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
How 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 decision guide for structural work, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, repairs, and projects that may qualify for an 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 problems, air-seal, restore insulation, and evaluate reflective roofing when the roof is due.
Cost GuidesHow to compare interior-painting estimates in Austin
A line-by-line Austin painting bid checklist for surfaces, quantities, prep, coatings, access, lead-safe work, protection, cleanup, and payment.
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.