# Cedarline Home Services: complete content Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos. Every content file on https://home-services.valtair.com, in one document. 137 files. Each file appears as a "## source:" marker, its frontmatter flattened to key-value lines, then its body as plain text. Shared values such as the diagnostic fee are already resolved, so no field reads "inherit". Order is fixed: site documents, then services by trade, then areas, questions, team, case studies, articles, jobs and reviews. Two builds of unchanged content are byte-identical. --- ## source: content/site/company.mdx ### frontmatter docType: company title: About Cedarline seoTitle: About Cedarline Home Services | Family-Owned Since 2009 metaDescription: Cedarline Home Services is a family-owned, second-generation multi-trade contractor serving the Triangle since 2009, with 34 employees and 11 crews. summary: A family-owned, second-generation multi-trade contractor working residential properties across the Triangle since 2009. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 foundedYear: 2009 founder: Raymond Prentice employees: 34 crews: 11 segment: Residential only, including multifamily buildings up to 4 units licences[0].trade: hvac licences[0].authority: NC licences[0].number: H3-24817 licences[1].trade: construction licences[1].authority: NC licences[1].number: 78341 licences[2].trade: roofing licences[2].authority: NC licences[2].number: RC-11902 licences[3].trade: plumbing licences[3].authority: NC licences[3].number: P.1-32095 licences[4].trade: electrical licences[4].authority: NC licences[4].number: EL-27750 insurance.generalLiability: true insurance.workersComp: true insurance.bonded: true associations: NC Home Builders Association, Better Business Bureau, A+ rating conditionalCapabilities[0].capability: Spanish-speaking technicians conditionalCapabilities[0].availability: Monday through Friday ### content ## Who we are Cedarline Home Services has worked on Triangle homes since 2009. Raymond Prentice founded the company that year with one van and a framing crew. His son Aaron has run it since 2019, which makes us family-owned and now in our second generation, with 34 employees and 11 crews across seven trades. One call reaches every trade. That is the point of the company: a storm that takes off shingles usually also soaks a ceiling and trips a breaker, and three separate contractors turn that into three separate waits. ## Who we work for Residential only, including multifamily buildings up to 4 units. We do not take commercial or industrial work. A four-unit building is the ceiling, and it is a real ceiling rather than a preference: our crews, our insurance and our licences are all sized for residential work. ## Licences and insurance We hold five North Carolina licences: | Trade | Licence | | --- | --- | | HVAC | NC #H3-24817 | | General contractor | NC #78341 | | Roofing | NC #RC-11902 | | Plumbing | NC #P.1-32095 | | Electrical | NC #EL-27750 | We carry general liability cover and workers compensation cover, and we are bonded. Certificates go to your adjuster or your HOA on request, same day. ## Associations - NC Home Builders Association - Better Business Bureau, A+ rating ## Languages Spanish-speaking technicians are available Monday through Friday. We do not staff Spanish-speaking crews at weekends. If you need one, ask when you book and we will schedule you on a weekday rather than send someone who cannot explain the work to you. --- ## source: content/site/hours.mdx ### frontmatter docType: hours title: Hours and emergency coverage seoTitle: Opening Hours & 24/7 Emergency Coverage | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Cedarline office hours, dispatch hours, holiday closures, and what 24/7 emergency coverage costs outside dispatch hours across the Triangle. summary: The office is open Monday to Saturday, crews dispatch on a wider window, and emergency coverage runs 24 hours a day including holidays. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 timezone: America/New_York office.monday[0].open: 07:30 office.monday[0].close: 17:30 office.tuesday[0].open: 07:30 office.tuesday[0].close: 17:30 office.wednesday[0].open: 07:30 office.wednesday[0].close: 17:30 office.thursday[0].open: 07:30 office.thursday[0].close: 17:30 office.friday[0].open: 07:30 office.friday[0].close: 17:00 office.saturday[0].open: 08:30 office.saturday[0].close: 13:00 office.sunday: (none) dispatch.monday[0].open: 07:00 dispatch.monday[0].close: 19:00 dispatch.tuesday[0].open: 07:00 dispatch.tuesday[0].close: 19:00 dispatch.wednesday[0].open: 07:00 dispatch.wednesday[0].close: 19:00 dispatch.thursday[0].open: 07:00 dispatch.thursday[0].close: 19:00 dispatch.friday[0].open: 07:00 dispatch.friday[0].close: 19:00 dispatch.saturday[0].open: 08:00 dispatch.saturday[0].close: 16:00 dispatch.sunday: (none) emergency.available: true emergency.coverage: 24 hours, 7 days, including holidays emergency.callOutFee.amount: 189 emergency.callOutFee.currency: USD emergency.callOutFee.appliesOutside: dispatch emergency.coveredServices: ac-repair, furnace-repair, heat-pump-service, roof-repair, leak-detection-and-repair, sump-pump-service, gas-line-service, panel-upgrade emergency.notCovered: Remodeling, cabinetry, lawn and patio, fencing, and cosmetic work are never emergency work. emergency.targetResponseMinutes: 90 holidays[0].date: 2026-09-07 holidays[0].name: Labor Day holidays[0].status: closed holidays[0].emergencyOnly: true holidays[1].date: 2026-11-26 holidays[1].name: Thanksgiving holidays[1].status: closed holidays[1].emergencyOnly: true holidays[2].date: 2026-11-27 holidays[2].name: Day after Thanksgiving holidays[2].status: closed holidays[2].emergencyOnly: true holidays[3].date: 2026-12-24 holidays[3].name: Christmas Eve holidays[3].status: reduced holidays[3].dispatch[0].open: 08:00 holidays[3].dispatch[0].close: 12:00 holidays[4].date: 2026-12-25 holidays[4].name: Christmas Day holidays[4].status: closed holidays[4].emergencyOnly: true holidays[5].date: 2027-01-01 holidays[5].name: New Year's Day holidays[5].status: closed holidays[5].emergencyOnly: true seasonal[0].id: summer-hvac-extension seasonal[0].from: 2026-06-01 seasonal[0].to: 2026-08-31 seasonal[0].crewTypes: hvac seasonal[0].days: monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday seasonal[0].dispatch[0].open: 07:00 seasonal[0].dispatch[0].close: 21:00 seasonal[0].note: Extended HVAC dispatch to 21:00 Monday to Friday through the cooling season. lastUpdated: 2026-07-20 ### content ## Office hours and dispatch hours are different The office is where you reach a person about a quote, an invoice or a schedule change. Dispatch is when crews are actually on the road. The dispatch window is wider, so we can often reach you after the office has closed. | Day | Office | Dispatch | | --- | --- | --- | | Monday | 07:30 to 17:30 | 07:00 to 19:00 | | Tuesday | 07:30 to 17:30 | 07:00 to 19:00 | | Wednesday | 07:30 to 17:30 | 07:00 to 19:00 | | Thursday | 07:30 to 17:30 | 07:00 to 19:00 | | Friday | 07:30 to 17:00 | 07:00 to 19:00 | | Saturday | 08:30 to 13:00 | 08:00 to 16:00 | | Sunday | Closed | No scheduled dispatch | All times are America/New_York. ## Emergency coverage Emergency coverage runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. When we dispatch outside dispatch hours there is a call-out fee of $189, and our target is to be with you within 90 minutes. Emergency coverage applies to these services only: - AC repair - Furnace repair - Heat pump service - Roof repair, where there is an active leak - Leak detection and repair - Sump pump service - Gas line service - Panel upgrade, where power is lost entirely Remodeling, cabinetry, lawn and patio, fencing, and cosmetic work are never emergency work. If you call the emergency line about one of those, we will book you into the next ordinary dispatch window instead. If you smell gas, leave the building first and call the gas utility. Then call us. ## Holiday closures through 1 January 2027 The office and ordinary dispatch are closed on these dates. Emergency coverage still applies. A holiday always wins over the summer schedule below: a holiday inside the cooling season is closed or reduced, never extended. | Date | Holiday | Status | | --- | --- | --- | | 7 September 2026 | Labor Day | Closed, emergency only | | 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving | Closed, emergency only | | 27 November 2026 | Day after Thanksgiving | Closed, emergency only | | 24 December 2026 | Christmas Eve | Reduced dispatch, 08:00 to 12:00 | | 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | Closed, emergency only | | 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | Closed, emergency only | ## Summer HVAC hours From 1 June to 31 August 2026, HVAC dispatch runs to 21:00 Monday to Friday. Cooling calls do not wait well in a Triangle August, so the HVAC crews work later through the season. This applies to HVAC only. Every other trade keeps its normal dispatch window, and it does not apply at weekends. --- ## source: content/site/capacity.mdx ### frontmatter docType: capacity title: Crew capacity and scheduling seoTitle: Crew Capacity and Appointment Scheduling | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: How many Cedarline crews run per trade, how many appointments each carries per day, the arrival window you can expect, and the dates no crews are dispatched. summary: Eleven crews across seven trades, each carrying a fixed number of appointment slots per day. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 crews.hvac.crews: 3 crews.hvac.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 4 crews.roofing.crews: 2 crews.roofing.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 3 crews.construction.crews: 2 crews.construction.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 2 crews.carpentry.crews: 1 crews.carpentry.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 3 crews.outdoor.crews: 2 crews.outdoor.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 4 crews.plumbing.crews: 2 crews.plumbing.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 4 crews.electrical.crews: 1 crews.electrical.slotsPerCrewPerDay: 4 blackoutDates[0].date: 2026-08-14 blackoutDates[0].reason: Company-wide training day blackoutDates[1].date: 2026-09-07 blackoutDates[1].reason: Labor Day closure blackoutDates[2].date: 2026-11-26 blackoutDates[2].reason: Thanksgiving closure blackoutDates[3].date: 2026-11-27 blackoutDates[3].reason: Day after Thanksgiving closure blackoutDates[4].date: 2026-12-25 blackoutDates[4].reason: Christmas Day closure blackoutDates[5].date: 2027-01-01 blackoutDates[5].reason: New Year's Day closure bookingDefaults.global.durationMinutes: 90 bookingDefaults.global.arrivalWindowHours: 2 bookingDefaults.global.minLeadTimeHours: 4 bookingDefaults.global.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.roofing.durationMinutes: 120 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.roofing.arrivalWindowHours: 3 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.construction.durationMinutes: 180 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.construction.arrivalWindowHours: 3 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.construction.minLeadTimeHours: 48 bookingDefaults.byCrewType.outdoor.durationMinutes: 120 occupancy.seed: cedarline-2026 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.hvac: 0.65 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.roofing: 0.55 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.construction: 0.8 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.carpentry: 0.7 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.outdoor: 0.5 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.plumbing: 0.6 occupancy.targetRateByCrewType.electrical: 0.55 occupancy.dayOfWeekWeighting.monday: 1.15 occupancy.dayOfWeekWeighting.friday: 0.85 occupancy.dayOfWeekWeighting.saturday: 1.3 occupancy.hourWeighting.beforeNoon: 1.2 occupancy.hourWeighting.afterNoon: 0.9 occupancy.limitedThreshold: 0.25 ### content ## Crews by trade Cedarline runs eleven crews across seven trades. How many appointments a crew can take in a day depends on the work: a construction crew on a remodel is on one site all day, while an HVAC crew can reach four homes. | Trade | Crews | Appointments per crew per day | | --- | --- | --- | | HVAC | 3 | 4 | | Roofing | 2 | 3 | | Construction | 2 | 2 | | Carpentry | 1 | 3 | | Outdoor | 2 | 4 | | Plumbing | 2 | 4 | | Electrical | 1 | 4 | Carpentry and electrical run a single crew each, so those trades book out further ahead than the rest. If a date shows no availability, that is usually why. ## Arrival windows by trade We quote an arrival window, not an exact time, because a trades crew cannot honestly promise a minute. These are the defaults; an individual service can set its own. | Trade | Arrival window | Typical time on site | Earliest booking | Booking horizon | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Most trades | 2 hours | 90 minutes | 4 hours ahead | 30 days | | Roofing | 3 hours | 2 hours | 4 hours ahead | 30 days | | Construction | 3 hours | 3 hours | 48 hours ahead | 30 days | | Outdoor | 2 hours | 2 hours | 4 hours ahead | 30 days | Construction needs two days notice because the crew brings materials and, on most jobs, a permit has to be in hand first. ## Dates with no dispatch No crews are dispatched on these dates. Emergency coverage is unaffected and still runs 24 hours. | Date | Reason | | --- | --- | | 14 August 2026 | Company-wide training day | | 7 September 2026 | Labor Day closure | | 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving closure | | 27 November 2026 | Day after Thanksgiving closure | | 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day closure | | 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day closure | ## How to read the availability we publish We hold no live booking database, so the windows shown on the site are derived from the crew counts above, the published dispatch hours, and a modelled occupancy pattern. They are indicative of how full a day usually is, not a live view of the dispatch board. That means two things worth stating plainly. A window shown as free is a request, not a held slot, and we confirm within 30 minutes during dispatch hours. And a date three weeks out is modelled the same way as tomorrow, so it will not empty out as it approaches the way a real board does. --- ## source: content/site/service-areas.mdx ### frontmatter docType: service-areas title: Service areas seoTitle: Where Cedarline Works: Raleigh, Durham, Cary & the Triangle metaDescription: Cedarline covers Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle. Most cities carry no travel fee. Partial-coverage cities and the zip codes we do not reach are listed in full. summary: We cover the Triangle with no travel fee in most cities, and we name the partial-coverage cities and the zip codes we do not reach. lastReviewed: 2026-07-30 contentVersion: 1.1 travelFeePolicy: No travel fee in a full-coverage city, whatever the distance from the Morrisville yard. Two cities at the edge of the radius carry a flat travel fee, published below and on the city page. We do not quote work outside the coverage area, at any price. travelFeeByCoverage.full.amount: 0 travelFeeByCoverage.full.currency: USD travelFeeByCoverage.partial.amount: 45 travelFeeByCoverage.partial.currency: USD travelFeeByCoverage.emergency-only.amount: 0 travelFeeByCoverage.emergency-only.currency: USD notServed[0].zip: 27302 notServed[0].place: Mebane notServed[0].nearestCity: Durham notServed[1].zip: 27541 notServed[1].place: Hurdle Mills notServed[1].nearestCity: Durham notServed[2].zip: 27573 notServed[2].place: Roxboro notServed[2].nearestCity: Durham notServed[3].zip: 27596 notServed[3].place: Youngsville notServed[3].nearestCity: Wake Forest notServed[4].zip: 27860 notServed[4].place: Williamston notServed[4].nearestCity: null responseTargets.emergencyMinutes: 90 responseTargets.sameDayMinutes: 240 ### content ## Where we work Cedarline covers Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle from a yard in Morrisville. In a full-coverage city there is no travel fee, whatever the distance. The price you are quoted is the price of the work. Coverage is not uniform, so it is recorded per city rather than as a radius on a map. Four levels are in use, and each city page states which one applies and what it means for that address. | Coverage | What you can book | Travel fee | | --- | --- | --- | | Full | Every trade, scheduled and emergency | None | | Partial | A named subset of trades, scheduled and emergency | Flat fee, stated on the city page | | Emergency only | The eight emergency-eligible services, nothing scheduled | None | | Not served | Nothing. We name the nearest city we do cover | Not applicable | Enter your zip code on the service areas page for a definitive answer on a specific address. The lookup reads these same files, so it cannot disagree with a city page. ## Response targets | Request type | Target | | --- | --- | | Emergency | 90 minutes | | Same-day, inside dispatch hours | 4 hours | These are targets, not guarantees. Weather and storm volume move them, and we will tell you when they have moved rather than let you wait. ## Where we do not work Some zip codes sit outside the service radius. We do not take work there, and we would rather say so than send a crew that arrives late and charges for the drive. They are listed with the nearest city we do cover on the service areas page, where the same list drives the zip lookup. Hillsborough is a separate case and has its own page. It sits inside the Triangle and people reasonably expect us to cover it, so we say plainly there that we do not, rather than leaving the absence to be inferred. If your address falls in one of these, we can usually name a contractor who does cover it. Call the office and ask. --- ## source: content/site/pricing.mdx ### frontmatter docType: pricing title: Pricing seoTitle: Pricing, Diagnostic Fees & Payment | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: What Cedarline charges: the diagnostic fee, the after-hours surcharge, hourly rates and typical price ranges by trade, and which payment methods we accept. summary: A diagnostic fee of $89 covers the visit and the diagnosis, and it is waived when you approve the repair. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 diagnosticFee.amount: 89 diagnosticFee.currency: USD diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true hourlyRates.hvac.amount: 145 hourlyRates.hvac.currency: USD hourlyRates.roofing.amount: 135 hourlyRates.roofing.currency: USD hourlyRates.construction.amount: 125 hourlyRates.construction.currency: USD hourlyRates.carpentry.amount: 115 hourlyRates.carpentry.currency: USD hourlyRates.outdoor.amount: 95 hourlyRates.outdoor.currency: USD hourlyRates.plumbing.amount: 140 hourlyRates.plumbing.currency: USD hourlyRates.electrical.amount: 155 hourlyRates.electrical.currency: USD rangesByTrade.hvac.min: 180 rangesByTrade.hvac.max: 12000 rangesByTrade.hvac.currency: USD rangesByTrade.roofing.min: 350 rangesByTrade.roofing.max: 28000 rangesByTrade.roofing.currency: USD rangesByTrade.construction.min: 2500 rangesByTrade.construction.max: 95000 rangesByTrade.construction.currency: USD rangesByTrade.carpentry.min: 400 rangesByTrade.carpentry.max: 24000 rangesByTrade.carpentry.currency: USD rangesByTrade.outdoor.min: 120 rangesByTrade.outdoor.max: 42000 rangesByTrade.outdoor.currency: USD rangesByTrade.plumbing.min: 165 rangesByTrade.plumbing.max: 18000 rangesByTrade.plumbing.currency: USD rangesByTrade.electrical.min: 190 rangesByTrade.electrical.max: 16000 rangesByTrade.electrical.currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[0].value: under-5k estimateBudgetBands[0].max: 5000 estimateBudgetBands[0].currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[1].value: 5k-15k estimateBudgetBands[1].min: 5000 estimateBudgetBands[1].max: 15000 estimateBudgetBands[1].currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[2].value: 15k-40k estimateBudgetBands[2].min: 15000 estimateBudgetBands[2].max: 40000 estimateBudgetBands[2].currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[3].value: 40k-100k estimateBudgetBands[3].min: 40000 estimateBudgetBands[3].max: 100000 estimateBudgetBands[3].currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[4].value: over-100k estimateBudgetBands[4].min: 100000 estimateBudgetBands[4].currency: USD estimateBudgetBands[5].value: not-sure estimateBudgetBands[5].label: Not sure yet paymentAccepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, ACH bank transfer, Financing paymentExcluded: Personal cheques, Cash payments above $500 priceFactors: How old the equipment is, and whether replacement parts are still manufactured, How accessible the work area is: a crawlspace or a second-storey roof takes longer than a garage, Whether a permit and an inspection are required, Material grade, which on a roof or a deck moves the total more than labour does, Whether the visit falls outside dispatch hours ### content ## What a visit costs Installation, replacement and remodelling work is quoted rather than diagnosed, so those visits carry no diagnostic fee at all. The fee buys the time it takes to find the fault, which is why approving the repair removes it: the diagnosis becomes part of the job you are already paying for. Decline, and the fee is the whole of what you owe. ## After hours The surcharge and the emergency call-out fee are separate charges and both can land on the same visit. The surcharge is about when the work happens. The call-out fee is about when we dispatch, so it is published with the hours it depends on rather than restated here, and there is only ever one copy of it to keep current. ## Hourly rates by trade Hourly rates apply where a job is genuinely time-and-materials rather than a fixed price, which is the exception here: most work is quoted as a total before anything starts. The rate is per crew and not per person, so a job that needs a second pair of hands is not charged twice over. ## Typical price ranges A range is not a quote, and it is wide on purpose: replacing a capacitor and replacing a system are both HVAC. The low end of each one is a small repair and the high end is a full replacement, and which of the two you are looking at is usually clear once somebody has seen the job. ## What moves a price Every one of these is something a technician can see on site, which is why a real number comes after a look rather than over the phone. --- ## source: content/site/policies.mdx ### frontmatter docType: policies title: Policies seoTitle: Warranty, Cancellation & Insurance Claim Policies | Cedarline metaDescription: Cedarline warranty terms, the 24 hour cancellation window, the no-show fee, permit handling, and how we support a roof storm damage insurance claim. summary: Twelve months on labour and parts, 24 hours notice to cancel, and clear limits on what we will and will not do on an insurance claim. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 noShowFee.amount: 65 noShowFee.currency: USD cancellationNotice.hours: 24 cancellationNotice.feeIfLate.amount: 65 cancellationNotice.feeIfLate.currency: USD warrantyDefault.labourMonths: 12 warrantyDefault.partsMonths: 12 satisfactionGuarantee: If the work is not right, we come back and put it right at no charge. There is no time limit on a workmanship complaint about a repair we performed. permitHandling: We pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and meet the inspector on site. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately on your invoice. insuranceClaims.supported: true insuranceClaims.negotiatesWithInsurer: false insuranceClaims.documentationProvided: A dated photographic survey of the damage, roof plane by roof plane, A written scope of work itemised by material and labour, A moisture and decking condition report where the deck is compromised, A copy of our licence and certificate of insurance for your adjuster's file ### content ## Warranty Every repair carries 12 months on labour and 12 months on parts. Manufacturer warranties on equipment run separately and are often longer; we register them in your name at installation and give you the paperwork. If the work is not right, we come back and put it right at no charge. There is no time limit on a workmanship complaint about a repair we performed. ## Cancelling or rescheduling Give us 24 hours notice and there is no charge. Inside that window, or if nobody is home when the crew arrives, there is a no-show fee of $65. That covers the slot another customer could have used and the crew's drive. One call or one text is enough to reschedule. We would much rather move you than charge you. ## Permits For work that needs one, we pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and meet the inspector on site. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately on your invoice, so you can see what went to the county and what came to us. Permits add time before work starts. On a kitchen or an addition that is usually weeks, not days, and we tell you the realistic date rather than the hopeful one. ## Insurance claims, including roof storm damage We support insurance claims and we are used to working alongside an adjuster. What that means in practice: - We meet your adjuster on site. Two sets of eyes on the same roof at the same time settles most disagreements before they start. - We document the damage properly. You get a dated photographic survey roof plane by roof plane, a written scope of work itemised by material and labour, a moisture and decking condition report where the deck is compromised, and a copy of our licence and certificate of insurance for the adjuster's file. - Your deductible is yours to pay. It is due to us on completion. We will not absorb it, discount it, or inflate the scope to cover it. Any contractor offering to do that is committing insurance fraud and exposing you to it. We do not negotiate with your insurer on your behalf. We are not public adjusters and we are not licensed to act for you in a claim. We supply the documentation, we attend the inspection, and we answer technical questions about the damage and the repair. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer. If you want someone to argue the claim for you, hire a licensed public adjuster. --- ## source: content/site/financing.mdx ### frontmatter docType: financing title: Financing seoTitle: Home Improvement Financing, 0% for 12 Months | Cedarline metaDescription: Cedarline financing through two lenders: 0% for 12 months or 6.99% for 60 months, on projects of $3,000 and above. Soft credit check, approval in minutes. summary: Financing is available on projects of $3,000 and above, with a soft credit check and a decision in minutes. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 minimumAmount.amount: 3000 minimumAmount.currency: USD providers[0].name: Northgate Home Lending providers[0].apr: 0 providers[0].termMonths: 12 providers[0].notes: No interest if the balance is cleared inside the term. Interest is charged from the purchase date on any balance remaining after month 12. providers[1].name: Piedmont Improvement Finance providers[1].apr: 6.99 providers[1].termMonths: 60 providers[1].notes: Fixed rate for the full term, with no penalty for settling early. creditCheck: soft eligibleServices: Installation, Replacement, Remodeling, Additions, Roof replacement, Panel upgrades and generator installation ineligibleServices: Repairs, Maintenance visits, Inspections, Diagnostic visits, Maintenance plan subscriptions ### content ## What financing covers The split is by size, not by trade. A project is planned, quoted and scheduled ahead; a service call is someone coming out to put something right. Financing paperwork costs more than it saves on the second kind, which is why the line is drawn there rather than by what the work is. ## The minimum The minimum is the lenders' floor, not ours. Below it neither will write the paper, so there is no version of the conversation where we can arrange it. If your project comes in under, the card and ACH options on our pricing page (/pricing) are the practical route. ## The two options The deferred-interest option is genuinely interest free if you clear the balance inside the term. If any balance remains at the end, interest is charged from the original purchase date, not from the month you ran over. That is how deferred-interest financing works everywhere, and it is the one thing worth understanding before you choose it over the fixed rate. The fixed-rate option is a plain loan. The rate does not move for the life of it, and settling early costs you nothing. ## Applying Bring the quote reference and a photo ID. We do the application with you at the kitchen table or over the phone, whichever suits. You can apply before you commit to the work, so the monthly figure is part of the decision rather than something you work out afterwards. --- ## source: content/site/maintenance-plans.mdx ### frontmatter docType: maintenance-plans title: Maintenance plans seoTitle: Home Maintenance Plans from $19/month | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Three Cedarline maintenance plans covering seasonal HVAC visits, gutter cleaning and plumbing checks, with priority dispatch and a repair discount. summary: Three plans covering seasonal visits, priority dispatch and a standing discount on repairs, billed monthly and cancellable any time. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 tiers[0].slug: essential tiers[0].name: Essential tiers[0].price.amount: 19 tiers[0].price.currency: USD tiers[0].price.per: month tiers[0].visitsPerYear: 1 tiers[0].inclusions: One HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May, Filter change at the visit, Written system condition report, 10% off any repair tiers[0].discountPercent: 10 tiers[0].priorityDispatch: false tiers[0].cancellationTerms: Cancel any time with 30 days notice. No exit fee. Visits already delivered in the plan year are not refunded. tiers[1].slug: complete tiers[1].name: Complete tiers[1].price.amount: 39 tiers[1].price.currency: USD tiers[1].price.per: month tiers[1].visitsPerYear: 3 tiers[1].inclusions: HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May, Heating check each autumn, in September or October, Gutter clean each autumn, in November, Filter changes at every visit, Priority dispatch ahead of non-plan customers, 15% off any repair tiers[1].discountPercent: 15 tiers[1].priorityDispatch: true tiers[1].cancellationTerms: Cancel any time with 30 days notice. No exit fee. Visits already delivered in the plan year are not refunded. tiers[2].slug: total-home tiers[2].name: Total Home tiers[2].price.amount: 69 tiers[2].price.currency: USD tiers[2].price.per: month tiers[2].visitsPerYear: 5 tiers[2].inclusions: HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May, Heating check each autumn, in September or October, Gutter clean each autumn, in November, Roof and flashing inspection each spring, in March, Plumbing and water heater check each winter, in January, Filter changes at every visit, Priority dispatch ahead of every other customer, No diagnostic fee on any visit, 20% off any repair tiers[2].discountPercent: 20 tiers[2].priorityDispatch: true tiers[2].cancellationTerms: Cancel any time with 30 days notice. No exit fee. Visits already delivered in the plan year are not refunded. ### content ## Three plans | Plan | Price | Visits per year | Priority dispatch | Repair discount | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Essential | $19/month | 1 | No | 10% | | Complete | $39/month | 3 | Yes | 15% | | Total Home | $69/month | 5 | Yes | 20% | Billing is monthly by card or ACH. Cancel any time with 30 days notice, with no exit fee. Visits already delivered in the plan year are not refunded. ## When the visits happen The cadence is seasonal rather than "whenever you call", because the point of a maintenance plan is that you stop having to remember. | Visit | Month | Essential | Complete | Total Home | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Plumbing and water heater check | January | No | No | Yes | | Roof and flashing inspection | March | No | No | Yes | | HVAC tune-up | April or May | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Heating check | September or October | No | Yes | Yes | | Gutter clean | November | No | Yes | Yes | We text you when a visit is due and offer the next window. Reply to reschedule. ## What each plan includes ### Essential - One HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May - Filter change at the visit - Written system condition report - 10% off any repair ### Complete - HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May - Heating check each autumn, in September or October - Gutter clean each autumn, in November - Filter changes at every visit - Priority dispatch ahead of non-plan customers - 15% off any repair ### Total Home - HVAC tune-up each spring, in April or May - Heating check each autumn, in September or October - Gutter clean each autumn, in November - Roof and flashing inspection each spring, in March - Plumbing and water heater check each winter, in January - Filter changes at every visit - Priority dispatch ahead of every other customer - No diagnostic fee on any visit - 20% off any repair ## What priority dispatch means When a summer heatwave fills the HVAC board, plan customers are placed before non-plan customers in the same urgency band. It does not move you ahead of an emergency, and we will not pretend otherwise: a no-heat call in January outranks a plan customer's tune-up every time. --- ## source: content/site/scope-limits.mdx ### frontmatter docType: scope-limits title: Work we do not take on seoTitle: Work Cedarline Does Not Take On | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: The work Cedarline does not do, from septic and pools to asbestos and commercial jobs, with the kind of contractor to call instead. summary: Ten kinds of work we do not take on, each with the sort of contractor who does. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 notOffered[0].item: Septic systems notOffered[0].referTo: A licensed septic contractor. Wake County keeps a list of permitted installers. notOffered[1].item: Pools and spas notOffered[1].referTo: A pool service company. Pool equipment sits under a separate licence from ours. notOffered[2].item: Appliance repair notOffered[2].referTo: An appliance repair specialist, or the manufacturer if the unit is under warranty. notOffered[3].item: Pest control notOffered[3].referTo: A licensed pest control operator. Termite work in particular requires a state licence we do not hold. notOffered[4].item: Asbestos abatement notOffered[4].referTo: A certified asbestos abatement contractor. If we find suspected asbestos mid-job we stop work and tell you. notOffered[5].item: Tree removal notOffered[5].referTo: A certified arborist. If a tree is on your roof, call the arborist first and us second. notOffered[6].item: Solar installation notOffered[6].referTo: A solar installer. We will happily work around an existing array on a roof job. notOffered[7].item: Garage door springs notOffered[7].referTo: A garage door specialist. Torsion springs are genuinely dangerous without the right tools. notOffered[8].item: Well pumps notOffered[8].referTo: A well and pump contractor. We do work on the plumbing downstream of the pressure tank. notOffered[9].item: Commercial and industrial work notOffered[9].referTo: A commercial general contractor. We are residential only, up to four units. ### content ## What we do not do We would rather tell you no in one sentence than take a job we are not the right company for. Every item below is work we decline, with the sort of contractor who does it. | We do not do | Call instead | | --- | --- | | Septic systems | A licensed septic contractor. Wake County keeps a list of permitted installers. | | Pools and spas | A pool service company. Pool equipment sits under a separate licence from ours. | | Appliance repair | An appliance repair specialist, or the manufacturer if the unit is under warranty. | | Pest control | A licensed pest control operator. Termite work in particular requires a state licence we do not hold. | | Asbestos abatement | A certified asbestos abatement contractor. If we find suspected asbestos mid-job we stop work and tell you. | | Tree removal | A certified arborist. If a tree is on your roof, call the arborist first and us second. | | Solar installation | A solar installer. We will happily work around an existing array on a roof job. | | Garage door springs | A garage door specialist. Torsion springs are genuinely dangerous without the right tools. | | Well pumps | A well and pump contractor. We do work on the plumbing downstream of the pressure tank. | | Commercial and industrial work | A commercial general contractor. We are residential only, up to four units. | ## Where the lines sit A few of these have a boundary worth stating, because the honest answer is "partly". Well pumps. The pump, the well and the pressure tank are not ours. Everything downstream of the pressure tank is ordinary household plumbing and we do work on it. Solar. We do not install or service arrays. We do reroof around an existing one, and we will coordinate with your solar installer on the detach and reset. Asbestos. Older Triangle houses do contain it, usually in floor tile, pipe lagging or textured ceilings. If we find suspected asbestos mid-job we stop, tell you, and wait for an abatement contractor. We do not disturb it and we do not guess. Tree removal. If a tree is through your roof, that is an arborist job first and a roofing job second. We will tarp the opening to stop further water getting in while you arrange the removal. --- ## source: content/site/promotions.mdx ### frontmatter docType: promotions title: Current offers seoTitle: Current Offers and Seasonal Discounts | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Cedarline offers running now, each with an absolute end date, plus the offers that have already closed. summary: Every offer carries an absolute start and end date, and the ones that have closed stay listed with the dates they ran. lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1.1 offers[0].id: fall-heating-check-2026 offers[0].title: $40 off a heating check booked before 30 September 2026 offers[0].description: Book a heating check before 30 September 2026 and take $40 off. Furnaces fail on the first genuinely cold night, which is the worst night to discover it. offers[0].appliesTo: furnace-repair, heat-pump-service offers[0].startDate: 2026-07-15 offers[0].endDate: 2026-09-30 offers[0].discount.type: fixed offers[0].discount.amount: 40 offers[0].discount.currency: USD offers[1].id: gutter-clean-bundle-2026 offers[1].title: 15% off a gutter clean booked with any roof work before 15 November 2026 offers[1].description: Book a gutter clean alongside any roof job before 15 November 2026 and the gutter work is 15% off. The crew is already on the roof, so the saving is real rather than promotional. offers[1].appliesTo: gutter-installation, roof-repair, roof-inspection offers[1].startDate: 2026-09-01 offers[1].endDate: 2026-11-15 offers[1].discount.type: percent offers[1].discount.amount: 15 offers[1].discount.currency: USD offers[2].id: spring-ac-tuneup-2026 offers[2].title: $35 off a spring AC tune-up, ended 30 June 2026 offers[2].description: This offer closed on 30 June 2026 and is no longer available. It is listed here so the date is unambiguous rather than quietly removed. offers[2].appliesTo: ac-maintenance offers[2].startDate: 2026-03-01 offers[2].endDate: 2026-06-30 offers[2].discount.type: fixed offers[2].discount.amount: 35 offers[2].discount.currency: USD ### content Whether an offer is running today is computed from these dates and shown above. This section is the terms, and it does not restate a status, because a status written into prose is wrong the morning after it changes. ## $40 off a heating check Book a heating check before 30 September 2026 and take $40 off. Applies to furnace repair and heat pump service. Furnaces fail on the first genuinely cold night, which is the worst night to discover it. Runs 15 July 2026 to 30 September 2026. ## 15% off a gutter clean booked with roof work Book a gutter clean alongside any roof job before 15 November 2026 and the gutter work is 15% off. The crew is already on the roof, so the saving is real rather than promotional. Runs 1 September 2026 to 15 November 2026. ## $35 off a spring AC tune-up This offer ended on 30 June 2026 and is no longer available. It stays listed so the date is unambiguous. An offer that quietly disappears leaves people asking for it months later, and leaves anyone reading the site unable to tell whether it ever existed. ## How we date offers Every offer carries an absolute start and end date. We never write "this month", "limited time" or "while stocks last". If you are reading this a year from now, you can tell exactly what was available and when it stopped. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: hvac title: Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning h1: HVAC Services in the Triangle seoTitle: HVAC Repair & Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Same-day AC and furnace repair, system replacement, maintenance and indoor air quality work across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle. summary: Heating and cooling repair, replacement and maintenance for Triangle homes, with same-day service on most repair calls. voiceSummary: We repair, replace and maintain heating and cooling systems across the Triangle, usually the same day for repairs. tradeTag: HVAC crewType: hvac order: 1 hero.src: /img/services/hvac/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician kneeling beside an outdoor condenser unit with a manifold gauge set, service panel removed faqRefs: hvac, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Heating and cooling in a hard climate The Triangle asks more of a heating and cooling system than most of the country does. Summers are hot and humid enough that a failed compressor is a same-day problem, and winters are cold enough that a dead furnace on a January night is not something to sleep through. Systems here run most of the year, and they wear accordingly. Cedarline runs three HVAC crews, more than any other trade we carry. That is deliberate: cooling calls arrive in clusters when a heatwave hits, and a company with one crew simply cannot answer them. ## What we work on We service and install split systems, packaged units, heat pumps, gas and electric furnaces, ductless mini-splits, ductwork, thermostats, and indoor air quality equipment. We work on every major residential brand, and we will service a system we did not install. We do not work on window or portable air conditioners, and we do not take commercial rooftop package units. Both sit outside what our crews and our licence cover. ## Repair, maintenance, or replacement These three are genuinely different jobs and it is worth knowing which one you need before you call. A repair is a response to something being wrong: no cooling, no heat, a strange noise, water where it should not be. It starts with a diagnostic visit, and most repairs finish in that same visit. Maintenance is a scheduled tune-up on a system that is working. It is a different appointment with a different price, and booking a tune-up when your AC has actually failed only delays the repair. If your system is not working, book the repair. Replacement is a quoted project rather than a service call. It carries no diagnostic fee, it is financing eligible, and it needs an on-site visit to size the system properly. Anyone who quotes you a replacement without measuring the house is guessing. ## When it is an emergency No cooling in high summer and no heat in a hard freeze are both emergency-eligible, and we dispatch around the clock for them. So is a burning smell or visible smoke from an air handler. Ductwork and indoor air quality work are not emergency-eligible even though they are HVAC. They are real problems, but they are not the kind that cannot wait for the next dispatch window, and pricing them as emergencies would be dishonest. If you smell gas, leave the building first and call the gas utility. Then call us. Do not operate switches on your way out. ## What it costs Repair visits start with a diagnostic fee that is waived when you approve the repair. Installations and replacements are quoted. Every service page in this section publishes its own typical range, the factors that move it, and whether financing applies. One cost worth flagging before you get a surprise: systems still running R-22 refrigerant are expensive to recharge, because R-22 has not been produced since 2020 and the remaining supply is reclaimed. On an older system, a refrigerant leak is often the point where replacement becomes the cheaper answer over a few years. We will tell you when that is the case rather than sell you a recharge every summer. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/ac-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ac-repair title: AC Repair category: hvac h1: Air Conditioning Repair in the Triangle seoTitle: AC Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Same-Day Service | Cedarline metaDescription: Same-day air conditioning repair across the Triangle. Diagnostic fee waived when you approve the repair, and 24/7 emergency cover when there is no cooling. summary: We diagnose and repair air conditioning systems that have stopped cooling, usually in a single visit. voiceSummary: We repair air conditioning that has stopped cooling, usually in one visit, and we cover no cooling emergencies around the clock. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: No cooling with an indoor temperature above 85F, Burning smell or visible smoke from the air handler, Ice covering the refrigerant lines with the system still running, Water pouring from the air handler into a finished ceiling triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, Water is actively entering a finished ceiling, Anyone in the home is showing signs of heat illness pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 180 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Refrigerant type. R-410A systems cost less to recharge than legacy R-22, which has not been produced since 2020, Age and accessibility of the outdoor condenser, Whether the failed part is still manufactured, or has to be sourced used, Whether the fault is electrical, mechanical, or a refrigerant leak that must be found first pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, systemAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, thermostatBrand, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear a three-foot path to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, Secure pets away from the work area, Note when the problem started and what changed, if anything, Leave the system off if it is icing over, so the coil can thaw before we arrive booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full diagnosis with a written fault report, Capacitor, contactor and relay replacement, Condenser fan and blower motor replacement, Refrigerant leak detection and repair, Refrigerant recharge on R-410A and R-22 systems, Condensate drain clearing and float switch replacement, Thermostat fault diagnosis scope.excludes: Window and portable AC units, Commercial rooftop package units, Ductwork replacement, which is a separate service, Full system replacement, which is quoted rather than diagnosed scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi Electric, York, Bryant scope.certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs complete in a single visit. A part that has to be ordered adds two to four working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer parts warranty applies separately and often runs longer. We register it in your name and give you the paperwork. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: may, jun, jul, aug, sep related: ac-maintenance, ac-installation, thermostat-installation, ductwork-and-ventilation faqRefs: hvac, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/hvac/ac-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician checking refrigerant pressure at an outdoor condenser with a manifold gauge set lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## What this is Air conditioning repair is what you need when your system has stopped cooling properly. It starts with a diagnostic visit: a technician finds the fault, tells you the repair price before touching anything, and in most cases fixes it in the same visit. If your system is working and you want it checked over before summer, that is a tune-up rather than a repair. Book AC maintenance instead. Booking a tune-up on a system that has already failed only delays the actual repair by a visit. ## Can somebody come tonight Often, yes. No cooling with an indoor temperature above 85F is emergency-eligible, and we dispatch around the clock for it, including holidays. Outside dispatch hours an emergency call-out fee applies on top of the repair, and our target is to be with you inside 90 minutes. During dispatch hours a no-cooling call is treated as same-day wherever the board allows it. The arrival window is two hours, and we text you when the crew is on the way. ## What it costs Most air conditioning repairs land between $180 and $1,200. The low end is a capacitor or a contactor, both common failures that take under an hour. The high end is a compressor or an evaporator coil, where the part itself is the majority of the price. The visit begins with the standard diagnostic fee, and that fee is waived when you approve the repair. If you decide not to go ahead, the diagnostic fee is all you pay and the written fault report is yours to take to anyone else. Work outside dispatch hours carries the published after-hours surcharge on top. That is separate from the emergency call-out fee, and both are shown on this page rather than left for the invoice. Repairs are not financing eligible. Financing is for projects rather than service calls, and a repair at this size would cost you more in paperwork than it saves. ## What moves the price The single biggest factor on an older system is refrigerant. R-22 has not been produced since 2020, so every pound now comes from reclaimed stock and costs several times what R-410A does. On a system running R-22 with a leak, a recharge can approach the cost of a year's savings from a new system, and it will leak again. We will say so plainly when we find it, and we would rather quote you a replacement than sell you the same recharge every July. Beyond refrigerant: how old the unit is and whether the failed part is still manufactured, how accessible the outdoor condenser is, and whether the fault is a straightforward electrical failure or a leak that has to be located before it can be repaired. ## What we do not do on this call We do not replace ductwork on a repair visit, and we do not quote a full system replacement from a diagnostic. Both are separate services with their own pages, because both need measurement rather than diagnosis. We also do not work on window or portable units, or on commercial rooftop package equipment. ## Before we arrive Clear a three-foot path to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, and secure pets away from the work area. Note when the problem started and whether anything changed just before it. If the system is icing over, switch it off so the coil can thaw, otherwise the technician has to wait for it on your time. ## Warranty Every repair carries 12 months on labour and 12 months on parts. Manufacturer parts warranties run separately and are often longer; we register them in your name and hand you the paperwork before we leave. If the same fault returns inside the warranty, we come back and put it right at no charge. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/ac-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ac-installation title: AC Installation category: hvac h1: Air Conditioning Installation and Replacement seoTitle: AC Installation & Replacement in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Air conditioning replacement across the Triangle, quoted after an on-site load calculation. Financing available, and no diagnostic fee on a quote visit. summary: We size, supply and install replacement air conditioning systems, quoted after an on-site visit rather than over the phone. voiceSummary: We replace air conditioning systems. We size the system on site, quote before any work, and financing is available. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has no cooling right now and is waiting on a replacement, which needs a repair conversation first pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 4800 pricing.typicalRange.max: 12000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: System size in tons, set by a load calculation rather than by what was there before, Efficiency rating. A higher SEER2 unit costs more up front and less to run, Whether the air handler and line set are being replaced at the same time, Access to the equipment, particularly a loft air handler or a tight side yard, Whether the existing electrical supply and disconnect meet current code pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, currentSystemAge, energyBills, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Have a recent power bill available if you want a running-cost comparison, Clear access to the existing indoor and outdoor units, Note any rooms that never get comfortable, which usually points at sizing or ductwork booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A replacement has to be sized on site with a load calculation, and the price depends on equipment, access and electrical work we cannot see from here. Book a free estimate visit instead and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Manual J load calculation to size the system correctly, Removal and responsible disposal of the old equipment, New condenser, evaporator coil and line set as required, Refrigerant charge and commissioning to manufacturer specification, Condensate drain and float switch, Electrical disconnect replacement where the existing one is not to code, Manufacturer warranty registration in your name scope.excludes: Ductwork replacement, which is quoted separately if the survey calls for it, Electrical panel upgrades, which are an electrical service, Window and portable AC units, Structural work to create equipment access scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi Electric, Bryant scope.certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One to two days on site, following a one to two week lead time for equipment and the permit. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer equipment warranties run separately and are typically 10 years on parts when registered at installation, which we do for you. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: apr, may, jun, sep related: ac-repair, ac-maintenance, ductwork-and-ventilation, mini-split-installation faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/ac-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A newly installed outdoor condenser unit on a level pad beside a brick house, with fresh line set insulation lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why this cannot be booked online A replacement is quoted, not booked. The price depends on the size the house actually needs, the efficiency you choose, how accessible the equipment is, and whether the existing electrical supply meets current code. None of that is knowable from a postcode. So this page books a free estimate visit rather than the work. You get a fixed written quote at the end of it, and there is no diagnostic fee on an estimate visit because nothing is being diagnosed. If your AC has failed and you are without cooling right now, start with AC repair (/services/hvac/ac-repair). We can often get you running while you decide on a replacement, which is a better position to make a five-figure decision from. ## What it costs Most replacements land between $4,800 and $12,000. That spread is real, not hedging: a straightforward like-for-like swap on a small single-storey house sits near the bottom, and a high-efficiency two-stage system with a new air handler in a loft sits near the top. Replacements are financing eligible, and comfortably clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing), including the 0% for 12 months product. You can apply before committing, so you know the monthly figure while you are still deciding. ## Sizing is the part that matters We run a Manual J load calculation rather than matching whatever was there before. This matters more than the brand on the box. An oversized system is the most common fault we find in Triangle homes, and it is worse than it sounds. It cools the air quickly, satisfies the thermostat, and shuts off before it has removed the humidity. You end up with a house that is cold and clammy, and equipment that wears out early from short-cycling. In a climate this humid, correct sizing is most of the comfort. If the previous system was oversized, the correctly sized replacement will be smaller. We will show you the calculation. ## What moves the price System size in tons, set by the load calculation. Efficiency rating, where a higher SEER2 unit costs more up front and less every month afterwards. Whether the air handler and the line set are being replaced alongside the condenser. Access, particularly a loft air handler or a side yard too tight for a pallet truck. And whether the existing electrical disconnect meets current code, which on houses over about twenty years old it often does not. ## Permits and timeline A replacement needs a permit and an inspection. We pull the permit, book the inspection, and meet the inspector on site. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately. Expect one to two weeks between accepting the quote and the crew arriving, for equipment and the permit. The installation itself is one to two days on site. ## What is not included Ductwork replacement is quoted separately if the survey shows the existing ducts cannot carry the airflow. We will tell you at the estimate rather than after. Electrical panel upgrades are an electrical service, and structural work to create equipment access is not something we take on. ## Warranty Our labour carries 12 months. The manufacturer's equipment warranty is separate and typically runs 10 years on parts when the system is registered at installation, which we do for you before we leave. Unregistered equipment often drops to five years, which is why we do not leave it to you. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/ac-maintenance.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ac-maintenance title: AC Maintenance category: hvac h1: Air Conditioning Maintenance and Tune-Ups seoTitle: AC Tune-Up & Maintenance in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: A scheduled air conditioning tune-up for a system that is still working. Flat price, no diagnostic fee, and a written condition report at the end. summary: A scheduled tune-up for an air conditioning system that is still working, to keep it that way through the season. voiceSummary: A scheduled tune-up for an air conditioner that still works. If yours has already stopped cooling, you need a repair instead. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a system that has already stopped cooling, which is a repair pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 129 pricing.typicalRange.max: 249 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Number of systems in the home. A second system is charged at a reduced rate on the same visit, Whether a filter is included or supplied by you, Whether the coil needs a deep clean rather than a routine one pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: maintenance-visit booking.durationMinutes: 75 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, systemAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: numberOfSystems, filterSize, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear access to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, Have your filter size to hand if you know it, Secure pets away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Refrigerant pressure and superheat check, Coil clean, indoor and outdoor, Condensate drain flush and float switch test, Capacitor and contactor condition test under load, Blower wheel and motor amperage check, Thermostat calibration, Filter change, Written system condition report with remaining life estimate scope.excludes: Any repair. Faults found are quoted separately and never carried out without approval, Refrigerant recharge, which is a repair, Duct cleaning, which is a separate service, Window and portable AC units scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi Electric, York, Bryant scope.certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One visit, about 75 minutes for a single system. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: The tune-up itself is not a warranty on the system. Any part we replace during a follow-up repair carries the standard cover. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may related: ac-repair, indoor-air-quality, thermostat-installation, ductwork-and-ventilation faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/ac-maintenance-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician on a step ladder replacing a pleated filter in a ceiling return grille lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## This is not a repair AC maintenance is a scheduled tune-up on a system that is still working. It is preventative: we clean, test and measure, then tell you what condition the system is in and how long it has left. If your air conditioning has already stopped cooling, this is the wrong appointment. Book AC repair (/services/hvac/ac-repair) instead. The two visits carry different prices, different durations and different technicians' expectations, and booking a tune-up on a failed system means waiting for a second visit to fix it. The simplest test: if you are annoyed at your AC right now, you want a repair. If you are being organised before summer, you want this. ## What it costs A tune-up is flat-priced between $129 and $249, and there is no diagnostic fee because there is nothing to diagnose. You know the price when you book. The range covers how many systems are in the home and how much cleaning the coils actually need. A second system on the same visit is charged at a reduced rate, because the crew is already there. Maintenance is not financing eligible. If we find a fault during the tune-up, we quote it separately and we do not carry it out without your approval. Nothing gets added to the invoice while you are at work. ## When to book it Late March through May, before the first genuinely hot week. Two reasons: the board is not yet full of emergency no-cooling calls, and a fault found in April is a scheduled repair rather than a miserable July evening. If you are on a maintenance plan, this visit is included and we text you when it is due rather than leaving you to remember. ## What we actually check Refrigerant pressure and superheat, which is the measurement that tells us whether the charge is correct and whether there is a leak developing. Coils cleaned inside and out. The condensate drain flushed and the float switch tested, because a blocked drain is the most common cause of water appearing in a ceiling. Then the electrical side: capacitors and contactors tested under load, not just visually, since a capacitor that reads fine cold can fail at 95F. Blower motor amperage. Thermostat calibration. You get a written condition report with a remaining life estimate. That estimate is honest, which sometimes means telling you a twelve-year-old system is fine and sometimes means telling you to start budgeting. ## What this visit is not It is not a repair, and it is not a refrigerant recharge. A system low on refrigerant has a leak, and topping it up without finding the leak is a service we deliberately do not sell. It is not duct cleaning, and it is not emergency work. If your system fails at 11pm, a maintenance booking will not bring anyone out; the emergency line and an AC repair call will. ## Before we arrive Clear access to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, and secure pets away from the work area. If you know your filter size, have it to hand; if not, we carry the common sizes. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/furnace-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: furnace-repair title: Furnace Repair category: hvac h1: Furnace Repair in the Triangle seoTitle: Furnace Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | 24/7 No-Heat | Cedarline metaDescription: Same-day and emergency furnace repair across the Triangle. No heat in a freeze is covered around the clock. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility first. summary: We diagnose and repair gas and electric furnaces that have stopped heating, with 24/7 cover when there is no heat in a freeze. voiceSummary: We repair gas and electric furnaces that have stopped heating, and we cover no heat emergencies around the clock. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: No heat with an outdoor temperature below 40F, Burning smell or visible smoke from the furnace, A carbon monoxide alarm sounding in the home, The furnace short-cycling and tripping its limit switch repeatedly triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, A carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, Anyone in the home is showing signs of cold exposure pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 190 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1400 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the fault is in the ignition, the gas valve, the blower, or the heat exchanger, Gas or electric. Gas furnaces carry combustion testing that electric ones do not, Age of the unit, and whether the failed part is still manufactured, Whether a cracked heat exchanger is found, which ends the repair and starts a replacement conversation pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, systemAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, fuelType, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear a three-foot path to the furnace, Secure pets away from the work area, Note when the heat stopped and any noises or smells you noticed, If the furnace is in a loft or crawlspace, make sure the access is clear and lit booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full diagnosis with a written fault report, Igniter, flame sensor and thermocouple replacement, Gas valve and pressure switch replacement, Inducer and blower motor replacement, Limit switch and control board replacement, Combustion analysis on gas furnaces, Heat exchanger inspection scope.excludes: Gas line work upstream of the furnace shutoff, which is a plumbing service, Chimney and flue liner replacement, Full furnace replacement, which is quoted rather than diagnosed, Oil-fired furnaces scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, York, Bryant, Amana scope.certifications: NATE certified, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs complete in a single visit. A control board or gas valve that has to be ordered adds two to four working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer parts warranty applies separately and often runs longer. We register it in your name and give you the paperwork. