FeaturedCommunity3 min read
Care 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Field notes
Practical guides for Austin home projects.
Latest guidance
22 of 22 articles
Community3 min read
Care 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Hiring & Estimates6 min read
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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Hiring & Estimates8 min read
Do 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.
By Steve
Published
Hiring & Estimates8 min read
How 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.
By Steve
Published
Payments & Protection7 min read
The 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.
By Steve
Published
Payments & Protection8 min read
Which 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.
By Steve
Published
Materials & Methods8 min read
Lead-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.
By Steve
Published
Efficiency & Sustainability8 min read
Attic 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.
By Steve
Published
Texas Weather8 min read
Austin 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.
By Steve
Published
Efficiency & Sustainability9 min read
Austin 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Efficiency & Sustainability7 min read
Do 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Materials & Methods8 min read
How 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Texas Weather7 min read
The 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Cost Guides8 min read
What 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Efficiency & Sustainability9 min read
The 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Materials & Methods9 min read
Which 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Payments & Protection10 min read
Inheriting 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Hiring & Estimates5 min read
What 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Texas Weather5 min read
Austin 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Hiring & Estimates4 min read
Why 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
Payments & Protection3 min read
What 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
For Contractors5 min read
A 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.
By Steve
Published Updated
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