EPA RRP coverage, certified firms, lead-safe setup, testing, cleanup, and project records.
Efficiency & SustainabilityAttic insulation, air sealing, or a cool roof: what should Austin homeowners do first?
A building-science sequence for Austin homes: diagnose comfort and duct issues, air-seal, restore insulation, and weigh a cool roof when the roof is due.
Texas WeatherAustin hail-damage checklist: what to inspect, document, and repair
A post-storm Austin checklist for safety, photos, temporary protection, insurer notice, roof inspections, contractor bids, deductibles, and permanent repairs.
Efficiency & SustainabilityAustin home-energy incentives in 2026: what is actually available
A primary-source guide to Austin Energy's current HVAC, air-sealing, duct, insulation, financing, and solar incentives—and Texas programs that are not open yet.
Efficiency & SustainabilityDo cool roofs reduce cooling costs in Austin?
Compare cool-roof ratings, limits, attic conditions, HVAC interactions, and related efficiency work before choosing a product for an Austin home.
Materials & MethodsHow long do Austin home components last? A planning guide
Evidence-based planning windows and condition signals for Austin roofs, HVAC systems, heat pumps, and water heaters.
Texas WeatherThe Austin home-maintenance calendar: freeze, storm, drought, heat
A seasonal Austin maintenance checklist for winter freezes, spring hail, summer heat and drought, and the fall reset.
Cost GuidesWhat 2026 material-price and tariff data means for Austin project estimates
How to use current BLS producer-price data and federal metals tariffs without turning national indicators into unsupported Austin retail-price claims.
Efficiency & SustainabilityThe residential clean energy credit ended: Austin solar math for 2026
Verify the 2026 Austin Energy rebate, Value of Solar rate, eligibility sequence, and proposal-comparison steps after the federal 25D credit ended.
Materials & MethodsWhich home improvements may add value in Austin?
Learn which Austin home improvements can support resale value, how appraisers assess upgrades, and when a project may affect Texas property taxes.
Payments & ProtectionInheriting a house in Texas: taxes, basis, and home improvements
Learn how Texas inheritance tax, date-of-death basis, capital gains, homestead rules, repairs, and renovations apply to an inherited house.
Hiring & EstimatesWhat belongs in a home-project estimate — and what a vague quote hides
A clear home-project estimate breaks down scope, quantities, materials, labor, and fees — so you can compare quotes fairly instead of trusting one number.
Texas WeatherAustin clay soil and foundation movement — what homeowners should watch
Learn how Austin’s expansive clay, drainage, and moisture changes affect foundations—and which warning signs and watering rules to review.
Hiring & EstimatesWhy the price should come before the contractor
Completa starts with an itemized estimate because home projects need a common scope before anyone can compare contractors fairly.
Payments & ProtectionWhat milestone payment holds change for home projects
Milestone payment holds give homeowners and contractors a clearer release path than informal deposits and text-message approvals.
For ContractorsA lead is not a job
Austin contractors: see a structured scope, available photos, milestones, and price basis before you accept, counter, or walk away from a marketplace job.