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: nov, dec, jan, feb related: furnace-installation, heat-pump-service, thermostat-installation, ac-maintenance faqRefs: hvac, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/hvac/furnace-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician using a combustion analyser on a gas furnace with the front panel removed in an unfinished basement lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## If you smell gas, stop reading and leave Leave the building first. Call the gas utility from outside. Then call us. Do not operate light switches, do not touch any appliance or control, and do not go looking for the source. The gas utility makes the property safe; we deal with the equipment afterwards. Our technicians and our phone agents follow the same rule. Any report of a gas smell is escalated to a person immediately, and nobody will try to talk you through a diagnosis over the phone while you are standing in the house. The same applies to a sounding carbon monoxide alarm. Leave, call the utility, call us second. ## What this is Furnace repair is a diagnostic visit on a gas or electric furnace that has stopped heating properly. The technician finds the fault, quotes the repair before starting, and in most cases completes it in that visit. ## Can somebody come tonight Yes, when there is no heat and it is genuinely cold. No heat with an outdoor temperature below 40F is emergency-eligible and we dispatch around the clock, including holidays. Outside dispatch hours the emergency call-out fee applies on top of the repair, with a 90 minute response target. A furnace that is running but noisy is a same-day or next-day call rather than an emergency, and we will book it accordingly rather than charge you an emergency rate for it. ## What it costs Most furnace repairs land between $190 and $1,400. A flame sensor or an igniter sits at the bottom of that range and is a common, cheap, same-visit fix. A control board, a gas valve or an inducer motor sits in the middle. The top of the range is a blower assembly on a large system. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Work outside dispatch hours carries the after-hours surcharge, which is separate from the emergency call-out fee. Repairs are not financing eligible. ## The one finding that ends a repair A cracked heat exchanger is the exception to everything above. It is a carbon monoxide risk, it cannot be safely repaired, and finding one means we red-tag the furnace and shut it down rather than patching it and leaving. That is not an upsell. A cracked exchanger on a furnace under warranty may be replaced free by the manufacturer, and we will tell you if yours qualifies. If it does not, replacement is the only safe answer and we will quote it honestly, including the option of waiting until spring with temporary heat if the budget needs it. ## What we do not do on this call We do not work on the gas line upstream of the furnace shutoff. That is plumbing, it needs a different licence, and we will refer it. We do not reline chimneys, we do not service oil-fired furnaces, and we do not quote a replacement from a diagnostic visit. ## Before we arrive Clear a three-foot path to the furnace and secure pets away from the work area. Note when the heat stopped and any noises or smells you noticed beforehand; a technician can often narrow the fault from the description before opening the cabinet. If the furnace sits in a loft or crawlspace, make sure the access is clear and lit. ## Warranty Every repair carries 12 months on labour and 12 months on parts. Manufacturer parts warranties run separately and are often longer. If the same fault returns inside the warranty period, we come back and put it right at no charge. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/furnace-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: furnace-installation title: Furnace Installation category: hvac h1: Furnace Installation and Replacement seoTitle: Furnace Installation & Replacement in the Triangle | Cedarline metaDescription: Gas and electric furnace replacement across Raleigh, Durham and Cary. Quoted on site, permit and inspection handled, financing available. summary: We size, supply and install replacement gas and electric furnaces, quoted after an on-site visit. voiceSummary: We replace gas and electric furnaces. We size and quote on site, handle the permit, and financing is available. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has no heat right now and is waiting on a replacement, which needs a repair conversation first, Customer reports a gas smell pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 3900 pricing.typicalRange.max: 9500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Output in BTU, set by a load calculation rather than by the outgoing unit, Efficiency rating. A condensing furnace above 90% AFUE needs new venting, which adds work, Gas or electric, and whether the gas supply line is correctly sized for the new output, Whether the flue can be reused or the unit needs PVC venting run to an outside wall, Access, particularly a loft or crawlspace installation pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, fuelType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, currentSystemAge, energyBills, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear access to the existing furnace and the flue run, Have a recent gas or power bill available if you want a running-cost comparison, Note any rooms that never warm up properly booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A furnace replacement has to be sized on site and the venting has to be surveyed, because a high-efficiency unit often cannot reuse the existing flue. Book a free estimate visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Manual J load calculation to size the output correctly, Removal and responsible disposal of the old furnace, New furnace, supplied and commissioned, Venting, including new PVC flue runs for condensing units, Condensate drain and neutraliser where the unit is condensing, Gas connection at the furnace, downstream of the existing shutoff, Combustion analysis and safety test at commissioning, Permit, inspection and manufacturer warranty registration scope.excludes: Gas line replacement upstream of the shutoff, which is a plumbing service, Chimney rebuilding, Ductwork replacement, quoted separately if the survey calls for it, Oil-fired furnaces scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Bryant, Amana scope.certifications: NATE certified, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One day on site for a like-for-like swap, two where new venting is required, following a one to two week lead time. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer warranties run separately and are typically 10 years on parts, and lifetime on the heat exchanger for some models, when registered at installation. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: sep, oct, nov related: furnace-repair, heat-pump-service, ac-installation, thermostat-installation faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/furnace-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A newly installed gas furnace in a basement with fresh PVC venting and a new gas shutoff valve lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why this is quoted rather than booked Two things have to be seen before anyone can give you a price: what output the house actually needs, and whether the existing flue can be reused. The second one catches people out. A high-efficiency condensing furnace, anything above about 90% AFUE, produces cooler exhaust that cannot safely go up a masonry chimney. It needs PVC venting run to an outside wall. Whether that run is three feet or thirty is the difference between two prices, and it is not knowable from a phone call. So this page books a free estimate visit. You get a fixed written quote, and there is no diagnostic fee because nothing is being diagnosed. If you have no heat right now, start with furnace repair (/services/hvac/furnace-repair). Getting warm again first is a better position to choose a furnace from than shivering. ## What it costs Most furnace replacements land between $3,900 and $9,500. A like-for-like mid-efficiency swap in an accessible basement sits near the bottom. A high-efficiency condensing unit in a loft with a long new vent run sits near the top. Replacements are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing), and you can apply before committing so the monthly figure is part of the decision rather than an afterthought. ## Sizing, and why bigger is not better We run a Manual J load calculation rather than reading the plate on the outgoing furnace. Furnaces in Triangle homes are frequently oversized, often because the last installer matched whatever was there, which itself matched something from decades earlier. An oversized furnace heats the house in short bursts and shuts off. You get temperature swings, cold rooms far from the air handler, and a unit that wears out early from cycling. A correctly sized furnace runs longer and gentler, and the house feels more even. ## Safety work that is not optional Every installation ends with a combustion analysis: we measure what is actually coming out of the flue rather than assuming. That test is the difference between a furnace that is installed and one that is installed correctly, and the printout goes to you. We also check that the gas supply line is sized for the new output. A higher-output furnace on an undersized line starves under load, and the symptom is intermittent, which makes it miserable to diagnose later. Gas line replacement upstream of the shutoff is not ours. That needs a plumbing licence and we refer it. Everything from the shutoff to the furnace is ours. ## Permits and timeline A furnace replacement needs a permit and an inspection, and gas work is inspected properly. We pull the permit, book the inspection and meet the inspector. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised. Expect one to two weeks from accepting the quote to the crew arriving. On site it is one day for a straight swap, two where new venting is required. ## Warranty Our labour carries 12 months. The manufacturer's warranty is separate, typically 10 years on parts and on some models lifetime on the heat exchanger, provided the unit is registered at installation. We do that registration before we leave, because unregistered equipment usually drops to a much shorter term. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/heat-pump-service.mdx ### frontmatter slug: heat-pump-service title: Heat Pump Service category: hvac h1: Heat Pump Repair and Service seoTitle: Heat Pump Repair & Service in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Heat pump diagnosis and repair across the Triangle, heating and cooling modes. Emergency cover when a heat pump fails in a freeze. summary: We diagnose and repair heat pumps in both heating and cooling modes, including defrost and reversing valve faults. voiceSummary: We repair heat pumps in both heating and cooling modes, and we cover no heat emergencies around the clock. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: No heat with an outdoor temperature below 40F, No cooling with an indoor temperature above 85F, The outdoor unit encased in ice and not clearing on its own, Burning smell from the air handler triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell from a dual-fuel backup furnace, Anyone in the home is showing signs of cold exposure pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 190 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1600 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the fault is in the reversing valve, the defrost board, the compressor, or the auxiliary heat, Refrigerant type. Legacy R-22 systems cost considerably more to recharge, Whether the system is dual-fuel, which adds a furnace to the diagnosis, Age of the unit and whether the failed part is still manufactured pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, systemAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, thermostatBrand, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear a three-foot path to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, Clear snow, leaves or mulch away from the base of the outdoor unit, Note whether the fault is in heating, cooling, or both, Secure pets away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full diagnosis in both heating and cooling modes, Reversing valve and solenoid replacement, Defrost board and sensor replacement, Auxiliary and emergency heat strip testing and replacement, Refrigerant leak detection and recharge, Condenser fan and blower motor replacement, Dual-fuel changeover testing where a backup furnace is fitted scope.excludes: Ductwork replacement, which is a separate service, Full system replacement, which is quoted rather than diagnosed, Geothermal ground loop work, Window and portable units scope.brandsServiced: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi Electric, Bryant scope.certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs complete in a single visit. A reversing valve or compressor that has to be ordered adds three to five working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer parts warranty applies separately and often runs longer, particularly on compressors. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: dec, jan, feb, jul, aug related: furnace-repair, ac-repair, thermostat-installation, mini-split-installation faqRefs: hvac, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/hvac/heat-pump-service-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician testing a heat pump outdoor unit in defrost mode with the electrical panel open lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## What this is A heat pump does both jobs, which means a fault can show up in heating, in cooling, or in the changeover between them. This visit diagnoses all three. Heat pumps are the most common system in newer Triangle homes, and they behave differently from a furnace in ways that generate a lot of unnecessary service calls. Two of those are worth explaining before you book, because one of them is not a fault at all. ## Two normal behaviours people mistake for faults The air from the vents feels cool in winter. A heat pump delivers air at around 90 to 100F, which is warmer than the room but cooler than your hand. A gas furnace delivers around 130F, so if you have switched from gas you will notice. Cool-feeling air with the house holding temperature is normal. The outdoor unit steams and drips in cold weather. That is a defrost cycle clearing frost off the outdoor coil, and it runs for a few minutes every so often. Steam rising off the unit is the system working. What is not normal: the outdoor unit encased in solid ice that does not clear, the house failing to hold temperature, or the auxiliary heat running constantly. Those are faults and worth a call. ## Can somebody come tonight Yes, when the house is not holding temperature. No heat below 40F outdoors and no cooling above 85F indoors are both emergency-eligible with round-the-clock dispatch and a 90 minute response target. Outside dispatch hours the emergency call-out fee applies on top of the repair. ## What it costs Most heat pump repairs land between $190 and $1,600, a slightly wider range than a straight AC repair because there is more to go wrong. A defrost sensor or a contactor sits at the bottom. A reversing valve, which is the component that lets the system run backwards, sits near the top because replacing it means recovering and recharging the refrigerant. The standard diagnostic fee applies and is waived when you approve the repair. Repairs are not financing eligible. ## The expensive variable As with any refrigerant system, the age of the unit decides a lot. R-22 has not been produced since 2020, so a leak on a legacy R-22 heat pump means reclaimed refrigerant at several times the price of R-410A, and it will leak again. On a system of that age we will tell you plainly when replacement is the better arithmetic rather than recharging it every year. ## Auxiliary heat, and why your bill spiked Most heat pumps here have electric resistance strips as backup. They engage when the outdoor temperature drops far enough, or when the heat pump itself has failed. They work, and they are expensive to run. A common call in January is a high power bill with the house feeling fine. That usually means the heat pump has failed quietly and the auxiliary heat has been carrying the house for weeks. Worth booking if your bill has jumped without a cold snap to explain it. ## Before we arrive Clear a three-foot path to the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit, and clear leaves, mulch or snow away from the base of the outdoor unit so it can breathe. Note whether the problem is in heating, cooling, or both; that single detail narrows the diagnosis substantially. ## Warranty Every repair carries 12 months on labour and 12 months on parts. Manufacturer parts warranties are separate and often longer, particularly on compressors, where ten years is common. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ductwork-and-ventilation title: Ductwork and Ventilation category: hvac h1: Ductwork Repair, Sealing and Ventilation seoTitle: Ductwork Repair & Sealing in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Duct sealing, repair and replacement across the Triangle, plus bathroom and kitchen ventilation. Scheduled work, not emergency work. summary: We seal, repair and replace ductwork, and fit bathroom and kitchen ventilation, to fix rooms that never get comfortable. voiceSummary: We seal, repair and replace ductwork to fix rooms that never get comfortable. This is scheduled work rather than emergency work. order: 7 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes no heating or cooling at all, which is a repair rather than a duct problem pricing.model: hourly pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 350 pricing.typicalRange.max: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How much of the run is accessible. Loft and crawlspace work is slower than basement work, Whether the ducts are being sealed, repaired in sections, or replaced entirely, Whether flexible duct is being replaced with rigid, which costs more and lasts longer, Insulation grade, which matters in an unconditioned loft, Whether new returns are being cut in, which involves drywall work pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, roomsAffected, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear access to the loft hatch or crawlspace entry, List the rooms that are uncomfortable, and whether it is worse in summer or winter, Move stored items away from any ductwork in a garage or basement, Secure pets away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Duct leakage assessment with a written report, Mastic sealing of joints and connections, Section repair and replacement of damaged flexible duct, Full duct replacement, flexible or rigid, Duct insulation in lofts and crawlspaces, New supply and return runs, including cutting in registers, Bathroom and kitchen extract ventilation, ducted to outside scope.excludes: Duct cleaning, which we do not offer and rarely recommend, Asbestos-containing duct wrap, which requires an abatement contractor, Dryer vent cleaning, Structural work to create access scope.brandsServiced: (none) scope.certifications: NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: An assessment is one visit. Sealing is usually a day. A full replacement is two to four days depending on the size of the house. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Sealing work carries 12 months. Replacement ductwork carries 12 months on labour with the material warranty from the manufacturer. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, oct, nov related: ac-maintenance, indoor-air-quality, ac-installation, heat-pump-service faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation-hero.jpg hero.alt: Ductwork running through an attic being sealed with mastic, insulation partly rolled back lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## This is not emergency work Ductwork is HVAC, but it is not emergency-eligible and we will not dispatch a crew at midnight for it. That is a deliberate line rather than an oversight. A duct problem makes a house uncomfortable. It does not leave you with no cooling in a heatwave or no heat in a freeze, which is what our emergency cover exists for. If you genuinely have no heating or cooling at all, that is a repair: see AC repair (/services/hvac/ac-repair) or furnace repair (/services/hvac/furnace-repair), both of which are covered around the clock. Pricing duct work as an emergency would be charging you an emergency rate for a scheduled job, and we would rather say no. ## The problem this fixes One room that is always five degrees off. A second floor that never cools. Rooms at the end of the run that get nothing. Bills that climb while comfort does not. In most Triangle houses the cause is not the equipment, it is the ducts. Flexible duct in an unconditioned loft sags, crushes where it turns, pulls apart at collars, and loses conditioned air into a space that is 130F in August. A system can be perfectly sized and perfectly installed and still lose a third of what it makes before the air reaches you. ## What we actually do We start with a leakage assessment and a written report, so you can see where the loss is rather than take our word for it. From there the work is usually one of three things. Sealing the joints and connections with mastic, which is the cheapest intervention and often the highest return. Section replacement where runs are crushed, disconnected or torn. Full replacement, sometimes moving from flexible to rigid duct where the layout justifies it. We also fit bathroom and kitchen extract ventilation, ducted properly to outside. Not into the loft, which is where a surprising number of existing fans terminate, and which is how you get a moisture problem above the ceiling. ## What it costs This work is charged hourly against the published HVAC rate, and lands between $350 and $6,500 in total depending on scope. Sealing an accessible system sits at the bottom. A full replacement in a two-storey house with a loft air handler sits at the top. Access is the biggest variable. A basement run is quick. A loft in August or a crawlspace with eighteen inches of headroom is slow, and we will tell you which you have before quoting hours. Duct work is not financing eligible on its own. When it is done alongside a system replacement, it folds into that quote and that quote is financing eligible. ## What we will not sell you Duct cleaning. We do not offer it and we rarely recommend it. For most homes there is no evidence it improves air quality or system performance, and it is widely oversold. If you have a specific contamination problem, say after a fire or a rodent infestation, that is a remediation specialist rather than us. If your ducts are wrapped in material that may contain asbestos, common in Triangle houses built before about 1980, we stop and refer you to an abatement contractor. We do not disturb it. ## Before we arrive Clear access to the loft hatch or crawlspace entry, and move stored items away from any ductwork in a garage or basement. Write down which rooms are uncomfortable and whether it is worse in summer or winter; that pattern often identifies the failing run before anyone climbs into the loft. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/indoor-air-quality.mdx ### frontmatter slug: indoor-air-quality title: Indoor Air Quality category: hvac h1: Indoor Air Quality and Humidity Control seoTitle: Indoor Air Quality & Dehumidifiers in the Triangle | Cedarline metaDescription: Whole-home dehumidifiers, air cleaners and ventilation for Triangle homes. Humidity control is the one that matters most in this climate. summary: Whole-home humidity control, filtration and ventilation, fitted to your existing system. voiceSummary: We fit whole home dehumidifiers, air cleaners and ventilation. In this climate humidity control matters more than filtration. order: 8 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes visible mould growth, which needs a remediation contractor before equipment, Customer reports a carbon monoxide alarm sounding pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 320 pricing.typicalRange.max: 4200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Which equipment. A media filter cabinet is a fraction of a whole-home dehumidifier, Whether the equipment ties into existing ductwork or needs new runs, Whether a condensate pump and drain line have to be added, Electrical supply at the air handler, and whether a new circuit is needed pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, humidityReadings, roomsAffected, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear access to the air handler and any return grilles, Note which rooms feel damp or stuffy, and at what time of day, If you own a humidity meter, record a few readings beforehand, Secure pets away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Humidity assessment with written readings, Whole-home dehumidifier supply and installation, Media filter cabinet installation, up to MERV 16, UV lamp installation at the evaporator coil, Fresh air ventilation with a motorised damper, Condensate pump and drain line where required scope.excludes: Mould remediation, which requires a specialist contractor, Duct cleaning, which we do not offer, Radon mitigation, Asbestos or lead work of any kind scope.brandsServiced: Aprilaire, Honeywell, Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Electric, Carrier scope.certifications: NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: A filter cabinet is a half-day. A whole-home dehumidifier is one day. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Equipment carries the manufacturer warranty separately, typically five years on a whole-home dehumidifier. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: may, jun, jul, aug related: ac-maintenance, ductwork-and-ventilation, ac-installation, thermostat-installation faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/indoor-air-quality-hero.jpg hero.alt: A whole-home dehumidifier installed beside an air handler with a new condensate line lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## In this climate, humidity is the problem Most indoor air quality marketing is about filtration. In the Triangle the thing that actually makes a house uncomfortable and causes real damage is humidity. A house at 72F and 65% relative humidity feels clammy, smells musty, and grows things in places you cannot see. The same house at 72F and 48% feels comfortable. Air conditioning removes some moisture as a side effect of cooling, but on a mild humid day, which we get for months, the AC barely runs and the moisture stays. That is why we start with a humidity assessment and written readings rather than selling you a filter. ## What we fit Whole-home dehumidifiers are the significant one. They tie into the ductwork and control humidity independently of whether the AC is running, which is exactly the gap described above. This is the single most effective thing most Triangle homeowners can do for comfort short of replacing the system. Media filter cabinets replace the one-inch filter slot with a four or five inch pleated media filter, up to MERV 16. They filter far better and, because the surface area is larger, they restrict airflow less than a high-MERV one-inch filter does. Worth knowing: a dense filter in a thin slot makes a system work harder and can freeze a coil. UV lamps at the evaporator coil keep biological growth off the coil itself. Honest framing: the evidence for whole-room air purification from a coil UV lamp is weak. Keeping the coil clean is real and worth having; curing your allergies is not what this does. Fresh air ventilation with a motorised damper brings measured outside air into a tight modern house. Newer builds here are sealed well enough that stale air is a genuine problem. ## What it costs Flat-priced between $320 and $4,200, and you know the figure before we start because it is set by which equipment you choose rather than by what we find. A media filter cabinet is at the bottom of that range. A whole-home dehumidifier with a new condensate line and a dedicated circuit is at the top. Indoor air quality equipment is not financing eligible on its own; fitted as part of a system replacement it folds into that quote, which is. ## What we will not do Mould remediation. If you have visible growth, you need a remediation contractor first. Fitting a dehumidifier into a house with an active mould problem treats the cause of the next one while leaving the current one in place, and we will say so rather than take the job. Duct cleaning. We do not offer it. See ductwork and ventilation (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) for why. Radon mitigation, and anything involving asbestos or lead. All three need contractors licensed for that specific work. ## This is scheduled work Indoor air quality is not emergency-eligible. Nothing here is a same-night problem, and we will book you into an ordinary dispatch window. ## Before we arrive Clear access to the air handler and to any return grilles. Note which rooms feel damp or stuffy and at what time of day, because a pattern tied to the evening usually points somewhere different from one tied to running the shower. If you own a humidity meter, take a few readings first; it gives us a baseline before we add ours. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/thermostat-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: thermostat-installation title: Thermostat Installation category: hvac h1: Thermostat Installation and Replacement seoTitle: Thermostat Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Smart and programmable thermostat installation across the Triangle, wired correctly for heat pumps and dual-fuel systems. summary: We supply and fit smart and programmable thermostats, wired correctly for your system rather than to a generic default. voiceSummary: We fit smart and programmable thermostats, wired correctly for heat pumps and dual fuel systems. order: 9 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has no heating or cooling at all, which is a repair rather than a thermostat job pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 165 pricing.typicalRange.max: 620 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether you supply the thermostat or we do, Whether a common wire has to be run, which is the usual complication, System type. A dual-fuel or multi-stage system needs more configuration than a single-stage one, Number of zones, since each zone has its own thermostat pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, systemAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: thermostatBrand, photos, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the existing thermostat wiring if you can remove the faceplate safely, Have your wifi password to hand for a smart thermostat, Clear access to the air handler, since the other end of the wiring is there, Secure pets away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Thermostat supply, or fitting of a unit you have bought, Wiring verification at both the thermostat and the air handler, Common wire installation where the existing cable allows, Heat pump and dual-fuel configuration, including balance point, Multi-stage and two-stage staging setup, Wifi connection and app setup, A walkthrough of the schedule with you before we leave scope.excludes: Running new thermostat cable through finished walls, which is quoted separately, Zoning system installation and damper work, Smart home integration beyond the manufacturer app, Repairs to the heating or cooling system itself scope.brandsServiced: Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell, Emerson, Carrier, Trane scope.certifications: NATE certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One visit, about an hour. Add half an hour where a common wire has to be run. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Thermostats we supply carry the manufacturer warranty separately. A unit you supply carries our labour warranty only. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, oct, nov related: ac-maintenance, heat-pump-service, furnace-repair, indoor-air-quality faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/thermostat-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A technician levelling a new wall thermostat with the wiring terminals visible behind it lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why pay someone to fit a thermostat Plenty of people fit their own, and on a simple single-stage gas furnace with a common wire already present, that is a genuinely easy job. We will tell you so if you ask. It stops being easy in three situations, and all three are common here. No common wire. Smart thermostats need constant power. Older Triangle houses were often wired with four conductors and no common, so the thermostat has nothing to run on. The workarounds range from using a spare conductor to fitting an adapter at the air handler, and choosing wrong gives you a thermostat that reboots itself every few days. Heat pumps. A heat pump needs the reversing valve wired for the right polarity and the auxiliary heat staged correctly. Get it backwards and the system heats when you ask for cooling. Get the staging wrong and the expensive resistance heat runs when the heat pump could have handled it, which is invisible until the power bill arrives. Dual-fuel systems. A heat pump with a gas furnace backup needs a balance point set: the outdoor temperature below which the furnace takes over. Set it wrong and you either run the furnace when the heat pump is cheaper, or run the heat pump when it cannot keep up. ## What it costs Flat-priced between $165 and $620. The bottom of that range is fitting a thermostat you already own onto a system that already has a common wire. The top is a premium unit supplied by us on a multi-zone dual-fuel system. You know the price before we start, and there is no diagnostic fee because this is not a diagnosis. Not financing eligible; it is well below the minimum in any case. ## If your system is not working A thermostat is occasionally the cause of no heating or cooling, but usually it is not. If your system is dead, book the repair rather than this: AC repair (/services/hvac/ac-repair), furnace repair (/services/hvac/furnace-repair), or heat pump service (/services/hvac/heat-pump-service). Thermostat faults are part of what those visits diagnose, and if the thermostat turns out to be the problem we can replace it on that visit. Booking a thermostat installation to solve a broken system usually means paying for two visits. ## What we set up before leaving Wiring verified at both ends, not just the wall. Heat pump reversing valve polarity and auxiliary heat staging. Balance point on dual-fuel. Wifi connected and the app working on your phone. And a walkthrough of the schedule with you, because a smart thermostat left on factory defaults saves nobody anything. ## What we do not do We do not run new thermostat cable through finished walls as part of this price; where that is needed we quote it separately after seeing the route. We do not install zoning systems or dampers, and we do not integrate beyond the manufacturer's own app. ## Before we arrive If you can safely remove the faceplate, photograph the existing wiring and the terminal letters. It is the single most useful thing you can send us. Have your wifi password to hand, and clear access to the air handler, because the other end of the wiring is there and half the job happens at that end. --- ## source: content/services/hvac/mini-split-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: mini-split-installation title: Mini-Split Installation category: hvac h1: Ductless Mini-Split Installation seoTitle: Ductless Mini-Split Installation in the Triangle | Cedarline metaDescription: Ductless mini-split installation for garages, sunrooms, additions and rooms no duct reaches. Quoted on site, financing available on larger systems. summary: We install ductless mini-splits for garages, additions, sunrooms and any room the ductwork never reached. voiceSummary: We install ductless mini splits for garages, additions and rooms the ductwork never reached. We quote on site. order: 10 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has no heating or cooling in the main house, which is a repair rather than a mini-split project pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 3200 pricing.typicalRange.max: 14500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Number of indoor heads. A single head is a fraction of a four-head system, Line set run length, and whether it can be concealed, Whether a new electrical circuit is required at the panel, Wall construction. Brick and stone take longer to core than siding, Efficiency rating and whether the unit is rated for low-temperature heating pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: hvac booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, roomsAffected booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, panelPhotos, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear access to the rooms being conditioned and to the electrical panel, Note where you would prefer the outdoor unit to sit, Photograph the electrical panel with the cover on, so we can see the label booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A mini-split is designed rather than ordered. Head placement, line set routing and the electrical supply all have to be seen before anyone can price it honestly. Book a free estimate visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Room-by-room load calculation and head sizing, Outdoor condenser mounting on a pad or wall bracket, Indoor head mounting, wall or ceiling cassette, Line set installation, concealed where the structure allows, Condensate drain, gravity or pumped, Dedicated electrical circuit from an existing panel with capacity, Commissioning, vacuum and charge verification, Permit, inspection and manufacturer warranty registration scope.excludes: Electrical panel upgrades, which are an electrical service, Ductwork of any kind, since this is the ductless option, Structural alterations to create a line set route, Drywall finishing and painting after a concealed run scope.brandsServiced: Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu, LG, Carrier scope.certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified, Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One day for a single head, two to three for a multi-head system, after a one to two week lead time. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Manufacturer warranties on mini-splits are typically 12 years on the compressor when installed by a certified contractor and registered, which we do for you. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: apr, may, jun, sep related: ac-installation, heat-pump-service, ductwork-and-ventilation, indoor-air-quality faqRefs: hvac, global hero.src: /img/services/hvac/mini-split-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A wall-mounted ductless mini-split head installed high on an interior wall with a concealed line set lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## What a mini-split is for A ductless mini-split conditions a space without ductwork. An outdoor condenser connects to one or more indoor heads through a small line set, and each head runs independently. That makes it the right answer for a specific set of problems, and the wrong answer for others. Right for: a garage conversion, a sunroom, a bonus room over the garage, an addition the existing system was never sized for, a primary bedroom that is always wrong, or a house with no ductwork at all. Also right when extending ductwork would cost more than a separate system, which in a finished house it often does. Wrong for: replacing a working ducted system throughout a house purely to save money. It rarely does, and you end up with a head on the wall of every room. ## Why it cannot be booked online A mini-split is designed rather than ordered. Where the heads go, how the line set gets from the outdoor unit to each of them, and whether your panel has capacity for a new circuit all have to be seen. Two houses with identical square footage can differ by thousands depending on whether the line set can be concealed. So this books a free estimate visit with a fixed written quote at the end. ## What it costs Most installations land between $3,200 and $14,500. A single head in a garage with a short exterior line set sits at the bottom. A four-head system with concealed runs through a finished two-storey house sits at the top. Mini-splits are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## What moves the price most Head count first, then line set routing. A run that can go straight through the wall behind the head and down the outside of the house is quick. A run that has to travel through a finished ceiling to reach an interior wall is slow, and it usually means drywall repair afterwards, which we do not finish or paint. Wall construction matters more than people expect: coring brick or stone takes considerably longer than siding. And if your panel has no spare capacity, that is an electrical panel upgrade, which is a separate trade and a separate quote. ## Heating, not just cooling Modern mini-splits heat as well as they cool, and the good ones keep useful output well below freezing. In the Triangle that means a single system can carry a converted garage year-round without touching the main house's equipment. If you are conditioning a space that gets genuinely cold, ask us for a low-temperature rated unit specifically. The difference in output at 20F between a standard and a low-temperature model is substantial, and it is not visible on the box. ## Permits and timeline Mini-splits need a permit and an inspection, because there is electrical work involved. We pull the permit, book the inspection and meet the inspector. Permit fees are passed through at cost. One to two weeks from accepting the quote to the crew arriving. On site, one day for a single head, two to three for multi-head. ## Warranty Our labour carries 12 months. Manufacturer warranties on mini-splits are unusually good, typically 12 years on the compressor, but almost all of them require installation by a certified contractor and registration at commissioning. We hold the certifications and we do the registration before we leave. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: roofing title: Roofing h1: Roofing in the Triangle seoTitle: Roof Repair, Replacement & Storm Damage in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Roof inspection, repair, replacement, gutters, flashing and storm damage insurance work across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle. summary: Roof inspection, repair and replacement, plus gutters, flashing, siding and storm damage insurance work. voiceSummary: We inspect, repair and replace roofs, and we handle gutters, flashing and storm damage insurance work across the Triangle. tradeTag: ROOF crewType: roofing order: 2 hero.src: /img/services/roofing/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: Two workers in safety harnesses on a mid-pitch asphalt shingle roof, one operating a nail gun on a fresh course faqRefs: roofing, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Roofs in a storm belt The Triangle sits far enough inland to avoid the worst of the coastal wind, and close enough to get the remains of every hurricane that tracks up the eastern seaboard. Add summer hail and the long UV load of a North Carolina August, and asphalt shingle roofs here age faster than the warranty on the box suggests. Most roofs we work on are architectural asphalt shingle, which is what the great majority of Triangle housing stock carries. We also work on metal, on low-slope membrane over porches and additions, and on the flashing and sheet metal details that cause more leaks than shingles ever do. ## Start with an inspection Almost every roofing job starts the same way: somebody looks at the roof properly and writes down what they find. That matters more here than in most trades, because roof problems are usually invisible from the ground and because the difference between a repair and a replacement is thousands of pounds. A roof inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection) is bookable, flat-priced and takes about an hour, and it produces a written report with photographs of every plane. If you already know you have a leak, book a roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair) instead. An active leak is emergency-eligible and we dispatch around the clock for it. ## Repair, replace, or claim Three different routes, and which one you are on is usually decided by the inspection. Repair is right when the roof is sound and a specific detail has failed: a cracked pipe boot, a lifted ridge cap, step flashing that was never installed properly at a chimney. Most Triangle leaks are flashing rather than field shingle. Replacement is right when the shingles are at the end of their life, when granule loss is general rather than local, or when repeated repairs have stopped being economic. It is quoted after an on-site measurement and a materials selection, never over the phone, and it is financing eligible. An insurance claim is a different process again, and it is the one most people get wrong. If your roof was damaged by a storm rather than by age, see storm damage and insurance claims (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims), which sets out the adjuster process, what documentation we supply, and where our role stops. ## What we will not do We do not negotiate with your insurer on your behalf. We are not public adjusters and we are not licensed to act for you in a claim. We supply the documentation, we attend the inspection, and we answer technical questions about the damage. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer. We do not remove trees, including the one that landed on your roof. Call a certified arborist first, and us second; we will tarp the opening to stop further water getting in while you arrange the removal. We do not disturb suspected asbestos, which turns up in older roof felt and in some cement siding. If we find it we stop and refer you to an abatement contractor. ## Working safely on your house Every crew works harnessed and anchored, on every roof, including the low ones. That is not negotiable and it is occasionally the reason a job takes a day longer than a competitor quoted. Roofing work is loud, it drops debris, and it needs the driveway. We tell you which days are the noisy ones, we sheet the beds and the AC condenser before we start, and we run a magnet over the lawn and the drive at the end of every day rather than only at the end of the job. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/roof-inspection.mdx ### frontmatter slug: roof-inspection title: Roof Inspection category: roofing h1: Roof Inspection in the Triangle seoTitle: Roof Inspection in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Written Report | Cedarline metaDescription: A flat-priced roof inspection with a written report and photographs of every plane. The starting point for a repair, a replacement or an insurance claim. summary: An hour on your roof with a written report and photographs of every plane, so you know what you are dealing with before you spend anything. voiceSummary: We inspect your roof and send a written report with photographs of every plane, so you know what you are dealing with. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes water actively entering the house, which is a repair rather than an inspection, Customer describes a tree or large limb resting on the roof pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 189 pricing.typicalRange.max: 389 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Roof pitch. A steep roof needs additional fall protection and takes longer to walk, Number of planes and levels, since each one is photographed and reported separately, Height. A three-storey elevation needs different access than a single-storey ranch, Whether attic and decking inspection from inside is included pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: inspection-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, roofAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, priorClaimHistory, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear vehicles from the driveway so the ladder can be set safely, Move patio furniture and planters away from the eaves, Unlock the gate if the roof is only reachable through a side yard, Clear the loft hatch if you want the decking inspected from inside booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Walk of every accessible roof plane, harnessed and anchored, Photographic survey, plane by plane, with each photograph captioned, Shingle condition assessment, including granule loss and thermal cracking, Flashing inspection at chimneys, walls, valleys and penetrations, Pipe boot, vent and skylight seal inspection, Gutter and downspout condition check from the roof, Attic decking and daylight check where the loft is accessible, Written report with a remaining life estimate and a prioritised list of findings scope.excludes: Any repair. Findings are quoted separately and never carried out without approval, Structural engineering assessment of the roof frame, Mould testing or remediation, Removal of trees or limbs resting on the roof, Roofs we judge unsafe to walk, where we inspect from a ladder and drone instead and say so scope.brandsServiced: GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, TAMKO, Atlas, Malarkey scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, GAF certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One visit, about an hour on site. The written report reaches you within two working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: An inspection is a report rather than a repair, so there is nothing to warrant. Any work arising from it carries the standard cover. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, sep, oct related: roof-repair, roof-replacement, storm-damage-and-insurance-claims, gutter-installation faqRefs: roofing, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/roof-inspection-hero.jpg hero.alt: A roofer lifting a shingle tab to reveal a cracked plastic pipe boot, photographed close lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## What you get An hour on your roof and a written report. The report has photographs of every plane, each one captioned with what it shows, a remaining life estimate, and a prioritised list of findings split into what needs doing now, what needs doing this year, and what is worth watching. That report is yours. If you take it to another contractor for a second quote, that is a reasonable thing to do and we will not be offended. ## What it costs Flat-priced between $189 and $389, and you know the figure when you book. There is no diagnostic fee, because the inspection is the diagnosis. The range is set by the roof rather than by what we find. A single-storey ranch with two planes sits at the bottom. A steep three-storey with six planes, dormers and a chimney sits at the top, because it takes longer to walk, needs more fall protection, and produces a longer report. Inspections are not financing eligible. They are well below the minimum in any case. ## When you need one Before buying a house. The single most useful hour you can spend. A roof with three years left is a five-figure liability that a general home inspection will often describe as "serviceable". After a storm. Hail and wind damage is frequently invisible from the ground and has a claim deadline attached. Get it documented before the deadline passes, whether or not you intend to claim. When the roof is somewhere near fifteen years old. Architectural shingle in this climate rarely reaches the number on the box. Knowing whether you have two years or eight changes how you budget. When a contractor has knocked on your door and told you that you need a new roof. Get an independent look before signing anything. Storm-chasing is a real problem here after every major weather event. ## What we will tell you honestly If your roof is fine, the report will say so. We inspect a good many roofs that need nothing, and telling you that is the whole value of paying an independent party rather than someone whose income depends on selling you a replacement. If your roof needs a repair rather than a replacement, the report will say that too, with the specific detail that has failed. Most Triangle leaks are flashing and pipe boots, not field shingle, and those are repairs measured in hundreds rather than thousands. ## This is not an emergency service A roof inspection is scheduled work. If water is actively coming into the house right now, you need a roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair), which is emergency-eligible for an active leak and covered around the clock. Booking an inspection while your ceiling is getting wet only delays somebody arriving with a tarp. If a tree or a large limb is resting on the roof, call a certified arborist first. We do not remove trees. We will tarp the opening once the tree is off. ## Roofs we will not walk Some roofs are genuinely unsafe to walk: very steep pitches, wet or frosted surfaces, decking that has already gone soft underfoot, and slate or old clay tile that breaks when you stand on it. When that is the case we inspect from a ladder at the eaves and with a drone survey, and the report says explicitly which planes were walked and which were not. We would rather hand you a report with a stated limitation than have a technician put a foot through your ceiling. ## Before we arrive Clear vehicles from the driveway so the ladder can be set on level ground, and move patio furniture and planters away from the eaves. Unlock the side gate if the roof is only reachable that way. If you want the decking checked from inside, clear the loft hatch and anything stored directly beneath it. You do not need to be home, though most people prefer to be there for the walkthrough at the end. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/roof-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: roof-repair title: Roof Repair category: roofing h1: Roof Repair in the Triangle seoTitle: Roof Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | 24/7 Active Leaks | Cedarline metaDescription: Roof leak repair across the Triangle. An active leak into the house is emergency-eligible and covered around the clock, with a tarp on the same visit if needed. summary: We find and fix roof leaks, from a cracked pipe boot to failed step flashing, and we cover an active leak around the clock. voiceSummary: We find and fix roof leaks. An active leak into the house is an emergency and we come out around the clock. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: Water actively entering the house through a ceiling or a wall, A ceiling bulging or sagging with trapped water above it, Shingles or decking torn open so the interior is exposed to the sky, Water running onto an electrical fitting or into a consumer unit triage.escalateToHuman: Water is actively entering a finished ceiling, Water is reaching an electrical fitting or a distribution board, A tree or large limb is resting on the roof pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 350 pricing.typicalRange.max: 2800 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: What has actually failed. A pipe boot is an hour, failed step flashing at a chimney is a day, Whether the decking beneath has rotted and has to be cut out and replaced, Roof pitch and height, which set how much fall protection and access the crew needs, Whether matching shingles are still manufactured, since a discontinued colour changes the approach, How far the water has travelled, because the stain is rarely under the hole pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, roofAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, leakLocation, priorRepairHistory, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Put a bucket under the drip and move furniture out from under the stain, Photograph the water stain and note the time it appears, since a leak that only shows in driving rain narrows the search, Clear vehicles from the driveway so the ladder can be set safely, Clear the loft hatch if the leak is traceable from inside booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Leak tracing from inside and outside, including a water test where the source is not obvious, Pipe boot, vent collar and flashing replacement, Step and counter flashing repair at chimneys and wall junctions, Valley repair and shingle replacement in sections, Ridge cap and hip replacement, Rotten decking cut out and replaced in sections, Emergency tarping to stop further water ingress scope.excludes: Full roof replacement, which is quoted after an on-site measurement, Removal of trees or limbs resting on the roof, Interior ceiling, drywall and paint repair after a leak, Mould remediation, Asbestos-containing roof felt, which requires an abatement contractor scope.brandsServiced: GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, TAMKO, Atlas, Malarkey scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, GAF certified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs complete in a single visit. Decking replacement or a discontinued shingle match adds two to five working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on the repaired detail. A repair does not extend the life of the rest of the roof and we will not pretend it does. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: roof-inspection, roof-replacement, storm-damage-and-insurance-claims, skylight-and-flashing faqRefs: roofing, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/roofing/roof-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: New step flashing installed at a chimney to sidewall junction with a fresh sealant bead lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Water is coming in right now That is an emergency and we cover it around the clock, including holidays. Call the emergency line rather than booking online, and we will get a crew out with a tarp. The first job is always to stop more water getting in. Tarping is not the repair, it is the thing that buys you a dry night and stops a ceiling collapsing while we wait for weather good enough to work in. We do it on the first visit. What counts as an emergency here is specific: water actively entering the house, a ceiling bulging with water above it, the roof torn open to the sky, or water reaching anything electrical. A stain that appeared last month and has not grown is not an emergency, and we will book you into an ordinary dispatch window rather than charge you an emergency rate for it. If water is reaching a light fitting or a distribution board, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit if you can do so safely, and tell us when you call. That report goes straight to a person. ## What it costs Most roof repairs land between $350 and $2,800. A cracked pipe boot, which is the single most common leak we find in the Triangle, sits at the bottom. Failed step flashing at a chimney with rotten decking underneath sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Work outside dispatch hours carries the after-hours surcharge, and an emergency dispatch outside dispatch hours carries the call-out fee as well. All three are published rather than left for the invoice. Repairs are not financing eligible. Financing is for projects, and it starts at $3,000 in any case. ## Finding the leak is most of the work The stain on your ceiling is almost never underneath the hole. Water enters at a failed detail, runs along a rafter or a decking seam, and drops somewhere else entirely, often several feet away and sometimes a floor down. So the diagnosis is a real piece of work rather than a formality. We trace from inside where the loft allows, look for the daylight and the staining on the decking, then work the roof from outside. Where the source is not obvious we run a water test: one person on the roof with a hose working methodically up the slope, one inside watching for the drip. What we usually find, in rough order of frequency: cracked plastic pipe boots, step flashing that was never installed properly where a roof meets a wall, nail pops, failed sealant at a chimney, and valleys that have worn through. Field shingle failure is well down that list. ## When a repair stops making sense We will tell you when it does. A roof with general granule loss and shingles that crack when lifted is at the end of its life, and patching it is money that buys you months rather than years. The honest test is whether the rest of the roof has the life to justify the repair. If it does, repair it. If it does not, a roof replacement (/services/roofing/roof-replacement) quote is the better conversation, and we would rather have it once than sell you three repairs first. If the damage came from a storm rather than from age, read storm damage and insurance claims (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) before you do anything else. There are claim deadlines and the order you do things in matters. ## What we do not do We do not repair the ceiling afterwards. Drywall, insulation and paint are a different trade and we will tell you honestly that you need one rather than bodge it. We do not remove trees or limbs. If something is resting on your roof, a certified arborist comes first and we come second; we will tarp the opening as soon as the load is off. ## Before we arrive Put a bucket under the drip and move furniture out from under the stain. Photograph the stain and note when it appears: a leak that only shows in driving rain from one direction is telling you something useful, and it narrows the search considerably. Clear the driveway so the ladder can be set safely, and clear the loft hatch if the leak can be traced from inside. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/roof-replacement.mdx ### frontmatter slug: roof-replacement title: Roof Replacement category: roofing h1: Roof Replacement in the Triangle seoTitle: Roof Replacement in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Financing | Cedarline metaDescription: Full roof replacement across the Triangle, quoted after an on-site measurement and a materials selection. Permit and inspection handled, financing available. summary: A full roof replacement, quoted after an on-site measurement and a materials selection rather than over the phone. voiceSummary: We replace roofs. We measure on site and choose materials with you before quoting, so this one cannot be booked online. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has water actively entering the house, which is a repair and an emergency, Customer describes storm damage they intend to claim for, which changes the order of the work pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 9500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 28000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Roof area in squares, and how much of it is steep enough to need additional fall protection, Number of planes, valleys, dormers and penetrations, since every junction is hand-detailed, How many existing layers have to come off, because tear-off and disposal is real labour, How much decking is rotten underneath, which is only fully known once the old roof is off, Material choice, from standard architectural shingle up to standing seam metal pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, roofAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, priorClaimHistory, materialPreference, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear vehicles from the driveway so the roof can be measured and the skip sited, Have your existing shingle colour or a photograph of the roof to hand, Note any interior stains, which tell us where to check the decking, Unlock side gates so every elevation can be reached booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A replacement cannot be priced without measuring the roof and choosing materials with you. The area in squares, the number of planes and valleys, how many layers come off, and how much decking has rotted underneath all move the price by thousands, and none of it is visible from an address. Book a roof inspection instead, which is bookable online and flat-priced, and we will quote the replacement from it. scope.includes: Full tear-off of existing layers and disposal, Decking inspection, with rotten sheets replaced and itemised at cost, Ice and water shield at eaves, valleys and penetrations, Synthetic underlayment across the full deck, New drip edge, valley metal, and step and counter flashing, New pipe boots, vent collars and ridge vent, Architectural shingle or standing seam metal, to the specification you choose, Permit, inspection and manufacturer warranty registration, Daily magnet sweep of drive and lawn, and a final clean-down scope.excludes: Gutter replacement, which is quoted separately and often worth doing at the same time, Structural repair to rafters or trusses, which is a construction service, Removal of trees overhanging the roof, Interior ceiling and drywall repair, Solar array detach and reset, which we coordinate with your solar installer but do not perform, Asbestos-containing roof felt, which requires an abatement contractor scope.brandsServiced: GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, TAMKO, Atlas, Malarkey scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, GAF certified, GAF Master Elite scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One to three days on site for a typical Triangle house, following a two to four week lead time for materials, the permit and a weather window. warranty.labourMonths: 120 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Ten years on our workmanship. The manufacturer's shingle warranty runs separately, up to a lifetime limited warranty on some systems when installed by a certified contractor and registered, which we do for you. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: roof-inspection, roof-repair, storm-damage-and-insurance-claims, gutter-installation faqRefs: roofing, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/roof-replacement-hero.jpg hero.alt: A clean architectural shingle roof freshly completed on a two-storey house, with new ridge vent and valley metal lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## You cannot book this online, and that is deliberate A roof replacement is the largest single sum most people spend on their house outside a remodel, and nobody can price one honestly without standing on the roof. Four things move the number by thousands and none of them are visible from an address: the area in squares and how steep it is, how many planes and valleys and dormers there are, how many existing layers have to come off, and how much of the decking underneath has rotted. The last one is only fully known once the old roof is off, which is why our quotes state a decking allowance and then itemise anything beyond it at cost rather than pretending. So the route in is a roof inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection). It is bookable online, it is flat-priced, and it produces the written report the replacement quote is built from. If you go ahead with the replacement, you have already paid for the survey that made the quote real. If a contractor gives you a roof replacement price over the phone, they are either guessing or they intend to revise it once the tear-off starts. ## What it costs Most replacements land between $9,500 and $28,000. A single-storey ranch with a simple gable roof and one layer to remove sits near the bottom. A steep two-storey with multiple valleys, dormers, two existing layers and a standing seam specification sits near the top. Replacements are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing), including the 0% for 12 months product. Applying before you commit means the monthly figure is part of the decision rather than an afterthought. ## What you actually get for the money The shingles are the visible part and the least interesting. What decides whether a roof lasts is the work underneath and at the edges. Tear-off, not an overlay. We take the old roof off. Roofing over an existing layer is legal in some circumstances and it is always a false economy: you cannot inspect the decking, the new shingles sit on an uneven surface, and the whole assembly runs hotter. Ice and water shield at the eaves, in every valley and around every penetration. Synthetic underlayment across the entire deck rather than felt. New metal everywhere. New drip edge, new valley metal, new step and counter flashing at chimneys and walls, new pipe boots and vent collars. Reusing old flashing is the single most common corner cut in this trade, and flashing is what leaks. Ridge vent, sized to the intake, because a roof that cannot breathe cooks its own shingles from underneath and voids most manufacturer warranties. ## Permits, and how the job runs A replacement needs a permit and an inspection. We pull the permit, book the inspection and meet the inspector on site. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately. Expect two to four weeks between accepting the quote and the crew arriving, for materials, the permit and a weather window. We will not start a tear-off with rain forecast inside the window needed to dry the deck in. On site it is one to three days for a typical Triangle house. It is loud, it drops debris, and we need the driveway for the skip. We sheet the beds and the AC condenser before we start, and we run a magnet over the drive and the lawn at the end of every day, not just at the end of the job. ## What is not included Gutters are quoted separately, though replacing them at the same time is usually the right call and costs less than doing it later. Structural repair to rafters or trusses is a construction service. Interior ceiling and drywall repair after an old leak is a different trade. If you have solar, we coordinate the detach and reset with your installer but we do not do it ourselves. ## Warranty Ten years on our workmanship, which is longer than the twelve months our repairs carry, because a replacement is a system we installed end to end rather than a detail we fixed. The manufacturer's shingle warranty runs separately and goes up to a lifetime limited warranty on some systems, but only when installed by a certified contractor and registered at completion. We hold the certification and we do the registration before we leave. ## If this is a storm claim Stop and read storm damage and insurance claims (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) first. Claims have deadlines, the documentation has to be gathered before anything is repaired, and the order you do things in genuinely affects the outcome. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims.mdx ### frontmatter slug: storm-damage-and-insurance-claims title: Storm Damage and Insurance Claims category: roofing h1: Storm Damage Roof Repair and Insurance Claims seoTitle: Storm Damage Roof Claims in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Hail and wind damage documentation, adjuster meetings and roof repair across the Triangle. We supply the evidence. We do not negotiate with your insurer. summary: We document storm damage properly, meet your adjuster on the roof, and carry out the approved work. We do not negotiate the claim for you. voiceSummary: We document storm damage, meet your adjuster on the roof, and do the approved work. We do not negotiate your claim for you. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Water is actively entering the house, which is an emergency roof repair rather than a claim, A tree or large limb is resting on the roof, Customer says another contractor has asked them to sign an assignment of benefits pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 1200 pricing.typicalRange.max: 32000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: The scope your insurer approves, which is the single largest variable and not one we control, Whether the damage is one slope or the whole roof, since matching rules differ by policy, How much decking is compromised, which is only known once the old covering is off, Whether gutters, siding, soffit and vents were also hit, as hail rarely damages only shingles, Your deductible, which is deducted from the settlement and is payable to us on completion pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, stormDate booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, insurerName, claimNumber, adjusterAppointmentDate, priorClaimHistory booking.prepInstructions: Find the date of the storm, because every claim is filed against a specific weather event, Photograph anything on the ground: dented gutters, granules in the splash pan, damaged screens, Locate your policy and check the deductible and the claim deadline, Do not have any repair carried out before the roof is documented, other than emergency tarping, Clear the driveway so the roof can be reached from every elevation booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A storm claim is a process rather than a job, and it has to start with documentation before anyone can price the work. What the roof needs depends on what your insurer approves, and that depends on evidence gathered before anything is repaired. Book a roof inspection, which is bookable online and flat-priced, and we will produce the survey your claim is built on. scope.includes: Dated photographic survey of the damage, roof plane by roof plane, Hail strike density count per test square, to the standard adjusters use, Wind damage documentation, including lifted and creased shingles, Collateral damage survey of gutters, downspouts, soffit, siding, screens and vents, Written scope of work itemised by material and labour, Moisture and decking condition report where the deck is compromised, Attendance at the adjuster inspection on site, A copy of our licence and certificate of insurance for your adjuster's file, The approved repair or replacement work itself scope.excludes: Negotiating with your insurer on your behalf, which we are not licensed to do, Filing the claim for you, Absorbing, discounting or waiving your deductible, Interior ceiling, drywall and contents restoration, Tree removal, Any work before the roof has been documented, other than emergency tarping scope.brandsServiced: GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, TAMKO, Atlas, Malarkey scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, GAF certified, HAAG certified inspector scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Documentation within two working days of the survey. Adjuster inspections are usually scheduled one to three weeks out by the insurer. Approved work follows the ordinary replacement lead time of two to four weeks. warranty.labourMonths: 120 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Approved replacement work carries the same ten year workmanship warranty as any other roof we install. Repairs carry twelve months. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep related: roof-inspection, roof-repair, roof-replacement, siding-and-soffit faqRefs: roofing, billing-and-insurance, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims-hero.jpg hero.alt: A hail-dented aluminium gutter and dislodged shingle granules collected in a downspout splash pan, framed as evidence documentation lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Where our role starts and stops, in one paragraph We do not negotiate with your insurer on your behalf. We are not public adjusters and we are not licensed to act for you in a claim. What we do is document the damage properly, meet your adjuster on the roof, answer technical questions about what failed and why, and carry out the work your insurer approves. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer. If you want somebody to argue the claim for you, hire a licensed public adjuster, which is a real and regulated profession in North Carolina. That line matters more than it sounds. A contractor who offers to "handle the whole claim" or "deal with the insurance for you" is either overstating what they can lawfully do or planning to do something you would not want your name on. ## Do this first, in this order One. Note the date of the storm. Every claim is filed against a specific weather event. If you cannot remember, the National Weather Service keeps records by county and we can help you find it. Two. Stop further damage, but do not repair anything yet. Emergency tarping is fine and expected; insurers require you to prevent further loss. A full repair before documentation destroys the evidence your claim rests on. Three. Get the roof documented. Book a roof inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection). This is the step people skip, and it is the one that decides most claims. Four. Then file. With a dated photographic survey and a written scope in hand, you are filing a claim with evidence rather than a description. If water is actively coming into the house, none of this is step one. Call the emergency line, get a roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair) crew out with a tarp, and start the claim once the house is dry. ## What storm damage actually looks like Most of it is invisible from the ground, which is why so much of it goes unclaimed until the roof starts leaking years later and the deadline has passed. Hail does not usually punch holes. It bruises. A hail strike knocks the granules off a small circular area and fractures the mat underneath, and that spot then weathers several times faster than the shingle around it. From the ground the roof looks fine. From four feet away you can see the strikes, and you can feel the soft bruise through a glove. Adjusters assess hail by counting strikes inside marked test squares on each slope, and whether a slope qualifies depends on that density. We count the same way, using the same square, which is why our documentation and theirs usually agree. Wind lifts and creases. A shingle that has been folded back and dropped again looks seated but has a crease across it that will crack. Wind damage concentrates at rakes, ridges and eaves, and a single lifted tab can unzip a whole course in the next storm. Collateral damage is the part people miss. Hail that dents your gutters and downspouts also hit the roof, and dented aluminium is the easiest evidence there is because it is at eye level. Check screens, vents, soffit, siding, the AC condenser fins, and the splash pan under each downspout, where a pile of granules is a straightforward sign the roof has been shedding. ## What we give your adjuster The documentation is the product here, and it is deliberately thorough because a claim is decided on evidence. - A dated photographic survey, roof plane by roof plane, every photograph captioned with what it shows and where it was taken - A hail strike density count per test square, to the standard adjusters use - Wind damage documentation, including lifted and creased shingles - A collateral damage survey covering gutters, downspouts, soffit, siding, screens and vents - A written scope of work itemised by material and labour, so the adjuster is comparing like with like rather than a lump sum - A moisture and decking condition report where the deck is compromised - A copy of our licence and certificate of insurance for the adjuster's file We also attend the adjuster's inspection. Two sets of eyes on the same roof at the same time settles most disagreements before they turn into a dispute, and it means technical questions get answered by somebody standing on the slope rather than by a phone call three days later. ## Your deductible Your deductible is yours to pay, and it is due to us on completion. We will not absorb it, discount it, or inflate the scope to cover it. Contractors who offer to "waive your deductible" are committing insurance fraud, and they are exposing you to it too, because the homeowner signs the claim. It is also, straightforwardly, illegal in North Carolina. The arithmetic is simple and worth understanding before you file. Your insurer settles the approved scope, less your deductible. You pay us the full approved amount; the settlement covers all of it except the deductible, which comes from you. If the approved scope comes in below your deductible, there is no point claiming at all and we will say so. Most policies here settle on a replacement cost basis in two payments: an initial actual cash value payment, then the recoverable depreciation once the work is complete and invoiced. That second payment is why the paperwork at the end matters as much as the paperwork at the start, and we provide the final invoice and completion documentation your insurer needs to release it. ## Typical timeline Documentation reaches you within two working days of the survey. Adjuster inspections are scheduled by the insurer and usually land one to three weeks out, longer after a widespread event when every adjuster in the region is booked. Once a scope is approved, the work follows the ordinary replacement lead time of two to four weeks for materials, the permit and a weather window. On site it is the same one to three days as any other replacement. The whole arc, from storm to finished roof, is commonly six to ten weeks. Anyone promising you a new roof next week after a regional hailstorm is not telling you the truth about adjuster availability. ## What it costs The range here is unusually wide, from $1,200 to $32,000, because it spans a single-slope repair to a full replacement with collateral work. Which one you are having is decided by the approved scope, and that is not something we control. This work is financing eligible, which matters in a specific situation: when the settlement arrives in two payments and you need to bridge the gap between starting the work and the depreciation being released. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Two warnings about the weeks after a storm Storm chasers. After every significant hail event, out-of-state crews arrive, knock doors, offer free inspections and press for a signature that day. Some are fine. Many are gone by the time the warranty matters, and a ten year workmanship warranty from a company with no local address is worth nothing. Assignment of benefits. If any contractor asks you to sign a document assigning your insurance benefits to them, read it very carefully and consider not signing. It hands them the right to deal with your insurer directly and to be paid directly, and it can leave you liable for the difference if the claim settles low. We never ask for one. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/gutter-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: gutter-installation title: Gutter Installation category: roofing h1: Gutter Installation and Replacement seoTitle: Seamless Gutter Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Seamless aluminium and copper gutter installation across the Triangle, formed on site to your rooflines, with downspouts routed away from the foundation. summary: Seamless gutters formed on site to your rooflines, with downspouts sized and routed to take water away from the foundation. voiceSummary: We install seamless gutters formed on site, with downspouts sized and routed to carry water away from your foundation. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes water entering a basement or crawlspace, which needs a drainage conversation first pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 1400 pricing.typicalRange.max: 8600 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Total linear feet of gutter, and how many downspouts the runs need, Material. Seamless aluminium is the standard, copper is several times the cost, Gutter size. Six inch handles a Triangle downpour where five inch overflows, Height and access, since a three-storey elevation is slower than a single-storey ranch, Whether fascia board has rotted behind the old gutter and has to be replaced first, Whether underground drainage is being run to take downspouts away from the foundation pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 24 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, existingGutterAge, drainageConcerns, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Note where water currently overflows or where the ground stays wet after rain, Clear vehicles and bins from beside the house so the runs can be measured, Move planters and furniture away from the drip line, Unlock side gates so every elevation can be reached booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: Gutters are formed on site to your actual rooflines, so the price depends on linear feet, downspout count, gutter size and whether the fascia behind the old run has rotted. None of that is knowable from an address. Book a free estimate visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Removal and disposal of the existing gutters, Seamless aluminium or copper gutter formed on site in continuous runs, Hidden hanger fixing into rafter tails, not spike and ferrule, Downspouts sized and positioned for the roof area they drain, Mitred corners sealed rather than crimped, Fascia board replacement where rot is found, itemised at cost, Gutter guard installation where specified, Underground drainage to carry downspouts away from the foundation, where quoted scope.excludes: Foundation waterproofing and interior basement drainage, Grading and landscaping work to change how water runs off the site, Roof work, which is quoted separately, Cleaning of gutters we did not install, which is a separate maintenance visit, Asbestos-containing fascia or soffit board, which requires an abatement contractor scope.brandsServiced: Alcoa, Berger, Gutter Helmet, LeafGuard, Amerimax scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One day on site for a typical house, two where fascia replacement or underground drainage is involved, after a one to two week lead time. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our workmanship, including the sealed mitres, which are the joints that fail first. Material warranties from the manufacturer run separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: sep, oct, nov, mar related: roof-replacement, roof-inspection, siding-and-soffit, roof-repair faqRefs: roofing, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/gutter-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A continuous run of new seamless aluminium gutter being fixed with hidden hangers along a fascia board lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Gutters are a foundation product It is worth being clear about what gutters are actually for. They are not a roof accessory. They are the thing standing between a Triangle summer downpour and the soil against your foundation. An inch of rain on a two thousand square foot roof is well over a thousand gallons of water. Put that next to the house rather than eight feet away from it and, in the clay soils common around Raleigh and Durham, you get the whole familiar sequence: a wet crawlspace, heaving and settling as the clay swells and shrinks, and eventually cracks that cost more than any roof. So most of the value in a gutter job is in the parts people do not look at: whether the downspouts are sized for the area they drain, and where the water actually goes once it leaves them. ## Why this is quoted rather than booked Seamless gutter is formed on site, on a roll-forming machine on the back of the truck, in continuous runs matched to your rooflines. That is why there are no joints along the length, and it is also why nobody can price the job without measuring. Linear feet, downspout count, gutter size, height and access all move the number. So does the thing we find behind the old run about a third of the time: rotten fascia board, hidden until the gutter comes off, which has to be replaced before anything new is hung. Book a free estimate visit and you get a fixed written quote with a stated fascia allowance, itemised at cost if we find more. ## What it costs Most gutter jobs land between $1,400 and $8,600. A single-storey ranch in seamless aluminium sits at the bottom. A three-storey with copper, or a house needing significant fascia replacement and underground drainage, sits at the top. This work is financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum, which the larger jobs do. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). Gutters are also the single cheapest thing to add to a roof replacement (/services/roofing/roof-replacement) while the crew and the scaffolding are already there. ## Five inch or six Most Triangle houses have five inch gutters because that is what the builder fitted. A good number of them should have six. Six inch gutter carries roughly forty percent more water and pairs with a larger downspout. On a house with a steep roof, a large single plane, or valleys that dump into one run, five inch simply overflows in a heavy storm no matter how clean it is. If you have a spot that always sheets over the front edge in a downpour, that is not a blockage, it is a capacity problem, and cleaning it will never fix it. We will tell you which one your roof needs. It is a genuine recommendation rather than an upsell: plenty of houses are fine on five. ## Hidden hangers, and other things that decide how long it lasts Hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails, not spikes driven through the front lip. Spikes work loose as the wood expands and contracts, and a sagging gutter holds standing water. Mitred corners sealed, not crimped. Corners are where gutters leak, always, and a crimped corner starts weeping within a couple of years. Correct pitch, about a quarter inch of fall for every ten feet. Too little and it stands, too much and it looks wrong and overshoots at the outlet. Downspouts positioned for the area they drain, which sometimes means adding one where the builder economised. ## Where the water goes The most common thing we fix is not the gutter, it is the last four feet of the system. A downspout that discharges onto a splash block next to the foundation has moved the water about eighteen inches. Options, roughly in order of cost: longer extensions, above-ground flexible runs, or proper underground drainage in solid pipe to daylight or a dry well. On a clay lot with a crawlspace, the underground option is usually worth the difference. What we do not do is foundation waterproofing, interior basement drainage, or regrading your garden. If your water problem turns out to be a grading problem, we will tell you that rather than sell you gutters that cannot fix it. ## Gutter guards, honestly They reduce cleaning. They do not eliminate it, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling. Under Triangle pines in particular, needles bridge most guard designs and shingle grit still gets through and settles. A good guard turns an annual clean into a check every few years. That is a real benefit and worth paying for on a three-storey where getting a ladder up is genuinely difficult. It is less compelling on a single-storey ranch you can reach with a step ladder. ## Before we arrive Note where water currently overflows and where the ground stays wet a day after rain: both tell us more than the gutters themselves do. Clear vehicles and bins from beside the house, move planters away from the drip line, and unlock the side gates. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/skylight-and-flashing.mdx ### frontmatter slug: skylight-and-flashing title: Skylight and Flashing category: roofing h1: Skylight and Flashing Repair seoTitle: Skylight Repair & Roof Flashing in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Skylight replacement and roof flashing repair across the Triangle. Flashing causes more leaks than shingles do, and it is what we spend most of our time on. summary: Skylight replacement and the flashing details at chimneys, walls and valleys, which cause more leaks than shingles ever do. voiceSummary: We replace skylights and repair the flashing at chimneys, walls and valleys, which causes more leaks than shingles do. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Water is actively entering the house, which is an emergency roof repair, Glass in a skylight is cracked or has fallen, which is a safety issue pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 420 pricing.typicalRange.max: 3400 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the skylight is being reflashed or fully replaced, Unit type. A fixed skylight is straightforward, a venting or motorised one is not, Whether the curb has rotted and has to be rebuilt before anything is set on it, Which flashing detail has failed, since step flashing at a wall means opening the siding, Roof pitch and height, which set the access and fall protection needed pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, roofAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, skylightBrand, leakLocation, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Move furniture out from under the skylight and put a sheet down, Photograph the stain on the ceiling or the shaft lining, Note whether the leak shows in driving rain only, or in any rain, Clear vehicles from the driveway so the ladder can be set safely booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Leak tracing at the skylight, chimney, wall junction or valley, Skylight reflashing with a manufacturer flashing kit, Full skylight replacement, fixed or venting, Curb inspection, with rotten timber rebuilt before the unit is set, Step and counter flashing replacement at walls and chimneys, Chimney cricket installation where the chimney is wide enough to need one, Valley metal replacement, Pipe boot and vent collar replacement scope.excludes: Chimney masonry repair, repointing and crown rebuilding, Chimney flue relining, which is a specialist trade, Interior drywall, plaster and paint on the skylight shaft, Motorised blind and control repair on venting skylights, Full roof replacement, which is quoted separately scope.brandsServiced: VELUX, Fakro, Sun-Tek, Wasco, GAF scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, VELUX certified installer scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Reflashing is a single visit. A full skylight replacement is one day, adding one to two weeks if the unit has to be ordered to size. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on the detail we repaired. A replacement skylight carries the manufacturer warranty separately, which on most units is ten years on the glass seal. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, sep, oct related: roof-repair, roof-inspection, roof-replacement, storm-damage-and-insurance-claims faqRefs: roofing, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/skylight-and-flashing-hero.jpg hero.alt: New step flashing woven into shingle courses where a roof meets a sidewall, with fresh counter flashing above lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Flashing is what leaks If you take one thing from this page: your roof almost certainly is not leaking through the shingles. It is leaking at a junction. Flashing is the sheet metal that seals every place the roof meets something else, whether that is a chimney, a wall, a valley, a vent pipe or a skylight. Shingles shed water across an open plane, which is the easy part. Junctions are where water is redirected, and where installers cut corners because the work is slow and mostly invisible once the shingles go back. On the roofs we inspect across the Triangle, failed flashing and cracked pipe boots account for the large majority of active leaks. Field shingle failure is well down the list. ## What it costs Most flashing and skylight work lands between $420 and $3,400. Replacing a cracked pipe boot or resealing a vent collar sits at the bottom. A full venting skylight replacement with a rebuilt curb sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Not financing eligible; it sits below the financing minimum in almost every case. If the work is being done as part of a roof replacement (/services/roofing/roof-replacement), it folds into that quote, which is financing eligible. ## Skylights, and why they get blamed unfairly Skylights have a reputation for leaking that they mostly do not deserve. The unit itself is rarely the problem. What fails is the flashing kit around it, or the wooden curb it sits on. Three failures, in the order we find them: The flashing kit was never installed, or was replaced with sealant. A proper skylight flashing kit is a set of pieces that weave into the shingle courses. Some installers skip it and run a bead of sealant around the unit instead. Sealant is a maintenance item measured in a few years, not a weatherproofing method, and every one of those installations eventually leaks. The curb has rotted. The unit sits on a timber curb built up off the deck. Once water has been getting in for a while the curb goes soft, and setting a new skylight on a rotten curb guarantees you will do the job twice. We rebuild it first and say so in the quote. The glass seal has failed. If you have condensation *between* the panes, that is a failed seal and no amount of flashing work will fix it. That is a replacement unit. There is a fourth thing that is not a leak at all: condensation forming on the inside of the glass in winter, in a bathroom or a kitchen. That is humidity, and the answer is ventilation rather than roofing. We will tell you if that is what you have. ## Chimneys Chimneys are the hardest junction on a roof, because they interrupt the water running down a whole slope. A correct chimney detail has two parts: step flashing woven into each shingle course going up the side, and counter flashing let into a groove cut in the masonry, lapping over the step flashing. Where the chimney is wide, it also needs a cricket, a small ridged structure on the upslope side that splits the water around it rather than letting it pond against the brick. What we find instead, frequently, is a thick bead of roofing cement smeared over the joint. It works for two or three summers and then cracks in the UV. We do the sheet metal. We do not do the masonry: repointing, crown rebuilding and flue relining are specialist trades and we refer them. If your chimney needs both, get the masonry done first, because repointing after new counter flashing means cutting it back out. ## This is not emergency work, unless water is coming in Flashing repair is scheduled work. If water is actively entering the house right now, that is an emergency roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair), covered around the clock, and the first visit will be about stopping the water rather than perfecting the detail. Cracked or fallen skylight glass is a safety issue rather than a roofing emergency. Keep everyone out from underneath and call us; we will board it and schedule the replacement. ## Before we arrive Move furniture out from under the skylight and put a sheet down, because tracing a leak from inside sometimes means opening the shaft lining. Photograph the stain. Note whether the leak shows only in driving rain from a particular direction, which is one of the most useful diagnostic clues there is. Clear the driveway so the ladder can be set on level ground. --- ## source: content/services/roofing/siding-and-soffit.mdx ### frontmatter slug: siding-and-soffit title: Siding and Soffit category: roofing h1: Siding, Soffit and Fascia Repair seoTitle: Siding, Soffit & Fascia Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Siding, soffit and fascia repair and replacement across the Triangle, including the rot behind a failed gutter and the ventilation a roof depends on. summary: Siding, soffit and fascia repair and replacement, including the hidden rot behind a failed gutter and the intake ventilation your roof depends on. voiceSummary: We repair and replace siding, soffit and fascia, including hidden rot behind failed gutters and the vents your roof needs to breathe. order: 7 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a wasp or hornet nest in the soffit, which needs pest control before we open it, Customer describes siding damaged in a storm they intend to claim for pricing.model: hourly pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 480 pricing.typicalRange.max: 18000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How much of the run is repair and how much is replacement, since matching old siding is slow work, Material. Vinyl, fibre cement and cedar all take different time and different tools, Whether the sheathing behind has rotted, which is only visible once the siding is off, Height and access, particularly a gable end above a conservatory or a steep bank, Whether soffit vents are being added, which means cutting and screening every bay pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: roofing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, sidingMaterial, affectedElevations, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the affected elevation from the ground, wide and close, Move furniture, planters and bins away from the wall, Note any wasp or hornet activity at the soffit, since we will not open it until that is dealt with, Unlock side gates and clear a path around the house booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Rotten fascia board replacement, including behind existing gutters, Soffit repair and replacement, vented or solid, Soffit vent installation to correct roof intake ventilation, Vinyl, fibre cement and cedar siding repair and section replacement, Sheathing replacement where rot is found behind the siding, House wrap and flashing at windows and doors where siding is removed, Trim, corner board and frieze board replacement, Priming of bare timber before it is closed in scope.excludes: Full-house repainting, which is a decorating trade, Window and door replacement, Structural framing repair, which is a construction service, Pest and wasp nest removal, which needs a licensed operator first, Asbestos-containing cement siding, common before 1980, which requires an abatement contractor, Lead paint disturbance on pre-1978 timber, which requires certified containment scope.brandsServiced: James Hardie, Certainteed, Mastic, LP SmartSide, Royal Building Products scope.certifications: NC Roofing licence RC-11902, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: A fascia and soffit repair is one to two days. A full elevation of siding is three to five days, after a one to two week lead time for material. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship. Manufacturer warranties on fibre cement and vinyl run separately and are considerably longer. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: gutter-installation, roof-replacement, roof-inspection, storm-damage-and-insurance-claims faqRefs: roofing, global hero.src: /img/services/roofing/siding-and-soffit-hero.jpg hero.alt: A carpenter fitting new vented soffit board under an eave, with fresh fascia primed and ready for gutter lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why a roofer does this work Soffit, fascia and the top courses of siding are roofing work in everything but name. They are where the roof meets the wall, they are what the gutter hangs on, and they are where almost all the hidden rot in a Triangle house lives. The usual sequence: a gutter blocks or sags, water runs behind it instead of through it, and the fascia board takes that water for a couple of years without anyone seeing it. By the time paint bubbles or a squirrel gets in, the fascia has gone, the soffit is soft, and sometimes the rafter tail behind it has started to go too. That is why we quote fascia replacement as an allowance on nearly every gutter installation (/services/roofing/gutter-installation): the odds of finding it are high enough that pretending otherwise would be dishonest pricing. ## The ventilation nobody mentions Your soffit is not trim. It is the intake half of your roof's ventilation. Air is supposed to enter at the soffit, travel up under the deck, and leave at the ridge vent. If the soffit has no vents, or the vents were painted shut, or insulation has been pushed into the eaves and blocked them, then the ridge vent has nothing to pull and the system does not work. The consequences arrive slowly and get blamed on other things. An attic that runs far hotter than it should in August. Shingles cooking from underneath and aging early, which voids most manufacturer warranties. Condensation on the underside of the deck in winter, which people mistake for a roof leak because it drips. We check intake as part of any roof work, and adding soffit vents is often the cheapest meaningful improvement available on an older Triangle house. ## What it costs This work is charged hourly against the published roofing rate, and totals land between $480 and $18,000. A single rotten fascia board behind a gutter sits at the bottom. A full re-side of a two-storey elevation in fibre cement sits at the top. Hourly is the honest model here because the scope genuinely is not knowable until the siding comes off. We estimate the hours before starting, we tell you what we find as we find it, and you decide. Larger jobs are financing eligible where the total clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## The three materials Vinyl is the most common on newer Triangle housing. Cheap to repair, hard to match: colours fade and get discontinued, so a patch on a sun-facing wall will often be visible. We will tell you when replacing a whole elevation looks better than patching two boards. Fibre cement, usually James Hardie here, is the premium replacement and holds up very well in this climate. It is heavy, it needs specific tools, and cutting it makes silica dust that has to be controlled properly. Cedar is on the older and the more expensive houses. Beautiful, and a maintenance commitment rather than a finish; it needs to stay sealed. ## Two things that stop us Asbestos. Cement siding on houses built before about 1980 frequently contains it. If we suspect it, we stop and refer you to an abatement contractor. We do not cut it, we do not pressure wash it, and we do not guess. Lead paint. On timber painted before 1978, disturbing the paint requires certified containment. We hold the EPA Lead-Safe certification and we will use it, but it changes the method and the price, and we would rather explain that up front than surprise you. There is also a third, more mundane one: wasps and hornets in the soffit. It is extremely common here in late summer. We will not open a soffit bay with an active nest in it. Get a licensed pest operator in first and we will follow on. ## If this is storm damage Hail that dents your gutters usually also marks the siding, and wind damage to siding is straightforward to claim when it is documented alongside the roof. Read storm damage and insurance claims (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) before repairing anything, because a repair before documentation removes the evidence. ## Before we arrive Photograph the affected elevation from the ground, once wide and once close. Move furniture, planters and bins away from the wall, and unlock the side gates so we can get around the house. If you have seen wasp activity at the eaves, tell us when you book rather than when we arrive with a ladder. --- ## source: content/services/construction/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: construction title: Construction and Remodeling h1: Remodeling and Construction in the Triangle seoTitle: Kitchen, Bathroom & Addition Remodeling in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Kitchen and bathroom remodeling, home additions, basement finishing, garage conversion and structural repair across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the Triangle. summary: Kitchen and bathroom remodeling, additions, basement finishing, garage conversion and structural repair, all quoted after a design and survey visit. voiceSummary: We remodel kitchens and bathrooms, build additions, finish basements and convert garages. Every project is designed and quoted before any work starts. tradeTag: BUILD crewType: construction order: 3 hero.src: /img/services/construction/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: Interior of a kitchen mid-renovation with studs exposed on one wall and new cabinet boxes partly installed faqRefs: construction, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Projects, not service calls Everything in this section is a project. None of it can be booked online, none of it is priced over the phone, and all of it starts the same way: somebody comes out, measures, listens to what you actually want, and produces a fixed written quote. That is not a sales process dressed up as a survey. A remodel price depends on what is behind your walls, what the county will permit, what you choose to put back, and how much of the existing structure is worth keeping. Two identical-looking 1990s kitchens in Cary can differ by tens of thousands once the cabinets come off. We run two construction crews, and a crew is on one site for the duration rather than shuttling between jobs. That is why our lead times are longer than a repair trade's and why the finish date we give you is one we can actually hold. ## Every project has the same shape The phases differ in length, not in kind. Design and selection. Measurements, drawings, and the decisions that set the price: layout, cabinetry, tile, fixtures, worktops. This is where most delays originate, and it is entirely within your control. Permit. Submitted to the county once the drawings are fixed. This takes as long as it takes and we cannot accelerate it. We pull the permit, book the inspections, and meet the inspector on site. Demolition and rough-in. The loud, dusty, alarming-looking phase where structure, plumbing, electrical and HVAC go in behind the walls. Inspections happen here, before anything is closed up. Finishes. Drywall, tile, cabinetry, worktops, paint, fixtures. Slower than it looks and where the quality of the job becomes visible. Final inspection and handover. The county signs it off, we walk the job with you, and we fix the snag list before we ask for the final payment. ## What our prices assume Every quote we issue states its allowances plainly: what we have budgeted for tile, for fixtures, for cabinetry. If you choose above the allowance the difference is itemised, and if you choose below it you get the difference back. We also state a contingency for what is behind the walls. On any house over about thirty years old there will be something: undersized wiring, a drain that was never vented, a joist somebody notched for a pipe run in 1985. We do not pretend otherwise and we do not price as if the surprise will not happen. ## Financing Every service in this section is financing eligible, and all of them clear the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing), including the 0% for 12 months product. Applying before you commit means the monthly figure is part of the decision rather than something you work out afterwards. ## What we do not take on We are residential only, up to four units. We do not take commercial or industrial work. We do not do design-only engagements: we quote and build, and the design work is part of the project rather than a service you can buy separately. We do not disturb asbestos or lead paint without the correct certification and containment, and on Triangle houses built before 1980 both turn up regularly. Where we find them we stop, tell you, and bring in a contractor licensed for that work. Structural engineering stamps come from a licensed structural engineer, not from us. On any project that removes a load-bearing element we will tell you an engineer is required, and we will work to their specification. --- ## source: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx ### frontmatter slug: kitchen-remodeling title: Kitchen Remodeling category: construction h1: Kitchen Remodeling in the Triangle seoTitle: Kitchen Remodeling in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Full kitchen remodeling across the Triangle. Four to seven weeks on site after a three to five week permit and design phase, quoted fixed with stated allowances. summary: A full kitchen remodel, from layout and cabinetry through to the final inspection, quoted fixed after a design and survey visit. voiceSummary: We remodel kitchens end to end. Expect three to five weeks of design and permitting, then four to seven weeks on site. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, Customer has an active plumbing leak, which is a plumbing emergency rather than a remodel enquiry, Customer needs the kitchen usable by a fixed date that the permit timeline cannot meet pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 24000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 95000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the layout changes. Moving the sink or the range means moving drain, supply and gas, and that is the single biggest cost jump, Cabinetry. Stock, semi-custom and fully custom differ by a factor of three for the same run of units, Worktop material, where quartz and natural stone sit well above laminate and butcher block, Whether a wall is coming out, and whether it turns out to be load bearing, What the electrical panel can take, since a modern kitchen needs circuits a 1980s panel does not have, Appliance specification, which you buy and we install pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, floorPlan, inspirationImages, budgetBand, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear the worktops so the existing runs can be measured, Gather any photographs of layouts you like, which shortens the design phase more than anything else, Find the electrical panel and take a photograph of the label, Note whether the house has ever had a kitchen leak, and where booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A kitchen remodel is designed before it is priced. The layout, the cabinetry level, the worktop, whether a wall is load bearing and what your electrical panel can carry all move the total by tens of thousands, and none of it can be assessed from an address. Book a free design and survey visit and you will have a fixed written quote with every allowance stated. scope.includes: Design consultation, measured drawings and a fixed written quote, Permit application, inspection scheduling and meeting the inspector on site, Demolition and disposal of the existing kitchen, Structural work where a wall is removed, to an engineer's specification, Plumbing rough-in and final connection, including relocating sink and dishwasher services, Electrical rough-in, new circuits, and the receptacle count current code requires, HVAC adjustment where a register or return has to move, Drywall, taping and finishing, Cabinetry installation, stock through fully custom, Worktop templating and installation, Tile splashback and flooring, Painting and trim, Appliance installation for units you supply scope.excludes: Appliances themselves, which you buy so the warranty is in your name, Structural engineering stamps, which come from a licensed engineer, Asbestos and lead paint work, which requires an abatement contractor, Gas line replacement upstream of the appliance shutoff, which is a plumbing service, Electrical panel upgrades, which are an electrical service and quoted separately, Window and exterior door replacement scope.brandsServiced: KraftMaid, Wellborn, Shiloh, Cambria, Silestone, Delta, Kohler scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Four to seven weeks on site, after a three to five week design and permit phase. Ten to twelve weeks from signature to a finished kitchen is realistic. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship. Cabinetry, worktops and fixtures carry their manufacturer warranties separately, which we register and hand over at completion. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, sep, oct, nov related: bathroom-remodeling, home-additions, basement-finishing, structural-repair faqRefs: construction, global, billing-and-insurance hero.src: /img/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling-hero.jpg hero.alt: A kitchen mid-renovation with studs exposed on one wall, new cabinet boxes stacked and partly installed, and floor protection down lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## How long it actually takes Ten to twelve weeks from signature to a finished kitchen. That splits into three to five weeks of design and permitting, then four to seven weeks on site. We lead with that because it is the number people are most often misled about. A kitchen is not a four-week job, and anyone quoting you four weeks total is either not pulling a permit or has not counted the design phase. You will be without a kitchen for the on-site portion, and you should plan for it: a microwave and a kettle somewhere else in the house, and a realistic view of takeaways. The design and permit phase does not require you to move out or change anything. It is drawings, decisions and waiting for the county. ## What it costs Most Triangle kitchen remodels land between $24,000 and $95,000. The bottom of that range is a same-layout refit: new cabinetry in the existing positions, new worktops, new splashback, new flooring, appliances reconnected where they already are. Nothing moves, so no drain, supply or gas relocation is needed, and the permit is straightforward. The top is a full reconfiguration: a wall out, the sink and range relocated, custom cabinetry, stone worktops, a rebuilt electrical layout, and a structural beam where the wall used to be. Kitchen remodels are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum many times over. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## The five phases, and what happens in each ### Phase one: design and selection, two to three weeks We measure, produce drawings, and work through the decisions that set the price. Layout first, because everything else follows from it. Then cabinetry level, worktop material, tile, fixtures, flooring and paint. This is the phase you control, and it is where nearly every delay we see originates. A client who arrives with layout preferences and a rough idea of finishes gets through it in two weeks. A client still choosing tile in week five has moved the finish date by three weeks and no amount of crew scheduling recovers it. You get a fixed written quote at the end of this phase, with every allowance stated: what we have budgeted for cabinetry, tile, worktops and fixtures. Choose above an allowance and the difference is itemised. Choose below and you get the difference back. ### Phase two: permit, one to two weeks Submitted to the county once the drawings are fixed. Wake and Durham counties both run one to two weeks for a residential kitchen at the moment, longer after a storm event when the whole permit desk is loaded with roof work. We cannot accelerate this and neither can anyone else. A contractor who offers to start before the permit is issued is offering to do unpermitted work, which becomes your problem when you sell the house. ### Phase three: demolition and rough-in, one to two weeks The old kitchen comes out and goes in a skip. We sheet the route from the door, seal the openings to the rest of the house, and run a negative air machine if we are cutting anything dusty. Then the work behind the walls: structural first if a wall is coming out, then plumbing, electrical and any HVAC adjustment. This is where the surprises live, and there is nearly always one. On a house over thirty years old expect at least one of undersized wiring, a drain that was never properly vented, or a joist somebody notched for a pipe run decades ago. Rough-in inspections happen at the end of this phase, before anything gets closed up. That is non-negotiable and it is the whole point of the permit. ### Phase four: finishes, two to three weeks Drywall, taping, and the first coat of paint. Then flooring, then cabinetry, then worktop templating. Worktops are the timing constraint nobody expects. Stone worktops are templated after the cabinets are installed, not before, and fabrication takes one to two weeks after templating. That gap is real and it is in your programme. It is also why the splashback goes on after the worktop rather than before. Then splashback tile, trim, final paint, fixtures, and appliance installation. ### Phase five: inspection and handover, a few days Final county inspection. Then we walk the kitchen with you and write a snag list. We fix the snag list before we ask for the final payment, not after. ## What moves the price most Whether the layout changes. This is the single biggest jump, larger than cabinetry level. Moving a sink means moving a drain, and a drain needs fall, which on a slab-on-grade house can mean cutting concrete. Keeping the wet wall where it is saves more money than any other decision available to you. Cabinetry. Stock, semi-custom and fully custom vary by roughly a factor of three for the same run of units. This is the largest single line on most quotes. Whether the wall is load bearing. People often assume it is not. In Triangle housing stock with roof trusses, an interior wall frequently is not structural, but plenty are, and the difference is a steel or engineered beam plus an engineer's stamp. Your electrical panel. A modern kitchen needs more circuits than a 1980s one: separate small appliance circuits, a dedicated dishwasher circuit, a range circuit. If the panel is full, that is a panel upgrade, which is an electrical service quoted separately. ## Appliances You buy them, we install them. That is deliberate: it puts the manufacturer warranty in your name, it lets you shop the sales, and it means we are not marking up a fridge. Tell us the models during the design phase, because appliance dimensions drive cabinetry dimensions. A counter-depth fridge specified in week six is a cabinet change, and a range with a different width than planned is a worktop change. ## Living through it Four to seven weeks without a kitchen is the real cost people underestimate. We seal the work area, we sheet the route in and out, and we clean at the end of every day rather than at the end of the job. The dust still gets everywhere; anyone who tells you otherwise has not done this work. Take pictures off the walls in adjoining rooms. Most clients set up a temporary kitchen in a dining room or garage: a microwave, a kettle, a toaster and the fridge if it can be moved. We will help you move the fridge. --- ## source: content/services/construction/bathroom-remodeling.mdx ### frontmatter slug: bathroom-remodeling title: Bathroom Remodeling category: construction h1: Bathroom Remodeling in the Triangle seoTitle: Bathroom Remodeling in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Full bathroom remodeling across the Triangle, including walk-in showers and tiled wet areas. Three to five weeks on site after a two to four week permit phase. summary: A full bathroom remodel, including tiled walk-in showers, built waterproof from the substrate up rather than sealed afterwards. voiceSummary: We remodel bathrooms, including tiled walk in showers built waterproof from the substrate up. Expect about six to nine weeks in total. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has an active leak or water damage, which is a plumbing emergency rather than a remodel enquiry, Customer describes visible mould, which needs a remediation contractor before we quote pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 12000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 42000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the layout changes. Moving a toilet means moving a soil pipe, which is the largest single jump available, Whether a tub is being replaced with a tiled walk-in shower, which changes the waterproofing and often the floor structure, Tile size and pattern. Large format and herringbone both take considerably longer to set than a straight stack, How much of the subfloor has rotted, which is only known once the old floor is up, Fixture specification, from builder grade through to thermostatic valves and body jets, Whether the room is on a slab or over a crawlspace, which decides how hard drain relocation is pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, floorPlan, inspirationImages, budgetBand, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear the vanity and the shower so surfaces and drain positions can be seen, Note any soft spots in the floor, particularly around the toilet and the tub, Say whether this is the only full bathroom in the house, because it changes how we schedule, Gather photographs of tile and fixture styles you like booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A bathroom remodel is designed before it is priced. Whether the layout moves, whether a tub becomes a tiled shower, and how much subfloor has rotted under the old one all move the total substantially, and none of it is visible from an address. Book a free design and survey visit and you will have a fixed written quote with every allowance stated. scope.includes: Design consultation, measured drawings and a fixed written quote, Permit application, inspection scheduling and meeting the inspector on site, Demolition and disposal of the existing bathroom, Subfloor repair and replacement where rot is found, Plumbing rough-in, including relocating supply and waste where the layout changes, Electrical rough-in, GFCI protection, and an extract fan ducted to outside, Full waterproofing of wet areas, bonded membrane on the substrate, Shower pan construction, tiled or pre-formed, Wall and floor tiling, Vanity, toilet, tub and shower installation, Glass shower enclosure, measured after tiling, Painting, trim and accessory fitting scope.excludes: Mould remediation, which requires a specialist contractor, Asbestos and lead paint work, which requires an abatement contractor, Structural engineering stamps, which come from a licensed engineer, Main soil stack replacement, which is a plumbing service, Window replacement, Whole-house repiping, which is a plumbing service scope.brandsServiced: Kohler, Delta, Moen, Schluter, Wedi, American Standard, Toto scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm, Schluter certified installer scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Three to five weeks on site, after a two to four week design and permit phase. Six to nine weeks from signature to a finished bathroom. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, and five years on the waterproofing of any wet area we build. Fixtures carry their manufacturer warranties separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, mar, oct, nov related: kitchen-remodeling, basement-finishing, home-additions, structural-repair faqRefs: construction, global hero.src: /img/services/construction/bathroom-remodeling-hero.jpg hero.alt: A bathroom mid-tile with cement board up, thinset and spacers on the floor, and a laser level line across the wall lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## How long it takes Six to nine weeks from signature to a finished bathroom: two to four weeks of design and permitting, then three to five weeks on site. The on-site number surprises people, because a bathroom is a small room. It is small and it contains more trades per square foot than anywhere else in the house: demolition, structure, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tiling, glazing, painting. Each has to finish before the next starts, and several involve curing times that cannot be rushed. If it is your only full bathroom, tell us at the survey. We schedule those differently and we can usually keep the toilet live for most of the programme. ## What it costs Most Triangle bathroom remodels land between $12,000 and $42,000. The bottom of that range is a same-layout hall bathroom: new vanity, new toilet, a tub-shower replaced in the same footprint, new tile, new fixtures. The top is a primary bathroom reconfigured: the toilet moved, the tub removed for a large tiled walk-in shower with a bench and a niche, heated floor, thermostatic valve, frameless glass, and double vanity. Bathroom remodels are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Waterproofing is the whole job Everything else in a bathroom is cosmetic. The waterproofing is what decides whether you are doing this again in eight years. Here is the thing worth understanding: tile and grout are not waterproof. Grout is porous, and water passes through it routinely. A correctly built wet area has a bonded waterproof membrane on the substrate, behind the tile, with every corner, seam and penetration detailed. The tile is the wearing surface; the membrane is the barrier. What we find in failed Triangle bathrooms, over and over: green board or plain drywall behind shower tile with no membrane at all. It works while the grout holds, then the wall cavity gets wet, and the first sign is usually a soft spot in the floor outside the shower or a stain on a ceiling below. We build wet areas on a bonded membrane system, we flood test shower pans before tiling, and we warrant that waterproofing for five years rather than the two our general workmanship carries. It is the part of the job we are most willing to be judged on. ## The five phases ### Phase one: design and selection, one to two weeks Measurement, drawings, and the decisions: layout, whether the tub goes, tile, fixtures, vanity, glass. Shorter than a kitchen because there are fewer decisions, but the same rule applies. Arrive with a rough idea of style and you will move quickly. You get a fixed written quote with stated allowances for tile, fixtures and vanity. ### Phase two: permit, one to two weeks Any bathroom that moves plumbing or alters electrical needs one. We pull it, book the inspections and meet the inspector. ### Phase three: demolition and rough-in, one week Everything out, down to studs and subfloor in the wet areas. This is where we find what the last bathroom was hiding, and in a bathroom the usual find is rotten subfloor, typically around the toilet flange or under the tub apron, from a wax ring or a tub surround that has been leaking slowly for years. We quote a subfloor allowance for exactly this reason and itemise anything beyond it at cost. Then plumbing rough-in, electrical rough-in with GFCI protection and an extract fan ducted to outside, not into the loft, which is where a remarkable number of existing fans terminate. Rough-in inspection closes the phase. ### Phase four: waterproofing, tile and finishes, one to two weeks Waterproofing first, flood tested. Then tile, which is the long pole: large format tile and herringbone patterns both take substantially longer to set than a straight stack, and the difference is days rather than hours. Then grout, vanity, toilet, fixtures, paint. Glass is measured after tiling, not before. A frameless enclosure is templated to the tiled opening and fabrication takes one to two weeks. That gap is real, it is in your programme, and it is why the shower is usable a little before it is finished. ### Phase five: inspection and handover Final inspection, walkthrough, snag list. We fix the snags before asking for the final payment. ## Tub or walk-in shower The most common question at the survey, so here is the honest version. Removing a tub for a large tiled walk-in shower is the single most popular change we make, and it is almost always the right one in a primary bathroom. It costs more: the waterproofing area grows, the drain usually moves, and the floor structure sometimes has to change to accommodate a linear drain or a curbless entry. But keep a tub somewhere in the house. If you have small children, or you may sell within a decade, a house with no bathtub at all is a narrower market. In a two-bathroom house the usual answer is a walk-in shower in the primary and the tub retained in the hall bathroom. ## What we will not do Mould remediation. If demolition reveals significant growth, we stop and bring in a remediation contractor. Tiling over a mould problem is how you get a worse one. Asbestos and lead. Both are common in Triangle bathrooms built before 1980, in floor tile, adhesive and painted trim. We hold the EPA Lead-Safe certification and will use it; asbestos goes to an abatement contractor. Main soil stack replacement and whole-house repiping are plumbing services. If the survey shows you need one, we will say so, because doing a bathroom on top of a failing stack is money spent twice. ## Building it for later A bathroom lasts twenty years or more, and it is far cheaper to accommodate the future during the rough-in than to retrofit it afterwards. Blocking for grab rails costs almost nothing at framing stage: plywood backing in the wall behind the shower and beside the toilet, so a rail can be fitted properly into structure at any point later. Retrofitting that into a tiled wall means removing tile. A curbless shower is the single most useful accessibility decision, and it is much easier on a crawlspace than on a slab, because the floor structure has to drop to accommodate the drain. If you intend to stay in the house long-term and you are on a crawlspace, it is worth doing now. A wider door. Going from a 28 inch to a 32 inch door during a remodel is trivial. Doing it later means reframing. None of this makes the bathroom look like a hospital, which is the objection we usually hear. A tiled curbless shower with a linear drain is the most requested feature we install, and nobody asks for it on accessibility grounds. ## Ventilation, which is not optional here Triangle humidity means a bathroom extract fan is doing real work, and the two things that decide whether it works are size and where it terminates. Sized to the room, not to whatever was there before. And ducted to outside, through the roof or a gable wall, with insulated duct and a backdraft damper. A fan that terminates in the loft is pumping the moisture from every shower into your roof space, and the result is condensation on the underside of the deck that looks exactly like a roof leak. We find it constantly, and we replace it as part of any bathroom we touch. --- ## source: content/services/construction/home-additions.mdx ### frontmatter slug: home-additions title: Home Additions category: construction h1: Home Additions in the Triangle seoTitle: Home Additions & Extensions in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Room additions, primary suites and second storeys across the Triangle. Foundation to finish, quoted after a survey, with zoning and permit handled. summary: Room additions, primary suites and second storeys, from foundation through to final inspection. voiceSummary: We build room additions, primary suites and second storeys, from the foundation to the final inspection, with zoning and permits handled. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer needs the addition finished by a fixed date that the permit timeline cannot meet, Customer describes a structural failure in the existing house, which is a structural repair enquiry pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 55000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 95000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Square footage, which sets the foundation, the roof and everything between them, Whether it is single storey on a new foundation or a second storey over existing structure, What the existing foundation and framing can carry, which decides how much reinforcement is needed, Whether HVAC can extend from the existing system or the addition needs its own, Setbacks, easements and lot coverage, which can force a different footprint than you wanted, Finish level, which on a primary suite with a bathroom ranges as widely as any remodel pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, floorPlan, hoaDetails, budgetBand, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Find your plot survey if you have one, since it shows setbacks and saves a survey fee, Check whether your HOA has an architectural review process and what it requires, Note where the electrical panel, the HVAC equipment and the water heater sit, Clear access around the elevation where the addition will go booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: An addition cannot be priced without a site visit. Setbacks, lot coverage, what the existing foundation and framing can carry, and whether your HVAC and panel have capacity all shape both the design and the cost, and several of them can change the footprint entirely. Book a free survey and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Site survey, zoning and setback check, and measured drawings, HOA architectural review submission where one is required, Permit application, all inspections, and meeting the inspector on site, Excavation and foundation, slab or crawlspace, Framing, sheathing and roof structure tied into the existing roof, Roofing, siding and exterior trim matched to the existing house, Windows and exterior doors, Plumbing, electrical and HVAC rough-in and final connection, Insulation, drywall, flooring, trim and paint, Tying the new structure into the existing house, including any wall openings scope.excludes: Structural engineering stamps, which come from a licensed engineer, Land surveying, where no current plot survey exists, Septic system extension or replacement, which requires a septic contractor, Well and pump work, Electrical service upgrades at the meter, which are utility work, Landscaping and hard standing beyond making good the disturbed ground scope.brandsServiced: Andersen, Pella, James Hardie, GAF, Simpson Strong-Tie scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, NC Roofing licence RC-11902, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Ten to sixteen weeks on site, after a six to twelve week design, HOA and permit phase. Five to seven months from signature is realistic. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, and ten years on the roof we install over the addition. Windows, doors and equipment carry their manufacturer warranties separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: kitchen-remodeling, bathroom-remodeling, garage-conversion, structural-repair faqRefs: construction, global, billing-and-insurance hero.src: /img/services/construction/home-additions-hero.jpg hero.alt: A framed home addition with new roof sheathing, sunlight through open stud bays and red clay yard around it lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The honest timeline Five to seven months from signature to a finished addition. Six to twelve weeks of design, HOA review and permitting, then ten to sixteen weeks on site. That front-loaded phase is longer than any other project we do, and it is worth understanding why before you start. An addition changes the footprint of the house, which means zoning gets involved: setbacks from every boundary, lot coverage limits, easements, and in most Triangle subdivisions an HOA architectural review that runs on its own committee schedule. None of that is us being slow. It is the part of the process where an addition either becomes possible in the shape you wanted or does not. ## What it costs Most additions land between $55,000 and $95,000. The lower end is a modest single-storey room addition on a new slab, extending an existing roofline, with the HVAC tied into the existing system. The upper end is a primary suite with an ensuite bathroom, or a second storey over an existing garage requiring foundation and framing reinforcement. Additions are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum many times over. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). Most clients finance at least part of an addition, and the 0% for 12 months product is worth understanding properly before choosing it. ## Before you fall in love with a plan Three site constraints decide what is buildable, and we check all three at the survey rather than after you have paid for drawings. Setbacks. Every lot has required distances from front, side and rear boundaries. In much of Wake and Durham County the side setback is the binding one, and it frequently means the addition has to go off the back rather than the side you had in mind. Lot coverage. Many subdivisions cap the proportion of the lot that can be under roof or hard standing. A large addition on a small lot can hit that ceiling, and a patio or driveway you already have counts toward it. Easements. Utility and drainage easements cannot be built over. They are on your plot survey, which is why we ask for it: if you have one, it saves you a surveyor's fee, and if you do not, we will tell you that you need one before design can proceed. ## The phases ### Design, zoning and HOA, four to eight weeks Survey, drawings, and the zoning check. Where an HOA architectural review is required we prepare and submit the package, but the committee meets when it meets, and that is commonly the single longest wait in the project. Start it early. ### Permit, two to four weeks Longer than a kitchen because the plans are more substantial and structural review is involved. An addition removing part of an exterior wall needs an engineer's stamp, which we arrange to their specification. ### Foundation and framing, three to five weeks Excavation, footings, and slab or crawlspace. Then framing, sheathing, and the roof structure tied into the existing roof. This phase moves visibly fast and it is the most weather-dependent part of the job; a wet fortnight genuinely moves the date and we will tell you rather than pretend. Getting the roof tie-in right is the detail that matters most for the next thirty years. A valley where new roof meets old is a leak waiting to happen if it is not flashed properly, and we have our own roofing crews rather than subbing it out. ### Dry-in and rough-in, two to three weeks Roofing, windows, doors and siding go on: the addition becomes weathertight. Then plumbing, electrical and HVAC rough-in, and the inspections that close the phase. HVAC is the decision people get wrong. Extending existing ductwork into an addition only works if the existing system has the capacity, and frequently it does not. Putting three more rooms on a system sized for the old house makes the whole house uncomfortable, not just the new part. We run the calculation at design; sometimes the answer is a ductless mini-split for the addition, which is cheaper than replacing the main system. ### Finishes and tie-in, three to five weeks Insulation, drywall, flooring, trim, paint. Then the tie-in itself: opening the existing wall so the addition becomes part of the house rather than a room attached to it. That is a disruptive few days inside the existing house and we schedule it deliberately. ### Final inspection and handover County sign-off, walkthrough, snag list, fixed before final payment. ## Matching the existing house The measure of a good addition is that you cannot tell where it starts. That is harder than it sounds. Siding profiles get discontinued, brick colour varies by batch, and a twenty-year-old roof will never quite match new shingles. We are straight about this at the design stage: sometimes the right answer is to reside or reroof a whole elevation rather than patch to a line that will always be visible, and that is a cost worth deciding on deliberately rather than discovering at the end. ## What we do not do Structural engineering stamps come from a licensed engineer. Land surveying, where you have no current plot survey, comes from a surveyor. Septic extension needs a septic contractor, and an addition that adds bedrooms may require a septic capacity review before the county will permit it — worth knowing early if you are not on mains sewer. Electrical service upgrades at the meter are utility work, though we coordinate them. ## Living in the house while it is built Most clients stay, and it is usually manageable, because for the majority of the programme the addition is a separate structure outside your walls. The disruptive parts are specific and we schedule them deliberately. Excavation week brings heavy plant onto the site and the garden becomes a construction yard; expect to lose the driveway. The tie-in, when we open the existing exterior wall, is the few days where the dust and noise are genuinely inside your house, and it is the point where the two structures become one. We seal the opening at the end of every day rather than leaving your house open to the site. Water and power stay on throughout, with brief planned interruptions when new circuits and supplies are connected. We tell you the day before, not the morning of. ## What you are actually buying at each price point Rather than a single figure, it is more useful to know what moves you along the range. At the lower end sits a straightforward single-storey room on a new slab, extending an existing roofline, with no bathroom, HVAC tied into the existing system, and finishes matching the rest of the house. That is the most cost-efficient square footage an addition can produce. The steps up, roughly in order of what they add: a bathroom, because it brings plumbing, waterproofing and a fixture package; a dedicated HVAC system where the existing one has no capacity; a second storey rather than a ground-floor extension, because the existing foundation and framing have to be assessed and often reinforced; and a complex roof tie-in with valleys, which is slow, skilled work and the detail most likely to cause trouble later if it is rushed. A primary suite with an ensuite is the most common addition we build in the Triangle, and it usually lands in the upper half of the range once the bathroom is counted properly. --- ## source: content/services/construction/basement-finishing.mdx ### frontmatter slug: basement-finishing title: Basement Finishing category: construction h1: Basement Finishing in the Triangle seoTitle: Basement Finishing in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Finished basements across the Triangle, built dry-first with egress, ceiling height and moisture handled before any framing goes up. summary: We finish basements, starting with moisture and egress rather than with drywall, because a finished basement that gets wet is finished twice. voiceSummary: We finish basements. We deal with moisture, egress and ceiling height first, because a basement that gets wet has to be finished twice. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes standing water or an active leak in the basement, which needs waterproofing before any finishing quote, Customer describes visible mould, which needs a remediation contractor first pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 28000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 75000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Square footage finished, and how much stays as unfinished storage and plant space, Whether a bathroom is included, and whether the drain is above or below the slab, What moisture work is needed first, from a dehumidifier through to a full perimeter drain, Egress. A bedroom needs a compliant egress window, and cutting one into a foundation wall is significant work, Ceiling height, and whether ductwork and pipework have to be rerouted to keep it legal, Whether the existing HVAC can condition the space or the basement needs its own pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, floorPlan, moistureHistory, budgetBand, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear stored items away from the perimeter walls so they can be inspected, Note where water has ever come in, and after what kind of rain, Measure the height from slab to the lowest duct or pipe, which decides what is possible, Say whether the plan includes a bedroom, since that changes the egress requirement booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A basement cannot be quoted without seeing it. Moisture history, ceiling height under the ductwork, whether a compliant egress window can be cut, and whether a bathroom drain sits above or below the slab each change the project fundamentally. Book a free survey and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Moisture assessment with written findings before anything is designed, Interior perimeter drainage and sump pump installation where required, Egress window installation, including cutting and shoring the foundation wall, Framing, insulation and vapour management appropriate to a below-grade wall, Ductwork and pipework rerouting to preserve ceiling height, Electrical rough-in, including the circuits and smoke and CO detection code requires, Plumbing for a basement bathroom or wet bar, including an ejector pump below slab level, Drywall, flooring, trim and paint, Suspended or drywall ceiling with access to shutoffs and cleanouts, Permit, inspections and meeting the inspector on site scope.excludes: Exterior excavation and foundation waterproofing from outside, Foundation crack structural repair, which is a structural repair service, Mould remediation, which requires a specialist contractor, Radon mitigation, which requires a certified mitigation contractor, Asbestos and lead paint work, Structural engineering stamps, which come from a licensed engineer scope.brandsServiced: Zoeller, Owens Corning, DMX, Schluter, Broan scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Six to ten weeks on site, after a three to five week design and permit phase. Three to four months from signature. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, and five years on any interior drainage or sump system we install. Equipment carries its manufacturer warranty separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, sep, oct, nov related: bathroom-remodeling, garage-conversion, home-additions, structural-repair faqRefs: construction, global hero.src: /img/services/construction/basement-finishing-hero.jpg hero.alt: A finished basement family room with recessed lighting and a freshly painted stair stringer, staged sparsely lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Dry first, then finish The single most expensive mistake in basement finishing is framing over a moisture problem. Drywall, insulation and flooring in a below-grade room that takes water is not a room that needs repair later. It is a room that has to be demolished and built again, and by the time you find out, the moisture has usually been behind the wall long enough to grow something. So we do not quote a finish until we have assessed the moisture, and we put those findings in writing before anything is designed. Sometimes the answer is nothing at all: plenty of Triangle basements are genuinely dry and just need a dehumidifier tied into the HVAC. Sometimes it is an interior perimeter drain and a sump. Occasionally it is exterior excavation, which we do not do and will refer. Whichever it is, it happens first. ## What it costs Most basement finishing projects land between $28,000 and $75,000. The bottom is an open family room in a dry, tall basement: framing, insulation, electrical, drywall, flooring, paint, with the mechanical area left unfinished. The top is a full lower level with a bathroom below slab level requiring an ejector pump, an egress window cut into the foundation for a bedroom, ductwork rerouted to hold ceiling height, and interior drainage installed first. Basement finishing is financing eligible and clears the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Three things that decide whether your plan is legal People arrive with a layout. We check three constraints before discussing anything else, because any one of them can rule the layout out. Ceiling height. Finished basements have a minimum height, and it is measured to the lowest obstruction, not to the joists. A main trunk duct running down the centre of the space is what usually fails it. That can often be solved by rerouting the duct, which is real work and real money, and occasionally it cannot be solved at all. Egress. Any basement room used as a bedroom needs a compliant egress window: minimum opening size, maximum sill height, and a window well big enough to climb out of. In a poured or block foundation that means cutting and shoring the wall, excavating outside for the well, and it is one of the larger single line items on a basement quote. A room without it can be an office or a den, but it cannot be called a bedroom, and calling it one anyway causes problems at sale. Where the bathroom drain sits. If the main drain leaves above the basement slab, a basement bathroom needs an ejector pump in a sealed basin cut into the floor. That is a meaningful cost step and it is worth knowing before you plan the layout around a bathroom. ## The phases ### Survey and moisture assessment, one week We look at the perimeter, the slab, the exterior grading and any staining, and ask what has happened in past storms. You get written findings. If remedial work is needed it is quoted as its own phase so you can see what is protection and what is finish. ### Design and permit, two to four weeks Layout against the three constraints above, then drawings and the permit. Basements are inspected carefully because they involve egress, smoke and CO detection, and often a below-grade bathroom. ### Moisture work, one to two weeks where required Interior perimeter drain, sump basin and pump, and any vapour management on the walls. Where we have installed it, this carries a five year warranty rather than the two years our general workmanship carries. ### Framing, rough-in and inspection, two to three weeks Framing, then any duct and pipe rerouting to hold ceiling height, then electrical and plumbing rough-in. Insulation goes in to a below-grade specification, which is not the same as an above-grade wall: the assembly has to be able to dry, and the wrong vapour barrier in the wrong place traps moisture rather than excluding it. ### Finishes, two to four weeks Drywall, flooring, trim, paint, doors, fixtures. Ceilings get access panels or a suspended system wherever a shutoff, a cleanout or a junction box sits above, because burying those is a decision your future self pays for. ### Final inspection and handover Sign-off, walkthrough, snag list, fixed before final payment. ## Radon, honestly The Triangle sits on geology that produces radon in places, and a finished basement is where people spend time in the lowest part of the house. Testing is cheap and worth doing before you finish. If your level comes back high, mitigation is a certified specialty we do not hold, and we will refer it. What we will do is coordinate: a mitigation system installed before we frame is tidier and cheaper than one retrofitted through a finished ceiling. ## What we will not do Exterior waterproofing. Digging out the foundation from outside is a specialist operation with different equipment. If that is what your basement needs, we will tell you and refer it rather than sell you an interior system that treats the symptom. Structural crack repair. Horizontal cracking or bowing in a foundation wall is a structural matter. See structural repair (/services/construction/structural-repair), which is assessed separately and often needs an engineer. Mould remediation. If we find growth we stop and bring in a remediation contractor. Finishing over it is not something we will do at any price. ## Two things to tell your insurer and your appraiser Insurance. A finished basement changes your contents and dwelling exposure, and it is worth a call to your insurer once the work is done. It also changes what a water event costs you: an inch of water in an unfinished basement is an afternoon with a wet vacuum, and the same inch in a finished one is drywall, flooring, trim and possibly contents. That is another reason we deal with moisture before we frame, and another reason the sump gets a five year warranty. Appraisal. Below-grade finished space is valued differently from above-grade space in most appraisals, usually at a substantial discount, and in some cases it is excluded from the headline square footage entirely. A finished basement is still worth doing, and it is still the cheapest square footage you will ever add, but it will not appraise pound for pound with an addition. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling. ## Designing for the mechanicals you cannot move The plant in a basement does not go away because you have finished around it. The furnace, the water heater, the panel, the sump, the main shutoff and the drain cleanouts all stay, and all of them need to be reachable. We design a utility area rather than burying things. That means a framed and doored plant space with the clearances the equipment requires, access panels wherever a shutoff or cleanout sits above a ceiling, and a ceiling system that can be opened where pipework runs. It costs a little floor area and it saves a great deal later. The alternative is what we routinely find in basements finished by someone else: a water heater that cannot be replaced without cutting a hole in a finished wall, and a cleanout buried behind screwed-and-painted drywall that gets discovered on the day the drain blocks. --- ## source: content/services/construction/garage-conversion.mdx ### frontmatter slug: garage-conversion title: Garage Conversion category: construction h1: Garage Conversion in the Triangle seoTitle: Garage Conversion in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Converting an attached garage into living space across the Triangle: insulation, floor level, heating and the zoning and parking rules that decide feasibility. summary: Turning an attached garage into heated, insulated living space, with the zoning and parking questions answered before design starts. voiceSummary: We convert attached garages into heated living space, and we check the zoning and parking rules before any design work begins. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer intends to create a separate dwelling unit, which is a different permit and often not allowed, Customer needs the space finished by a fixed date the permit timeline cannot meet pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 22000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 58000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the slab has to be raised or levelled, since a garage floor is deliberately lower and sloped to drain, How the door opening is closed in, and whether it becomes a wall, a window or a set of doors, Whether the space gets its own heating and cooling or extends the existing system, Whether a bathroom is included, and how far the drain has to run, Insulation. A garage is built uninsulated, so walls, ceiling and floor all need it, Whether replacement off-street parking is required by the county or the HOA pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, hoaDetails, budgetBand, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Empty the garage, or at least clear the walls and one full bay, Measure the step down from the house into the garage, which tells us a lot early, Check whether your HOA restricts converting garages or requires a minimum of covered parking, Note where the water heater, HVAC equipment and electrical panel sit, since they often live in the garage booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A garage conversion depends on things only visible on site: how far the slab sits below the house, where the water heater and panel are, whether the door opening can take a window, and whether your county or HOA requires replacement parking. Book a free survey and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Zoning, parking and HOA feasibility check before design begins, Slab levelling or raised insulated subfloor to match the house floor level, Closing in the garage door opening, framed and finished to match the elevation, New window or door in the former opening where the design calls for it, Insulation to walls, ceiling and floor, to current code for conditioned space, Relocation of water heater, HVAC equipment or panel where they sit in the space, Electrical rough-in, receptacle count, lighting and smoke and CO detection, Heating and cooling, whether extended ductwork or a dedicated mini-split, Drywall, flooring, trim, doors and paint, Exterior siding and trim made good to match the existing house, Permit, inspections and meeting the inspector on site scope.excludes: Creating a separate dwelling unit with its own entrance, kitchen and utilities, Detached garage conversion, which is assessed as an outbuilding and quoted differently, Driveway construction to provide replacement parking, Electrical panel upgrades, which are an electrical service, Asbestos and lead paint work, Structural engineering stamps, which come from a licensed engineer scope.brandsServiced: James Hardie, Andersen, Mitsubishi Electric, Owens Corning, LP SmartSide scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Five to eight weeks on site, after a four to six week design, zoning and permit phase. Three to four months from signature. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship. Windows, doors and any heating equipment carry their manufacturer warranties separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: feb, mar, sep, oct related: basement-finishing, home-additions, bathroom-remodeling, structural-repair faqRefs: construction, global hero.src: /img/services/construction/garage-conversion-hero.jpg hero.alt: A former garage converted to a finished room, with the door opening closed in and a new window fitted to match the house lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Cheaper than an addition, for a reason A garage conversion is the least expensive way to add finished square footage to a Triangle house, because the expensive parts already exist: foundation, walls, roof. What you are paying for is turning an unconditioned shell into a conditioned room, and that is more work than it looks from inside an empty garage. ## Answer these three questions before designing anything We check all three at the survey, because any one of them can stop the project or change it beyond recognition. It is a short conversation and it is much better had before you have paid for drawings. Are you allowed to? Some Triangle subdivisions restrict garage conversions outright through HOA covenants, and some counties require a minimum number of off-street or covered parking spaces per dwelling. Losing your garage can put you below that minimum, in which case you may need to build replacement parking, which we do not do and which changes the economics. Is this a separate dwelling? If the plan involves its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom, that is an accessory dwelling unit, not a garage conversion. Different permit, different rules, and in much of the Triangle it is either not permitted or heavily conditioned. We will tell you plainly rather than build something that fails inspection. Where do the utilities live? In most Triangle garages, at least one of the water heater, the HVAC air handler and the electrical panel is in there. Each has clearance requirements, and each either stays in a boxed-off utility closet or gets relocated. Relocating a panel is an electrical service quoted separately; relocating a water heater usually means new supply and drain runs. ## What it costs Most conversions land between $22,000 and $58,000. The bottom is a single-bay conversion to a home office or playroom: floor levelled, opening closed in, insulated, wired, heated by extending the existing system, finished simply. The top is a double bay becoming a primary suite or an in-law room with a bathroom, its own mini-split, a raised insulated subfloor, and the utilities relocated out of the space. Conversions are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## The four things that make a garage feel like a garage Getting these right is the difference between an added room and an obviously converted garage. The floor level. A garage slab is built lower than the house floor, and it is sloped toward the door to drain. Both have to go. Either the slab is levelled with a self-levelling compound and overlaid, or a raised insulated subfloor is framed over it to bring it flush with the house. The second is warmer and it is what we usually recommend in this climate, but it costs more and it eats ceiling height. The door opening. A twelve or sixteen foot opening closed in with plain siding reads as a filled garage door from the street forever. The fix is to break it up: a window, a set of doors, or matching the fenestration rhythm of the rest of the elevation. This is a design decision worth spending time on, and it costs very little more than closing it flat. Insulation. A garage is built uninsulated, in the walls, the ceiling and under the slab. All three need addressing for the room to be comfortable and to pass inspection as conditioned space. The ceiling matters most in a Triangle August if there is a roof or a hot room directly above. Heating and cooling. Extending the existing ductwork only works if the system has spare capacity, and on a house whose HVAC was sized before the conversion, it usually does not. Adding load to an undersized system makes the whole house worse. A ductless mini-split for the converted space is frequently the better answer and often cheaper than the ductwork alternative. ## The phases Feasibility and design, two to three weeks. The three questions above, then drawings. Permit, two to three weeks. Conversions are inspected as new conditioned space: insulation, egress, smoke and CO detection, and the electrical. Demolition and structure, one to two weeks. Clearing out, closing in the opening, and levelling or framing the floor. Utilities relocated where the design calls for it. Rough-in and insulation, one to two weeks. Electrical, any plumbing, heating, then insulation and the rough-in inspection. Finishes, two to three weeks. Drywall, flooring, trim, doors, paint, and the exterior made good so the elevation matches. Final inspection and handover. Sign-off, walkthrough, snag list fixed before final payment. ## Two practical warnings You lose the storage. Obvious, and consistently underestimated. Most Triangle garages are holding a great deal that has to go somewhere, and there is no attic in a single-storey ranch to absorb it. Decide where it is going before the crew arrives, not during. It can affect resale. In a market where most comparable houses have a garage, converting yours narrows the buyer pool, even though you have added heated square footage. In a two-car garage, converting one bay and keeping the other is a good compromise, and it usually keeps you inside any parking requirement as well. ## Detached garages are a different project Everything above assumes an attached garage. A detached one is assessed as an outbuilding, and the differences are substantial enough that we quote it separately. A detached structure needs its own heating and cooling, because there is no existing ductwork to extend. It needs services run to it underground: power certainly, and water and drainage if there is a bathroom, which on a Triangle lot with clay soil is real excavation. And it is far more likely to be treated by the county as an accessory dwelling unit rather than as additional living space, particularly if it has a bathroom, which brings a different permit and in many subdivisions is not permitted at all. None of that makes it a bad project. It makes it a different one, closer in cost and programme to a small home addition (/services/construction/home-additions) than to the attached conversion described on this page. ## Making it not feel like a converted garage from inside The floor and the opening are the two things that give a conversion away from the street. Inside, the tell is usually ceiling height and light. Ceiling height. A garage ceiling is often lower than the house, and a raised subfloor takes more of it. Where the space has open trusses or a flat ceiling below a pitched roof, opening it up to a vaulted or partially vaulted ceiling recovers the feeling of volume and costs less than people expect, because the structure is frequently already suitable. Light. A garage typically has one small window, or none. The room will feel like a garage whatever you do to the floor unless it gets proper glazing. This is the strongest argument for putting a window or glazed doors into the closed-in opening rather than filling it flat: it solves the elevation problem and the daylight problem in the same piece of work. Insulating the ceiling properly. If there is a room above, or a roof directly over, the ceiling is where a Triangle August will be won or lost. We insulate it to conditioned-space standard rather than to the nothing a garage was built with, and it is the difference between a room you use in summer and a room you avoid. --- ## source: content/services/construction/structural-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: structural-repair title: Structural Repair category: construction h1: Structural Repair in the Triangle seoTitle: Structural & Foundation Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Structural repair across the Triangle: rotten framing, sagging floors, notched joists and foundation movement, carried out to an engineer's specification. summary: Framing, joist, beam and foundation repair, carried out to a licensed engineer's specification rather than to a guess. voiceSummary: We repair rotten framing, sagging floors and foundation movement, always working to a licensed engineer's specification. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a floor, ceiling or roof that is visibly deflecting or making noise, which needs a same-day engineer conversation, Customer describes a crack that has widened measurably in days rather than years, Customer has had a vehicle or tree impact the structure pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 2500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 42000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether an engineer's assessment and stamp are required, which on most jobs of this kind they are, Access. Sistering a joist in an open basement is straightforward, doing it in an eighteen inch crawlspace is not, How much of the structure is affected, which is rarely fully known until the finishes come off, Whether the cause is still active, since repairing the effect without fixing the cause guarantees a repeat, Whether temporary shoring is needed while the permanent repair is made, Whether finishes have to be removed and reinstated to reach the structure pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 3 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: construction booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, engineerReport, priorRepairHistory, moistureHistory, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Photograph every crack with a ruler or a coin against it for scale, Mark the ends of any crack in pencil and date it, so movement can be measured, Clear access to the crawlspace or basement, and to the affected floor from below, Find any previous engineer report or repair paperwork booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: Structural work cannot be priced from a description, and it should not be. What is wrong, why it is happening and whether it is still moving all have to be assessed on site, and most repairs of this kind need a licensed engineer's specification before anyone can quote them. Book a free survey visit and we will tell you what we find and whether an engineer is required. scope.includes: On-site structural assessment with written findings and photographs, Coordination with a licensed structural engineer where a stamp is required, Temporary shoring while a permanent repair is made, Joist and rafter sistering, and replacement of rotten members, Beam and girder replacement, timber or steel, Pier and column replacement or addition in crawlspaces, Sill plate and band joist replacement where rot or termite damage is found, Repair of joists notched or drilled through by earlier trades, Subfloor replacement over repaired framing, Reinstatement of finishes removed to reach the structure scope.excludes: Structural engineering assessments and stamps, which come from a licensed engineer we coordinate with, Foundation underpinning and helical pier installation, which is a specialist foundation contractor, Termite treatment, which requires a licensed pest control operator, Mould remediation, Exterior foundation waterproofing, Asbestos and lead paint work scope.brandsServiced: Simpson Strong-Tie, Tiger Brand, USP Structural Connectors scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Assessment within a week. Where an engineer is required, allow one to three weeks for their report. Repairs run from two days for a single sistered joist to four weeks for a beam replacement with shoring. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on structural workmanship, longer than our general cover because this work is not visible once finishes go back and you should not have to take it on trust. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, mar, nov, dec related: basement-finishing, home-additions, kitchen-remodeling, garage-conversion faqRefs: construction, global, billing-and-insurance hero.src: /img/services/construction/structural-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: A new steel beam and adjustable columns installed in a crawlspace beneath repaired floor joists lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Permits: case by case Unlike everything else in this section, structural repair does not always need a permit, and we will not pretend otherwise to pad an invoice. Sistering a single rotten joist in a crawlspace generally does not. Replacing a main girder, altering a load path, or adding piers generally does. The line is whether the repair changes how load moves through the building, and we tell you which side of it your job sits on at the survey, with the reason. Where a permit is required, we pull it, book the inspection and meet the inspector. ## An engineer, not an opinion For most work on this page, a licensed structural engineer writes the specification and we build to it. That order matters. A contractor who diagnoses a structural problem and then sells you the repair for it has an obvious conflict of interest, and the trade has a poor reputation here for exactly that reason. An engineer has no stake in how large the repair turns out to be. We coordinate the engineer, we build to the stamped specification, and you get both documents. The engineer's fee is separate from our quote and is paid to them directly, so nobody is marking it up. If the survey shows the problem is straightforward and does not need an engineer, we will say that too. ## What it costs The range on this page is unusually wide, from $2,500 to $42,000, because it covers everything from a single sistered joist to a main girder replacement with shoring and finish reinstatement. Structural work is financing eligible where the total clears the financing minimum, which the larger repairs do. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). This is one of the few places where financing genuinely helps rather than merely spreads: structural problems get worse and more expensive if they are left, so the arithmetic of borrowing to fix one now is usually favourable. ## What we actually find in Triangle houses Rotten band joist and sill plate. The band joist runs around the perimeter at the top of the foundation. In a house with a crawlspace, poor ventilation and a leaking gutter above, it takes on water for years. It is the most common structural repair we do here. Joists notched or drilled by an earlier trade. Somebody ran a drain, a duct or a cable through a joist in a place the code does not allow, usually decades ago during a bathroom remodel. The floor above develops a bounce. It is remarkably common and it is straightforward to repair. Crawlspace pier and column failure. Piers settle, shim stacks compress, and adjustable columns that were never adjusted end up carrying nothing while the joist above them sags. Sagging floors that are not structural at all. Sometimes the floor is fine and the subfloor has delaminated from moisture. Cheaper, and we will tell you. Foundation cracks, most of which are not urgent. Vertical hairline cracking in a poured wall is common and usually harmless shrinkage. What matters is horizontal cracking, stair-step cracking in block, and any crack that is actively widening. Those need an engineer. ## Is it moving, or has it already moved This is the question that decides urgency, and you can help answer it before we arrive. Mark the crack. Draw a pencil line across each end, write the date next to it, and photograph it with a coin or a ruler for scale. A crack that has not moved in three months is a very different proposition from one that has moved in three weeks. Most cracking in Triangle houses is historic. The clay soils here swell and shrink dramatically between a wet spring and a dry August, houses move seasonally, and a great many cracks opened years ago and stopped. Repairing the cosmetic effect of movement that finished a decade ago is usually wasted money, and we will say so. What we treat as urgent: a floor, ceiling or roof that is visibly deflecting, anything making noise under load, a crack that has widened measurably in days, and any structure hit by a vehicle or a tree. Those get escalated to a person immediately rather than booked as a routine survey. ## Fixing the cause, not just the effect A sistered joist under a rotten band joist is a repair that will fail again, on the same schedule as the first one. So the assessment always covers why. Usually it is water: a gutter discharging next to the foundation, grading that falls toward the house, a crawlspace with no vapour barrier and no ventilation, or a long-running plumbing leak. Sometimes it is termites, which is a licensed pest operator's job before ours. Our quote will name the cause and say what has to happen to stop it. Occasionally that means the first thing you need is not us at all, and we would rather tell you that than do a repair we know will come back. ## Warranty Five years on structural workmanship, longer than the two years our general construction work carries. The reason is simple: once the finishes go back you cannot see any of it. You are being asked to take it on trust, and a longer warranty is the only meaningful way we can offer something better than trust. ## What your insurance will and will not cover Worth knowing before you file, because structural claims are refused more often than any other kind we see. Standard homeowner policies generally cover structural damage from a sudden event: a tree through the roof, a vehicle into the wall, a burst pipe that soaked the framing over a weekend. They generally exclude damage from gradual causes: long-term water ingress, rot, termites, settlement and earth movement. Most of what we find in Triangle crawlspaces falls squarely in the second category. The practical implication is about timing. A pipe that burst last Tuesday and rotted a band joist is plausibly a claim. The same band joist rotted by a leaking gutter over nine years is not, and filing it anyway usually produces a denial that sits on your claims history. We document what we find either way, with photographs and written findings, and we will tell you honestly which category we think you are in. What we will not do is characterise gradual damage as sudden to help a claim succeed. See storm damage and insurance claims (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) for how we work with an adjuster where a claim is genuine. ## The crawlspace question Most structural repair we do in the Triangle happens in a crawlspace, and most of it traces back to how that crawlspace is managed. A crawlspace with bare earth, no vapour barrier and vents that were closed years ago is a humidity chamber sitting directly beneath your floor. Warm moist air enters in summer, meets cooler surfaces, and condenses on the joists and subfloor. Over a decade that produces exactly the rot we are called out to repair. Correcting it is not expensive relative to the repair: a sealed vapour barrier over the earth, the right approach to ventilation for the specific space, and gutters and grading that stop water arriving in the first place. When our assessment finds an active moisture cause, that work is quoted alongside the repair rather than left for you to arrange, because the two only make sense together. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: carpentry title: Carpentry and Woodwork h1: Carpentry and Woodwork in the Triangle seoTitle: Custom Cabinetry, Trim & Carpentry in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Custom cabinetry, built-ins, interior trim, doors, stairs and wood repair across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle. summary: Custom cabinetry, built-ins, interior trim, doors and windows, stairs and railings, and repair of timber that has gone. voiceSummary: We build custom cabinetry and built ins, fit trim, doors and stairs, and repair timber that has rotted or worn out. tradeTag: CARP crewType: carpentry order: 4 hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: A carpenter's bench in warm side light with a part-built face frame, hand planes and walnut and poplar offcuts, sawdust in the air faqRefs: carpentry, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## One crew, booked ahead Carpentry is our smallest trade by headcount and our longest by lead time. We run a single carpentry crew, which means this section books out further than any other on the site. That is a deliberate choice rather than a shortage. Finish carpentry is the work people notice most and forgive least: a mitre that opens up, a cabinet door that sits proud, a stair tread that creaks. It is slow, and it is done by the same two people rather than by whoever is free that week. If you need something quickly, tell us at the quote and we will be honest about whether we can do it. Sometimes we cannot, and saying so is more useful than a date we will miss. ## What we make and what we fit Made in the shop, fitted on site. Custom cabinetry and most built-ins are fabricated off site, which is why they carry the long lead times you will see on those pages. Shop work produces a better result than building in place, and it means the mess and the noise stay out of your house. Made on site. Trim and moulding, stairs and railings, and most repair work happen in the house, because they have to be scribed and fitted to what is actually there. Triangle houses are rarely square, and a skirting run cut to a drawing will not fit a wall built in 1974. ## Timber in this climate North Carolina humidity swings hard between an August afternoon and a January morning, and wood moves with it. That matters in ways that show up as complaints if a job is done carelessly. Solid timber panels need room to expand. Interior trim should be acclimatised in the house for several days before it is cut, and we do that rather than fitting material off the van. Exterior timber needs a finish maintained rather than applied once. It also means that some of what looks like poor workmanship in an older house is just seasonal movement: doors that stick in July and swing free in February are usually doing exactly what they should. We will tell you when that is the case rather than plane a door that will be too small by winter. ## What we do not do We do not do structural framing. A wall coming out, a beam going in or a floor being levelled is a construction (/services/construction) project and is assessed by that crew, often with an engineer. We do not refinish hardwood floors. It is a specialist trade with specialist equipment and we refer it. We do not disturb lead paint without certified containment. On Triangle houses painted before 1978 this comes up constantly in trim and door work. We hold the certification and we will use it, but it changes the method and the price, and we would rather tell you at the quote. We do not take on cabinetry refacing. Where the boxes are sound, refacing can be good value, but it is a different supply chain from the one we work in and we would be the wrong company to do it. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry.mdx ### frontmatter slug: custom-cabinetry title: Custom Cabinetry category: carpentry h1: Custom Cabinetry in the Triangle seoTitle: Custom Cabinetry in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Custom cabinetry built in our shop and fitted on site across the Triangle. Shop fabrication takes six to ten weeks and we will not promise faster. summary: Cabinetry designed for your room, built in our shop and fitted on site, with a six to ten week fabrication lead time. voiceSummary: We design and build custom cabinetry in our shop and fit it on site. Fabrication takes six to ten weeks. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer needs cabinetry installed by a fixed date inside the fabrication lead time, Customer is coordinating with a kitchen remodel already under way, which changes the sequence pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 24000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Linear feet of cabinetry, and how many of those runs are base, wall or tall units, Timber species. Poplar painted is the value option, white oak and walnut are several times that, Door style. A shaker door is straightforward, a raised panel or an inset door is considerably more work, Inset versus overlay construction, since inset requires far tighter tolerances and takes longer, Drawer count, and whether they are dovetailed solid timber or manufactured boxes, Finish. A sprayed conversion varnish in our booth costs more than a brushed finish and lasts much longer pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, floorPlan, inspirationImages, timberPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear the wall or run where the cabinetry will go so it can be measured properly, Gather photographs of door styles and finishes you like, Note any appliance or fixture that has to be built around, with its model number, Say whether the floor is going in before or after the cabinetry, since it changes the heights booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: Custom cabinetry is designed and then built to your room, so it cannot be booked as an appointment. Linear feet, timber species, door style, inset or overlay construction and finish all move the price several fold, and the fabrication itself takes six to ten weeks in the shop before anything is fitted. Book a free design and measure visit and you will have a fixed written quote and a real date. scope.includes: Design consultation, measured drawings and a fixed written quote, Shop fabrication of carcasses, doors and drawers, Dovetailed solid timber drawer boxes where specified, Soft-close hinges and full-extension runners as standard, Sprayed finish in our booth, applied before delivery, Site fitting, scribing and levelling to the room as built, Worktop templating coordination where a stone worktop follows, Handles and knobs fitted, supplied by you or by us scope.excludes: Worktops themselves, which are templated and fitted by a stone fabricator, Plumbing and electrical work behind or inside the cabinetry, Appliances, which you supply so the warranty is in your name, Cabinet refacing over existing carcasses, Structural work to create the opening a run sits in, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: Blum, Grass, Häfele, Sherwin-Williams, Rubio Monocoat scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Six to ten weeks of shop fabrication after the design is signed off, then two to five days on site to fit. Three to four months from first visit to finished cabinetry. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our joinery and finish. Hinges and runners carry lifetime manufacturer warranties, which we register and hand over. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, sep, oct related: built-ins-and-shelving, interior-trim-and-molding, kitchen-remodeling, stair-and-railing-work faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry-hero.jpg hero.alt: A face-frame cabinet held in clamps on a workbench with hand planes and a combination square laid out lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Six to ten weeks, and we will not promise faster Shop fabrication takes six to ten weeks after you sign off the design. Then two to five days on site to fit. From first visit to finished cabinetry is three to four months. We lead with that because it is the thing most likely to be a problem, and because it is the thing people are most often told wrong. There is no version of this where cabinetry appears in three weeks. The timber has to be selected and milled, carcasses and doors built, and the finish sprayed and properly cured before anything leaves the shop. Rushing the cure in particular produces a finish that marks for the next year. If you have a fixed date, tell us at the first visit. Sometimes we can meet it and sometimes we cannot, and knowing in week one is worth far more to you than a cheerful yes in week one and a apologetic call in week eight. If your date is genuinely immovable, stock or semi-custom cabinetry through a kitchen remodel (/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling) is the faster route, and we will say so rather than take a job we will be late on. ## What it costs Most custom cabinetry projects land between $6,500 and $24,000. The bottom of that is a single run: a utility room, a laundry, a small bank of base units in painted poplar with shaker doors and overlay construction. The top is a full kitchen in white oak or walnut, inset doors, dovetailed drawers throughout, and a sprayed conversion varnish finish. Custom cabinetry is financing eligible and clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Where the money actually goes Timber species is the largest single lever. Painted poplar is the value option and it is a genuinely good one, because paint does not care what is underneath as long as it is stable. White oak and walnut are several times the cost, and worth it only where the grain is going to be seen. Inset or overlay. Overlay doors sit on the face of the frame and have generous tolerances. Inset doors sit flush within it, which looks considerably better and demands tolerances measured in fractions of a millimetre across a run that will move seasonally. Inset costs more because it takes longer and because it is less forgiving of a house that is not square. Door style. A flat shaker door is quick. A raised panel or a mitred door involves several times the machining. Finish. Sprayed in our booth, under controlled conditions, before anything comes to your house. That is why we do not spray on site: dust, temperature and humidity all show in a finish, and a kitchen is not a booth. ## What we do not include Worktops. Stone is templated by a fabricator after our cabinets are installed and level, and fitted by them. We coordinate that and we will tell you the sequence, but it is not our work and we do not mark it up. Plumbing and electrical. Anything behind or inside the cabinetry is a different trade. On a kitchen it is usually part of the wider remodel. Refacing. Putting new doors on existing carcasses can be good value where the boxes are sound, but it is a different supply chain and we would be the wrong company for it. ## Before we visit Clear the wall or run so it can be measured properly. Gather photographs of door styles and finishes you like, because the vocabulary here is genuinely confusing and pictures settle in five minutes what words take an hour to circle. Bring model numbers for any appliance or fixture we have to build around. And tell us whether the floor is going in before or after the cabinetry, because it changes every height on the drawing. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/built-ins-and-shelving.mdx ### frontmatter slug: built-ins-and-shelving title: Built-ins and Shelving category: carpentry h1: Built-in Shelving and Storage seoTitle: Built-in Shelving & Bookcases in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Built-in bookcases, window seats, mudroom benches and floating shelves across the Triangle, scribed to walls that are never quite square. summary: Bookcases, window seats, mudroom benches and floating shelves, scribed to fit walls that are never quite square. voiceSummary: We build bookcases, window seats, mudroom benches and floating shelves, scribed to fit walls that are never quite square. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer wants shelving fixed to a wall they describe as bowing or cracked, which needs a structural look first pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 2400 pricing.typicalRange.max: 12000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Run length and height, and whether the unit reaches the ceiling, Whether it is open shelving or has doors and drawers, which roughly doubles the work, Timber species and whether the finish is painted or a clear coat over grain, How out of square and out of plumb the walls are, since every scribe is hand-fitted, Whether trim has to be matched to existing mouldings elsewhere in the room, Whether power or lighting is being run into the unit, which brings in an electrician pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, roomDimensions, inspirationImages, timberPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear the wall or alcove so it can be measured and checked for plumb, Note what will actually live on the shelves, since books and record collections need different depths, Say whether you want power or lighting inside the unit, Gather photographs of styles you like booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A built-in is made to the room rather than bought to a size, so it has to be measured and the walls checked for square before anything can be priced. Run length, whether it has doors, and how far out of plumb the walls are all change the work substantially. Book a free measure and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Design consultation, measured drawings and a fixed written quote, Shop fabrication of carcasses, doors and face frames, Adjustable shelving on concealed supports where specified, Site fitting, scribing and levelling to the room as built, Matching of existing skirting, architrave and crown mouldings, Window seats with lift-up or drawer storage, Mudroom benches, cubbies and hook rails, Floating shelves on concealed steel supports rated for real loads, Painting or clear finishing scope.excludes: Electrical work to bring power or lighting into a unit, which is an electrical service, Structural alteration to create or widen an alcove, Television mounting and cable management inside a unit, Freestanding furniture, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: Blum, Häfele, Sherwin-Williams, Rubio Monocoat, Benjamin Moore scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Three to six weeks of shop fabrication after sign-off, then one to three days on site to fit. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our joinery and finish. Hinges and runners carry lifetime manufacturer warranties. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, oct, nov related: custom-cabinetry, interior-trim-and-molding, stair-and-railing-work, wood-repair-and-restoration faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/built-ins-and-shelving-hero.jpg hero.alt: White oak floating shelves installed in an alcove with books being placed, in warm interior light lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why a built-in is not a bookcase you buy The difference is scribing. A freestanding bookcase stands in front of a wall and the gaps do not matter. A built-in sits against the wall, and every gap is visible from across the room. Triangle houses are not square. Walls bow, corners are rarely ninety degrees, floors slope, and ceilings undulate over a long run. A unit built to a drawing and pushed into place will show a tapering gap up one side. So the carcass is built square in the shop, and the face frames, fillers and scribes are cut on site to the wall as it actually is. That hand-fitting is most of what you are paying for, and it is why we measure before quoting rather than pricing by the linear foot over the phone. ## What it costs Most built-ins land between $2,400 and $12,000. The bottom of that is a single alcove of painted open shelving beside a chimney breast. The top is a full wall of floor-to-ceiling bookcases with a run of cupboards below, in a clear-finished hardwood, matched to the room's existing mouldings. Larger projects are financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## The things worth deciding early Doors or open. Adding doors and drawers roughly doubles the work in a given run, because every opening needs a face frame, a hinge fit and a finish on both sides. It is the largest single lever on the price. What is actually going on the shelves. This sounds trivial and it is not. Paperbacks need less depth than art books, records need a very specific height, and a shelf sized for one is annoying for the other. A shelf carrying books needs more support than one holding photographs, and an unsupported span over about thirty inches in a softwood will bow within a year of being loaded. Tell us what it is for and we will size it properly. Power and lighting. Wanted more often than people expect, for lamps, chargers and shelf lighting. The electrical work itself is an electrical service, but the chase, the backing and the cutouts have to be built into the unit rather than drilled afterwards, so decide before fabrication rather than during. Matching existing trim. In an older house with distinctive skirting or crown moulding, a built-in that ignores it looks bolted on. Matching means either sourcing a profile or having knives ground to run it, and both are worth doing. ## Floating shelves, properly Floating shelves fail more often than any other thing on this page, and always the same way: too much load on a fixing that was never rated for it. We fit them on concealed steel rods let into the shelf and anchored into structure, not into drywall anchors. That means locating studs or adding backing behind the plaster before the wall is closed up, which is why a floating shelf is easier to do well during a remodel than afterwards. A properly supported floating shelf will carry a full run of hardbacks indefinitely. One on drywall anchors will sag visibly within months and eventually pull out, usually taking a piece of the wall with it. ## Timeline Three to six weeks of shop fabrication after sign-off, then one to three days on site. Shorter than custom cabinetry (/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry) because there is less of it, but still shop work rather than something we build in your living room. ## Before we visit Clear the wall or alcove so it can be measured and checked for plumb. Have a rough idea of what will live on it. Say whether you want power or lighting inside the unit, and gather any photographs of styles you like. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding.mdx ### frontmatter slug: interior-trim-and-molding title: Interior Trim and Molding category: carpentry h1: Interior Trim and Molding seoTitle: Interior Trim, Crown & Molding in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Crown molding, skirting, architrave, wainscoting and coffered ceilings across the Triangle, acclimatised and scribed rather than cut off the van. summary: Crown molding, skirting, architrave, wainscoting and panelling, acclimatised in the house before it is cut and scribed to walls as built. voiceSummary: We fit crown molding, skirting, architrave and wainscoting, acclimatised in your house before cutting so the joints stay closed. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes trim that has been painted before 1978 and is being removed, which needs lead-safe containment pricing.model: hourly pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 480 pricing.typicalRange.max: 9500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Linear feet, and how many inside and outside corners the run has, since corners are the slow part, Profile complexity. A single-piece crown is quick, a built-up three-piece cornice is not, Ceiling height, because anything above ten feet needs staging rather than a step ladder, How far out of true the walls and ceilings are, which decides how much scribing and caulking is needed, Whether existing trim has to be removed first, and whether it was painted before 1978, Whether the work is primed and painted by us or left for a decorator pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, roomDimensions, profilePreference, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear furniture away from the walls being trimmed, and take pictures off them, Say whether the house was built before 1978, since painted trim of that age needs lead-safe handling, Note whether you want us to paint or to leave it primed for a decorator, Allow space in a dry room for the material to acclimatise for several days before we cut booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Crown molding, single-piece and built-up cornice, Skirting and base, including shoe and cap, Door and window architrave, mitred or butted to plinth blocks, Wainscoting, board and batten, and shiplap, Coffered and beamed ceilings, Picture rail, chair rail and panel moulding, Removal and disposal of existing trim, Filling, caulking and priming ready for paint, Finish painting where specified scope.excludes: Whole-room repainting beyond the trim itself, Drywall repair beyond making good where trim was removed, Structural work of any kind, Hardwood floor refinishing, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: Metrie, Ekena Millwork, White River, Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One room in a day or two. A whole floor of crown and base runs three to five days, after several days of material acclimatising in the house. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, which covers joints opening beyond normal seasonal movement. Some movement in a Triangle winter is expected and is not a defect. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, mar, oct, nov related: built-ins-and-shelving, doors-and-windows, custom-cabinetry, wood-repair-and-restoration faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding-hero.jpg hero.alt: Hands fitting a mitred piece of crown moulding into an inside corner, with a brad nailer resting on a ladder tray lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Why we leave the material in your house first Trim arrives at whatever moisture content the warehouse had. Your house is drier in January and more humid in August, and timber moves as it equalises. Cut and fit material straight off the van and it will shrink over the following weeks. The visible result is joints opening up, most obviously at inside corners of crown and at skirting mitres, and it is the single most common complaint about trim work anywhere in this climate. So we deliver the material several days before we cut it and let it sit in the room it is going into. It costs you nothing except a corner of a dry room, and it is the difference between joints that stay closed and joints you notice every time you walk past. ## What it costs This work is charged hourly against the published carpentry rate, and totals land between $480 and $9,500. The bottom is a single room of simple base and architrave. The top is a whole floor of built-up cornice, wainscoting to a hall and stair, and a coffered ceiling. Hourly is honest here because the variable is the house rather than the material. Two rooms of identical size can differ by a day depending on how true the walls are. We estimate the hours before starting and tell you as we go. Trim work is not financing eligible. It sits below the financing minimum in most cases, and where a larger job clears it, financing applies to whole projects rather than to a trade item. ## Corners are the job A straight run of moulding is fast. Every corner is slow, and the price tracks corner count far more closely than it tracks linear feet. Inside corners on crown are coped, not mitred. A coped joint has one piece run into the corner and the other cut to its profile with a coping saw, so the joint closes rather than opening as the timber moves. A mitred inside corner looks identical on the day and opens up by the following summer. It is faster to mitre, which is why plenty of installers do. Outside corners are mitred, and on a wall that is not exactly ninety degrees they have to be cut to the actual angle rather than to forty-five. That means measuring every corner rather than assuming. ## Profiles, and matching what is there In an older Triangle house with distinctive original trim, adding new work that does not match reads as a mistake even to people who could not say why. Matching means either finding a stock profile close enough, or having knives ground to run the original. The second costs more and is often worth it in a house with any architectural character. Bring us a short offcut of the original if you have one anywhere; a piece from the back of a cupboard is enough to copy from. For a modern house, built-up profiles are usually better value than a single large moulding. A three-piece cornice made from stock components looks more substantial than a single piece of the same overall height and costs less in material, though more in labour. ## Lead paint Trim painted before 1978 may contain lead, and removing or sanding it disturbs that paint. This comes up constantly in Triangle houses of that age. We hold the EPA Lead-Safe certification and we will use it: containment, controlled removal, and proper cleanup. It changes the method and the price, and we would rather tell you at the quote than after. Tell us the age of the house when you book. ## Painting We fill, caulk and prime as standard, because those steps are part of doing the carpentry properly and a decorator caulking someone else's trim rarely goes well. Finish painting we will do if you want it, or leave primed for your decorator. Say which when you book, because it changes the schedule. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/doors-and-windows.mdx ### frontmatter slug: doors-and-windows title: Doors and Windows category: carpentry h1: Door and Window Installation seoTitle: Door & Window Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Interior and exterior door hanging and window replacement across the Triangle, priced per opening and flashed properly so the wall stays dry. summary: Interior and exterior door hanging and window replacement, priced per opening and flashed so the wall behind stays dry. voiceSummary: We hang interior and exterior doors and replace windows, priced per opening and flashed so the wall behind stays dry. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has a broken exterior door or window leaving the house insecure or open to weather, Customer describes rot in the framing around an opening, which needs a structural look pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 385 pricing.typicalRange.max: 4200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether it is a slab door into an existing frame or a pre-hung unit replacing the frame too, Interior or exterior, since an exterior opening needs flashing, a sill pan and weather sealing, Whether the opening is square, and how much packing and scribing the jamb needs, Window type. A like-for-like insert is straightforward, a full-frame replacement is not, Whether the trim has to be replaced or can be carefully removed and reused, Hardware specification, from a basic latch up to a multipoint lock pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, openingCount booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, doorType, measurements, hardwarePreference, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Measure the opening width, height and wall thickness if you can, and photograph it, Clear furniture and floor covering from both sides of the opening, Say whether the door swings left or right, and which way it opens, Note whether the house was built before 1978, since painted frames need lead-safe handling booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Interior door hanging, slab or pre-hung, Exterior door installation, including sill pan and flashing, Window replacement, insert or full-frame, Jamb packing, shimming and scribing to an out-of-square opening, Hinge mortising and lock preparation, Weather sealing, threshold and door sweep on exterior openings, Architrave replacement or careful removal and reuse, Hardware fitting, supplied by you or by us, Adjustment of existing doors that stick, drop or fail to latch scope.excludes: Structural work to widen or create an opening, which is a construction service, Glass replacement in a sealed unit, which goes to a glazier, Garage doors and their springs, Smart lock configuration and network setup beyond fitting the hardware, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: Andersen, Pella, Jeld-Wen, Masonite, Therma-Tru, Baldwin, Schlage scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: An interior door is two to three hours. An exterior door or a window is most of a day. Units ordered to a non-stock size add two to four weeks. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, including the weather sealing on exterior openings. Doors, windows and hardware carry their manufacturer warranties separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, sep, oct related: interior-trim-and-molding, wood-repair-and-restoration, built-ins-and-shelving, home-additions faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/doors-and-windows-hero.jpg hero.alt: An exterior door being hung with shims at the jamb and freshly cut hinge mortises visible lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Priced per opening This is flat-priced per opening rather than hourly, so you know the figure before we start. Most work here lands between $385 and $4,200: a single interior slab door into a sound existing frame at the bottom, a large exterior unit with a multipoint lock and full flashing at the top. There is no diagnostic fee, because nothing is being diagnosed. Not financing eligible. Tell us how many openings when you book. Several doors on one visit costs less per door than the same doors on separate visits, because most of the setup is shared. ## Interior doors are easier than people think If your existing frame is sound and square, a slab door hung into it is a straightforward job: two to three hours, mortise the hinges, fit the latch, adjust and done. Where it stops being straightforward is when the frame is not square, which in an older Triangle house it frequently is not. Then it is a pre-hung unit, which replaces the frame as well, gets shimmed plumb regardless of what the rough opening is doing, and needs the architrave replaced afterwards. That is a different price and it is the honest answer more often than not. We will tell you which you need after looking at the opening, and we would rather hang a slab into a good frame than sell you a pre-hung you do not need. ## Exterior openings are a weatherproofing job An exterior door or a window is not really carpentry. It is a hole in the building envelope, and how it is detailed decides whether the wall behind it stays dry for the next twenty years. That means a sill pan under the unit, sloped out, with the ends dammed. It means flashing tape lapped in the right order, so water running down the wall goes over the flashing rather than behind it. It means the housewrap cut and lapped correctly, and it means the gap around the unit sealed with low-expansion foam rather than stuffed with fibreglass. What we find behind failed windows in Triangle houses is almost always one of those steps missed. The rot shows up on the sill and in the framing below, and by then it is a structural repair (/services/construction/structural-repair) rather than a window job. ## Insert or full-frame For window replacement there are two routes and the difference matters. An insert fits a new window inside the existing frame. It is quicker, cheaper and less disruptive, it keeps your existing trim inside and out, and it loses a little glass area because the new frame sits within the old one. It is the right choice when the existing frame and sill are sound. A full-frame replacement takes everything back to the rough opening. It costs more and it means new trim, but it is the only option when the frame has rotted, and it is the only way to get the flashing detail properly right. We will tell you which one your opening needs, and if the sill is soft we will tell you an insert is a way of hiding a problem rather than fixing one. ## Doors that stick, drop or will not latch Worth booking before you assume you need a new door, because most of the time you do not. A door that sticks in July and swings free in January is doing what timber does in North Carolina humidity, and planing it in summer gives you a door with a visible gap by winter. The usual real fixes are a hinge screw driven into the stud rather than just the jamb, a strike plate moved a few millimetres, or a hinge shimmed. That is a short visit and it is much cheaper than a replacement. We will always try it first. ## What we do not do Widening or creating an opening is structural and belongs to the construction (/services/construction) crew, usually with an engineer. Failed sealed units, where there is condensation between the panes, go to a glazier who can replace the glass in your existing frame. Garage doors and their springs we do not touch at all: the springs are genuinely dangerous without the right tools and it is a specialist trade. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/stair-and-railing-work.mdx ### frontmatter slug: stair-and-railing-work title: Stair and Railing Work category: carpentry h1: Stair and Railing Work seoTitle: Stair Rebuilds, Treads & Railings in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Stair rebuilds, tread replacement, balustrade and handrail work across the Triangle, built to the code dimensions an inspector actually measures. summary: Stair rebuilds, tread and riser replacement, and balustrade work, built to the code dimensions an inspector will measure. voiceSummary: We rebuild stairs, replace treads and risers, and fit balustrades and handrails, built to the dimensions an inspector will measure. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a stair that is moving, pulling away from a wall, or that someone has fallen on, Customer describes a balustrade that is loose enough to lean on unsafely pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 3200 pricing.typicalRange.max: 18000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the carriage and stringers are sound or the stair is being rebuilt from the structure up, Tread material. Painted poplar risers with oak treads is the common combination, full hardwood is more, Balustrade specification, from square wooden spindles up to iron balusters or a cable system, Whether the stair is straight, has a winder, or turns on a landing, Newel post detail, which is where most of the visible craftsmanship sits, Whether carpet is coming off treads that were never meant to be seen pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, treadCount, inspirationImages, timberPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the stair from the bottom, the top and the side, Count the treads and note whether the stair turns, Say whether this is the only stair to an upper floor, since it changes how we phase the work, Note any tread that flexes or any baluster that moves when leaned on booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A stair has to be measured and its structure checked before it can be priced. Whether the carriage is sound, whether the rise and going are consistent, and what is under the carpet all change the job fundamentally. Book a free measure and survey visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Survey of stringers, carriage and treads with written findings, Tread and riser replacement, including removing carpet and the fixings under it, Full stair rebuild where the structure has failed, Balustrade replacement, timber spindles, iron balusters or cable, Newel post replacement and re-anchoring, Handrail fitting, including wall-mounted rails to code height, Squeak elimination from above or below where access allows, Skirt board and stringer trim, Painting and clear finishing scope.excludes: Structural alteration to the stairwell opening, which is a construction service, Stairlift installation, Hardwood floor refinishing on adjoining floors, Exterior steps and decking stairs, which are an outdoor service, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: L.J. Smith, Fusion, Stair Parts, Rubio Monocoat, Sherwin-Williams scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Tread and riser replacement is three to five days. A full rebuild with new balustrade is two to three weeks, after a three to five week lead time on turned or machined parts. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our joinery, including newel and baluster fixings, which is the part that loosens if it is done badly. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, sep, oct, nov related: interior-trim-and-molding, wood-repair-and-restoration, custom-cabinetry, built-ins-and-shelving faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/stair-and-railing-work-hero.jpg hero.alt: A new oak stair tread being fitted against a painted riser with a freshly installed newel post beyond lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The dimensions an inspector measures Stairs are one of the few pieces of interior carpentry with real code dimensions attached, and they exist because stairs are where people fall. The one that matters most is consistency. The rise between treads and the depth of each tread has to be uniform across the whole flight, within a very small tolerance. A single step that is half an inch different from the others is genuinely dangerous, because people climb stairs on rhythm rather than by looking. There are also minimum tread depths, maximum rises, minimum headroom, handrail height and graspable profile, and a maximum gap between balusters sized so a small child cannot pass through. We build to all of it, and on a rebuild we will tell you where the existing stair does not comply. That last point comes up often. Plenty of Triangle stairs built decades ago, and a great many built by a previous owner, are out of tolerance. If we are rebuilding, it gets corrected. If we are only replacing treads, the geometry stays as it is, and we will say so rather than imply otherwise. ## What it costs Most stair projects land between $3,200 and $18,000. The bottom is replacing treads and risers on a straight flight and refitting the existing balustrade. The top is a full rebuild with a new balustrade, iron balusters, new newels and a turned handrail on a stair that turns on a landing. This work is financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Taking the carpet off is a gamble The most common project on this page is pulling carpet off a stair to expose timber treads, and it is worth knowing what you might find. In many Triangle houses, particularly builder-grade ones from the 1980s onward, the treads under carpet were never intended to be seen. They are construction-grade softwood, often with a plywood riser, sometimes with a chunk cut out for a nosing that was never fitted. They are held down with staples and adhesive, and they will be gouged. Sometimes what comes up is beautiful and needs sanding and finishing. Often it needs new treads. We cannot tell you which from a photograph of the carpet, which is why we quote a survey first and price the two outcomes separately so you can decide with the information. ## Squeaks Almost always fixable, and usually not by the method people try. A stair squeaks because a tread is moving against a riser or a stringer, and the noise comes from the joint rather than from the surface. Screwing down through the tread from above sometimes works and often just adds a second noise. The right fix depends on access. If there is an open underside, from a basement or an unfinished space, glue blocks and wedges from below fix it permanently and invisibly. If the underside is closed, it is fixed from above with screws into the stringer, plugged and finished. We will tell you which you have and what the finish will look like before starting. ## Balustrades The part people notice and the part most likely to be loose in an older house. The failure is nearly always the newel post, not the balusters. A newel that is only fixed to the tread has nothing to resist a sideways push, and once it moves the whole run feels unsafe. Doing it properly means anchoring into the framing, which sometimes means opening the skirt board or working from below. That is the fixing our five year warranty is really about. A balustrade that feels solid on handover and loose in two years was fixed to the wrong thing. ## What we do not do Altering the stairwell opening is structural and belongs to the construction (/services/construction) crew. Stairlifts are a specialist installation. Exterior steps and deck stairs are an outdoor service, built from different material to different rules. --- ## source: content/services/carpentry/wood-repair-and-restoration.mdx ### frontmatter slug: wood-repair-and-restoration title: Wood Repair and Restoration category: carpentry h1: Wood Repair and Restoration seoTitle: Wood Rot & Trim Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Rotten trim, sills, columns and exterior timber repaired across the Triangle, with the water source fixed rather than the rot painted over. summary: Repair of rotten or damaged timber, inside and out, with the water that caused it dealt with rather than painted over. voiceSummary: We repair rotten and damaged timber inside and out, and we deal with the water that caused it rather than painting over it. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a porch column, beam or post that is carrying load and has rotted through, Customer describes rot around a window that has reached the framing inside the wall pricing.model: hourly pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 400 pricing.typicalRange.max: 8500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How far the rot has actually travelled, which is never as far as it looks or exactly as far as it looks, Whether the member is decorative or carrying load, since a structural piece needs shoring, Access. Ground-floor trim is quick, a third-storey gable end is not, Whether a profile has to be matched and run, or a stock section will do, Whether the timber was painted before 1978, which requires lead-safe containment, Whether the water source has to be fixed as part of the work pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: carpentry booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, affectedElevations, moistureHistory, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the affected timber, once wide and once close, Press a screwdriver gently into the soft area and note how deep it goes, Note whether a gutter, downspout or roof detail sits directly above the damage, Say whether the house was built before 1978 booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Assessment of how far the rot extends, probed rather than guessed, Cut-out and splice repair of rotten sections in trim, sills and casings, Full replacement of members too far gone to splice, Epoxy consolidation and filling where a profile is worth saving, Porch column, post and beam repair, with temporary shoring where load is carried, Exterior door and window sill replacement, Matching and running of profiles no longer available as stock, Priming of all bare and cut timber before it is closed in, Advice on the water source, and its correction where it is ours to fix scope.excludes: Structural framing repair, which is a construction service, Termite treatment, which requires a licensed pest control operator, Hardwood floor repair and refinishing, Furniture restoration, Roof and gutter work, which is a roofing service, though we will identify it, Lead paint disturbance without certified containment scope.brandsServiced: Abatron, Advantage Lumber, Boral TruExterior, Sherwin-Williams, Zinsser scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, EPA Lead-Safe certified firm scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs are one to two days. A porch column or a run of sills across an elevation is three to five days. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship. That warranty assumes the water source has been fixed; a repair under a still-leaking gutter will fail and is not something we warrant. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: doors-and-windows, interior-trim-and-molding, siding-and-soffit, structural-repair faqRefs: carpentry, global hero.src: /img/services/carpentry/wood-repair-and-restoration-hero.jpg hero.alt: A rotten window sill section cut out and a new spliced piece being fitted and primed lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Find the water first Timber does not rot on its own. Something is keeping it wet, and repairing the wood without fixing that is the most common wasted expenditure in this trade. So the first thing we do is look up. The usual sources, in the order we find them: a gutter overflowing or discharging behind the fascia, a downspout that terminates against the wall, a roof detail with no flashing, a sill with no drip edge so water tracks back underneath, and a paint film that failed years ago on a south-facing elevation. Our quote names the cause. Where it is ours to fix we will quote it alongside; where it is roofing or guttering, we will tell you plainly, because our two year warranty assumes the water has been dealt with. A splice under a still-leaking gutter will fail, and we will not warrant it. ## What it costs This work is charged hourly against the published carpentry rate, and totals land between $400 and $8,500. The bottom is a single rotten section of exterior casing spliced and primed. The top is a run of window sills across a whole elevation, or a porch column repaired with the roof above temporarily shored. Hourly is the honest model because nobody, including us, knows how far the rot has travelled until it is opened up. We estimate the hours from probing, we tell you what we find as we find it, and you decide before we go further. Not financing eligible. ## Splice, consolidate, or replace Three options, and choosing the right one is most of the skill. Splice is the default for a partial failure in a longer member. The rotten section is cut back to sound timber, a new piece is scarfed in, and once primed and painted it is invisible. It is cheaper than replacement and it keeps the original profile. Epoxy consolidation is for a profile worth saving where the damage is localised: an original turned column, a decorative bracket, a historic sill. Consolidant is soaked into the softened fibre to harden it, then the void is filled and reshaped. It is slow and it costs more per square inch than new timber, so it is right for something irreplaceable and wrong for a length of stock casing. Full replacement is right when more than about a third of the member has gone, when the piece carries load, or when splicing would leave joints in visually awkward places. We will tell you which we recommend and why. If a piece is beyond saving we will say so rather than sell you an expensive consolidation that fails in three years. ## Porch columns are the one to take seriously A porch column with a rotten base is the most common structural-adjacent repair we do, and it is worth understanding what is happening. Columns rot from the bottom, because water sits on the porch deck at the base and wicks upward, and because the base detail is usually where paint fails first. By the time the rot is visible, the load path is often compromised. That repair needs temporary shoring of the porch roof before anything is cut. It is straightforward work done properly and it is genuinely dangerous done casually. If your column is soft at the base or you can push a screwdriver into it, book the assessment rather than waiting for the winter. ## Rot-resistant replacements Where a repair is exterior and in a place that will get wet again, we will usually recommend a material change rather than replacing like for like. Cellular PVC and composite trim do not rot at all, take paint well, and are worth the extra on sills, water tables and anywhere near a deck. They are not right everywhere: they move more with temperature than timber and they are wrong on a historically sensitive elevation. Where timber stays, it should be a species that suits exposure and it should be primed on all six faces, including the cut ends, before it goes up. Cut ends left bare are how a new repair starts rotting from the inside. ## What we do not do Structural framing repair is a construction (/services/construction/structural-repair) service, and if the rot has reached band joists, sill plates or rafters that is where it goes. Termite damage needs a licensed pest operator to treat the cause before we repair the effect. Roof and gutter work is a roofing service, though identifying it is part of what this visit gives you. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: outdoor title: Outdoor Living and Grounds h1: Decks, Patios and Grounds in the Triangle seoTitle: Decks, Patios, Fencing & Lawn Care in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Deck building and repair, patios and pavers, pergolas, fencing, lawn care programs, irrigation and seasonal cleanup across the Triangle. summary: Decks, patios, pergolas and fencing, plus the recurring lawn care, irrigation and seasonal cleanup that keep a garden working. voiceSummary: We build decks, patios, pergolas and fences, and we run recurring lawn care, irrigation and seasonal cleanup programs. tradeTag: OUTDOOR crewType: outdoor order: 5 hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: A freshly completed cedar deck with a pergola over a dining area and a bluestone paver path leading to it at golden hour faqRefs: outdoor, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Two kinds of work in one section Outdoor covers two things that behave quite differently, and it is worth knowing which one you are looking for. Built work is a project: a deck, a patio, a pergola, a fence. It is designed, quoted after a site visit, permitted where required, and built once. Most of it is financing eligible. Recurring work is a program: lawn care, irrigation, seasonal cleanup. It runs to a published month-by-month schedule, we text you before each visit, and you can stop at any time. The recurring programs are the only services on this site you subscribe to rather than buy, and the cadence is published on each page in full so you know exactly what happens in which month. ## Building for this climate and this soil Two Triangle facts shape nearly every built project here. The clay. Piedmont clay holds water, swells when wet and shrinks hard in an August drought. It moves footings, it heaves pavers laid on an inadequate base, and it drowns plants that would be fine in loam. Every foundation and base detail we build is sized for it, which is part of why our quotes are not the cheapest on a like-for-like comparison. The moisture load. Long humid summers and a real rainy season mean untreated timber close to the ground has a short life, and anything holding water against a structure eventually rots it. Ground contact grade timber, proper flashing where a deck meets the house, and drainage that takes water away are not upgrades here, they are the baseline. ## Where our work stops We do not remove trees. That is a certified arborist's job, and if a tree is coming out before we build, get it done first, because the stump and the root plate affect what we can dig. We do not do landscape design, planting schemes or hardscape retaining walls over four feet, which is a structural retaining specialty. We do not treat for pests. Mosquito, tick and termite treatment all require a licensed pest control operator. We do not build pools, spas or their decking surrounds, and we do not touch pool equipment. ## None of this is emergency work Nothing in this section is emergency-eligible, and we will not dispatch a crew overnight for it. A fallen fence panel and a blocked irrigation head are real problems and they are next-available-window problems. If a tree has come down on your house, that is an arborist first and a roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair) second, and roof repair is covered around the clock. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/deck-building.mdx ### frontmatter slug: deck-building title: Deck Building category: outdoor h1: Deck Building in the Triangle seoTitle: New Deck Building in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: New decks built across the Triangle, footings sized for Piedmont clay and ledgers flashed properly. Quoted after a site visit, permit handled, financing available. summary: A new deck, designed and built from footings up, with the ledger flashed properly and footings sized for Piedmont clay. voiceSummary: We build new decks from the footings up, sized for Piedmont clay and flashed properly where the deck meets the house. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes an existing deck that is pulling away from the house or feels unsafe to stand on, Customer wants a new deck but describes an existing structure, which is usually a repair enquiry pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 12000 pricing.typicalRange.max: 42000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Square footage and height above grade, since a raised deck needs larger posts, bracing and guards, Decking material. Pressure-treated pine, cedar and composite differ by roughly a factor of three, Footing count and depth, which the clay and the frost line set rather than the design, Whether stairs are included, and how many treads, since stairs are the slowest part per square foot, Railing specification, from pressure-treated timber up to cable or glass, Whether the ground has to be regraded or a retaining detail built before anything is dug pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, hoaDetails, materialPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Find your plot survey if you have one, since it shows setbacks and easements, Check whether your HOA has an architectural review process for decks, Clear the area where the deck will go so levels can be taken, Note where downspouts discharge, because a deck should not sit over standing water booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A new deck is designed to your house and your ground, so it cannot be booked as an appointment. Square footage, height above grade, footing depth, material and whether a permit and HOA review are needed all change the price substantially. Book a free design and site visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Site visit, levels, setback check and measured drawings, HOA architectural review submission where one is required, Permit application, inspections and meeting the inspector on site, Excavated and poured concrete footings to code depth, Pressure-treated structural frame, joists, beams and posts, Ledger board attachment with correct fasteners and flashing where the deck meets the house, Decking in pressure-treated pine, cedar or composite, Stairs, landings and guards to code dimensions, Railing systems, timber, composite, cable or aluminium, Removal and disposal of an existing deck where one is being replaced scope.excludes: Tree removal and stump grinding, Retaining walls over four feet, which are a structural specialty, Screened porch enclosure and roofing, which is a construction project, Electrical work for deck lighting or a hot tub circuit, Hot tubs and their structural support requirements beyond a designed platform, Landscape planting and turf reinstatement beyond making good the disturbed ground scope.brandsServiced: Trex, TimberTech, Fiberon, Simpson Strong-Tie, Feeney, DeckLok scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One to three weeks on site depending on size, after a three to six week design, HOA and permit phase. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our structural workmanship, including footings and the ledger connection. Composite decking carries manufacturer warranties up to twenty five years, which we register. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: deck-repair-and-refinishing, pergolas-and-shade-structures, patios-and-pavers, fencing faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/deck-building-hero.jpg hero.alt: A newly completed cedar deck with cable railing and open stair treads, photographed at golden hour lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## This page is for a deck you do not have yet Deck building is new construction: footings, frame, decking, stairs and railings, built from nothing or replacing a structure that has come to the end of its life. If you already have a deck and it needs attention, you want deck repair and refinishing (/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing) instead. That covers replacing failed boards, tightening or rebuilding a wobbly railing, and stripping and resealing a deck that has gone grey. It is a fraction of the cost, it is bookable online, and it does not need a permit. The dividing line we use: if the frame underneath is sound, it is a repair. If the frame is failing, or there is no deck there, it is this page. Our surveyors will tell you honestly which one you have, and we quote a good many repairs on visits where the client expected to be told they needed a replacement. ## What it costs Most new decks land between $12,000 and $42,000. The bottom is a modest ground-level deck in pressure-treated pine with timber railings and two steps down to the lawn. The top is a large raised deck in composite with cable railing, a full flight of stairs, and the bracing and guard requirements that come with height. New decks are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## The two details that decide whether it lasts Everything else on a deck is visible. These two are not, and they are where decks fail. The ledger connection. Where the deck attaches to the house is the single most common point of catastrophic deck failure in the country. It has to be through-bolted or fixed with structural screws into the rim joist, never nailed, and it has to be flashed so water running down the wall goes over the ledger rather than behind it. An unflashed ledger rots the rim joist of your house, not just the deck, and by the time it shows the repair is a structural repair (/services/construction/structural-repair). The footings. Piedmont clay swells and shrinks dramatically between a wet spring and an August drought. Footings have to reach below the frost line and bear on undisturbed soil, and they have to be sized for the load rather than for what fits in a hole. Deck posts sitting on precast blocks on the surface, which we see constantly, will move seasonally and eventually rack the frame. Both of these are inspected under the permit, which is a large part of why the permit is worth having. ## Material, honestly Pressure-treated pine is the value option and it is a perfectly good one. It needs sealing every couple of years to stay looking well, and in this climate that is a real commitment rather than a theoretical one. Cedar looks better, weathers to a silver-grey if you let it, and costs more. It still wants maintenance if you want it to stay warm-toned. Composite costs roughly three times pressure-treated in material and needs essentially no refinishing. Over fifteen years the arithmetic usually favours it, and it is what most of our clients choose for the deck surface. Two honest caveats: it gets noticeably hot underfoot in full Triangle sun, and the frame underneath is still timber, so the structure still ages even when the surface does not. ## Permits, HOA and setbacks A deck over a certain height needs a permit, and in practice nearly every deck we build does. We pull it, book the inspections and meet the inspector. Most Triangle subdivisions also run an HOA architectural review for anything visible from the street or from a neighbour. That committee meets on its own schedule and it is frequently the longest single wait in the project, so start it early. We prepare and submit the package. Setbacks apply to decks as they do to any structure, and a deck cannot be built over a utility or drainage easement. Your plot survey shows both, which is why we ask for it. ## Before we visit Find your plot survey if you have one. Check whether your HOA has a review process. Clear the area so we can take levels, and note where your downspouts discharge, because building a deck over ground that stays wet is a decision worth making deliberately rather than by accident. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing.mdx ### frontmatter slug: deck-repair-and-refinishing title: Deck Repair and Refinishing category: outdoor h1: Deck Repair and Refinishing seoTitle: Deck Repair & Refinishing in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Board replacement, railing repair, and stripping and resealing for decks across the Triangle. Bookable online, no permit, a fraction of a rebuild. summary: Board and railing repair, and stripping and resealing a deck that has gone grey, on a frame that is still sound. voiceSummary: We repair deck boards and railings and reseal decks that have gone grey, wherever the frame underneath is still sound. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a deck pulling away from the house, which is unsafe and needs a same-week survey, Customer describes a post or beam that moves, or a deck that feels unstable underfoot pricing.model: hourly pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 450 pricing.typicalRange.max: 9500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How many boards are actually failing, which is usually more than is visible from above, Whether the railing is being tightened, partly rebuilt or fully replaced, Deck size, which sets how long stripping, sanding and sealing takes, How many previous coatings have to come off, since a film-forming stain is far slower to strip than an oil, Whether any framing member is found to be rotten once boards are lifted, Access, particularly a raised deck where the underside has to be worked from below pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: assessment-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, deckAgeBand, lastSealedDate, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear furniture, planters and the grill off the deck, Note any board that flexes underfoot and any railing section that moves when pushed, Say when the deck was last sealed, and with what if you know, Clear access to the underside if the deck is raised booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full condition survey, including probing the frame from below where accessible, Individual deck board replacement, matched to the existing material, Joist and beam repair where localised rot is found, Railing, baluster and post repair or replacement, Stair tread and stringer repair, Fastener replacement, including popped nails swapped for structural screws, Pressure washing to an appropriate pressure for the timber, Stripping of failed coatings, sanding and resealing, Ledger inspection and flashing correction where it is missing scope.excludes: Full deck replacement, which is quoted as new construction, Structural rebuild of a frame that has failed generally, Composite deck resurfacing, since composite is not refinished, Electrical work for deck lighting, Tree removal and stump grinding, Painting of the house behind the deck scope.brandsServiced: Behr, Sherwin-Williams, Penofin, Cabot, Simpson Strong-Tie, Camo scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Board and railing repair is one to two days. Stripping and resealing is two to four days including drying time between coats. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on repair workmanship. Refinishing carries twelve months, because a coating's life depends on exposure and on the weather it cures in. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: deck-building, pergolas-and-shade-structures, fencing, wood-repair-and-restoration faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing-hero.jpg hero.alt: A greyed pressure-treated deck part way through stripping, with freshly sanded boards beside weathered ones lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## This page is for a deck you already have Deck repair and refinishing is work on an existing deck whose frame is still sound: replacing failed boards, fixing a railing that moves, and stripping and resealing timber that has gone grey. If you have no deck, or the frame underneath has failed, you want deck building (/services/outdoor/deck-building) instead. That is new construction: footings, frame, permit, HOA review, and a price measured in tens of thousands rather than hundreds. The test we use is the frame. Boards, railings and finish are all replaceable on a sound structure, and doing so is a fraction of the cost of rebuilding. If the joists, beams, posts or ledger have gone, no amount of new decking fixes it, and putting fresh boards on a failing frame is money you will spend twice. Our survey tells you which of the two you are looking at, in writing. We quote a good many repairs for people who arrived expecting to be told they needed a new deck. ## What it costs This work is charged hourly against the published outdoor rate, and totals land between $450 and $9,500. The bottom is replacing a handful of failed boards and re-fixing a loose railing section. The top is a large deck fully stripped, sanded, resealed, with a significant number of boards replaced and a railing rebuilt. There is no diagnostic fee. Not financing eligible; it sits below the financing minimum in most cases. Hourly is honest here because the scope grows once boards come up. What looks like four bad boards is frequently eight, because the ones either side of a rotten board have usually been holding the same water. ## Is it safe, and is it worth it Two questions we answer at the survey, and they are different questions. Safe is about the structure: the ledger connection to the house, the footings, the posts, and whether the guards will hold someone leaning on them. Anything that moves when pushed gets flagged immediately, and a deck pulling away from the house is a same-week problem rather than a routine one. Worth it is arithmetic. Where the frame is sound and the boards are tired, repair and refinishing is straightforwardly good value. Where the frame is marginal, spending on the surface buys a few years and then you rebuild anyway, and we will say so plainly even though the rebuild is not the job you called about. ## Refinishing, and why the prep is the job Most of the labour in refinishing is removing what is already there, not applying what comes next. Pressure washing has to be done at a pressure the timber can take. Too high and it raises the grain and furs the surface, which then holds water and looks worse a year later. Plenty of decks we are asked to rescue were damaged by someone's pressure washer rather than by weather. Stripping depends on what is on there. An oil-based penetrating finish weathers away and is relatively easy to prepare over. A film-forming solid stain peels rather than fades, and every flake has to come off before anything new goes on, which is slow. If you do not know what was used, we will test a patch. Drying time is real. Timber has to be dry before sealing, and after washing that is typically two to three days in Triangle humidity. Sealing damp timber traps the moisture and the coating fails within a season. That waiting time is why refinishing is a two to four day job rather than a one day one, and we will not compress it. ## Composite decks Composite is not refinished. It does not take a stain and it does not need one. What composite decks do need occasionally is board replacement after impact damage, fastener correction, and railing repair, all of which we do. If someone has offered to reseal your composite deck, they are selling you something that will not adhere. ## Before we arrive Clear furniture, planters and the grill off the deck, because we cannot survey what we cannot see and planters in particular hide the worst rot on any deck. Walk it and note any board that flexes and any railing section that moves. Tell us when it was last sealed and with what, if you know. If the deck is raised, clear access underneath, because the underside tells us more about the frame in five minutes than the top does in an hour. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers.mdx ### frontmatter slug: patios-and-pavers title: Patios and Pavers category: outdoor h1: Patios and Paver Installation seoTitle: Paver Patios & Walkways in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Paver patios, walkways and seat walls across the Triangle, built on a base deep enough for Piedmont clay so they do not settle. summary: Paver patios, walkways and seat walls, built on a compacted base deep enough that Piedmont clay does not move them. voiceSummary: We build paver patios, walkways and seat walls on a base deep enough that Piedmont clay does not move them. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes water entering a house or crawlspace from a patio that drains toward the building pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 38000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Square footage, and how much of it is straight runs versus curves and cuts, Paver choice, from standard concrete through to clay brick and natural bluestone, How much excavation the base needs, which the clay decides rather than the design, Whether the site drains away from the house already or has to be regraded, Seat walls, steps and fire features, which are built work rather than paving, Access for machinery, since a back garden reachable only through a narrow side gate is barrowed by hand pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, hoaDetails, materialPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Clear the area so levels can be taken across the whole footprint, Note where water currently stands after heavy rain, Measure the width of the narrowest access point to the back garden, Find your plot survey if you have one, since it shows easements booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A patio is priced from levels, drainage and access, none of which are visible from an address. How deep the base has to go, whether the site needs regrading, and whether a machine can reach the back garden change the cost substantially. Book a free site visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Site visit, levels, drainage assessment and measured drawings, Excavation to the depth the subgrade requires, Compacted aggregate base laid and compacted in lifts, Bedding sand screeded to grade, Paver laying, cutting and edge restraint, Polymeric sand jointing and final compaction, Fall set away from the house, and a drainage detail where the site needs one, Seat walls, steps and fire pits in matching material, Removal and disposal of an existing patio or slab, Reinstatement of disturbed turf at the edges scope.excludes: Retaining walls over four feet, which are a structural specialty, Tree removal and stump grinding, Pool decking and anything within a pool enclosure, Electrical work for landscape lighting or an outdoor kitchen, Gas lines to a fire feature, which is a plumbing service, Planting and garden design scope.brandsServiced: Belgard, Techo-Bloc, Unilock, Pine Hall Brick, Pavestone scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341, ICPI certified installer scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: One to three weeks on site depending on size, after a two to four week lead on material and scheduling. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years against settlement and against the base failing, which is the only failure mode that matters. Paver colour and efflorescence are material properties, not defects. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: deck-building, pergolas-and-shade-structures, fencing, seasonal-cleanup faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers-hero.jpg hero.alt: A paver patio being laid with a rubber mallet and screed rails, half complete and showing the compacted base course lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The base is the whole job Everything visible about a patio is the pavers. Everything that decides whether it is still flat in ten years is underneath them. Piedmont clay is the problem. It holds water, it swells when saturated and shrinks hard in an August drought, and it does not drain. A patio laid on a shallow base over clay will move: the pavers dip where the ground settles, water pools in the dips, and the freeze-thaw cycles of a Triangle winter open the joints. The fix is not exotic, it is just work. Excavate deeper than looks necessary, lay compacted aggregate in lifts with a plate compactor between each, and only then screed the bedding sand. Most of the labour in a patio quote is the part you will never see, and it is the reason our quotes are not the lowest when compared line by line against someone laying on two inches of sand. ## What it costs Most patios land between $6,500 and $38,000. The bottom is a modest rectangular patio in standard concrete pavers on an accessible site. The top is a large natural bluestone terrace with seat walls, steps and a fire pit, on a site needing regrading and hand-barrowing. Patios are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Where the water goes Second only to the base, and the thing most likely to cause a real problem rather than a cosmetic one. A patio is an impermeable surface. Every square foot of it sheds water that used to soak in, and if the fall runs toward the house you have built a device for delivering rain to your foundation. In clay, with a crawlspace, that is how you get a damp problem that costs more than the patio did. So every patio we build gets a deliberate fall away from the building, and where the site cannot achieve that by grading alone, a drainage detail: a channel drain at the house edge, or a French drain taking water to daylight. We assess this at the site visit and it is in the quote rather than discovered later. If you already have a patio that drains toward the house, that is worth calling about. ## Access decides more than you would think A machine that can reach the back garden turns a week of barrowing into a day of excavation. A back garden reachable only through a three-foot side gate means every cubic yard of spoil out and every cubic yard of aggregate in goes by wheelbarrow, one at a time. That is why we ask you to measure the narrowest access point before we visit. It is frequently the single largest variable between two otherwise identical quotes. ## Material Concrete pavers are the workhorse: consistent, wide range of colour and format, and the best value. Colour does fade over years of Triangle UV, more noticeably on strong colours than on greys. Clay brick holds its colour permanently, because the colour is fired in rather than pigmented. It suits older Triangle houses particularly well and it costs more. Natural stone, usually bluestone here, is the premium option. Every piece is different, cutting is slower, and it is the most labour-intensive to lay well. Efflorescence, the white haze that can appear on new concrete pavers, is salts migrating out of the material. It is normal, it weathers off over a season or two, and it is not a defect. Worth saying now rather than in a phone call three weeks after handover. ## What we do not do Retaining walls over four feet are a structural specialty with engineering requirements. Pool decking and anything inside a pool enclosure is out of scope. Landscape lighting is electrical work, and a gas line to a fire feature is plumbing; we will build the feature and coordinate the trade, but the connection is not ours. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/pergolas-and-shade-structures.mdx ### frontmatter slug: pergolas-and-shade-structures title: Pergolas and Shade Structures category: outdoor h1: Pergolas and Shade Structures seoTitle: Pergolas & Shade Structures in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Pergolas, arbours and covered structures across the Triangle, engineered for wind uplift and sized to shade the hours you actually use. summary: Pergolas, arbours and covered structures, anchored for wind uplift and oriented to shade the hours you actually sit outside. voiceSummary: We build pergolas, arbours and covered structures, anchored for wind uplift and oriented to shade the hours you actually use. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes an existing structure that is leaning, racking or has moved in wind pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 4800 pricing.typicalRange.max: 24000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Footprint and post height, since both drive the beam sizes and the footing depth, Material. Pressure-treated pine, cedar and powder-coated aluminium differ substantially, Whether it is open-rafter, louvred or fully roofed, because a solid roof is a different structure, Whether it is freestanding or attached to the house, which brings a ledger and flashing into it, Footing depth and size, set by the clay and by wind uplift rather than by the design, Whether it sits on an existing patio or deck that has to carry it pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, hoaDetails, materialPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Note which hours of the day you actually use the space, since it decides the orientation, Clear the footprint so levels can be taken, Check whether your HOA reviews structures visible from the street, Say whether it is going on an existing patio or deck, and how old that is booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A pergola is engineered to its site: footing depth for the clay, beam sizes for the span, and anchoring for wind uplift. Whether it attaches to the house and whether an existing patio can carry it both change the build. Book a free design and site visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Site visit, levels, orientation study and measured drawings, HOA architectural review submission where one is required, Permit application and inspections where the structure requires one, Excavated and poured concrete footings sized for uplift, Post, beam and rafter structure in timber or aluminium, Ledger attachment and flashing where the structure meets the house, Louvred roof systems, manual or motorised, Solid roofing with matching shingle or metal where specified, Staining or sealing of timber structures, Anchoring into an existing patio or deck where it is capable of carrying it scope.excludes: Electrical work for lighting, fans or heaters, Screening, glazing and full enclosure, which makes it a construction project, Retrofitting an existing patio or deck that cannot carry the structure, Fabric shade sails and retractable awnings, Tree removal to create a clear footprint, Outdoor kitchens and their services scope.brandsServiced: Struxure, Simpson Strong-Tie, TimberTech, Cabot, Penofin scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Three to seven days on site, after a three to five week design, HOA and permit phase. Longer where a louvred roof system is ordered to size. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on structural workmanship, including footings and uplift anchoring. Louvred roof systems carry their manufacturer warranty separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep related: deck-building, patios-and-pavers, fencing, deck-repair-and-refinishing faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/pergolas-and-shade-structures-hero.jpg hero.alt: A cedar pergola over a dining area on a completed deck, with open rafters casting striped shade at golden hour lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Which way it faces decides whether you use it The most common disappointment with a pergola is that it does not shade the space when the space is actually used, and it is entirely avoidable at the design stage. An open-rafter pergola casts striped shade, and where those stripes fall moves through the day and through the year. Rafters running one way shade a west-facing terrace at six in the evening; running the other way they shade it at noon and leave it in full sun at six. So the first question we ask is not how big, it is when do you sit out here. A morning coffee spot and an evening dining terrace want different orientations, and sometimes different rafter spacing entirely. For a west-facing Triangle terrace, which is the hardest case, an open pergola often is not enough on its own. That is where a louvred roof, which you adjust through the day, or a partially solid roof earns its cost. ## What it costs Most pergolas land between $4,800 and $24,000. The bottom is a modest freestanding open-rafter pergola in pressure-treated pine on an existing patio. The top is a large attached structure with a motorised louvred roof. Pergolas are financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum, which most do. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Wind uplift is the engineering problem A pergola is a large horizontal surface on legs, and in a storm it behaves like a wing. That is not theoretical here. The Triangle gets the tail of Atlantic hurricane systems most years, and the failures we are called to look at are almost always the same: posts on surface brackets, or footings too shallow, and the whole structure lifted or racked. Doing it properly means footings excavated below the frost line and sized for uplift rather than just for weight, proper post bases, and rated connectors at every beam-to-post joint. A solid roof increases the uplift load substantially over an open-rafter structure, which is why a roofed pergola is a heavier build throughout and not just a pergola with panels on top. Most pergolas need a permit for exactly this reason, and the inspection is on the footings and the connections. We pull it and meet the inspector. ## Attached or freestanding Freestanding is simpler, needs no ledger, and can go anywhere the footings work. Attached to the house saves two posts and integrates better, but it introduces the same detail that matters on a deck: a ledger bolted into structure and flashed so water running down the wall goes over it rather than behind it. An unflashed pergola ledger rots the band joist of the house. We do the same detail on both, because a pergola ledger leaks exactly like a deck ledger does. ## Can your existing patio carry it Frequently asked and often no. Posts on a patio need to bear on a footing, not on the pavers. A pergola anchored to the surface of a paver patio will settle unevenly and pull the pavers up with it. The correct approach is footings cut through the patio down to depth, with the pavers cut around them afterwards. On an existing deck it is a structural question: whether the frame beneath was designed for point loads at those positions. Sometimes it was, often it needs blocking or an additional beam below. Both are answerable at the site visit and both are better known before you have chosen a design. ## Material Pressure-treated pine is the value option and needs sealing to stay looking well. Cedar is the traditional choice, looks considerably better, and weathers to silver if you let it. Powder-coated aluminium, which is what most louvred systems are, needs no maintenance at all and is the practical answer where you want a roof you can adjust. ## What we do not do Electrical work for lighting, fans or heaters is a separate trade, though we build in the chases and mounting points during construction, which is far easier than retrofitting. Screening or glazing a pergola turns it into a conditioned or semi-conditioned structure, which is a construction (/services/construction) project with different permitting. We will tell you if that is what you are actually describing. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/fencing.mdx ### frontmatter slug: fencing title: Fencing category: outdoor h1: Fence Installation in the Triangle seoTitle: Fence Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Privacy, picket and aluminium fencing across the Triangle, set on posts deep enough for Piedmont clay, with the boundary confirmed before we dig. summary: Privacy, picket and aluminium fencing, set on posts deep enough for the clay, with the boundary confirmed before anything is dug. voiceSummary: We install privacy, picket and aluminium fencing, set deep enough for the clay, with the boundary confirmed before we dig. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a fence down across a driveway or blocking access, Customer describes a boundary dispute with a neighbour pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 3800 pricing.typicalRange.max: 21000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Linear feet, and how many corners and ends the run has, since corner posts are braced differently, Material. Pressure-treated pine, cedar, vinyl and aluminium differ by roughly a factor of three, Height, and whether the HOA or the county caps it on a front boundary, Ground. A run across a slope needs stepping or racking, and rock means slower digging, Gate count and width, since a double drive gate needs heavier posts and hardware, Whether an existing fence has to be removed and disposed of first pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, projectScope booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, plotSurvey, hoaDetails, materialPreference, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Find your plot survey, since it is the only reliable record of where the boundary runs, Check your HOA covenants for permitted materials, heights and styles, Clear vegetation along the line so it can be walked and measured, Tell your neighbours, which avoids most of the trouble fencing projects generate booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A fence is priced from the line walked on site: linear feet, corners, slope, ground conditions and gate positions. The boundary itself has to be confirmed before anything is dug, and HOA rules often cap height and material. Book a free site visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Site visit, line walk, and measured quote, Utility locate request before any digging, HOA architectural review submission where one is required, Permit application where the county requires one, Post holes dug to depth and set in concrete, Pressure-treated, cedar, vinyl or aluminium fencing installed to line and level, Stepped or racked runs across sloping ground, Gates, including double drive gates, with hardware sized to the leaf, Removal and disposal of an existing fence, Reinstatement of disturbed turf along the line scope.excludes: Land surveying to establish a disputed boundary, Tree and stump removal along the fence line, Retaining walls, which are a structural specialty, Electric and invisible pet containment systems, Automated gate openers and their electrical supply, Pool safety barrier certification, though we build to the required specification scope.brandsServiced: Master Halco, Ameristar, Bufftech, Simpson Strong-Tie scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Two to five days on site for a typical residential run, after a two to four week lead for HOA review, utility locates and material. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on posts and structure, which is where a fence fails. Timber colour change and seasonal movement in boards are material properties rather than defects. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: deck-building, patios-and-pavers, pergolas-and-shade-structures, seasonal-cleanup faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/fencing-hero.jpg hero.alt: A cedar privacy fence panel being set with a post level, with an auger and bags of concrete nearby lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Two things to sort before we dig Fencing generates more disputes than any other outdoor work, and almost all of them trace to one of two things nobody checked. Where the boundary actually is. Not where the old fence was, not where the grass changes, not where everyone has assumed for twenty years. The plot survey is the record. Old fences were frequently built a foot inside the line, or a foot over it, and rebuilding on the same posts perpetuates whichever it was. If you do not have a survey and the line is not obvious, you need a surveyor before you need us. We do not establish boundaries and we will not guess at one, because a fence built over the line is a fence that comes down at your cost. What your HOA allows. Most Triangle subdivisions have covenants specifying permitted materials, maximum heights, which side the finished face must present, and often that front-boundary fencing is not allowed at all. Building first and asking later is how people end up removing a new fence. There is also a third thing that is not a rule but prevents most of the trouble: tell your neighbours before the crew arrives. A fence is the one project that happens at the edge of someone else's property, and five minutes of warning avoids a great deal. ## What it costs Most fencing projects land between $3,800 and $21,000. The bottom is a short run of pressure-treated privacy fence on flat, accessible ground. The top is a long perimeter in cedar or ornamental aluminium with multiple gates, across sloping ground. Fencing is financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Posts are the fence Everything you see is panels. Everything that decides whether it is still standing straight in ten years is the posts. In Piedmont clay a post has to go deep enough to sit below the frost line and to resist the leverage of a tall privacy panel acting as a sail in a storm. Set too shallow, and clay that swells and shrinks seasonally will heave and lean it. That is why the leaning fence is such a familiar Triangle sight, and it is almost never the panels that failed. Corner and gate posts take loads the line posts do not, so they are larger, set deeper and braced. A gate that drops within a year is a gate post that was treated like a line post. Our five year warranty is on posts and structure specifically, because that is the failure that matters. ## Utility locates are not optional We file a utility locate request before any digging, every time, and we wait for it. It is free, it is required, and the alternative is an auger through a gas line or a fibre cable. That wait is part of why the lead time is two to four weeks rather than two days. Anyone offering to dig your fence line tomorrow has not called it in. ## Material Pressure-treated pine is the value option, and the most common privacy fence in the Triangle. It will grey unless sealed, and boards will cup and twist a little as they dry; that is timber, not a defect. Cedar is more stable, more attractive, and costs meaningfully more. It weathers to silver gracefully if you let it. Vinyl costs more up front and needs no maintenance. It does not rot and it does not need sealing. It can become brittle after many years of UV, and a damaged panel is replaced rather than repaired. Ornamental aluminium is the choice where you want a boundary without losing the view, and it is what most pool barriers use. It is essentially maintenance free. ## Slopes Two ways to take a fence down a slope, and it is a decision worth making rather than defaulting. Stepping keeps every panel level and drops each one relative to the last, leaving triangular gaps underneath. It looks formal and it suits a clean modern line. Racking angles the panel to follow the ground, leaving no gap. It suits a rural look and it is better if you are containing a dog. Not every panel type racks. We will tell you which your chosen material can do before you choose it. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/lawn-care-programs.mdx ### frontmatter slug: lawn-care-programs title: Lawn Care Programs category: outdoor h1: Lawn Care Programs in the Triangle seoTitle: Lawn Care Programs in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: A recurring seven-visit lawn care program timed to the Triangle season, from February pre-emergent through November fertilisation. Cancel any time. summary: A recurring seven-visit program timed to the Triangle growing season, with each visit in a named month and a text before every one. voiceSummary: A recurring seven visit lawn program timed to the Triangle season. We text you before each visit and you can cancel any time. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports turf damage they believe was caused by one of our applications, Customer has a pet or child health concern about a scheduled application pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 480 pricing.typicalRange.max: 2400 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Lawn area in square feet, which sets material volume on every visit, Grass type. Fescue and bermuda want opposite treatment calendars and different products, Whether aeration and overseeding are included, which is the largest single visit of the year, Whether the lawn starts in poor condition and needs a corrective first season, How much of the area is shaded, since shaded fescue needs different handling pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: recurring-program booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, lawnAreaBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: grassType, irrigationPresent, petsInHousehold, photos, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Mow two to three days before a scheduled visit, not the day of, Clear toys, hoses and furniture from the lawn, Unlock side gates, since most visits do not need you to be home, Keep pets and children off treated areas until the product has dried, usually two hours booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: February: pre-emergent to stop crabgrass before it germinates, plus a first fertilisation, April: broadleaf weed control and a spring fertilisation, June: summer fertilisation and a second broadleaf treatment, July: grub control and drought-stress assessment, September: core aeration and overseeding, the largest visit of the year, October: autumn fertilisation to build root mass before dormancy, November: winterising fertilisation and a final weed treatment, A written condition note after every visit, left at the door and texted, Soil test in the first season, with the program adjusted to the result scope.excludes: Mowing, edging and blowing, which we do not offer as a recurring service, Mosquito, tick and flea treatment, which requires a licensed pest control operator, Tree and shrub care, spraying and pruning, Irrigation repair, which is a separate service, Leaf removal, which is part of seasonal cleanup, New turf installation and full lawn renovation scope.brandsServiced: Lesco, Scotts, Andersons, Syngenta scope.certifications: NC Pesticide Applicator licence, NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Seven visits a year, in February, April, June, July, September, October and November. Each visit is under an hour and you do not need to be home. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: If a treated weed is still there at the next scheduled visit, we retreat it at no charge. Turf results depend on watering and mowing, which are yours. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: feb, mar, apr, sep, oct related: seasonal-cleanup, irrigation-service, patios-and-pavers, fencing faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/lawn-care-programs-hero.jpg hero.alt: A healthy fescue lawn edged cleanly against a bluestone path in early morning light lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The calendar, in full This is a recurring program rather than a one-off visit, and the whole point is that the treatments land in the right month. Here is the year: | Month | Visit | | --- | --- | | February | Pre-emergent to stop crabgrass germinating, plus first fertilisation | | April | Broadleaf weed control and spring fertilisation | | June | Summer fertilisation and second broadleaf treatment | | July | Grub control and drought-stress assessment | | September | Core aeration and overseeding, the largest visit of the year | | October | Autumn fertilisation to build root mass before dormancy | | November | Winterising fertilisation and a final weed treatment | Seven visits. We text you a few days before each one, and again on the morning of. You do not need to be home; we need the gate unlocked and the lawn clear. February is the visit that matters most and the one people skip. Crabgrass is stopped before it germinates or it is not stopped at all, and by the time you can see it in June the window has closed for the year. A program that starts in April is a program missing its most valuable application. ## What it costs Flat-priced for the year, between $480 and $2,400 depending on lawn area and whether aeration and overseeding are included. You know the annual figure before you start, billed per visit. No diagnostic fee. Not financing eligible. ## Fescue or bermuda changes everything The Triangle sits on the transition zone, which means both cool-season and warm-season grasses grow here and they want opposite calendars. Fescue, the most common lawn grass around Raleigh and Durham, is a cool-season grass. It grows in spring and autumn, struggles in an August heatwave, and it does not spread to repair itself. That is why September aeration and overseeding is the single most important visit for a fescue lawn: it is how the lawn gets thicker, and without it fescue thins a little every year. Bermuda and zoysia are warm-season grasses. They go dormant and brown in winter, which is normal and not a problem to be fixed, and they do their growing in the heat. Their fertilisation calendar is shifted later, and they spread to fill gaps, so overseeding is not part of the program. Telling us which you have matters. If you do not know, we will identify it on the first visit and adjust the program. ## What we do not do We do not mow. It is worth being clear because people assume lawn care includes it. We do treatments, aeration and overseeding; the mowing is yours or your mowing service's. There is a practical reason as well as a commercial one: treatments work best on a lawn mowed two to three days before, not on the day, and coordinating that is easier when the two are separate. We do not treat for mosquitoes, ticks or fleas. That requires a licensed pest control operator and it is a different licence from the one that lets us apply turf products. We do not do tree and shrub care, and we do not remove leaves. Leaf removal is part of seasonal cleanup (/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup), which is a separate recurring service and the natural companion to this one. ## What decides the result, and it is mostly not us Honest framing, because lawn care is oversold everywhere. A program gets the nutrition and the weed control right. What actually determines whether your lawn looks good is watering and mowing height, and both are yours. Fescue wants about an inch of water a week in one or two deep soakings rather than daily sprinkles, and it wants cutting high, around three to four inches. A lawn cut short in July will struggle no matter what we put on it. If you have irrigation, our irrigation service (/services/outdoor/irrigation-service) can set the controller to match, which is the single most useful thing most Triangle lawns need. ## Cancelling Any time, with no fee and no minimum term. Tell us before the next scheduled visit and it stops. Visits already delivered are not refunded. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/irrigation-service.mdx ### frontmatter slug: irrigation-service title: Irrigation Service category: outdoor h1: Irrigation Repair and Service seoTitle: Irrigation Repair & Winterisation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Sprinkler repair, controller programming, backflow testing and winterisation across the Triangle. Most Triangle systems are set to water wrongly. summary: Sprinkler repair, controller programming, backflow testing and winterisation, on systems we did not have to install. voiceSummary: We repair sprinkler systems, program controllers, test backflow devices and winterise lines before the first hard freeze. order: 7 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes water running continuously that they cannot shut off, Customer describes water entering a building from an irrigation line pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 165 pricing.typicalRange.max: 3200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the fault is a head, a valve, a wire or the controller, since each is a different amount of digging, How many zones the system has, because every diagnosis walks all of them, Whether a mainline leak has to be located, which can mean excavation, Whether the backflow preventer has failed, since replacement is a regulated fitting, Whether heads have to be raised or relocated after years of turf growth pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, zoneCount, controllerBrand, systemAgeBand, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Find the controller and note the brand, and find the backflow preventer outside, Note which zones are affected and what they do wrong, since that narrows the fault a long way, Clear anything parked or stored over valve boxes, Mark any head you have hit with a mower, if you know where it is booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full system test, zone by zone, with a written findings note, Sprinkler head replacement, raising and nozzle correction, Valve and solenoid replacement, Wire fault tracing and repair, Mainline and lateral leak location and repair, Controller replacement and programming, including smart controllers, Rain sensor installation and testing, Backflow preventer testing and replacement, Spring startup and pressure check, Autumn winterisation, blowing lines out before the first hard freeze scope.excludes: New irrigation system design and installation, Well pump work, which is a well and pump contractor, Drainage and French drain installation, Landscape lighting, Turf repair beyond backfilling and reseeding where we dug, Water main work upstream of the irrigation tap scope.brandsServiced: Rain Bird, Hunter, Toro, Orbit, Irritrol, Febco, Wilkins scope.certifications: NC Certified Backflow Tester, NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs finish in a single visit. A mainline leak requiring excavation adds a day. Winterisation is under an hour. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on the repair. Freeze damage to a system we were not asked to winterise is not covered, which is the one exclusion worth knowing. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, oct, nov related: lawn-care-programs, seasonal-cleanup, patios-and-pavers, fencing faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/irrigation-service-hero.jpg hero.alt: An irrigation rotor head spraying an early-morning lawn with backlit droplets lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Book winterisation before the first hard freeze The one genuinely time-critical thing on this page. Water left in irrigation lines and in the backflow preventer through a Triangle cold snap freezes, expands and splits things. The backflow preventer is the expensive casualty: it sits above ground, it is brass, and it is a regulated fitting that has to be replaced like for like and retested. Winterisation takes under an hour. It is compressed air through each zone until the lines run dry, the backflow drained and insulated, and the controller set to off. Book it in the same November window as your seasonal cleanup (/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup) and neither gets forgotten. Freeze damage to a system we were not asked to winterise is not covered by any warranty, ours or the manufacturer's. It is the single most common avoidable repair we see, every February. ## What it costs Most irrigation work lands between $165 and $3,200. A head replacement or a controller reprogramme sits at the bottom. A mainline leak needing excavation, or a failed backflow preventer replaced and retested, sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Not financing eligible. ## Most Triangle systems are programmed wrong This is the most useful thing on this page and it costs you nothing. The default programming on most installed systems is a short run every day, often early morning, every zone the same. That is close to the worst possible schedule for a fescue lawn in this climate. Frequent shallow watering grows shallow roots. A lawn watered ten minutes daily never gets water below the top inch of soil, so the roots stay there, and the first genuinely hot dry week kills it. The same lawn watered deeply twice a week grows roots down where the moisture lasts and rides out August. What most Triangle lawns actually want is roughly an inch of water a week, delivered in one or two long soakings, early morning so the leaf dries before evening. Evening watering leaves grass wet overnight and invites fungal disease, which in a Carolina July is a real risk rather than a theoretical one. Zones should not run the same time. A zone of spray heads delivers water several times faster than a zone of rotors, so running both for fifteen minutes soaks one and starves the other. Beds on drip want different again. We set all of this at the spring startup, and if you have a smart controller we will configure it against local weather data so it skips a cycle after rain rather than watering a puddle. ## What actually breaks Heads, usually because a mower found one. Straightforward, cheap, and worth telling us where you hit it. Heads that have sunk. Turf grows around a head over years until it sprays into the grass rather than over it. Raising heads is one of the more satisfying cheap fixes available. Solenoids and valves, which fail and leave a zone stuck on or stuck off. A zone that will not shut off is the one to call about quickly, because it can run continuously. Wire faults, often where a spade found a cable. These take the longest to diagnose because tracing is methodical work. Mainline leaks, which show as a permanently wet patch or an unexplained water bill. Locating one can mean excavation, and it is the repair most likely to run into a second visit. ## Backflow, which is not optional Your irrigation system is connected to the drinking water supply, and the backflow preventer is what stops irrigation water siphoning back into it. It is a regulated device and in most Triangle jurisdictions it requires periodic testing by a certified tester. We hold the certification, we test, and we file the paperwork. If yours fails, it is replaced like for like and retested; there is no repair option on most types. ## What we do not do We do not install new systems. We service, repair and improve what is there. A whole new irrigation design is a specialty install and we would rather refer it than do it occasionally. We do not work on well pumps. If your irrigation runs off a well, everything from the pressure tank onward is ours and the pump itself is a well and pump contractor. We do not install drainage. A wet patch that turns out to be groundwater rather than a leak is a drainage problem, and we will tell you which one you have. --- ## source: content/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup.mdx ### frontmatter slug: seasonal-cleanup title: Seasonal Cleanup category: outdoor h1: Spring and Autumn Garden Cleanup seoTitle: Seasonal Garden Cleanup in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Spring and autumn garden cleanup across the Triangle, with a November gutter clean timed to when the oaks have actually finished dropping. summary: Two scheduled cleanups a year, in March and November, timed to when Triangle oaks and pines actually finish dropping. voiceSummary: Two scheduled garden cleanups a year, in March and November, timed to when the oaks and pines have actually finished dropping. order: 8 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a fallen tree or a large limb down, which needs an arborist, Customer describes gutters overflowing into the house, which is a roofing enquiry pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 240 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1800 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Lot size and how much of it is under tree canopy, which decides leaf volume more than anything else, Whether the gutter clean is included, and how many storeys the house is, Bed area, since cutting back and mulching is slower than clearing lawn, Whether debris is hauled away or left bagged at the kerb, Whether the property has been left a season or two, which turns a cleanup into a reclamation pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: recurring-program booking.durationMinutes: 180 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: outdoor booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, lotSizeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, treeCanopyExtent, gutterCleanRequired, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Move garden furniture, pots and toys off the lawn and out of the beds, Unlock side gates, since most visits do not need you to be home, Say whether you want debris hauled away or bagged and left at the kerb, Mark anything you do not want cut back, since dormant perennials are hard to identify in November booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: March: leaf and debris clearance, bed edging, cutting back perennials, and fresh mulch, March: pruning of summer-flowering shrubs before growth starts, November: full leaf clearance from lawn, beds and hard standing, November: gutter and downspout clearance where included, November: cutting back spent perennials and clearing annual beds, November: final mow and edge before dormancy, Debris hauled away, or bagged at the kerb if you prefer, A written note of anything we noticed, such as a failing fence post or a blocked downspout scope.excludes: Tree removal, limb removal and stump grinding, which need a certified arborist, Pruning above roughly twelve feet, which is arborist work, Lawn treatments and fertilisation, which are the lawn care program, Irrigation winterisation, which is part of irrigation service, Pressure washing of drives, patios and siding, Planting, replanting and garden design scope.brandsServiced: (none) scope.certifications: NC General Contractor licence 78341 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Two visits a year, in March and November. Each is a half day on a typical lot, a full day on a heavily wooded one. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: If we miss an area, we come back and do it. Leaves that fall after the visit are not a defect, which is why the November date is set late rather than early. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, nov related: lawn-care-programs, irrigation-service, gutter-installation, patios-and-pavers faqRefs: outdoor, global hero.src: /img/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup-hero.jpg hero.alt: Leaves cleared from a lawn into neat piles beside freshly edged and mulched beds in late autumn light lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Two visits, in March and November This is a recurring service on a fixed seasonal cadence rather than a one-off tidy. We text you a few days before each visit and again on the morning. | Month | Visit | | --- | --- | | March | Leaf and debris clearance, bed edging, cutting back perennials, fresh mulch, and pruning of summer-flowering shrubs before growth starts | | November | Full leaf clearance from lawn, beds and hard standing, gutter and downspout clearance where included, cutting back spent perennials, and a final mow and edge | Two visits a year is what a Triangle garden actually needs. More than that is a maintenance contract and less than that is a reclamation project. ## Why November, and not October This is the question we get most, usually from people who have moved here from further north. Triangle oaks do not finish dropping until well into November, and some hold leaves into December. Willow oaks and pin oaks, which are planted through half the older neighbourhoods around Raleigh, are among the last to go. Pines drop needles on their own schedule entirely. A cleanup booked for the second week of October is a cleanup you will need again, and every year we have conversations with people who scheduled early somewhere else and watched the lawn disappear again a fortnight later. We set the November visit late deliberately. If you want the lawn clear for a specific event, tell us and we will schedule an extra visit. That is an additional cleanup rather than a moved one, and we will price it as such rather than move your included visit and leave you covered in December. ## Gutters, and the timing that matters Where the gutter clean is included, it happens on the November visit, after the leaves are down. That order is not arbitrary. Gutters cleared in October fill again from the same trees, and a gutter that is full through a Triangle winter is how water gets behind a fascia board and rots it. If yours have already been overflowing, that may be capacity rather than blockage, which is a gutter installation (/services/roofing/gutter-installation) conversation rather than a cleaning one. We clear gutters from a ladder to the standard reach of a two-storey house. A three-storey elevation we will quote separately. ## What it costs Flat-priced per visit, between $240 and $1,800, and you know the figure when you book. The bottom is a small open lot with little canopy. The top is a heavily wooded acre with extensive beds and a gutter clean, which is a full crew day. The single biggest variable is tree canopy, not lot size. A quarter-acre lot under mature oaks generates several times the leaf volume of a half-acre lot in an open subdivision. No diagnostic fee. Not financing eligible. ## What we do not do Anything requiring a chainsaw at height. Tree removal, limb removal and stump grinding are certified arborist work, and so is pruning above roughly twelve feet. If you have a limb over the roof, that is an arborist and it is worth doing before winter storms rather than after. Lawn treatments. Fertilisation, weed control, aeration and overseeding are the lawn care program (/services/outdoor/lawn-care-programs), which runs on its own seven-visit calendar. The two services pair naturally and most clients who take one take the other. Irrigation winterisation. Blowing out the lines before the first hard freeze is part of irrigation service (/services/outdoor/irrigation-service). Worth booking in the same November window, and worth not forgetting, because a Triangle winter will crack a backflow preventer that was left full. ## Before we arrive Move furniture, pots and toys off the lawn and out of the beds, and unlock the side gates. The one thing genuinely worth doing: mark anything you do not want cut back. Dormant perennials and dormant weeds look identical in November, and a crew clearing efficiently cannot tell which clump is a hellebore you planted last spring. A cane or a bit of tape is enough. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: plumbing title: Plumbing h1: Plumbing in the Triangle seoTitle: Plumbing Repair, Water Heaters & Repiping in Raleigh | Cedarline metaDescription: Drain cleaning, water heater repair and installation, leak detection, sump pumps, repiping and gas line work across the Triangle, with 24/7 emergency cover. summary: Drains, water heaters, leaks, sump pumps, fixtures, repiping and gas lines, with emergency cover on the failures that flood a house. voiceSummary: We handle drains, water heaters, leaks, sump pumps, fixtures, repiping and gas lines, with emergency cover on anything that floods a house. tradeTag: PLUMB crewType: plumbing order: 6 hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: A plumber kneeling beside a wall-mounted tankless water heater in a garage, pressure gauge in hand and PEX and copper connections above the unit faqRefs: plumbing, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The trade where waiting costs the most Plumbing is the trade where a slow response turns a small bill into a large one. A dripping supply line behind a wall does not stay a plumbing problem: it becomes drywall, flooring, cabinetry and sometimes framing. That is why three of our plumbing services are emergency-eligible and covered around the clock: leak detection and repair (/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair), sump pump service (/services/plumbing/sump-pump-service), and gas line service (/services/plumbing/gas-line-service). Those are the failures where an hour genuinely matters. The rest, drains that are slow rather than blocked, a water heater that is working but old, a fixture you want changed, are ordinary dispatch-window work and we will book them that way rather than charge you an emergency rate. ## If you smell gas Leave the building first. Call the gas utility from outside. Then call us. Do not operate light switches, do not touch any appliance or control, and do not go looking for the source. Our phone agents escalate any report of a gas smell to a person immediately. Nobody will try to talk you through a diagnosis while you are standing in the house. ## Know where your shutoffs are The most useful thing you can do before you ever need us is find two things and remember where they are. The main water shutoff. Usually where the supply enters the house, in a crawlspace, a garage, a basement or a utility closet. On a slab house it is sometimes only at the street meter, which needs a key. Find it now, turn it to check it actually moves, and turn it back. A seized shutoff you discover during a burst pipe is the difference between a wet floor and a flooded house. The gas shutoff, at the meter outside, and the individual appliance shutoffs. We will point both out on any visit if you ask, and we would rather spend two minutes on that than take a call from someone standing in rising water who cannot find the valve. ## Triangle-specific problems Clay soil and mature trees are why root intrusion in drain lines is so common here, particularly in older neighbourhoods with clay or cast iron laterals. A drain that backs up seasonally rather than randomly is usually roots. Slab-on-grade construction means many houses have supply lines running in or under the concrete. A leak there is not visible until it shows as a warm spot, an unexplained water bill or damp flooring, which is why leak detection is a real service rather than a formality. Crawlspaces freeze. Uninsulated pipework in a vented crawlspace is the single most common burst pipe we attend, every January. ## What we do not do We do not work on well pumps, pressure tanks or anything upstream of them. That is a well and pump contractor. Everything downstream of the pressure tank is ours. We do not do septic systems, tanks or drain fields. That is a licensed septic contractor, and Wake County keeps a list. We do not do water mitigation or drying after a flood. We stop the water; a restoration contractor dries the house. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning.mdx ### frontmatter slug: drain-cleaning title: Drain Cleaning category: plumbing h1: Drain Cleaning and Unblocking seoTitle: Drain Cleaning & Unblocking in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Flat-priced drain cleaning across the Triangle, with camera inspection where a drain keeps blocking. Root intrusion is common in older neighbourhoods. summary: Flat-priced clearing of blocked and slow drains, with a camera inspection where the same drain keeps coming back. voiceSummary: We clear blocked and slow drains at a flat price, and we camera the line when the same drain keeps blocking. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes sewage backing up into the house, which needs same-day attention, Customer describes every drain in the house backing up at once, which is a main line blockage pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 165 pricing.typicalRange.max: 850 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Which drain. A sink trap is minutes, a main line from a cleanout is a different machine, Whether there is an accessible cleanout, since without one we work through a fixture or the roof vent, How far the blockage is from the access point, Whether a camera inspection is included, which we recommend on any repeat blockage, Whether roots are the cause, since cutting them is slower than clearing grease or paper pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, affectedFixtures, blockageHistory, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Stop using the affected drain, and do not add more drain cleaner, Clear the cupboard under the sink or the area around the cleanout, Note whether one fixture is affected or several, since that tells us where the blockage is, Say whether this drain has blocked before, and roughly how often booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Sink, bath, shower and toilet drain clearing, Main line clearing through an accessible cleanout, Cable machine and hydro jetting as the blockage requires, Root cutting in laterals, Camera inspection of the line, with footage shared with you, Trap and pop-up assembly cleaning and reassembly, Cleanout installation where none exists, quoted separately, A written note of what was found and what caused it scope.excludes: Sewer line replacement and excavation, which is quoted separately, Septic tank pumping and drain field work, Water mitigation and clean-up after a sewage backup, Appliance repair on a dishwasher or washing machine, Drain work inside a slab that requires breaking concrete, Outdoor storm drains and French drains scope.brandsServiced: RIDGID, General Pipe Cleaners, Spartan, US Jetting scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most blockages clear in a single visit under two hours. A camera inspection adds about half an hour. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Thirty days on a cleared drain where a camera inspection was included, because then we know what we were dealing with. Without one we cannot warrant a line we have not seen. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: nov, dec, jan related: leak-detection-and-repair, fixture-installation, sump-pump-service, repiping faqRefs: plumbing, global hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning-hero.jpg hero.alt: A drain camera reel beside an open exterior cleanout in a dewy lawn, with the cable feeding into the pipe lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Flat priced, so you know before we start Drain cleaning is flat-priced between $165 and $850, set by which drain and how it has to be reached, not by how long it takes us. You know the figure when you book and it does not change because the job turned out to be awkward. There is no diagnostic fee. Not financing eligible. The price steps up in a predictable way: a single fixture trap is the cheapest, a main line through an accessible cleanout is more, and a main line with no cleanout, worked through a roof vent or a pulled toilet, is the top of the range. ## One drain or all of them The single most useful thing you can tell us, and it changes what we bring. One fixture is slow or blocked. The problem is local, in that trap or the branch behind it. Usually hair and soap in a bath, grease in a kitchen sink. Several fixtures on the same side of the house. The branch line serving them is blocked. Everything is backing up, and the lowest fixture is worst. That is the main line out to the sewer, and the lowest drain in the house is where it will show first, which is why a ground-floor shower or a basement floor drain is often the first symptom. If flushing an upstairs toilet makes a downstairs shower gurgle or fill, that is a main line blockage. Sewage coming back into the house is a same-day call rather than a routine booking, and it gets escalated to a person. ## Roots, which is the Triangle answer In older Raleigh and Durham neighbourhoods, a main line that blocks seasonally rather than randomly is almost always tree roots. Clay and cast iron laterals have joints. Roots find the joints, because that is where the moisture is, and they grow into the pipe as a fine mat that catches everything passing. It clears, it grows back, and it clears again on a cycle of a year or two. Cutting them restores flow immediately. It does not remove the roots, and anyone telling you it does is overselling. What a camera inspection tells you is how bad the intrusion is and whether the pipe itself has failed, which is the difference between an annual clearing you can live with and a lateral replacement you should plan for. ## Why we push the camera on a repeat blockage If a drain has blocked more than once, clearing it again without looking is treating a symptom. A camera run shows what is actually there: roots, a bellied section holding water, a collapsed pipe, a joint that has offset, or simply grease. Each of those has a different answer and only one of them is solved by cabling it again. It also changes what we can promise. We warrant a cleared drain for thirty days where a camera inspection was included, because then we know what we were dealing with. Without one we are guessing, and we will not warrant a line we have not seen. You get the footage. ## Please stop pouring chemicals down it Consumer drain cleaner is caustic, it rarely clears anything more than a partial soap blockage, and it sits in the trap waiting for whoever opens it. It also makes our job more dangerous. If you have used it, tell us when we arrive rather than after we have opened the trap. We would much rather know. Enzyme-based maintenance products are a different thing and are genuinely useful on a kitchen line that greases up, used regularly rather than as a rescue. ## What actually causes it Kitchen sinks: grease. It goes down warm and liquid, cools in the pipe, and coats the wall. Every subsequent bit of food catches on it. A dishwasher discharging into the same line accelerates it. Bathrooms: hair and soap. They combine into something remarkably tenacious. Toilets: things that are not waste or paper. Wipes are the leading cause. They do not break down in the line no matter what the packet says. Main lines: roots, and occasionally a collapsed section in a house old enough to have clay pipe. ## What we do not do We do not replace sewer lines or excavate, though we will quote it if the camera shows you need it. We do not pump septic tanks or work on drain fields. We do not clean up after a sewage backup, which is a restoration contractor and worth calling the same day. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: water-heater-repair title: Water Heater Repair category: plumbing h1: Water Heater Repair seoTitle: Water Heater Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Water heater diagnosis and repair across the Triangle, gas and electric, tank and tankless. We will tell you when a repair stops being worth it. summary: Diagnosis and repair of gas and electric water heaters, with an honest view on when a repair stops being worth it. voiceSummary: We diagnose and repair gas and electric water heaters, and we tell you honestly when a repair stops being worth the money. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, Customer describes water pouring from the tank, which is a leak emergency, Customer describes the relief valve discharging steam or very hot water pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 185 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1400 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Gas or electric, since the failure modes and the parts are entirely different, Which component failed. A thermocouple is minutes, a gas valve or a control board is not, Tank or tankless, because tankless diagnosis involves error codes and often descaling, Whether the tank itself is leaking, which ends the repair conversation, Access, particularly a unit in a loft or a tight closet pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, fuelType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, unitAgeBand, modelNumber, errorCode, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the label on the tank, which carries the model, serial and date, Clear access to the unit and anything stored around it, Note whether you have no hot water at all, or not enough, If the tank is leaking, shut off the water supply to it and the gas or breaker booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full diagnosis with a written fault report, Thermocouple, thermopile and pilot assembly replacement, Gas control valve replacement, Heating element and thermostat replacement on electric units, Anode rod inspection and replacement, Temperature and pressure relief valve replacement, Expansion tank replacement, Tank flushing and sediment removal, Tankless descaling and error code diagnosis scope.excludes: Full water heater replacement, which is quoted as an installation, Gas line alteration upstream of the appliance shutoff, which is a gas line service, Electrical circuit work at the panel, which is an electrical service, Solar thermal and heat pump water heater sealed system repair, Water damage repair after a tank failure scope.brandsServiced: A. O. Smith, Rheem, Bradford White, Rinnai, Navien, State scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs complete in a single visit. A control board or gas valve that has to be ordered adds two to four working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on the repaired component. Manufacturer warranties on the tank itself run separately and are often still live on a unit under six years old. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: nov, dec, jan, feb related: water-heater-installation, leak-detection-and-repair, gas-line-service, fixture-installation faqRefs: plumbing, global hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: A plumber testing the gas control valve on a tank water heater with the access panel removed lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Check the label before you call The single most useful thing you can send us is a photograph of the label on the side of the tank. It carries the model, the serial and, encoded in the serial, the date of manufacture. That tells us what parts to bring, and it tells us something more important: whether the tank is still under manufacturer warranty. Most tanks carry six to twelve years, and we replace a good number of tanks free under a warranty the owner did not know they had. Bringing the right part on the first visit is the difference between a same-day fix and a second appointment. ## What it costs Most water heater repairs land between $185 and $1,400. A thermocouple on a gas unit or a heating element on an electric one sits at the bottom and is a same-visit fix. A gas control valve or a tankless control board sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Not financing eligible. ## The one finding that ends the repair If the tank itself is leaking, it cannot be repaired. Not by us and not by anyone. A steel tank has a glass lining. When that lining fails the steel corrodes from the inside, and by the time water appears the wall has already gone. There is no patch, no sealant and no weld that is safe on a vessel holding hot water under mains pressure. Water at the base of the tank is usually the tank. Water at a fitting on top, at the relief valve, or at the drain valve is usually not, and those are all repairable. We will tell you which you have, and if it is the tank the conversation becomes water heater installation (/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation). If it is actively pouring, shut the water supply off at the valve above the tank and switch off the gas or the breaker. ## No hot water, or not enough Different symptoms, different faults, and worth telling us which. None at all on a gas unit is usually the pilot, thermocouple or gas valve. On an electric unit it is usually the upper element or thermostat, or a tripped high-limit that needs resetting and, more to the point, explaining. Some, but it runs out fast is usually the lower element on an electric unit, or sediment. Which brings us to the Triangle problem. Sediment. Municipal water here carries enough mineral content that tanks accumulate a layer of scale on the bottom over years. On a gas unit that layer insulates the water from the burner, so the unit works harder and heats less. It is also what makes an old tank rumble and pop when it fires. An annual flush prevents most of it; a tank that has never been flushed in ten years may be past the point where flushing helps, and disturbing heavy sediment can unseat the drain valve. ## Tankless is a different animal Tankless units fail differently and diagnose differently. They report error codes, which are genuinely useful, so read the display and tell us the code when you book. The most common issue we see here is scale. A tankless heat exchanger runs water through narrow passages, and Triangle water will scale them up over a few years. Descaling is routine maintenance rather than a repair, it should happen roughly annually, and a unit that has never had it will underperform and eventually error out. ## When repair stops being sensible Honest arithmetic rather than a sales line. A tank water heater lasts roughly eight to twelve years. If yours is over ten, out of warranty, and needs a part costing a meaningful fraction of a new unit, replacement is usually the better decision, and you get a new warranty with it. Under about eight years, repair almost always wins, particularly if the manufacturer warranty is still live on the tank. We will give you both numbers and let you choose. We will not tell you a five-year-old tank with a failed thermocouple needs replacing. ## What we do not do Gas line alteration upstream of the appliance shutoff is gas line service (/services/plumbing/gas-line-service). Electrical work at the panel is an electrical service. We do not repair the sealed systems in heat pump or solar thermal water heaters, which go back to the manufacturer. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: water-heater-installation title: Water Heater Installation category: plumbing h1: Water Heater Installation and Replacement seoTitle: Water Heater Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Tank and tankless water heater replacement across the Triangle, sized to the house, brought to current code, and usually done the same day. summary: Tank and tankless water heater replacement, sized to the house and brought up to current code, usually in a single day. voiceSummary: We replace tank and tankless water heaters, sized to your house and brought up to current code, usually in a single day. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, Customer has a tank actively leaking onto a finished floor pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 1600 pricing.typicalRange.max: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Tank or tankless, since tankless needs new venting and often a gas line upsize, Capacity and recovery rate, set by the number of bathrooms rather than by what was there before, Gas or electric, and whether the existing supply suits the replacement, Access. A loft or a tight closet takes longer than a garage, What has to be brought up to current code, such as an expansion tank, a drip pan or seismic strapping pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: installation-visit booking.durationMinutes: 180 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, fuelType, bathroomCount booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, unitAgeBand, modelNumber, tanklessInterest, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the label on the existing tank and the space around it, Clear a path from the door to the unit wide enough to carry a tank out, Clear anything stored around the unit and above it, Say how many bathrooms the house has, since it sizes the replacement booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Sizing to the household rather than matching the outgoing unit, Removal and responsible disposal of the old unit, New tank or tankless unit, supplied and installed, New flexible connectors, shutoff valve and dielectric unions, Expansion tank where the system is closed and one is required, Drip pan and drain line where the unit sits over a finished space, New temperature and pressure relief valve and discharge pipe to code, Venting, including new venting for a tankless unit, Gas connection at the appliance shutoff, or electrical connection at an existing circuit, Combustion test on gas units and manufacturer warranty registration scope.excludes: Gas line upsizing back to the meter, which is a gas line service quoted separately, New electrical circuits or panel work, which is an electrical service, Structural work to enlarge an access opening, Water treatment and softening equipment, Repair of water damage caused by the failed unit, Solar thermal system installation scope.brandsServiced: A. O. Smith, Rheem, Bradford White, Rinnai, Navien, State scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: A like-for-like tank replacement is a single day, usually three to four hours. A tankless conversion is one to two days because of the venting and the gas supply. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our installation. Manufacturer tank warranties run separately, typically six to twelve years, and we register yours before we leave. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: nov, dec, jan, feb related: water-heater-repair, gas-line-service, leak-detection-and-repair, fixture-installation faqRefs: plumbing, global hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A gas water heater being replaced in a garage, the old unit on a dolly and the new one still strapped, with flexible connectors and a drain pan ready lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Usually the same day Unlike most replacement work on this site, a water heater does not need a design phase. A like-for-like tank swap is three to four hours and we carry common sizes, so a tank that failed this morning is frequently replaced this afternoon. That matters, because a house with no hot water is a house with a deadline. Flat-priced between $1,600 and $6,500, so you know the figure before we start rather than after. A standard tank replacement in an accessible garage sits at the bottom; a tankless conversion with new venting sits at the top. Water heater replacement is financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum, which tankless conversions and larger tanks do. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Sized to the house, not to the old one We size on bathroom count and household size, not by reading the label on the outgoing unit. That is deliberate, because the existing tank is frequently the wrong size. Builders install to a price, and a house that has since gained a bathroom or a family is running on a tank specified for neither. If everyone showering in the morning is a scheduling exercise, the tank is undersized and replacing it like for like buys you the same problem for another decade. On gas units the number that actually matters is recovery rate, how fast it reheats, not just capacity. A smaller tank with high recovery can outperform a larger slow one for a family. ## Tank or tankless, honestly Tankless heats on demand, never runs out, lasts roughly twice as long as a tank, and takes up a fraction of the space. It is a genuinely better product. It is also a bigger job than people expect, and the reason is not the unit. A tankless heater needs new venting, because it is a condensing appliance and cannot use a conventional flue. It usually needs a larger gas supply line, because it fires at several times the BTU of a tank, and if your line is undersized that is a gas line service (/services/plumbing/gas-line-service) quoted separately. On electric, the load is frequently beyond what a domestic panel can carry at all. So the honest position: tankless is the better long-term answer for most houses, and it is the better decision at the point the venting and gas work are already justified. Replacing a failed tank on a Tuesday afternoon is usually not that moment, and we will tell you so rather than upsell a conversion into an emergency. There is one more thing worth knowing: tankless needs annual descaling in Triangle water. It is routine maintenance, not a defect, and a unit that never gets it will underperform within a few years. ## What we bring up to code An older installation is frequently missing things that are now required, and we fit them as part of the work rather than leaving them: An expansion tank, needed on any closed system, which most Triangle houses now are because of backflow preventers on the supply. Without one, thermal expansion has nowhere to go and it stresses the tank and the relief valve. A drip pan with a drain line where the unit sits above a finished space. A loft installation with no pan is a ceiling waiting to come down. A relief valve discharge pipe run correctly to a safe termination, which is a safety fitting and frequently found capped, plugged or pointing at somebody's ankles. ## Before we arrive Photograph the label on the existing tank and the space around it, and send both. Clear a path from the door wide enough to carry a tank out; a full one weighs a great deal more than the empty one going in. Tell us how many bathrooms the house has. That single number drives the sizing more than anything else you can tell us. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: leak-detection-and-repair title: Leak Detection and Repair category: plumbing h1: Leak Detection and Repair seoTitle: Leak Detection & Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | 24/7 | Cedarline metaDescription: Slab, wall and supply leak detection across the Triangle, located acoustically before anything is opened up. Active leaks covered around the clock. summary: We find leaks inside walls, under slabs and in supply lines, and repair them once located, with 24/7 cover on an active leak. voiceSummary: We find and repair leaks inside walls, under slabs and in supply lines. An active leak is covered around the clock. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: emergency triage.emergencySymptoms: Water running or spraying that you cannot shut off, Water coming through a ceiling or down a wall, A supply line burst in a crawlspace, loft or wall cavity, Water reaching an electrical fitting or a distribution board triage.escalateToHuman: Water is actively entering a finished ceiling, Water is reaching an electrical fitting or a distribution board, Customer cannot locate or operate the main water shutoff pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 220 pricing.typicalRange.max: 4800 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Where the leak is. A visible joint under a sink is an hour, a slab leak is a different job, Whether the location has to be found acoustically or with a pressure test before anything opens, Whether the repair means cutting concrete, opening a wall, or working in a crawlspace, Whether the affected run is repaired in place or rerouted overhead, which is often cheaper on a slab, How much of the pipework is the same age, since one failure in old polybutylene rarely stays one pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, waterBillHistory, foundationType, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Shut off the main water supply if water is running and you can reach the valve, Photograph the damp patch or stain and note when it appeared, Clear access to the water heater, the main shutoff and any crawlspace entry, Note whether the water bill has risen without an explanation booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Acoustic leak location on pressurised supply lines, Pressure and isolation testing to confirm which run is losing water, Thermal imaging to trace water travel behind finishes, Slab leak location, and repair either in place or by rerouting overhead, Supply line repair in walls, ceilings and crawlspaces, Fitting, valve and connector replacement, Pinhole repair in copper, and section replacement where corrosion is general, Emergency isolation and capping to stop water while a permanent repair is planned, A written report of what was found and what caused it scope.excludes: Drywall, plaster, paint and flooring repair after a leak, Water mitigation, drying and mould remediation, Whole-house repiping, which is quoted separately, Roof leaks, which are a roofing service, Irrigation and outdoor line leaks, which are an outdoor service, Septic and well system leaks scope.brandsServiced: SharkBite, Uponor, Viega, NIBCO, Moen, Watts scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Location is usually within the first visit. An accessible repair completes the same day; a slab leak needing a reroute is one to two days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on the repaired section. A repair on ageing polybutylene or corroded galvanised does not warrant the rest of the system, and we will tell you when that is what you have. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: dec, jan, feb related: repiping, water-heater-repair, sump-pump-service, drain-cleaning faqRefs: plumbing, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: A plumber using acoustic leak detection equipment against a slab floor beside a damp patch lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Shut the water off first If water is running and you cannot stop it, the most useful thing you can do before we arrive is close the main shutoff. It is usually where the supply enters the house: a crawlspace, a garage, a basement or a utility closet. On a slab house it is sometimes only at the street meter, which needs a meter key. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot find it or it will not move, tell us when you call. That report goes straight to a person, and we will talk you through it while a crew is already moving. If water is reaching a light fitting or a distribution board, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit if you can do so safely. That also goes straight to a person. ## This is emergency-eligible An active leak is covered around the clock, including holidays, with a 90 minute response target. Outside dispatch hours the emergency call-out fee applies on top of the repair. What counts: water running or spraying that you cannot shut off, water coming through a ceiling, a burst supply line, or water reaching anything electrical. What does not: a slow drip under a sink that has been there a fortnight, or a damp patch that has not grown. Those are real problems and they are next-available-window problems, and we will book them that way rather than charge you an emergency rate. ## Finding it is the job The reason this is a service rather than a line item is that water travels. It leaves a pipe, runs along a joist or a slab, and appears somewhere else entirely. The stain is rarely under the hole. So we locate before we open anything up. Acoustic equipment listens for the sound of water escaping a pressurised line, which through concrete or drywall is a genuine skill rather than a gadget. Pressure and isolation testing narrows which run is losing water. Thermal imaging traces where warm water has travelled behind a finish. The alternative, which is what happens when someone guesses, is a series of holes in your ceiling until one of them is in the right place. ## Slab leaks A supply line running in or under the concrete slab, which is how a great many Triangle houses are built. The signs are indirect: a warm patch on the floor, an unexplained jump in the water bill, the sound of running water with everything off, or damp appearing at the edge of a room. By the time flooring lifts, it has usually been leaking for a while. Two ways to repair one. Cut and repair in place means breaking the slab, fixing the pipe and patching the concrete. Reroute overhead abandons the failed run and replaces it with new pipework through the loft or the walls. Rerouting is frequently cheaper, faster and less destructive than breaking a floor, and on an older system it is usually what we recommend, because a slab that has produced one failure will produce another. ## When one leak is telling you about the whole system Some pipe materials fail in a pattern rather than at a point, and we will say so plainly. Polybutylene, the grey plastic pipe used widely between the late 1970s and mid 1990s, becomes brittle and fails at fittings. One failure means more are coming. Galvanised steel corrodes from the inside, restricting flow and eventually weeping through the wall of the pipe. Copper with multiple pinholes is usually reacting to water chemistry or velocity, and patching each hole is a treadmill. Where we find any of those, the honest recommendation is repiping (/services/plumbing/repiping) rather than a fourth repair. We will still do the repair if that is what you want today. ## What we do not do We stop the water. We do not repair the drywall, the ceiling, the paint or the flooring afterwards, and we do not dry the house out. Water mitigation is a restoration contractor and if the leak has been running a while you should call one the same day, because drying matters in the first forty-eight hours. Roof leaks are a roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair). Irrigation leaks are an irrigation service (/services/outdoor/irrigation-service). --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/fixture-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: fixture-installation title: Fixture Installation category: plumbing h1: Plumbing Fixture Installation seoTitle: Faucet, Toilet & Fixture Installation in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Faucet, toilet, sink, disposal and shower valve installation across the Triangle, flat priced per fixture with shutoffs replaced as standard. summary: Faucets, toilets, sinks, disposals and shower valves fitted at a flat price per fixture, with the shutoff valves replaced as standard. voiceSummary: We fit faucets, toilets, sinks, disposals and shower valves at a flat price per fixture, replacing the shutoff valves as standard. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer describes a fixture leaking that they cannot isolate at a shutoff, Customer describes a toilet overflowing repeatedly, which is usually a drain blockage pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 185 pricing.typicalRange.max: 2400 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How many fixtures on one visit, since several together cost less each than separately, Whether it is a like-for-like swap or the supply and waste have to move, Whether a shower valve is being replaced, which usually means opening the wall behind it, Whether existing shutoff valves are seized, which they frequently are on older installations, Whether the fixture is one you supplied or one we source pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, fixtureType, fixtureCount booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, fixtureBrand, modelNumber, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Have the new fixtures on site and unboxed, and check nothing is missing from the box, Clear the cupboard under the sink completely, Check whether the existing shutoff valves turn, and tell us if they do not, For a toilet, measure the rough-in from the wall to the centre of the bolts booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Kitchen and bathroom faucet installation, Toilet installation, including a new wax or foam seal and bolts, Sink and vanity basin installation, including waste and trap, Garbage disposal installation and wiring to an existing switched outlet, Shower and bath valve replacement, including cartridge upgrades, Shutoff valve replacement as standard on any fixture we touch, Supply line replacement in braided stainless, Outdoor hose bib and frost-free sillcock replacement, Water filter and instant hot tap installation scope.excludes: Tiling, drywall and finishing where a wall has to be opened, Moving supply or waste more than a short distance, which is a remodel, New electrical circuits for a disposal, which is an electrical service, Countertop cutting and templating, Appliance repair on a dishwasher or washing machine, Fixtures themselves unless you ask us to source them scope.brandsServiced: Moen, Delta, Kohler, American Standard, Toto, InSinkErator, Grohe scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most fixtures are under two hours. A shower valve that needs the wall opened is most of a day. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on our installation. Fixtures you supply carry their own manufacturer warranty and our labour warranty only. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, oct, nov related: drain-cleaning, water-heater-installation, leak-detection-and-repair, bathroom-remodeling faqRefs: plumbing, global hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/fixture-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: Hands fitting a braided supply line to a quarter-turn shutoff valve under a sink, with a work light clipped to the cabinet door lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Flat priced per fixture Between $185 and $2,400, depending on the fixture and how many you are doing. You know the figure when you book and there is no diagnostic fee. Several fixtures on one visit costs less per fixture than the same fixtures on separate visits. Most of the cost of a short job is getting a plumber to your house, so if you have a list, do the list. Tell us everything when you book rather than adding items on the day, because it changes how long we allocate. Not financing eligible. ## We replace the shutoffs, every time This is included as standard rather than offered as an upgrade, and it is worth explaining why. The small valves under a sink or behind a toilet are the ones you will reach for in an emergency. Most of them are the multi-turn type fitted at construction, and after fifteen years of never being moved they seize, or they turn and then weep from the stem afterwards. Discovering that during a burst supply line is the worst possible moment. So on any fixture we touch, the shutoffs get replaced with quarter-turn ball valves, which either work or visibly do not, and the supply lines get replaced with braided stainless. The supply lines matter more than people think: the plastic-nut supply lines fitted as standard on a great deal of Triangle housing are a known failure point, and a supply line letting go under a sink while you are at work is a genuinely expensive day. ## Buy your own fixtures We would rather you did, and we will fit whatever you have bought. It puts the manufacturer warranty in your name, it lets you buy in a sale, and it means we are not marking up a faucet. What we will do is tell you honestly which brands we see failing: cartridge availability in ten years is the thing that separates a good faucet from a cheap one, and a fixture whose cartridge is discontinued becomes a replacement rather than a repair. Two things to check before we arrive. Open the box and confirm nothing is missing, because a missing mounting kit turns a fitted faucet into a return trip. And for a toilet, measure the rough-in: the distance from the finished wall to the centre of the floor bolts. It is almost always twelve inches, and when it is ten or fourteen a standard toilet will not fit. ## Shower valves are the exception Everything else on this page is a straightforward swap. A shower or bath valve usually is not, because the valve body is behind the wall. Sometimes there is an access panel behind it, from a cupboard or an adjoining room, and the job stays simple. Often there is not, and the tile has to come off to reach it. That is the difference between two hours and most of a day, and it is why a shower valve sits at the top of the price range. We do not retile afterwards. If your valve needs the wall opened and the bathroom is tired anyway, that is worth knowing before you spend on a valve, because bathroom remodeling (/services/construction/bathroom-remodeling) may be the better use of the money. A cheaper option worth asking about: many valves can take a new cartridge rather than a new body, which fixes a drip or a temperature problem without opening anything. ## Frost-free hose bibs Worth a line because it is a Triangle-specific failure we attend every February. An ordinary outdoor tap holds water in the pipe right at the wall, and a hard freeze splits it. You find out in spring, when you turn it on and water appears inside the crawlspace. A frost-free sillcock puts the valve seat well inside the heated envelope so the exposed section drains. Replacing one is a straightforward job and it is the cheapest burst-pipe prevention available. Disconnect the hose in winter either way, because a connected hose defeats even a frost-free tap. ## What we do not do We do not tile, patch drywall or paint where a wall has been opened. We do not move supply and waste any distance, which is remodel work. We do not cut countertops, and we do not run new electrical circuits for a disposal, though we will connect to an existing switched outlet. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/sump-pump-service.mdx ### frontmatter slug: sump-pump-service title: Sump Pump Service category: plumbing h1: Sump Pump Repair and Replacement seoTitle: Sump Pump Repair & Replacement in Raleigh & Durham | 24/7 | Cedarline metaDescription: Sump pump repair, replacement and battery backup across the Triangle. A failed pump with water rising is covered around the clock. summary: Sump pump repair, replacement and battery backup, with 24/7 cover when a pump has failed and water is rising. voiceSummary: We repair and replace sump pumps and fit battery backups. A failed pump with water rising is covered around the clock. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: emergency triage.emergencySymptoms: Water rising in the sump basin with the pump not running, Water already over the basement or crawlspace floor, The pump running continuously without lowering the water, A pump failure with heavy rain forecast within the next day triage.escalateToHuman: Water is rising and has reached anything electrical, Customer reports water over a finished floor, Customer has a medical or mobility reason they cannot leave a flooding lower level pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 240 pricing.typicalRange.max: 3600 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the pump is repaired, replaced, or replaced with a larger unit, Whether a battery backup or a water-powered backup is being added, Whether the discharge line is blocked, frozen or discharging too close to the house, Whether the basin is undersized or silted up and needs replacing, Whether a dedicated circuit is needed, which brings in an electrician pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, pumpAgeBand, floodHistory, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear stored items away from the sump basin and the discharge line, Note whether the pump hums, runs continuously, or does nothing at all, Check whether the outlet the pump is plugged into has power, Say how long the pump has been in and whether it has ever been replaced booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Full test of pump, float switch, check valve and discharge line, Pump repair or replacement, cast iron or thermoplastic, Float switch replacement, tethered or vertical, Check valve replacement to stop water draining back into the basin, Discharge line clearing, repair and rerouting away from the foundation, Battery backup pump installation and testing, Water-powered backup installation where mains pressure allows, Basin replacement or enlargement where the existing one is inadequate, High-water alarm installation scope.excludes: Interior perimeter drainage installation, which is a construction service, Exterior foundation waterproofing and excavation, Dedicated electrical circuit installation, which is an electrical service, Water mitigation and drying after a flood, Septic effluent pumps and grinder pumps in septic systems, Well pumps and pressure tanks scope.brandsServiced: Zoeller, Liberty, Wayne, Basement Watchdog, Hydromatic scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs and replacements complete in a single visit. Adding a battery backup adds an hour. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Twelve months on our work. Pumps carry their own manufacturer warranty, typically three to five years on a cast iron unit, which we register. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: feb, mar, apr, aug, sep related: leak-detection-and-repair, drain-cleaning, basement-finishing, repiping faqRefs: plumbing, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/sump-pump-service-hero.jpg hero.alt: A newly installed cast iron sump pump in a clean basin with a check valve and battery backup unit beside it lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## A failed pump with water rising is an emergency Sump pumps fail at the worst possible moment, because the worst possible moment is exactly when they are working hardest. Almost every failure we attend happens during or just after heavy rain. That is why this is emergency-eligible and covered around the clock, with a 90 minute response target. Outside dispatch hours the emergency call-out fee applies on top of the repair. If you have a failed pump and heavy rain is forecast within the next day, call rather than book online. A pump that has not failed yet but will not start when tested is the same problem twenty-four hours earlier, and it is much cheaper to attend before the water arrives. ## What it costs Most sump pump work lands between $240 and $3,600. A float switch replacement sits at the bottom. A new cast iron pump, a new basin, a rerouted discharge line and a battery backup sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Not financing eligible. ## Why they fail The float switch, more often than the pump. The switch tells the pump to run, and the tethered type gets caught against the basin wall or on debris. A pump that is fine but never told to start is the most common failure we find, and it is the cheapest to fix. The pump has simply aged out. A sump pump is a motor that sits in water. Most last somewhere between seven and ten years, and a builder-grade thermoplastic unit at the shorter end of that. If yours came with the house and the house is over a decade old, it is living on borrowed time. The discharge line is blocked or frozen. The pump runs, the water does not go anywhere, and the motor burns out trying. In a Triangle January a discharge line that terminates flat on the ground freezes at the end and backs up. Power. No dedicated circuit, or a GFCI outlet that tripped weeks ago and nobody noticed. Worth checking before you call: is there power at that outlet. The check valve failed, so every cycle the water in the pipe drains straight back into the basin and the pump short-cycles itself to death. ## Backup, because a pump needs power The failure nobody plans for: the storm that fills your basement is the storm that takes the power out. A mains pump with no backup is a pump that stops exactly when it is needed. A battery backup is a second pump on a deep-cycle battery that starts automatically when the primary fails or the power goes. It will run for several hours, which covers most Triangle outages. It is the single most worthwhile addition to any sump system and it costs a fraction of what one flooded basement does. A water-powered backup uses mains water pressure to drive an ejector and needs no battery at all, so it runs indefinitely. It only works where mains pressure is good, it uses water while running, and it is not permitted everywhere. We will tell you if your supply suits it. A high-water alarm is the cheapest insurance of all: it does nothing to pump the water, but it tells you the level is rising before the floor does. ## Where the water goes A discharge line that dumps next to the foundation is pumping water back to where it came from, and the pump will cycle continuously in wet weather. It should discharge well away from the house, ideally to daylight or a dry well, in solid pipe rather than corrugated. In the Triangle it also needs to be freeze-resistant at the outlet, which usually means a slope that drains fully and an end that will not sit in a puddle. ## What we do not do Interior perimeter drainage. A sump pump removes water that has already arrived; a perimeter drain is what collects and delivers it. Installing one is a basement finishing (/services/construction/basement-finishing) or waterproofing project rather than a plumbing call. Exterior waterproofing. Digging out the foundation is a specialist operation and we refer it. Drying the house. We stop the water. A restoration contractor dries what got wet, and the first forty-eight hours matter. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/repiping.mdx ### frontmatter slug: repiping title: Repiping category: plumbing h1: Whole-House Repiping seoTitle: Whole-House Repiping in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Whole-house repiping across the Triangle, replacing failing polybutylene, galvanised and pinholing copper. Permitted, inspected, financing available. summary: Replacing the whole supply system in a house whose pipework is failing as a system rather than at a point. voiceSummary: We replace the whole supply system in houses where the pipework is failing everywhere rather than in one place. order: 7 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer has an active leak, which is a leak repair and possibly an emergency, Customer has no water at all to the house pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 8500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 18000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Number of bathrooms and fixtures, which sets the number of runs rather than square footage alone, One storey or two, since a second floor means opening ceilings or running from above, Whether the house is on a crawlspace, a basement or a slab, which decides how accessible the runs are, Pipe material chosen, since PEX and copper differ substantially in labour and material, How much drywall has to be opened, and whether we or a decorator make it good, Whether the main service line from the meter is being replaced at the same time pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, bathroomCount booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, pipeMaterial, leakHistory, foundationType, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the pipework where it is visible, at the water heater and under a sink, Clear access to the crawlspace or basement and to the loft hatch, List every leak you have had and roughly when, since the pattern matters, Note the water pressure at the furthest fixture from the meter booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: Repiping is designed around your house before it is priced. The number of fixtures, whether the runs are reachable from a crawlspace or a loft, how much drywall has to come out and which pipe material suits all change the cost substantially. Book a free survey and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Full survey of the existing system with written findings, Design of new runs to minimise the finishes that have to be opened, Permit application, inspection scheduling and meeting the inspector on site, Replacement of all hot and cold supply pipework in PEX or copper, New shutoff valves at every fixture and a new main shutoff, New supply lines to every fixture and appliance, Pressure testing and chlorination of the new system before handover, Drywall access holes cut cleanly and patched, ready for paint, Water heater reconnection and expansion tank where required scope.excludes: Drain, waste and vent pipework, which is a separate system and a separate quote, The service line from the street meter to the house, quoted separately, Painting after patching, and wallpaper reinstatement, Fixture replacement, unless you ask for it at the same time, Asbestos-containing pipe lagging, which requires an abatement contractor, Water treatment and softening equipment scope.brandsServiced: Uponor, Viega, SharkBite, NIBCO, Sioux Chief scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095 scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Three to six days on site for a typical Triangle house, after a two to three week lead for the permit and scheduling. Water is off during the day and back on each evening. warranty.labourMonths: 120 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Ten years on our workmanship, longer than any other plumbing service we offer, because a repipe is a whole system we installed rather than a repair to somebody else's. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, mar, oct related: leak-detection-and-repair, water-heater-installation, fixture-installation, drain-cleaning faqRefs: plumbing, global, billing-and-insurance hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/repiping-hero.jpg hero.alt: New PEX supply runs installed through a crawlspace with a new manifold and shutoff valves lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## When one repair is not the answer Most plumbing failures are a point failure: a fitting, a valve, a section. You fix it and the system carries on. Some pipe materials do not fail that way. They fail as a system, on a schedule, and repairing each leak as it appears is a treadmill that costs more over five years than replacing the lot. Polybutylene, the grey plastic pipe installed widely between the late 1970s and the mid 1990s and extremely common in Triangle housing of that era. It becomes brittle from the inside and fails at the fittings. One failure means others are coming, and insurers are increasingly unwilling to cover a house that still has it. Galvanised steel, in older houses. It corrodes internally, which restricts flow long before it leaks. If your pressure has fallen off over years and the hot side is worse than the cold, that is usually galvanised. Copper with repeated pinholes. Copper is a good material and most of it lasts decades. When it starts producing pinholes in multiple places, that is water chemistry or velocity acting on the whole system, and patching each hole individually is not a plan. If you have had two or three supply leaks in a couple of years, the pattern is the diagnosis. ## What it costs Most repipes land between $8,500 and $18,000, set mainly by fixture count, storeys and how accessible the runs are. Repiping is financing eligible and clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). This is a case where financing genuinely helps rather than merely spreads: the failures continue and get more expensive while you wait, and each one carries water damage the repipe would have prevented. ## What actually happens, and how disruptive it is The honest answer: less disruptive than people fear, and more than a normal service call. Three to six days on site for a typical Triangle house. Water is off during the working day and back on every evening, so you can stay in the house. We tell you the morning we will shut it off. The design phase is where we earn the fee. Running new PEX from a crawlspace or a loft reaches most fixtures without touching a wall, and a good layout can cut the number of access holes by more than half. What is left is cut cleanly in the right places, not smashed through wherever was convenient. We patch the drywall ready for paint. We do not paint, and we do not reinstate wallpaper, which is worth planning for. At the end the system is pressure tested and chlorinated before it goes back into service, and the county inspects it. ## PEX or copper PEX is what we install in most houses. It is flexible, so it snakes through joists and around corners with far fewer joints, and fewer joints means fewer places to leak. It resists freeze damage better than copper, which in a Triangle crawlspace in January is not a small thing. It is quicker to install, which is most of why it is cheaper. Copper is still the right answer in some situations, and some owners simply prefer it. It costs more in material and considerably more in labour. We will quote whichever you want and tell you which we would fit in our own house. ## Every shutoff replaced A repipe includes new shutoff valves at every fixture and a new main shutoff. That is not padding. Old multi-turn stops seize, and a system with new pipework and twenty-year-old seized stops is one where you still cannot isolate anything. New quarter-turn valves throughout is part of what you are buying. ## What is not included Drains. This is the supply system, hot and cold. Drain, waste and vent pipework is a separate system with separate problems, and if yours also needs work we will quote it separately rather than bundling it invisibly. The service line from the street meter to the house is a separate run and a separate quote, though doing both together saves on mobilisation if the survey shows it is needed. Painting, and any asbestos-containing pipe lagging, which is common in houses of the age that need repiping and goes to an abatement contractor before we start. --- ## source: content/services/plumbing/gas-line-service.mdx ### frontmatter slug: gas-line-service title: Gas Line Service category: plumbing h1: Gas Line Repair and Installation seoTitle: Gas Line Repair & Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Gas line repair, testing and installation across the Triangle, with 24/7 emergency response. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility first. summary: Gas line repair, pressure testing and new appliance runs, with emergency response around the clock. voiceSummary: We repair, test and install gas lines, with emergency response around the clock. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the utility first. order: 8 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: emergency triage.emergencySymptoms: A smell of gas anywhere in or around the building, A gas detector or carbon monoxide alarm sounding, A hissing sound at a gas meter, appliance or line, A gas line struck or damaged during digging or building work triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, A carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, A gas line has been struck during excavation pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 240 pricing.typicalRange.max: 4200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the fault is at a fitting, a shutoff, a flex connector or in a buried run, How much of the line has to be opened up to reach, since a wall or a slab changes the work, Whether a new run is being installed, and how far it travels from the meter, Pipe material. Black iron, CSST and polyethylene underground each need different handling, Whether a pressure test and a county inspection are required pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: plumbing booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription, applianceType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, meterLocation, applianceModel, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: If you can smell gas, do not wait for us. Leave the building and call the gas utility from outside, Clear access to the gas meter and to the appliance concerned, Have the appliance model number to hand if a new connection is being made, Keep pets and children away from the work area booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Leak location using an electronic gas detector and a pressure test, Fitting, union and flex connector replacement, Appliance shutoff valve replacement, New gas runs in black iron or CSST to a new appliance location, Sediment trap installation where one is missing, Bonding of CSST where current code requires it, Pressure testing and certification of the line, Capping off a disused appliance run, Coordination with the gas utility where the fault is on their side of the meter scope.excludes: Anything on the utility side of the gas meter, which belongs to the gas company, Appliance repair, which is the appliance manufacturer or an appliance specialist, Furnace and boiler repair, which is an HVAC service, Propane tank installation, testing and relocation, Excavation of long buried runs across a property, which is quoted separately, Chimney and flue work scope.brandsServiced: Gastite, Wardflex, ProFlex, Watts, Dormont scope.certifications: NC Plumbing licence P.1-32095, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most repairs finish in a single visit. A new run to a new appliance location is one to two days, plus the county inspection where one is required. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, longer than our general plumbing cover, because a gas joint is not something you should have to check. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: oct, nov, dec, jan related: water-heater-installation, water-heater-repair, leak-detection-and-repair, furnace-repair faqRefs: plumbing, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/plumbing/gas-line-service-hero.jpg hero.alt: A plumber pressure testing a black iron gas line with a manometer at a capped tee lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## If you smell gas, stop reading and leave Leave the building first. Call the gas utility from outside. Then call us. Do not operate light switches, do not touch any appliance or control, and do not go looking for the source. The gas utility makes the property safe; we deal with the equipment afterwards. Our technicians and our phone agents follow the same rule. Any report of a gas smell is escalated to a person immediately, and nobody will try to talk you through a diagnosis over the phone while you are standing in the house. The same applies to a sounding carbon monoxide alarm. Leave, call the utility, call us second. ## Where our work starts The gas meter is the dividing line. Everything on the house side of it is ours. Everything on the utility side, including the meter itself and the service line from the street, belongs to the gas company, and they will attend it free of charge. That matters when you are deciding who to call. If the smell is outside near the meter, or in the street, that is the utility and only the utility. If it is inside at an appliance, it is likely ours, but you still call them first because they will make the property safe faster than anyone. ## What it costs Most gas line work lands between $240 and $4,200. Replacing a failed flex connector or an appliance shutoff sits at the bottom. A new run in black iron across a house to a new range or generator location sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Emergency dispatch outside dispatch hours carries the call-out fee, and the after-hours surcharge applies to overnight and Sunday work. Not financing eligible. ## What we actually find Flex connectors past their life. The corrugated connector between a rigid line and an appliance has a service life, and old ones crack at the flare. This is the most common leak we find, and it is a cheap fix. Fittings that were never sealed properly, usually on work done by someone unlicensed. Gas thread sealant is a specific product; PTFE tape intended for water is not it. Missing sediment traps. A drip leg below the appliance connection catches debris before it reaches a gas valve. Plenty of older installations do not have one, and the appliance pays for it eventually. Unbonded CSST. Flexible corrugated stainless tubing is common in newer Triangle houses and it has to be electrically bonded, because a nearby lightning strike can arc through it and puncture the tubing. If your house has yellow flexible gas line and no bonding conductor at the meter, that is worth correcting. Lines capped badly. A disused run from a removed appliance, shut off at a valve rather than properly capped, left live behind a wall. ## Testing, not guessing Every repair we make is followed by a pressure test: the line is isolated, brought up to test pressure, and held while we watch a manometer. A joint either holds or it does not, and a soap bubble check is not a substitute. Where a new run or a significant alteration is involved, the county inspects it. We arrange that and meet the inspector. ## New appliance runs Adding a gas range, a dryer, a generator or an outdoor fire feature means a new run from the manifold or from an existing line with spare capacity. The question that decides feasibility is capacity, not distance. Every appliance has a demand in BTU, the line is sized for total connected load, and adding a large appliance to a line already at its limit starves everything on it. The symptom is intermittent and it is miserable to diagnose later. We calculate it before quoting rather than after. ## What we do not do Appliance repair. We bring the gas safely to the connection. What happens inside a range, a dryer or a fireplace insert is the manufacturer or an appliance specialist. Furnace repair (/services/hvac/furnace-repair) is our HVAC crew rather than this one. Propane tanks. Installation, testing and relocation of a propane tank is a specialty. We will work on the house-side pipework downstream of a propane regulator. Anything past the meter toward the street. That is the utility, every time. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/_category.mdx ### frontmatter slug: electrical title: Electrical h1: Electrical Work in the Triangle seoTitle: Electrician in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Panels, EV, Generators | Cedarline metaDescription: Panel upgrades, outlet and switch repair, lighting, ceiling fans, EV chargers, generators and safety inspections across the Triangle. summary: Panel upgrades, outlets and switches, lighting, ceiling fans, EV chargers, generators and safety inspections. voiceSummary: We upgrade panels, repair outlets and switches, fit lighting and fans, and install EV chargers and generators. tradeTag: ELEC crewType: electrical order: 7 hero.src: /img/services/electrical/category-hero.jpg hero.alt: An electrician working at an open residential electrical panel with the dead front removed, multimeter leads in hand and neatly dressed conductors visible faqRefs: electrical, global lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## One crew, and why we do not rush Electrical is our smallest trade, one crew, and it books out further ahead than most. We are not going to pretend that is convenient. It is also the trade where cutting a corner does not show up as a callback. It shows up years later as a warm outlet behind a sofa. So the work is done by licensed electricians, it is permitted where a permit is required, and it is inspected. If that means you wait a few days longer for a booking, we would rather that than the alternative. ## Total loss of power is the emergency Panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade) is the one emergency-eligible service in this section, and specifically for a total loss of power to the house where the utility has confirmed the supply is live. That is covered around the clock. Everything else here is scheduled work. A dead outlet, a flickering light, a fan that wobbles, are all real and none of them are a two in the morning problem. Two things that are genuine emergencies but are not ours: if you can smell burning or see scorching at an outlet or panel, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit and call us immediately, and if there is an actual fire, call the fire service first. And if the power is out across your street, that is the utility, not us, and they will restore it faster than anyone. ## What the Triangle housing stock throws up Full panels. A great many houses here were built with panels sized for the loads of their decade. Add a heat pump, an EV charger and a hot tub and there is no capacity left. Half of what we get called about turns out to be a capacity conversation rather than a fault. Aluminium branch wiring, in houses built roughly between the mid 1960s and mid 1970s. It is not inherently unsafe, but the terminations are, and they need specific connectors rather than being ignored. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels. Both were installed widely and both have documented failure modes where breakers do not trip under fault. If you have one, an electrical safety inspection (/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection) is worth an hour of your time. Ungrounded two-prong outlets in older houses, frequently replaced with three-prong receptacles by a previous owner without a ground actually being present, which looks safe and is not. ## What we do not do We do not work on the utility side of the meter. The service drop, the meter itself and the supply from the street belong to the power company, and we coordinate with them rather than touching it. We do not do low-voltage systems: alarms, network cabling, home automation beyond wiring a switch, and audio-visual installation. We do not do solar photovoltaic installation, though we will work alongside your solar installer on the panel side. We do not disturb asbestos or knob-and-tube insulation without the right contractor involved. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/panel-upgrade.mdx ### frontmatter slug: panel-upgrade title: Panel Upgrade category: electrical h1: Electrical Panel Upgrade and Replacement seoTitle: Electrical Panel Upgrade in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Panel upgrades and replacements across the Triangle, with the utility disconnect coordinated for you. Total loss of power is covered around the clock. summary: Replacing an undersized, obsolete or failed electrical panel, with the utility disconnect and reconnect coordinated for you. voiceSummary: We replace undersized, obsolete and failed electrical panels, and we coordinate the utility disconnect and reconnect for you. order: 1 triage.emergencyEligible: true triage.defaultUrgency: emergency triage.emergencySymptoms: Total loss of power to the house where the utility has confirmed the supply is live, A burning smell, scorching or discolouration at the panel, A buzzing or crackling sound from the panel, A main breaker that trips repeatedly and will not stay set triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a burning smell or visible scorching at the panel, Customer reports smoke, sparking or heat from the panel, Customer has a medical device dependent on mains power and no supply pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 3200 pricing.typicalRange.max: 9500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Service size. Going from 100 to 200 amp is a different job from a like-for-like replacement, Whether the service entrance cable, mast and meter base also have to be replaced, Whether the panel is being relocated, which means extending every circuit to reach it, How many circuits have to be re-terminated, and whether any are aluminium, Grounding and bonding, which frequently needs bringing up to current code, Whether arc fault and ground fault protection is being added across the circuits code now requires pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, panelBrand booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, panelPhotos, serviceSize, plannedLoads, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the panel with the cover on, showing the label, and the meter outside, Clear anything stored in front of the panel, since code requires clear working space, List anything you plan to add, such as an EV charger, a hot tub or a heat pump, Note whether breakers trip regularly and which ones booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A panel upgrade has to be surveyed before it can be priced, and it has to be scheduled around a utility disconnect that we book with the power company rather than choose ourselves. Service size, whether the mast and meter base also need replacing, and how many circuits have to be re-terminated all change the work substantially. Book a free survey visit and you will have a fixed written quote and a real date. If you have no power at all right now, call the emergency line instead. scope.includes: Load calculation to size the service correctly for current and planned loads, Coordination of the utility disconnect and reconnect, booked by us with the power company, Permit application, inspection scheduling and meeting the inspector on site, New load centre, breakers and dead front, Service entrance cable, mast and meter base replacement where required, Re-termination and labelling of every existing circuit, Arc fault and ground fault protection where current code requires it, Grounding electrode system and bonding brought up to code, Whole-house surge protective device where specified, A photographed and labelled circuit schedule left with you scope.excludes: Anything on the utility side of the meter, which belongs to the power company, Rewiring of branch circuits, which is quoted separately, Drywall repair where a relocated panel requires opening a wall, Generator and transfer switch installation, which is a separate service, Solar photovoltaic equipment and its disconnects, Low-voltage, alarm and network systems scope.brandsServiced: Square D, Eaton, Siemens, Leviton, Schneider Electric scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: One day on site with the power off for six to eight hours, after a two to four week lead for the permit and the utility disconnect appointment. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our workmanship, including every termination we made. Breakers and the load centre carry manufacturer warranties separately. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: may, jun, jul, aug related: ev-charger-installation, generator-installation, electrical-safety-inspection, outlet-and-switch-repair faqRefs: electrical, global, emergency hero.src: /img/services/electrical/panel-upgrade-hero.jpg hero.alt: A newly installed load centre with the dead front off and circuit conductors neatly dressed to the breakers lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## No power at all right now That is emergency-eligible and covered around the clock, including holidays, with a 90 minute response target. Call the emergency line rather than booking online. One thing to check first, because it saves everyone a wasted visit: is your street out? If your neighbours are dark too, that is the utility and only the utility can restore it. They will be faster than we can be and there is nothing on your side of the meter to fix. If your neighbours have power and you do not, that is on your side and it is ours. If you can smell burning, see scorching, or hear buzzing or crackling at the panel, switch off the main breaker if you can reach it safely and tell us when you call. That report goes straight to a person, not into a booking queue. ## Why the upgrade itself cannot be booked online The work has to be scheduled around a utility disconnect, and that is an appointment we book with the power company rather than one we can choose. Replacing a panel means the service conductors coming into it have to be dead, and only the utility can pull the meter or cut the drop to make that happen. They schedule it on their own calendar. We coordinate all of it for you. You do not call the power company; we book the disconnect, we book the inspection, and we sequence the two so that the panel is inspected and the power comes back the same day. The order matters: the utility will not reconnect until the county has signed it off, and a crew that has not planned for that leaves a house dark overnight. Expect two to four weeks from accepting the quote to the work happening, driven by the permit and the disconnect appointment. On the day, power is off for six to eight hours. Plan for it: a fridge stays cold if you keep it shut, and anyone working from home should make other arrangements. ## What it costs Most panel upgrades land between $3,200 and $9,500. The bottom is a like-for-like replacement of a failed panel at the same service size, in an accessible location, where the mast and meter base are sound. The top is an upgrade from 100 to 200 amp with a new service entrance cable, mast and meter base, extensive re-termination, and full arc fault protection. Panel upgrades are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Why people need one Capacity. The most common reason. Panels were sized for the loads of their era, and a house adding a heat pump, an EV charger (/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation) and a hot tub has run out. We run a load calculation rather than guessing, and we size for what you plan to add as well as what you have, because doing this twice is expensive. Obsolete panels. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels were installed widely and both have documented failure modes where a breaker does not trip under fault. Replacement is the only fix; there are no reliable replacement breakers. Insurers increasingly ask about them. No space. A full panel with no slots. Sometimes a subpanel is the cheaper answer and we will say so rather than sell you a full upgrade. Damage or failure. Corrosion, water ingress, heat damage at the bus, or a main breaker that will not hold. ## What you get that you did not have Beyond capacity, an upgrade brings the installation up to current code, and three things usually change. Arc fault protection on the circuits code now requires, which detects the kind of arcing fault that starts fires and that a conventional breaker ignores. Grounding and bonding brought up to standard. This is the part nobody thinks about and it is frequently the worst thing about an old installation. A labelled schedule. Every circuit identified, tested and written down, photographed and left with you. It sounds trivial until the first time you need to isolate something. ## What we do not do Anything on the utility side of the meter. Branch circuit rewiring is quoted separately, and a panel upgrade does not fix bad wiring downstream of it. Generator transfer switches are a separate service (/services/electrical/generator-installation), though doing both together saves a second disconnect. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair.mdx ### frontmatter slug: outlet-and-switch-repair title: Outlet and Switch Repair category: electrical h1: Outlet and Switch Repair seoTitle: Outlet & Switch Repair in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Dead outlets, tripping breakers, ungrounded receptacles and failing switches diagnosed and repaired across the Triangle by licensed electricians. summary: Dead outlets, tripping breakers, ungrounded receptacles and failing switches, diagnosed properly rather than swapped and hoped. voiceSummary: We diagnose and repair dead outlets, tripping breakers, ungrounded receptacles and failing switches. order: 2 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: same-day triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a burning smell, scorching or discolouration at an outlet or switch, Customer reports an outlet that is warm or hot to the touch, Customer reports sparking when plugging something in pricing.model: diagnostic-plus-repair pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 190 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1200 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether the fault is at the device, in the box, or somewhere along the circuit, How many outlets are affected, since a whole dead run points at one upstream connection, Whether the wiring is aluminium, which needs specific connectors and more time, Whether a ground has to be run to convert an ungrounded outlet properly, Access. An outlet on an outside wall in a slab house is harder than one on a stud wall pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: service-call booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, symptomDescription booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, panelPhotos, affectedRooms, propertyAgeBand, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Note every outlet and switch that is affected, since the pattern locates the fault, Check whether any GFCI outlet in the house has tripped, including in a garage or bathroom, Clear furniture away from the affected outlets, Say roughly when the house was built, since it tells us what wiring to expect booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Circuit tracing and fault diagnosis with a written report, Outlet and switch replacement, GFCI and AFCI device installation and replacement, Repair of failed back-stab connections and loose terminations, Junction box replacement and correction of buried or overfilled boxes, Aluminium wiring termination correction using approved connectors, Adding a ground where a route exists, or fitting GFCI protection where it does not, Dimmer and smart switch installation, Breaker replacement where the breaker itself has failed scope.excludes: Whole-house rewiring, which is quoted separately, Panel upgrades, which are a separate service, Knob-and-tube wiring alteration, which needs a rewire rather than a repair, Drywall repair and painting where a wall has been opened, Appliance repair on whatever was plugged in, Low-voltage, network and alarm wiring scope.brandsServiced: Leviton, Lutron, Square D, Eaton, Hubbell, Legrand scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Most faults are found and fixed in a single visit. A fault requiring a new run through finished walls is a second visit. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship and on every termination we made. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jan, feb, jun, jul related: panel-upgrade, electrical-safety-inspection, lighting-installation, ceiling-fan-installation faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair-hero.jpg hero.alt: An electrician testing a receptacle with a multimeter, the device pulled from the box and conductors visible lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Two things to check before you call Both are free and both resolve a good proportion of the calls we get. Find every GFCI in the house and check whether one has tripped. GFCI outlets protect other outlets downstream of them, and those downstream outlets can be in completely different rooms. A dead outlet in a dining room is regularly caused by a tripped GFCI in a garage, a bathroom, an unfinished basement or on an exterior wall. Press the reset button firmly on every one you can find. Check the breaker properly. A tripped breaker often does not look obviously off; it sits slightly proud of the others. Push it fully off first, then back on. Flicking it from the middle position does nothing. If either of those fixes it, you have saved a visit and we are glad. If the GFCI will not reset, or the breaker trips straight back, stop and call, because both are telling you something. ## What it costs Most outlet and switch work lands between $190 and $1,200. Replacing a failed device sits at the bottom. Tracing an intermittent fault through several boxes and correcting aluminium terminations sits at the top. The visit starts with the standard diagnostic fee, waived when you approve the repair. Not financing eligible. ## Call immediately if it is warm, smells, or sparks These are not routine, and they get escalated to a person rather than into a booking queue. A warm or hot outlet or switch plate. Electrical devices should be at room temperature. Warmth means resistance, resistance means heat, and heat at a connection is how fires start. A burning smell, or brown or black discolouration around a socket. Sparking when you plug something in, beyond the tiny momentary arc that is normal with a heavy load. If any of those apply: switch that circuit off at the panel and tell us when you call. Do not keep using it in the meantime. ## What we actually find Back-stab connections. Most receptacles allow the conductor to be pushed into a hole in the back rather than wrapped around the screw terminal. It is faster to install and it is a worse connection, and after twenty years of thermal cycling it loosens. This is the single most common cause of a dead outlet or a whole dead run that we attend, and the fix is to re-terminate on the screws. A whole run dead from one bad connection. Outlets are daisy-chained, so a failed connection at one box kills everything downstream. That is why we ask which outlets are affected: the pattern tells us where in the chain to look, and it turns an hour of hunting into ten minutes. Aluminium branch wiring, in houses built roughly between the mid 1960s and mid 1970s. Aluminium expands and contracts more than copper and it oxidises, so terminations loosen over time. It is not a reason to panic and it is a reason to have it done properly: approved connectors at every device, which is what we fit. Ungrounded three-prong outlets. Very common in older Triangle houses where someone replaced a two-prong receptacle with a three-prong one without a ground being present. It looks safe and it is not: anything relying on that ground has none. The correct fixes are running a ground, or fitting GFCI protection and labelling it as required. Swapping in another three-prong outlet is not one of them. ## Smart switches, and the neutral problem Worth knowing before you buy a box of them. Most smart switches need a neutral conductor in the switch box to power their electronics. Plenty of older Triangle houses do not have one there, because the switch loop was wired without it. Options if you have no neutral: a smart switch designed to work without one, which is a smaller selection, or running a neutral, which means opening the wall. We can tell you which you have in about two minutes with the plate off. ## What we do not do Whole-house rewiring is quoted separately. Knob-and-tube wiring cannot be repaired piecemeal and extending it is not permitted; a house with it needs a rewire. Panel work is panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade). We do not patch drywall or paint where a wall has been opened. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/lighting-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: lighting-installation title: Lighting Installation category: electrical h1: Lighting Installation seoTitle: Lighting Installation & Recessed Lights in Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: Recessed lighting, fixtures, under-cabinet and outdoor lighting installed across the Triangle, flat priced with dimmers matched to the fittings. summary: Recessed lighting, fixtures, under-cabinet and outdoor lighting, flat priced, with dimmers actually matched to the fittings. voiceSummary: We install recessed lighting, fixtures, under cabinet and outdoor lighting, with dimmers matched properly to the fittings. order: 3 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a fixture that is hot, smoking or has scorched its ceiling, Customer reports lights across the house dimming and brightening on their own pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 210 pricing.typicalRange.max: 4800 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: How many fittings, since several on one visit costs far less each than one at a time, Whether a new circuit or switch leg is needed, or an existing one is being reused, Ceiling access. A loft above is straightforward, a second storey with a finished ceiling is not, Whether the ceiling is drywall, plaster or a vaulted structure, Fitting type, since a recessed can, a chandelier and a linear pendant all mount differently, Whether dimmers and smart controls are included pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: installation-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, fixtureCount, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, fixtureBrand, ceilingType, dimmerRequired, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Have the fittings on site and unboxed, and check nothing is missing, Clear furniture from beneath the work area and take pictures off nearby walls, Say whether there is a loft above the ceiling, since it decides the method, Mark roughly where you want each fitting, tape on the ceiling is ideal booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Recessed downlight installation, new runs or replacing existing cans, Ceiling and wall fixture installation, including chandeliers and pendants, Under-cabinet and cove lighting, Outdoor lighting, including soffit, path and security fittings, New switch legs, three-way and four-way switching, Dimmer selection and installation matched to the fittings, Smart switch and smart dimmer installation, Fixture removal and disposal, Bracing and support for heavy fittings scope.excludes: The fittings themselves, unless you ask us to supply them, Drywall repair and painting where a ceiling has been opened, Panel upgrades and new circuits back to a full panel, Landscape lighting transformers and low-voltage garden runs, Ceiling fan installation, which is a separate service, Structural alteration to support a very heavy fitting scope.brandsServiced: Lutron, Leviton, Halo, Juno, Kichler, Progress Lighting scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: A handful of fittings is half a day. A full room of recessed lighting run from a loft is one day; the same room with no loft access above is longer. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship. Fittings you supply carry their own manufacturer warranty and our labour warranty only. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: oct, nov, dec, jan related: ceiling-fan-installation, outlet-and-switch-repair, panel-upgrade, electrical-safety-inspection faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/lighting-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A recessed can light being fitted into a ceiling cutout from a step ladder, with the housing clip and wire connectors visible lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Flat priced, and cheaper in batches Between $210 and $4,800, flat priced so you know the figure when you book. No diagnostic fee. Do the whole list at once. Most of the cost of a short electrical job is getting a licensed electrician to your house and setting up; six downlights on one visit costs far less than six visits. If you have been meaning to sort the hall light and the under-cabinet strip and that dead outdoor fitting, book them together. Not financing eligible. ## What decides the price is above the ceiling, not below it The fittings are the visible part and rarely the expensive part. If there is a loft above, we work from up there, drilling and running cable between joists without touching the finished ceiling below. Fast and clean. If there is a finished floor or ceiling above, everything has to be done from below, fishing cable through a closed cavity. That is slow, and where a joist runs the wrong way it means small access holes that you then have to have patched and painted. So the same six downlights can be half a day in a single-storey ranch and considerably more on the ground floor of a two-storey. Tell us which you have when you book and the quote will be right first time. Vaulted ceilings are their own case: no cavity to work in and no loft above, so the answer is often surface-mounted track or cable runs in a chase rather than recessed cans. ## Get the dimmers right The most common complaint we are called back for on somebody else's work: LED lights that flicker, buzz, or refuse to go below half brightness. That is almost never a faulty fitting. It is a dimmer designed for incandescent bulbs driving an LED load. Old dimmers expect a resistive load of a few hundred watts; a room of LEDs might draw thirty. The dimmer cannot regulate that low and the result is flicker at the bottom of the range. The fix is an LED-compatible dimmer matched to the specific fittings. Manufacturers publish compatibility lists, we check them, and we fit accordingly. It costs a few pounds more than a generic dimmer and it is the difference between lighting that works and lighting that annoys you nightly. Also worth knowing: a dimmer on a three-way circuit, switched from two places, has to be the right type and generally only one of the two switches can be the dimmer. ## Colour temperature matters more than brightness Free advice that saves regret. Warm white, around 2700K, is what most people want in living rooms and bedrooms. It is what an old incandescent bulb looked like. Neutral, around 3000 to 3500K, suits kitchens, bathrooms and workspaces. Cool white above 4000K reads as clinical in a home and is the single most common thing people dislike about a new lighting installation. Keep it consistent in one space. Mixed colour temperatures in a single room look wrong even to people who cannot say why. If you are adding to existing lighting, tell us what is already there. Many fittings now offer selectable colour temperature on a small switch, which we set before installing. ## Heavy fittings need support A large chandelier or a heavy pendant cannot hang from a standard ceiling box. It needs a fan-rated or fixture-rated brace fixed to the structure, rated for the actual weight. We check this every time and fit bracing where it is needed. It is a short job from a loft and a longer one from below, and it is not something to skip; a heavy fitting on an unrated box comes down eventually. ## What we do not do We do not supply the fittings unless you ask, so the manufacturer warranty stays in your name. We do not patch drywall or paint where a ceiling has been opened. Ceiling fans are a separate service (/services/electrical/ceiling-fan-installation), because the mounting requirements are different. Low-voltage landscape lighting with transformers is outside what we take on. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/ceiling-fan-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ceiling-fan-installation title: Ceiling Fan Installation category: electrical h1: Ceiling Fan Installation seoTitle: Ceiling Fan Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Ceiling fan installation across the Triangle, always on a fan-rated brace, including replacing fans hung from boxes that were never rated for them. summary: Ceiling fan installation, always on a fan-rated brace, including the many Triangle fans hung from boxes never rated to carry them. voiceSummary: We install ceiling fans, always on a fan rated brace, including replacing fans hung from boxes never rated to carry them. order: 4 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a fan that has dropped, loosened at the ceiling, or is visibly moving in its mount, Customer reports a burning smell from a fan motor pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 245 pricing.typicalRange.max: 1600 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Whether a fan-rated brace already exists, or one has to be fitted from below, Whether there is a loft above, which makes bracing straightforward, Ceiling height, since anything above about ten feet needs staging, Whether new switching is needed for separate fan and light control, Whether it is a replacement or a brand new location with no wiring, Sloped or vaulted ceilings, which need a specific mount and sometimes a longer downrod pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: installation-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, fanCount, propertyType booking.optionalFromCustomer: photos, fanBrand, ceilingHeight, ceilingSlope, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Have the fan on site and unboxed, and check the downrod and mount are in the box, Clear furniture from beneath and take pictures off nearby walls, Measure the ceiling height, and say whether the ceiling slopes, Say whether there is a loft above the room booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Fan-rated brace and box installation, from a loft or from below, Ceiling fan assembly and installation, Downrod sizing and fitting for high and sloped ceilings, Sloped ceiling adapter fitting where required, Removal and disposal of an existing fan or fixture, Separate switching for fan and light where wiring allows, Remote and wall control pairing and setup, Blade balancing to eliminate wobble, New wiring to a location with no existing fitting scope.excludes: The fan itself, unless you ask us to supply it, Drywall repair and painting where a ceiling has been opened, Structural alteration to a ceiling that cannot carry a fan, Outdoor fans in locations not rated as damp or wet, Attic and whole-house exhaust fans, which are an HVAC service, Repair of fan motors and remote electronics under manufacturer warranty scope.brandsServiced: Hunter, Casablanca, Minka-Aire, Big Ass Fans, Westinghouse, Hampton Bay scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: A replacement onto an existing fan-rated brace is about an hour. A new location needing bracing and wiring is half a day. warranty.labourMonths: 24 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Two years on our workmanship, including the brace and the mount. Fans carry their own manufacturer warranty, which on the motor is frequently lifetime. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: apr, may, jun, jul related: lighting-installation, outlet-and-switch-repair, panel-upgrade, indoor-air-quality faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/ceiling-fan-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: An electrician fitting a fan-rated brace between joists from below before mounting a ceiling fan lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The brace is the job A ceiling fan weighs a good deal and, unlike a light fitting, it moves. A standard plastic or metal ceiling box is rated to hold a static light fixture and nothing more. A fan needs a fan-rated brace: a bar that spans between joists and carries the load into the structure, with a metal box rated for a moving fixture. Without it the box works loose over months of vibration, and eventually the whole fan comes down. We are called out to that every year, and it lands on whatever is underneath. So the first thing we check is what is up there. If a fan-rated brace already exists, a replacement is about an hour. If it does not, one gets fitted, and how long that takes depends entirely on whether there is a loft above to work from. A fan already hanging from an unrated box is the single most common unsafe thing we find in this category. It is very common in Triangle houses where a previous owner swapped a light for a fan themselves. If yours wobbles, or the canopy at the ceiling moves when you nudge it, get it looked at rather than living with it. ## What it costs Flat priced between $245 and $1,600. A straight replacement onto an existing brace sits at the bottom; a brand new location on a high sloped ceiling with new wiring and separate switching sits at the top. No diagnostic fee. Not financing eligible. Doing several on one visit costs meaningfully less per fan than doing them one at a time. ## Get the size and the drop right Two measurements that decide whether the fan actually works. Blade span against room size. A fan too small for a room moves air ineffectually; one too large in a small room is uncomfortable. As a rough guide, a bedroom wants something around 44 to 52 inches and a large living room 52 to 60. Height off the floor. The blades want to sit roughly eight to nine feet above the floor for the airflow to work well. On a standard eight-foot Triangle ceiling that means a flush or hugger mount with no downrod. On a ten-foot or vaulted ceiling it means a downrod, sized to bring the blades down to that range, and a fan mounted tight to a twelve-foot ceiling does very little for the people underneath it. Downrods are sold separately from most fans. Tell us the ceiling height when you book and we will bring the right one rather than discovering it on site. Sloped ceilings need the mount to accommodate the angle, and beyond a certain pitch a specific sloped-ceiling adapter. Measure or photograph it for us. ## Reverse it in winter The switch on the motor housing that most people never touch, and it is genuinely useful in a Triangle winter. Summer, running counter-clockwise looking up, the fan pushes air down and creates a breeze. That breeze makes you feel cooler without changing the room temperature, which means you can set the thermostat a little higher. Winter, running clockwise and slowly, it pulls air up the middle and pushes the warm air that has collected at the ceiling gently down the walls. No draught, and a noticeably more even room in a house with high ceilings. We set it correctly for the season on installation and show you the switch. ## Wobble is fixable A wobbling fan is almost never dangerous if the brace is right, and it is almost always fixable. The usual causes are blades that differ slightly in weight or pitch, a downrod not seated fully, or a canopy not tight. We balance the blades as part of the installation using the kit supplied with the fan, and if yours has developed a wobble since we can usually correct it in a short visit. What a wobble does mean is that you should check the mount, because vibration is what loosens an unrated box. ## What we do not do We do not supply the fan unless you ask, which keeps the manufacturer warranty in your name. We do not patch or paint ceilings we have opened. Attic and whole-house exhaust fans are an HVAC service (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) rather than this one, and outdoor fans must be rated for damp or wet locations, which many indoor fans are not. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: ev-charger-installation title: EV Charger Installation category: electrical h1: EV Charger Installation seoTitle: EV Charger Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Level 2 home EV charger installation across the Triangle, with a load calculation first so the circuit is sized before anything is ordered. summary: Level 2 home charger installation, with a load calculation first so we know your panel can carry it before anything is ordered. voiceSummary: We install level two home EV chargers, starting with a load calculation so we know your panel can carry it. order: 5 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a charger or its circuit overheating, smoking or scorching, Customer has taken delivery of a vehicle and has a fixed deadline the permit cannot meet pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 1900 pricing.typicalRange.max: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Distance from the panel to the charger, since the cable run is the largest material cost, Whether the route is through a finished wall or along an unfinished garage, Whether the panel has spare capacity, or a load management device or upgrade is needed, Amperage. A 48 amp charger needs heavier cable and a larger breaker than a 32 amp one, Whether the charger is hardwired or plugged into a dedicated receptacle, Whether the run is outdoors or underground to a detached garage pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 60 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, vehicleType booking.optionalFromCustomer: panelPhotos, chargerBrand, desiredLocation, photos, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: Photograph the panel with the cover on so we can read the label and count the slots, Decide roughly where you want the charger, and where the car will park, Note whether the panel is in the garage or on the far side of the house, Have the vehicle model to hand, since onboard charger capacity sets the useful amperage booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: An EV charger install starts with a load calculation, because the answer to whether your panel can carry it decides the whole job. Cable run distance, the route, and whether a load management device or a panel upgrade is needed all change the cost substantially, and none of it is knowable from an address. Book a free survey visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Load calculation to confirm the panel can carry the charger, Permit application, inspection and meeting the inspector on site, Dedicated circuit from the panel, sized to the charger, New breaker, and a load management device where the panel is near capacity, Cable run in conduit or concealed where the structure allows, Charger mounting, hardwired or on a dedicated receptacle, Outdoor and underground runs to a detached garage or a driveway post, GFCI protection where code requires it, Commissioning, and a charge test with your vehicle where it is on site scope.excludes: The charger unit itself, unless you ask us to supply it, Panel upgrades, which are a separate service quoted separately, Utility service upgrades at the meter, Trenching across a driveway or through hard standing, quoted separately, Drywall repair and painting where a wall has been opened, Vehicle-side faults, warranty or software scope.brandsServiced: Tesla, ChargePoint, Wallbox, Emporia, Grizzl-E, Enphase scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Half a day to a day on site, after a two to three week lead for the permit. Add time where a panel upgrade has to happen first. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our workmanship and the circuit. The charger unit carries its own manufacturer warranty, typically three years, which we register if we supplied it. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: panel-upgrade, generator-installation, electrical-safety-inspection, outlet-and-switch-repair faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: An EV charging unit being mounted to a garage wall, with conduit run back to the panel and a level held against the mounting plate lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## The load calculation comes first Everything about this job depends on one question: can your panel carry it? A Level 2 charger is one of the largest continuous loads in a house, comparable to an electric range running flat out for hours. It is not a question of whether there is a spare slot in the panel; it is whether the service has headroom once your existing loads are counted. So we run a load calculation before quoting. It is not a formality, and the answer genuinely changes the job: Plenty of headroom. Straightforward: a dedicated circuit, a breaker, a cable run, done. Tight but workable. A load management device monitors total draw and throttles the charger when the house is busy. It is far cheaper than a panel upgrade and for most households the practical difference is nil, because the car charges overnight when nothing else is running. This is the answer we recommend most often, and plenty of installers skip straight past it to the upgrade. No headroom. A panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade) has to happen first. We will tell you that at the survey rather than after starting. ## What it costs Most installations land between $1,900 and $6,500. A charger mounted on the garage wall directly beside the panel sits at the bottom. A run across the house to a detached garage, underground, with a load management device sits at the top. The cable run is the single biggest cost, which surprises people who expected the charger to be the expensive part. Ten feet from the panel is cheap; eighty feet through finished walls is not. Where you can, put the charger near the panel and park accordingly. A charger cable is longer than people assume and moving the car three metres is cheaper than moving the circuit twenty. Installations are financing eligible where the quote clears the financing minimum. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## How fast do you actually need The honest answer for most Triangle households is: slower than you think. A 48 amp charger adds meaningfully more range per hour than a 32 amp one. It also needs heavier cable, a larger breaker, and more panel headroom, so it costs more at every step. Then look at the actual use case. If you drive a normal commute and charge overnight, a 32 amp charger replaces your entire daily range several times over while you sleep. The faster unit makes a difference for high-mileage drivers, for two-EV households sharing a charger, and for people who regularly need to turn the car around quickly in an evening. There is also a limit on the vehicle: the car's onboard charger caps what it can accept. Fitting a 48 amp circuit to a car that accepts 32 buys nothing at all. Tell us the model and we will check. ## Hardwired or plug-in Hardwired is required above a certain amperage, it is tidier, and it is more robust outdoors. Plug-in on a dedicated receptacle lets you unplug the unit and take it if you move, and it means a failed charger can be swapped without an electrician. It is the more flexible choice at lower amperage. One caution: the receptacle has to be a good one. The failure we see on plug-in installs is a cheap receptacle overheating under a continuous load it was never really rated for. We fit an industrial grade one and it is not the place to save money. ## Permits, and why they matter here An EV circuit needs a permit and an inspection, and this is a case where we would push back on anyone suggesting otherwise. A continuous high-current load on undersized cable is precisely how an electrical fire starts, and the inspection is what confirms the conductor size, the breaker and the terminations are right. Unpermitted electrical work also causes problems at sale, and some insurers ask. ## What we do not do We do not supply the charger unless you ask; buying it yourself keeps the manufacturer warranty in your name. We do not trench across driveways or hard standing as part of the base price. We do not touch the utility side of the meter, and we do not troubleshoot vehicle-side faults or charging software. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/generator-installation.mdx ### frontmatter slug: generator-installation title: Generator Installation category: electrical h1: Standby Generator Installation seoTitle: Standby Generator Installation in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Standby generator installation across the Triangle, with a transfer switch, gas supply and permit handled. Sized to what you actually need to keep running. summary: Standby generator installation with a transfer switch, sized to the circuits you actually need rather than to the whole house. voiceSummary: We install standby generators with a transfer switch, sized to the circuits you actually need rather than to the whole house. order: 6 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: estimate-only triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a gas smell, Customer describes running a portable generator indoors or in a garage, Customer has a medical device dependent on mains power and an outage forecast pricing.model: estimate-only pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 6500 pricing.typicalRange.max: 16000 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: Generator size in kilowatts, set by which circuits you want to keep running, Whether it is a whole-house transfer switch or an essential-circuits subpanel, Gas supply. A natural gas run may need upsizing back toward the meter, and propane needs a tank, Distance from the generator pad to the panel and to the gas supply, Site work, including the pad and any clearance requirements from windows and openings, Whether the existing panel has to be upgraded to accept the transfer equipment pricing.financingEligible: true pricing.quoteRequired: true booking.bookable: false booking.appointmentType: estimate-visit booking.durationMinutes: 90 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 48 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, fuelType booking.optionalFromCustomer: panelPhotos, hoaDetails, essentialCircuits, photos, targetStartDate booking.prepInstructions: List the circuits you genuinely need in an outage, in priority order, Photograph the panel with the cover on, and the gas meter if you have one, Check whether your HOA restricts generator placement or noise, Clear the area where the generator might sit, along an exterior wall booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: A standby generator is designed to the house before it is priced. Sizing depends on which circuits you want to keep running, the gas supply may need upsizing, and placement has clearance rules from windows and openings. Book a free survey and design visit and you will have a fixed written quote. scope.includes: Load assessment and sizing against the circuits you want to keep running, Permit application, electrical and gas inspections, and meeting the inspector on site, Concrete or composite pad and generator siting to clearance requirements, Automatic transfer switch, whole-house or essential-circuits, Essential-circuits subpanel and circuit migration where specified, Electrical connection between generator, transfer switch and panel, Natural gas connection from the appliance shutoff, coordinated with our plumbing crew, Propane connection downstream of the regulator where a tank is fitted, Commissioning, load bank test and a full simulated outage test with you present, Manufacturer warranty registration and handover of the maintenance schedule scope.excludes: Portable generator supply, and any temporary generator arrangement, Propane tank supply, siting and filling, which is a propane supplier, Gas line upsizing back to the meter, which is a plumbing service quoted separately, Panel upgrades, which are a separate service, Utility service upgrades at the meter, Ongoing generator servicing contracts, though we do the annual service scope.brandsServiced: Generac, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Cummins, Champion scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750, NC Gas Piping qualified scope.permitsRequired: true scope.typicalTimeline: Two to three days on site, after a four to eight week lead for the permit, the equipment and any gas work. Longer in the weeks after a major storm. warranty.labourMonths: 60 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: Five years on our installation. Generators carry substantial manufacturer warranties, typically five years, which depend on the annual service being done and which we register. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: jun, jul, aug, sep related: panel-upgrade, ev-charger-installation, electrical-safety-inspection, gas-line-service faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/generator-installation-hero.jpg hero.alt: A standby generator on a concrete pad beside a house with the enclosure panel open, a technician working on the engine with a torque wrench lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## Never run a portable generator indoors Before anything else on this page. Portable generators produce carbon monoxide in quantities that kill, and they kill people in garages, in crawlspaces, in porches and next to open windows, every single storm season. If you are using a portable unit while you consider a standby one: outdoors only, well away from the house, never in a garage even with the door open, and never near a window or an air intake. There is a second danger that is less obvious. A portable generator plugged into a house circuit without a transfer switch backfeeds power out onto the utility lines, where it can electrocute the line worker restoring your street. That is what the transfer switch on this page exists to prevent, and it is why the installation is permitted and inspected. ## Sized to what you need running, not to the house The most useful decision in this project, and the one that moves the price most. Whole-house means the generator carries everything, which needs a large unit and a large gas supply. Essential circuits means we build a subpanel carrying the things you actually need in an outage, and the generator only serves that. In the Triangle that list is usually the fridge, the freezer, some lighting, internet, well pump or sump pump, and one HVAC system. A house that can keep those six running is a comfortable house. The second option is frequently half the cost of the first, and the difference in lived experience during a two-day outage is small. We will ask you to list what you need in priority order, and we will tell you honestly where the sensible line falls. Air conditioning is the decision point. A heat pump is a large starting load, and including one often pushes you into the next generator size. For a summer outage in a Triangle August it may be exactly what you want; for winter storm cover it may not be. ## What it costs Most installations land between $6,500 and $16,000. An essential-circuits system on natural gas with the pad close to the panel sits at the bottom. A whole-house unit with a long gas run, gas upsizing and a panel upgrade sits at the top. Generators are financing eligible and clear the financing minimum comfortably. Both lender options are on our financing page (/financing). ## Fuel, and the constraint people miss Natural gas is the easy option where you have it: no tank, no refilling, and it keeps running as long as the gas does. The catch is capacity. A standby generator is a very large gas appliance, and adding one to a line already serving a furnace, a range and a water heater frequently means the supply has to be upsized back toward the meter. That is a gas line service (/services/plumbing/gas-line-service) quoted separately, and we calculate whether you need it at the survey rather than discovering it at commissioning. Propane works anywhere and needs a tank, which the propane supplier sites and fills. Runtime is whatever the tank holds, so tank sizing is a real decision. ## Permits, placement and neighbours Generators need a permit and are inspected on both the electrical and the gas side. We handle both. Placement has clearance rules: minimum distances from windows, doors and air intakes, because the exhaust has to go somewhere that is not back into the house. That frequently constrains where the unit can go more than aesthetics do. Noise is the neighbour question. A modern standby unit is not loud in operation, but it runs a weekly self-test, typically for about ten minutes, and that test can be scheduled. Set it to a mid-morning weekday rather than early Sunday. Many Triangle HOAs also have rules on placement and screening; check before you choose a location. ## Buy early, not after the storm Lead times are four to eight weeks in normal conditions and considerably longer in the weeks after a major storm, when every household in the region has had the same idea at once. If you want cover for hurricane season, the time to start is spring. ## The annual service is not optional A standby generator that is never serviced will not start when you need it, and the manufacturer warranty depends on the service being done. Oil, filters, plugs and a load test, once a year. We do it, and we will tell you when it is due. --- ## source: content/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection.mdx ### frontmatter slug: electrical-safety-inspection title: Electrical Safety Inspection category: electrical h1: Electrical Safety Inspection seoTitle: Electrical Safety Inspection in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: A written electrical safety inspection across the Triangle, covering the panel, grounding, GFCI protection and obsolete equipment, prioritised by risk. summary: A written inspection of the panel, grounding, protection and wiring, with findings prioritised by actual risk rather than by what we could sell you. voiceSummary: A written electrical safety inspection covering the panel, grounding and protection, with findings prioritised by real risk. order: 7 triage.emergencyEligible: false triage.defaultUrgency: scheduled triage.emergencySymptoms: (none) triage.escalateToHuman: Customer reports a burning smell, scorching or heat at the panel or an outlet, Customer reports lights across the house dimming and brightening on their own pricing.model: flat pricing.diagnosticFee.amount: 89 pricing.diagnosticFee.currency: USD pricing.diagnosticFee.waivedIfRepairApproved: true pricing.typicalRange.min: 289 pricing.typicalRange.max: 689 pricing.typicalRange.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.amount: 150 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.currency: USD pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.from: 19:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.to: 07:00 pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.weekends: true pricing.factors: House size and the number of circuits, since every circuit is tested and recorded, Number of panels and subpanels, including any in a garage or outbuilding, Whether the property is a purchase and needs the report inside a due diligence window, Whether outbuildings, a workshop or a detached garage are included, Age of the house, since older wiring types take longer to identify and document pricing.financingEligible: false pricing.quoteRequired: false booking.bookable: true booking.appointmentType: inspection-visit booking.durationMinutes: 120 booking.arrivalWindowHours: 2 booking.minLeadTimeHours: 4 booking.maxLeadTimeDays: 30 booking.crewType: electrical booking.requiredFromCustomer: name, phone, serviceAddress, propertyType, propertyAgeBand booking.optionalFromCustomer: panelPhotos, photos, knownIssues, dueDiligenceDate, preferredWindow booking.prepInstructions: Clear the space in front of every panel, since code requires clear working space to open one, Unlock any outbuilding, garage or crawlspace that has power to it, Note anything that has ever tripped, flickered, buzzed or felt warm, Say if this is for a purchase and when your due diligence period ends booking.cannotBookOnlineReason: null scope.includes: Panel inspection, including bus condition, breaker fit and evidence of heat, Identification of obsolete panels with documented failure modes, Grounding electrode and bonding verification, Testing of every accessible outlet for correct polarity and ground, GFCI and AFCI presence and function testing, Identification of wiring types, including aluminium branch and knob-and-tube, Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm presence, age and placement check, Circuit mapping and a labelled schedule left with you, Thermal imaging of the panel under load, A written report with findings prioritised as urgent, this year, or monitor scope.excludes: Any repair, which is quoted separately and never carried out without approval, Opening walls or ceilings to inspect concealed wiring, Code compliance certification for a sale or a permit, Appliance and equipment testing beyond the circuit serving them, Low-voltage, alarm and network systems, Solar photovoltaic equipment scope.brandsServiced: Square D, Eaton, Siemens, Federal Pacific, Zinsco scope.certifications: NC Electrical licence EL-27750 scope.permitsRequired: false scope.typicalTimeline: Two hours on site for a typical house. The written report reaches you within two working days. warranty.labourMonths: 12 warranty.partsMonths: 12 warranty.notes: An inspection is a report rather than work, so there is nothing to warrant. Any repair arising from it carries the standard cover. coverage.areas: all coverage.seasonalPeak: mar, apr, may, sep, oct related: panel-upgrade, outlet-and-switch-repair, ev-charger-installation, generator-installation faqRefs: electrical, global hero.src: /img/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection-hero.jpg hero.alt: An electrician thermal imaging an open panel under load, with the camera display showing a warm breaker lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.diagnosticFee.canonicalKey: diagnosticFee provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.source: content/site/pricing.mdx provenance.pricing.afterHoursSurcharge.canonicalKey: afterHoursSurcharge ### content ## What you get Two hours in the house and a written report within two working days. The report lists every finding with a photograph, and each one is prioritised into one of three bands: urgent, meaning fix it now; this year, meaning plan and budget for it; and monitor, meaning it is not right but it is not dangerous. That prioritisation is the point. Any electrician can produce a list of everything in an older house that would not pass today's code, and it will be long and it will be frightening. Very little of it is actually dangerous. Telling you which is which is the service. The report is yours. Take it to another electrician for a second quote if you want to. ## What it costs Flat priced between $289 and $689, set by house size, circuit count and how many panels there are. You know the figure when you book, and there is no diagnostic fee because the inspection is the diagnosis. Not financing eligible. ## When it is worth doing Before buying a house. The most valuable two hours available on this page. A general home inspection touches the electrical system lightly, and "no visible defects" from a generalist is not the same thing. A panel needing replacement is a five-figure item and it is negotiable before closing and not after. Tell us your due diligence date when you book. If the house was built before about 1980. Old enough for aluminium branch wiring, ungrounded circuits and panels since found wanting. Before adding a large load. An EV charger (/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation), a heat pump, a hot tub or a generator (/services/electrical/generator-installation) all need headroom you may not have. If something is behaving oddly. Breakers that trip without an obvious cause, lights that dim when an appliance starts, an outlet that feels warm. Those are symptoms and they are worth investigating before they are events. If your insurer has asked. Increasingly they do, particularly about panel brands. ## The two panel brands worth knowing about Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco, both installed widely across the Triangle in the 1950s through 1980s. Both have documented failure modes where a breaker fails to trip under fault conditions, which means the protection you are relying on may not operate. There are no reliable replacement breakers for either, so the fix is replacing the panel. If you have one, that goes in the urgent band and we will say so plainly. It is also, straightforwardly, the finding most likely to cost you money, so it is worth saying that we would rather you knew than did not. ## What we actually test Every accessible outlet for correct polarity and for whether a ground is genuinely present, which on a three-prong receptacle in an older house is frequently not. GFCI and AFCI protection: whether it exists where it should, and whether the devices actually trip when tested. A GFCI that does not trip is worse than none, because you believe you are protected. Grounding and bonding. Boring, invisible, and the thing most often wrong in an older installation. Thermal imaging of the panel under load, which finds hot terminations before they become scorched ones. A warm breaker is a loose connection, and a loose connection is the beginning of most electrical fires. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: presence, placement, and age. Alarms expire, typically at ten years, and a great many houses have detectors older than that quietly not working. We also map and label the circuits, and leave you a schedule. Most people have never had one. ## What we will not do We will not carry out any repair on this visit without quoting it and getting your approval first. Nothing gets added to the invoice while you make coffee. We do not open walls or ceilings, so concealed wiring is assessed from what is visible and from the ends of it. Where we cannot see something, the report says so rather than implying we checked. We do not issue code compliance certification for a sale or a permit. That is the county inspector, not us, and an inspection report from a contractor is not a substitute. --- ## source: content/areas/apex.mdx ### frontmatter city: Apex state: NC slug: apex county: Wake zips: 27502, 27523, 27539 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.7327 geo.longitude: -78.8503 neighborhoods: Historic Downtown Apex, Scotts Mill, Haddon Hall, Bella Casa, Riley's Pond, Salem Village, Sweetwater notes: Fast growth on difficult ground. The western edge toward New Hill is where we most often find a house on a well and septic rather than town services. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Apex Apex has grown faster than almost anywhere in Wake County, and the growth has run outward onto ground that is harder to build on than the older core. That shows up in the work in ways that are worth knowing before you plan a project here. ## Ground conditions Western Apex, toward New Hill and the Chatham line, sits on the heavier Piedmont clay and, in places, shallow rock. Two consequences follow. Anything requiring excavation, a patio base, fence post holes, a footing for an addition, a trench for a generator gas line, can take significantly longer than the same job in sandier ground, and where rock is hit the method changes and so does the price. We survey for it rather than pricing on optimism, and where we cannot know until we dig, the quote says so and states what the alternative method costs. The same clay drives the drainage work. Water does not soak away here; it runs. Yards that sat dry for a decade start ponding once a neighbouring lot is built and regraded, and downspouts discharging next to a foundation cause problems in Apex that they would not cause elsewhere. ## Town services and what is on your lot The older core has full town water and sewer. Parts of the western and southern edge do not, and a number of houses run on a private well, a septic field, or both. This changes real things. A septic field constrains where a deck, patio, addition or driveway can go, and building over a drain field is not a matter of permission but of ruining the field. A well means your water pressure and quality are your own responsibility, and it means a power cut takes your water with it, which is the most common reason people here ask about a standby generator. Tell us at booking if you are on well or septic. It changes the survey, and it occasionally changes which trade we send. ## The housing stock Historic downtown Apex around Salem Street is genuinely old, small, and worth treating carefully. Everything else is 1990s onward: Scotts Mill, Haddon Hall and Salem Village in the middle of the replacement cycle now, Bella Casa, Riley's Pond and the newer developments still young enough that the work is additions rather than repairs. Decks, screened porches, patios and EV chargers are the bulk of what we do in the newer half of town. ## Getting to you All of Apex is inside the 90 minute emergency target with no travel fee. The western zip codes are our longest drive within the city, and in a widespread storm they are where our response stretches first, because everything past the town centre is single-carriageway road. --- ## source: content/areas/cary.mdx ### frontmatter city: Cary state: NC slug: cary county: Wake zips: 27511, 27513, 27518, 27519 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.7915 geo.longitude: -78.7811 neighborhoods: Preston, MacGregor Downs, Lochmere, Kildaire Farms, Regency Park, Amberly, Weldon Ridge, Downtown Cary notes: Strong HOA presence and a strict town appearance ordinance, so exterior work is an approval question before it is a construction question. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Cary Cary is the most regulated place we work, and that is the single most useful thing to know before planning anything visible from outside. The town has an appearance ordinance with real teeth, and most neighbourhoods sit under an HOA with its own architectural review on top. Neither is an obstacle if you allow for it. Both are expensive if you do not. ## Approvals come first For exterior work, the sequence is approval, then permit, then construction. A shingle colour, a fence style and height, a deck stain, a paver type, a satellite dish position: all of these can be governed by covenants, and an HOA that has to be asked afterwards is an HOA that can require you to undo the work. We will tell you at survey which approvals we think apply and we will supply the product data, specifications and drawings a review board asks for. What we do not do is submit on your behalf or argue your case, because the covenant is an agreement between you and your association and we are not party to it. Approval timelines run from a fortnight to a couple of months depending on the board's meeting cycle, and that time is not compressible by anyone. The practical consequence is a longer lead time here than anywhere else we work. A roof replacement in Raleigh can be surveyed and scheduled inside a fortnight; the same job in Preston or Lochmere might wait six weeks for a colour approval before a single bundle arrives. We build that into the schedule at quote stage rather than letting it look like our delay. ## The housing stock Cary is overwhelmingly 1980s onward and consistently built, which makes the work predictable in a way older cities are not. The dominant pattern is the replacement cycle arriving all at once: Preston, MacGregor Downs, Lochmere and Kildaire Farms were built out over a few seasons each, so their roofs, HVAC systems and water heaters reach the end of life together, street by street. Newer western Cary, Amberly and Weldon Ridge and the developments toward the Chatham line, is younger and mostly still in warranty for the building envelope. The work there is additions rather than replacements: decks, patios, screened porches, EV chargers and finished bonus rooms. Downtown Cary is the exception to all of this. The older houses around Academy Street and Chatham Street are genuinely old, they are not covered by a modern HOA, and they need the same careful approach as inside-the-beltline Raleigh. ## Getting to you Every part of Cary is inside the 90 minute emergency target with no travel fee, and it is our shortest average drive of any city, because the yard is in Morrisville. --- ## source: content/areas/chapel-hill.mdx ### frontmatter city: Chapel Hill state: NC slug: chapel-hill county: Orange zips: 27514, 27516, 27517 coverage: emergency-only tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 120 responseMinutes.sameDay: 480 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.9132 geo.longitude: -79.0558 neighborhoods: Meadowmont, Southern Village, Glen Lennox, Coker Hills, Chapel Hill North, Downtown and Franklin Street notes: Emergency only. We will come out around the clock for the eight covered services and we will not book scheduled work here at all. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Chapel Hill Chapel Hill is our only emergency-only city, and the distinction matters more here than anywhere else because people reasonably assume the opposite. It is in the Triangle, it is close, and we cover everything around it. We still do not schedule ordinary work here. ## What emergency only actually means We will come out to Chapel Hill, around the clock, for the eight emergency-eligible services: AC repair, furnace repair, heat pump service, roof repair where a leak is active, leak detection and repair, sump pump service, gas line service, and a panel upgrade where power has been lost entirely. The response target is 120 minutes rather than 90, and the same emergency call-out fee applies as everywhere else. There is no travel fee on top. What you cannot do is book anything else. No maintenance visits, no tune-ups, no inspections, no installations, no replacements, no projects, no lawn or outdoor programmes, no carpentry, no remodeling. If you ring the office to book a scheduled repair at a Chapel Hill address, we will tell you we cannot take it, and we will try to name someone who can. ## Why we do it this way Emergency work is dispatched from wherever the on-call crew happens to be and is priced to absorb the drive. Scheduled work is routed the evening before into an efficient sequence of stops, and Chapel Hill does not fit that sequence. Adding it would either lengthen every other customer's arrival window or mean quietly missing yours, and neither is acceptable. Committing to emergencies while declining scheduled work is the honest version of a limit we already have. The alternative, taking the bookings and running late on them, is how contractors end up with a reputation they deserve. ## If you are already a customer If we installed equipment at a Chapel Hill address, the warranty on it stands and we will honour it. Contact the office directly rather than booking online, since the booking system will refuse a scheduled slot at your postcode. We will arrange the visit as an exception, and we would rather handle a handful of those properly than pretend the general rule does not exist. ## Local conditions, for when we do come Orange County is the permitting authority, not Wake or Durham, and it has its own fee schedule and inspection rhythm. That rarely matters on an emergency call but occasionally does on a gas line or a panel. The town has significant tree cover and a lot of houses tucked into it, which is the main driver of what we get called out for: active roof leaks in autumn once the valleys fill, and power lost on one property while the street stays lit. Parts of Meadowmont and Southern Village sit on ground that holds water, and sump pump failures cluster there in a heavy rain event. Note also that the 27516 and 27517 zip codes extend beyond the town into Chatham and Orange County addresses that are not Chapel Hill at all. Run the zip lookup and give us the full address, because the coverage answer at the edge of these zips is not always the same as the answer in the middle. --- ## source: content/areas/clayton.mdx ### frontmatter city: Clayton state: NC slug: clayton county: Johnston zips: 27520, 27527 coverage: partial tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 45 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 120 responseMinutes.sameDay: 300 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.6507 geo.longitude: -78.4564 neighborhoods: Flowers Plantation, Riverwood, Glen Laurel, Downtown Clayton, Portofino, Winston Pointe notes: Partial coverage. Five trades, no construction and no carpentry, and a flat travel fee. Johnston County permitting, which is a different authority from Wake. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Clayton Clayton is a partial-coverage city, and it is worth being precise about what that means before you plan anything. ## What we bring here, and what we do not We bring five trades to Clayton: HVAC, roofing, outdoor, plumbing and electrical. We do not take construction or carpentry work here. That is a real limit rather than a soft preference. Remodeling, additions, basement finishing, garage conversions, structural repair, custom cabinetry, built-ins, trim and interior joinery are all unavailable in Clayton at any price, and we will decline the enquiry rather than take a deposit and manage you badly from an hour away. The reason is honest and boring. Construction and carpentry are multi-week jobs with daily site presence, permit inspections at set stages, and a crew that cannot easily be pulled to another job and back. Running that reliably in Johnston County from a Morrisville yard would mean a crew spending more of its day driving than working, and the person who pays for that is you. The trades we do bring are single-visit or few-visit work, where the drive is a smaller share of the job. If you want a deck or a remodel in Clayton, say so and we will tell you plainly that we are not your contractor for it. ## The travel fee Clayton carries a flat travel fee on every visit, added once per visit rather than per hour, and shown as a separate line on the quote and the invoice. It is not a surcharge on the work and it does not scale with the size of the job. ## Johnston County, not Wake Clayton is in Johnston County. Different permitting authority, different inspectors, different fee schedule and a different scheduling rhythm from Wake County. Anything requiring a permit here runs on Johnston County's timeline, and permit fees are passed through at cost, which means the figure differs from the equivalent job in Raleigh. ## Response times Emergency response here is 120 minutes rather than our standard 90, and same-day is a 5 hour target rather than 4. Those are honest numbers for the distance. Clayton is emergency-eligible for all eight covered services and we do dispatch here around the clock. ## The housing stock Flowers Plantation is the dominant feature, a very large master-planned development still being built out, alongside Riverwood, Glen Laurel, Portofino and Winston Pointe. Most of it is 2000s onward, so the work is lifecycle rather than restoration. Downtown Clayton is older and genuinely handsome, and it is frustrating that our carpentry limit falls hardest exactly where the carpentry would be most interesting. We would rather say that than pretend otherwise. --- ## source: content/areas/durham.mdx ### frontmatter city: Durham state: NC slug: durham county: Durham zips: 27701, 27703, 27704, 27705, 27707, 27712, 27713 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.994 geo.longitude: -78.8986 neighborhoods: Trinity Park, Old West Durham, Watts-Hillandale, Duke Park, Forest Hills, Hope Valley, Woodcroft, Northgate Park, Colonial Village, Southpoint notes: The oldest housing stock we work on, and the city where a survey most often finds something the owner did not know about. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Durham Durham has the oldest housing stock we work on regularly, and the highest proportion of houses that have been renovated by somebody who was not a contractor. Both facts shape almost every job here. The mill houses and early twentieth century neighbourhoods around the centre are solid buildings that have absorbed a century of alterations, and the alterations are what we spend our time on. ## The older neighbourhoods Trinity Park, Old West Durham, Watts-Hillandale, Duke Park and Forest Hills are largely pre-1940. Expect knob-and-tube wiring surviving in a wall somewhere even where the panel has been replaced, galvanised supply pipe that has narrowed to a fraction of its bore, plaster over lath rather than drywall, and original single-glazed windows that owners are usually right to want to repair rather than replace. Two things come up so often they are worth planning for. The first is that nothing is square, so cabinetry, trim and door work are scribed to fit rather than dropped in, and that is labour rather than material. The second is that opening a wall in a house this old frequently reveals a previous repair that has to be dealt with before the intended work continues. We survey for that and we quote a contingency rather than discovering it on day three and asking for more money. Several of these neighbourhoods sit in local historic districts. Exterior changes visible from the street can require review, and the timeline for that review is not ours to compress. We will tell you at survey whether your address is affected. ## Hope Valley, Woodcroft and the south Hope Valley is 1920s and 30s houses on large lots, mature trees, and slate or tile roofs that need a roofer who has worked on them before. Woodcroft and the developments toward Southpoint are 1980s and 90s, which puts them squarely in the replacement cycle: original HVAC long gone, second-generation systems now aging, and roofs at or past twenty years. ## Trees, and what they do Durham's tree cover is the best in the Triangle and the hardest on buildings. Mature willow oaks and pines mean gutters that fill within weeks of being cleared, roof valleys that hold debris and stay damp, shaded north-facing slopes that grow algae, and roots finding the joints in clay sewer laterals. If your drain blocks on a predictable annual cycle, that is almost certainly the cause, and a camera inspection is the cheapest way to find out how bad it has become. ## Getting to you The whole city is inside our 90 minute emergency target and there is no travel fee. The 15-501 and I-40 corridors carry our crews in from Morrisville; a call from the north of the city at rush hour is our slowest realistic drive anywhere in the full-coverage area, and we will say so when we book rather than quote you a target we can see we will miss. --- ## source: content/areas/fuquay-varina.mdx ### frontmatter city: Fuquay-Varina state: NC slug: fuquay-varina county: Wake zips: 27526 coverage: partial tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 45 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 120 responseMinutes.sameDay: 300 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.5843 geo.longitude: -78.8 neighborhoods: Bentwinds, Sunset Bluffs, South Lakes, Crooked Creek, Downtown Fuquay, Ballentine notes: Partial coverage. Five trades, no construction and no carpentry, and a flat travel fee. In Wake County, so permitting is the same authority as Raleigh. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Fuquay-Varina Fuquay-Varina is a partial-coverage city. We bring five trades here and we do not bring two, and that distinction is worth reading before you plan work. ## What we bring here, and what we do not Available: HVAC, roofing, outdoor, plumbing and electrical. Not available: construction and carpentry. That means no remodeling, no additions, no basement finishing, no garage conversions, no structural repair, no custom cabinetry, no built-ins and no interior trim work, at any price. We decline those enquiries here rather than accepting one and serving you badly from the far side of the county. The reasoning is the same as in Clayton. Multi-week work with daily site presence and staged inspections does not survive an hour of driving at each end of the day; single-visit and few-visit work does. The trades we bring are the ones where that arithmetic works out in your favour rather than against it. ## The travel fee A flat travel fee applies to every visit in Fuquay-Varina, charged once per visit, itemised separately on the quote and the invoice, and unaffected by the size of the job. It covers the drive and nothing else. ## Wake County, unlike Clayton Unlike our other partial-coverage city, Fuquay-Varina is in Wake County. Permitting, inspection and fees are the same authority and the same schedule as Raleigh, so anything requiring a permit runs on a timeline we know well. If you have had work done in Raleigh or Cary before, the paperwork here will feel identical. ## Response times Emergency response is 120 minutes rather than 90, and same-day is a 5 hour target rather than 4. Fuquay-Varina is emergency-eligible for all eight covered services, around the clock, on the same terms as everywhere else in the coverage area. ## The housing stock Fuquay-Varina has grown quickly and unevenly, which makes it more varied than its neighbours. Bentwinds, Sunset Bluffs, South Lakes and Crooked Creek are newer developments in the ordinary lifecycle pattern. The two old town centres, Fuquay and Varina, are genuinely old and quite different in character from anything in Holly Springs or Apex. Two local conditions come up repeatedly. A good number of properties on the southern and western edges are on private wells and septic systems rather than town services, which constrains where outdoor work can go and makes a standby generator a water supply question as well as a power one. And the outer lots are large and rural in character, which is why outdoor work, fencing, drainage, irrigation and lawn programmes, is a bigger share of what we do here than in any other city we cover. --- ## source: content/areas/garner.mdx ### frontmatter city: Garner state: NC slug: garner county: Wake zips: 27529 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.7113 geo.longitude: -78.6142 neighborhoods: Vandora Springs, Heather Hills, Adams Point, Lake Benson, Downtown Garner, Greenfield notes: Mid-century housing that is under-served by contractors chasing newer work, and the flood-prone corner of our coverage area. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Garner Garner is the part of our coverage area with the largest share of mid-century housing, and it is under-served for it. A good deal of the town is 1960s and 70s ranch houses on generous lots, and that is an awkward age: too new to attract the specialists who like old houses, too old for the contractors who prefer working on ten-year-old developments. We are happy working on them, and they have a consistent set of needs. ## What a Garner ranch house needs The pattern repeats street by street in Vandora Springs, Heather Hills and the older parts of the town. Original single-pane aluminium windows, still functional and thermally hopeless. Cast iron drain stacks reaching the end of their service life. Panels of an age where obsolete brands turn up, and Federal Pacific in particular is common enough here that we check for it as a matter of course on any electrical visit. Crawlspaces without a vapour barrier, which in this climate means damp subfloors and the smell that goes with them. The good news about the same houses: they are simply built, one storey, with accessible attics and crawlspaces and generous room around the mechanicals. Work that would be awkward and expensive in a tight two-storey house is straightforward here. Ductwork can be reached and rebalanced properly, a panel upgrade does not involve a scaffold, and a whole-house repipe is a fraction of the disruption it would be elsewhere, because almost every run is reachable from below. ## Water, and the one thing to check Garner is the flood-prone corner of our coverage. Parts of the town sit near Swift Creek and its tributaries, and low-lying properties here take water in a way that most of Wake County does not. That drives more of our work than anything else. Sump pumps here are not optional equipment, and the single most useful thing we do is fit a battery backup, because the storm that floods your crawlspace is very often the storm that takes your power out, and a mains-only sump pump in a power cut is an ornament. If you are on a low lot, ask us to check the pump and the backup at any visit, and test it yourself before hurricane season rather than during it. Grading and drainage matter here more than in any other city we cover. Downspouts discharging at the foundation, a patio built with fall toward the house, or a regraded neighbouring lot can each turn a dry crawlspace into a wet one. ## Getting to you Garner is inside the 90 minute emergency target with no travel fee, and it is a straightforward drive down I-40 or Highway 70. The exception is a widespread rain event, which is exactly when demand here spikes and roads flood at the same time. We prioritise by severity in those conditions and we will tell you honestly where you sit in the queue. --- ## source: content/areas/hillsborough.mdx ### frontmatter city: Hillsborough state: NC slug: hillsborough county: Orange zips: 27278 coverage: not-served tradesAvailable: (none) travelFee: null responseMinutes: null nearestCoveredCity: Durham geo.latitude: 36.0754 geo.longitude: -79.0997 neighborhoods: Historic District, Waterstone, Cornwallis Hills, Beckett's Ridge, Fiori Hill, Forest Ridge notes: Not served, including emergencies. The nearest city we do cover is Durham. This page exists so the answer is findable rather than inferred from an absence. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: /vercel/path0/content/areas/hillsborough.mdx ### content ## We do not cover Hillsborough Cedarline does not work in Hillsborough. Not scheduled work, and not emergencies either. The nearest city we do cover is Durham, about fifteen miles south-east. This page exists because an absence is not an answer. Hillsborough is in Orange County, it is unmistakably part of the Triangle, and we cover Durham and Chapel Hill on either side of it. Anyone would reasonably assume we come here. Leaving that to be worked out from a map you are not on is how people end up ringing at eleven at night about a burst pipe and finding out then. ## Why not We are not close enough to run scheduled work reliably from Morrisville, and we are not close enough to hold to any emergency response time we would be willing to publish. Our slowest published emergency target is 120 minutes, and we could not meet it here on a bad night. A target we cannot hit is worse than no service at all, because you would stop looking for someone who could actually come. We have no plan to change this. If that changes, this page changes with it. ## What to do instead For anything urgent, call a contractor based in Orange County or in Mebane. Hillsborough is well served locally and a firm ten minutes away will beat one forty minutes away on every metric that matters to you at two in the morning. If you want a recommendation, ring our office during business hours and ask. We keep a short list of firms in the areas we do not cover, we have no financial arrangement with any of them, and we will tell you who we would call ourselves. Two things worth knowing when you ring whoever you choose. Ask whether they are licensed for the specific trade, because North Carolina licenses plumbing, electrical and general contracting separately and a firm may hold one and not another. And ask what their emergency response time actually is at night, as opposed to their advertised one. Those are the two questions we would want a customer to ask us. ## If you were a customer before We have never taken scheduled work in Hillsborough, so this is unlikely, but if we installed something at an address here as part of a job elsewhere, the warranty on that equipment stands and we will honour it. Ring the office rather than booking online. We will arrange the visit as a one-off exception, and it does not change the general position. ## One boundary worth checking Zip code 27278 covers Hillsborough and a good deal of surrounding rural Orange County. If your address is at the southern edge, closer to Durham than to the town, run the zip lookup and then ring the office with the full address. The lookup answers by zip code, and a zip code is a postal convenience rather than a boundary drawn around what we can reach. It is worth two minutes to be certain. --- ## source: content/areas/holly-springs.mdx ### frontmatter city: Holly Springs state: NC slug: holly-springs county: Wake zips: 27540 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.6513 geo.longitude: -78.8336 neighborhoods: Sunset Ridge, Twelve Oaks, Bass Lake, Holly Glen, Braxton Village, Village District notes: The youngest housing stock we cover, so most of the work is warranty-adjacent or discretionary rather than repairs. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Holly Springs Holly Springs has the youngest housing stock of anywhere we cover. Almost nothing here predates the mid 1990s and a great deal of it is under fifteen years old. That single fact changes what we are usually asked to do: less repair, more building, and a lot more conversations about whether something is our job at all. ## Warranty comes first On a house under ten years old, our first question is whether the problem is yours to pay for. North Carolina builders typically warrant workmanship for a year, systems for two and structure for ten, and the specifics are in the paperwork you were given at closing. We will tell you when we think you have a warranty claim, and we will put the diagnosis in writing so you can take it to the builder. That is the report you are paying the diagnostic fee for, and it is often worth several thousand dollars to you. What we will not do is quietly carry out a repair the builder owes you, because the moment we touch it the claim gets harder to make. The common ones on houses of this age: an HVAC system that has never cooled an upstairs bedroom properly, which is usually a design or duct-sizing fault rather than a failure; nail pops and drywall cracking from normal settlement; and grading that sends water toward the house rather than away. ## What we actually do here The bulk of our Holly Springs work is discretionary rather than urgent. Decks and screened porches on houses built with a builder-grade patio slab and nothing else. Patios and paver work. Fencing, usually the first thing a family does after moving in. Finished bonus rooms above garages. EV chargers, at a higher rate than anywhere else we cover, because the housing is new enough to have panel capacity and the demographics run that way. Sunset Ridge, Twelve Oaks, Bass Lake, Holly Glen and Braxton Village cover most of it. Nearly all sit under an HOA with architectural review, so the Cary sequence applies to anything visible from outside: approval, then permit, then work. ## The first replacement cycle The older end of the town, the late 1990s developments, is now reaching the point where original roofs, HVAC systems and water heaters need replacing. This is the first time these houses have needed that, and it takes owners by surprise. A twenty-five year architectural shingle roof installed in 1999 is at the end of its warranted life now, whatever it looks like from the ground. An inspection tells you where you stand, and we are as willing to say "four more years" as we are to quote the work. ## Getting to you Holly Springs is inside the 90 minute emergency target with no travel fee. It borders Fuquay-Varina, which is a partial-coverage city, so if your address sits near that line the zip lookup is worth running rather than assuming. --- ## source: content/areas/morrisville.mdx ### frontmatter city: Morrisville state: NC slug: morrisville county: Wake zips: 27560 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 60 responseMinutes.sameDay: 180 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.8235 geo.longitude: -78.8256 neighborhoods: Kitts Creek, Breckenridge, Savannah, Churchill, Shiloh Green, Park West notes: Our home town. The yard is here, which is why the emergency target is 60 minutes rather than 90 and same-day is 3 hours rather than 4. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Morrisville Our yard is in Morrisville, which makes it the one city where we can promise something better than our standard targets. Emergency response here is 60 minutes rather than 90, and same-day scheduled work is a 3 hour target rather than 4. Those are the real numbers, not a marketing courtesy: the crew is not driving in from anywhere. It also means we hold stock. A water heater failure, a common capacitor or contactor, a sump pump, a standard breaker: the van is loaded from a store five minutes away rather than from a supplier across the county. First-visit fix rates are higher here than anywhere else we work, and that is a function of geography rather than skill. ## The housing stock Morrisville is compact and young. Almost everything is 1990s onward, with a heavy concentration of townhouses and higher-density housing alongside the detached developments. Kitts Creek, Breckenridge, Savannah, Churchill and Shiloh Green cover most of what we see. Townhouses change the work in ways owners do not always expect. Shared walls mean shared structure and often shared roof planes, so a roof repair on your unit can be an association matter rather than yours alone. Where an HOA owns the roof and the exterior, we need to know who is instructing us before we start, because doing the work correctly and billing the wrong party helps nobody. Inside the unit, the constraint is space. Mechanical closets in a townhouse are sized to the original equipment and no more, so a replacement water heater or air handler has to physically fit through the door and into the space. We measure before we order. A tankless conversion is occasionally attractive here for exactly that reason, since it reclaims the floor area the tank occupied. ## Aircraft noise, and one thing it affects Parts of Morrisville sit under the RDU approach. It is not something we can change, but it is worth knowing that it drives a good deal of the window and door work we do here. Owners asking about laminated glazing are usually asking about noise rather than security, and the honest answer is that better glazing helps meaningfully with aircraft noise but will not remove it. ## Getting to you Every address in Morrisville is a short drive. The one thing that moves our timings is Aviation Parkway and the airport traffic on it, which is why we still quote a two hour arrival window for scheduled work rather than a promised time. --- ## source: content/areas/raleigh.mdx ### frontmatter city: Raleigh state: NC slug: raleigh county: Wake zips: 27601, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27609, 27610, 27612, 27613, 27614, 27615, 27616, 27617 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.7796 geo.longitude: -78.6382 neighborhoods: Five Points, Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Hayes Barton, Mordecai, Cameron Park, North Hills, Brier Creek, Falls River, Wakefield notes: Our largest service area and the widest span of housing stock, from 1920s bungalows inside the beltline to houses finished this year. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Raleigh Raleigh is our largest service area and the one with the widest span of housing stock. A 1920s bungalow in Boylan Heights and a 2024 house in Wakefield are both twenty minutes from the yard and have almost nothing in common. What needs doing, what it costs and what is even possible are different questions in each, so it is worth saying what we actually find where. ## Inside the beltline The older neighbourhoods, Five Points, Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Hayes Barton, Cameron Park and Mordecai, are where the interesting work is and where the surprises live. Houses here are eighty to a hundred years old, most have been altered several times, and the quality of those alterations varies enormously. Common findings: cast iron drain lines at the end of their life, cloth-insulated wiring behind a modern-looking panel, ungrounded three-prong outlets fitted at some point without a ground actually present, and crawlspaces with no vapour barrier. Ductwork is often a retrofit threaded through a house never designed for it, which is why an equal-sized replacement system sometimes still fails to cool an upstairs bedroom. Access is the other constraint. Narrow lots, mature trees and street parking mean we bring smaller vehicles and stage materials differently. Oakwood is a historic district, and exterior work visible from the street can need review before it starts. We will tell you that at survey rather than halfway through. ## North Raleigh and the newer developments North Hills, Falls River, Wakefield, Brier Creek and the developments off Six Forks are a different job entirely. Houses are 1990s onward, built to a consistent standard, with accessible mechanicals and predictable layouts. The work here is less archaeology and more lifecycle: first-generation HVAC systems reaching twenty years, original architectural shingle roofs reaching the end of their warranty at much the same time, and water heaters going in batches across a whole street. That batching is real and it is useful. When one house in a development needs a roof, its neighbours usually will within a few years, because they were built in the same season with the same materials. We would rather inspect and tell you that you have four years left than sell you a roof today. ## Getting to you The whole city is inside our 90 minute emergency target, and no part of Raleigh carries a travel fee. In practice the beltline and the I-540 loop set our timings more than distance does: an emergency call at 5pm from the middle of the city is a different drive from the same call at midnight, which is why the arrival window we quote for scheduled work is two hours rather than a promised minute. --- ## source: content/areas/wake-forest.mdx ### frontmatter city: Wake Forest state: NC slug: wake-forest county: Wake zips: 27587 coverage: full tradesAvailable: hvac, roofing, construction, carpentry, outdoor, plumbing, electrical travelFee.amount: 0 travelFee.currency: USD responseMinutes.emergency: 90 responseMinutes.sameDay: 240 nearestCoveredCity: null geo.latitude: 35.9799 geo.longitude: -78.5097 neighborhoods: Historic Downtown Wake Forest, Heritage, Traditions, Holding Village, Caveness Farms, Bowling Green, Olde Mill Stream notes: Our northern edge. A large part of the town is one enormous development built in phases, which makes the replacement cycle unusually predictable. lastReviewed: 2026-07-18 contentVersion: 1 provenance.travelFee.source: content/site/service-areas.mdx provenance.travelFee.canonicalKey: travelFee ### content ## Working in Wake Forest Wake Forest is the northern edge of our coverage and one of the more interesting towns to work in, because it is really two places. There is a genuinely old core around South White Street and the former college campus, and there is a very large amount of development built since the late 1990s. The two need different things from us. ## The old town The historic core is late nineteenth and early twentieth century: heart pine floors, plaster walls, brick pier foundations with crawlspaces you can barely get into, and porches that are the defining feature of the house and the first thing to rot. Porch column bases, floor boards, beadboard ceilings and railings are the most common carpentry work we do here, and the right approach is almost always to splice in matching timber rather than replace a whole element. Wiring and plumbing in these houses have usually been upgraded at least once, but rarely completely. Finding a modern panel feeding original cloth-insulated circuits in the back half of the house is routine. That is not an emergency, but it is worth knowing about before you plan a kitchen. ## Heritage, and building in phases A large part of modern Wake Forest is Heritage, developed in phases over roughly two decades, along with Traditions, Holding Village, Caveness Farms and the developments off Rogers Road and Capital Boulevard. Phased building makes the lifecycle unusually predictable. Each phase went up in a season or two with the same materials and the same subcontractors, so the roofs, the HVAC systems and the water heaters within a phase all reach the end of their lives within a couple of years of each other. We can often tell you what we expect to find before we open anything, purely from the street and the build year, and we will tell you when the honest answer is that you have several years left. The other consequence is HOA governance. Most of the newer developments have architectural review, so the Cary sequence applies: approval, then permit, then work. Allow for it in the timeline. ## Franklin County, and why we ask The town has grown across the county line, and a small number of Wake Forest addresses sit in Franklin County rather than Wake. That changes which authority issues the permit and which inspector attends, and it occasionally changes the schedule. We confirm the county from the address at survey rather than assuming, because a permit pulled from the wrong county is a wasted fortnight. ## Getting to you Wake Forest is inside the 90 minute emergency target with no travel fee, but it is our longest routine drive in the full-coverage area. Capital Boulevard at rush hour is the constraint, and for an early evening emergency we will give you a realistic figure rather than the target. --- ## source: content/faqs/billing-and-insurance.mdx ### frontmatter scope: billing-and-insurance title: Billing, financing and insurance questions faqs[0].id: billing-personal-cheques faqs[0].q: Do you take personal cheques? faqs[0].a: No, and we cannot take cash payments above $500 either. Both limits are firm and they apply to every job regardless of size. Everything else is open to you: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, ACH bank transfer, and financing on qualifying projects. If neither of those excluded methods being unavailable works for you, tell us before the crew arrives rather than at the door. faqs[0].voiceA: No, we do not take personal cheques, and we cannot take cash above five hundred dollars. All major cards, bank transfer and financing are fine. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[0].tags: payment, constraints faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[1].id: billing-diagnostic-fee-refund faqs[1].q: Is the diagnostic fee refundable if I decline the repair? faqs[1].a: No. The diagnostic fee is not refundable, and it is a distinct thing from being waived. If you approve the repair, the fee is waived and does not appear on your invoice. If you decline, the fee is what you pay and it is all you pay, and the written fault report is yours to keep and to take to another contractor for a second quote. You are paying for the diagnosis and the report, and you receive both either way. faqs[1].voiceA: No, it is not refundable. If you approve the repair it is waived. If you decline, the fee is all you pay and the written report is yours to keep. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: pricing, diagnostic, precise faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[2].id: billing-financing-on-repair faqs[2].q: Can I get financing on a repair? faqs[2].a: Only if the total is $3,000 or above, which most repairs are not. Financing starts at $3,000 and below that neither lender will write the paper, so a service call, a tune-up, an inspection or a diagnostic visit cannot be financed at any price. It applies to installation, replacement, remodeling, additions, roof replacement, and panel upgrades and generator installation. If your repair comes in under the minimum, the card and ACH options are the practical route. faqs[2].voiceA: Only if it comes to three thousand dollars or more, which most repairs do not. Financing is for installations and projects rather than service calls. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: financing, minimum, constraints faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/site/financing.mdx faqs[3].id: billing-financing-options faqs[3].q: What financing terms do you offer? faqs[3].a: Two options through two lenders: 0% APR over 12 months, and 6.99% APR fixed over 60 months. The 0% offer is genuinely 0% if you clear the balance inside 12 months, but if a balance remains after month 12, interest is charged from the original purchase date rather than from month 13. That is how deferred-interest financing works everywhere and it is worth knowing before you choose it. The 60 month option is a plain fixed-rate loan with no early settlement penalty. faqs[3].voiceA: Zero percent over twelve months, or six point nine nine percent fixed over sixty months. With the zero percent deal, interest backdates to the purchase date if a balance remains after month twelve. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: financing, terms faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/site/financing.mdx faqs[4].id: billing-financing-application faqs[4].q: Does applying for financing affect my credit score? faqs[4].a: No. The application runs a soft credit check, which does not affect your score, and it returns a decision in minutes. You can apply before you commit to the work, so the monthly figure is part of the decision rather than something you work out afterwards. Bring the quote reference and a photo ID; we can do the application with you at the kitchen table or over the phone. faqs[4].voiceA: No, it is a soft credit check that does not affect your score, and you get a decision in minutes. You can apply before committing to the work. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: financing, credit faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/site/financing.mdx faqs[5].id: billing-when-payment-due faqs[5].q: When is payment due? faqs[5].a: On completion for service work, and on a staged schedule set out in the quote for larger projects. We do not ask for payment before work starts on a service call. On a project, the stages are written into the quote before you sign, and the final payment is due after the snag list is cleared rather than before it, so you are never paying for work that is not finished. faqs[5].voiceA: On completion for service work. On larger projects it is staged, written into the quote, with the final payment due after the snag list is cleared. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: payment, projects faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[6].id: billing-permit-fees faqs[6].q: Are permit fees included in the quote? faqs[6].a: They are passed through at cost and itemised separately on your invoice, so you can see what went to the county and what came to us. We pull the permit, book the inspection and meet the inspector on site as part of the work. We do not mark permit fees up. faqs[6].voiceA: Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately, so you can see what went to the county. We do not mark them up. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: permits, pricing, projects faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[7].id: billing-insurance-claim-role faqs[7].q: Will you handle my insurance claim for me? faqs[7].a: No, and be careful of anyone who says they will. We are not public adjusters and we are not licensed to act for you in a claim. What we do is document the damage properly, meet your adjuster on the roof, answer technical questions about what failed and why, and carry out the work your insurer approves. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer. If you want somebody to argue the claim for you, hire a licensed public adjuster, which is a real and regulated profession in North Carolina. faqs[7].voiceA: No. We are not public adjusters and cannot act for you in a claim. We document the damage, meet your adjuster, and do the approved work. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: insurance, scope-limits, claims faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[8].id: billing-deductible faqs[8].q: Can you waive my insurance deductible? faqs[8].a: No. Your deductible is yours to pay and it is due to us on completion. We will not absorb it, discount it, or inflate the scope to cover it. Contractors who offer to waive your deductible are committing insurance fraud and exposing you to it too, because the homeowner signs the claim, and it is straightforwardly illegal in North Carolina. If the approved scope comes in below your deductible there is no point claiming at all, and we will say so. faqs[8].voiceA: No. Waiving a deductible is insurance fraud and illegal in North Carolina, and it exposes you as well as us. Your deductible is due to us on completion. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: insurance, deductible, legal faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[9].id: billing-claim-two-payments faqs[9].q: Why did my insurer only pay part of the settlement? faqs[9].a: Most policies here settle on a replacement cost basis in two payments: an initial actual cash value payment, then the recoverable depreciation once the work is complete and invoiced. That second payment is why the paperwork at the end matters as much as the paperwork at the start. We provide the final invoice and completion documentation your insurer needs to release it, and financing can bridge the gap between starting the work and the depreciation arriving. faqs[9].voiceA: Most policies pay in two parts: an initial payment, then the depreciation once the work is finished and invoiced. We supply the completion paperwork to release it. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: insurance, claims, payment faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[10].id: billing-structural-claim faqs[10].q: Will my insurance cover structural damage? faqs[10].a: It depends on whether the cause was sudden or gradual, and structural claims are refused more often than any other kind we see. Standard policies generally cover a sudden event: a tree through the roof, a vehicle into the wall, a burst pipe that soaked the framing over a weekend. They generally exclude gradual causes: long-term water ingress, rot, termites, settlement and earth movement. Most of what we find in Triangle crawlspaces falls in the second category, and filing anyway usually produces a denial that sits on your claims history. faqs[10].voiceA: It depends whether the cause was sudden or gradual. Sudden events are usually covered. Rot, termites and settlement usually are not. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: insurance, structural, claims faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/structural-repair.mdx faqs[11].id: billing-assignment-of-benefits faqs[11].q: Should I sign an assignment of benefits? faqs[11].a: Read it very carefully and consider not signing. It hands the contractor the right to deal with your insurer directly and to be paid directly, and it can leave you liable for the difference if the claim settles low. We never ask for one. After a significant hail event, out-of-state crews arrive, knock doors and press for a signature that day, and this is one of the documents they press for. faqs[11].voiceA: Read it very carefully and consider not signing. It lets a contractor deal with your insurer directly and can leave you liable if the claim settles low. We never ask for one. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[11].tags: insurance, legal, storm-chasers faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims.mdx faqs[12].id: billing-maintenance-plan-billing faqs[12].q: How is a maintenance plan billed, and can I cancel? faqs[12].a: Billed monthly by card or ACH, and you can cancel any time with 30 days notice, with no exit fee. Visits already delivered in the plan year are not refunded. There is no minimum term and no automatic price escalation written into the plan. faqs[12].voiceA: Billed monthly by card or bank transfer. Cancel any time with thirty days notice and no exit fee. Visits already delivered are not refunded. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[12].tags: maintenance-plans, billing, cancellation faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/site/maintenance-plans.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about invoices, financing, permits and insurance claims. What each service costs is on the page for that service. --- ## source: content/faqs/carpentry.mdx ### frontmatter scope: carpentry title: Carpentry questions faqs[0].id: carpentry-cabinetry-lead-time faqs[0].q: How long does custom cabinetry take? faqs[0].a: Six to ten weeks of shop fabrication after you sign off the design, then two to five days on site to fit. From first visit to finished cabinetry is three to four months. There is no version of this where cabinetry appears in three weeks: the timber has to be selected and milled, carcasses and doors built, and the finish sprayed and properly cured before anything leaves the shop. If your date is genuinely immovable, stock or semi-custom cabinetry through a kitchen remodel is the faster route and we will say so. faqs[0].voiceA: Six to ten weeks in the shop after sign off, then two to five days to fit. Three to four months in total, and we cannot compress it. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[0].tags: lead-time, cabinetry, expectations faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry.mdx faqs[1].id: carpentry-cabinetry-cost-drivers faqs[1].q: What makes custom cabinetry expensive? faqs[1].a: Timber species first, then whether the doors are inset or overlay. Painted poplar is the value option and a genuinely good one, because paint does not care what is underneath as long as it is stable; white oak and walnut are several times the cost. Inset doors sit flush within the frame, which looks considerably better and demands tolerances measured in fractions of a millimetre across a run that will move seasonally, so it costs more than overlay. faqs[1].voiceA: Timber species first, then inset versus overlay doors. Painted poplar is the value option. Inset doors look better and demand much tighter tolerances. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: cabinetry, pricing faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry.mdx faqs[2].id: carpentry-cabinet-refacing faqs[2].q: Can you reface my existing cabinets? faqs[2].a: No. Where the carcasses are sound, refacing can be good value, but it runs on a different supply chain from the one we work in and we would be the wrong company to do it. We build new cabinetry in our shop and fit it, or we fit stock and semi-custom units as part of a kitchen remodel. faqs[2].voiceA: No. Refacing can be good value where the boxes are sound, but it is a different supply chain and we would be the wrong company for it. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: scope-limits, cabinetry faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry.mdx faqs[3].id: carpentry-trim-joints-opening faqs[3].q: Why did the joints in my new trim open up? faqs[3].a: Almost always because the material was cut and fitted straight off the van rather than acclimatised first. Trim arrives at whatever moisture content the warehouse had, and your house is drier in January and more humid in August, so timber shrinks as it equalises. We deliver material several days before we cut it and let it sit in the room it is going into. It costs nothing except a corner of a dry room and it is the difference between joints that stay closed and joints you notice every time you walk past. faqs[3].voiceA: Almost always because the timber was not acclimatised before cutting. We leave material in the room for several days first, which stops joints opening later. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: trim, method, moisture faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding.mdx faqs[4].id: carpentry-coped-vs-mitred faqs[4].q: What is a coped joint and why does it matter? faqs[4].a: A coped inside corner has one piece run into the corner and the other cut to its profile with a coping saw, so the joint closes rather than opening as the timber moves. A mitred inside corner looks identical on the day and opens up by the following summer. Mitring is faster, which is why plenty of installers do it. We cope every inside corner on crown, and price tracks corner count far more closely than it tracks linear feet. faqs[4].voiceA: A coped corner closes as timber moves, where a mitred one opens up within a year. We cope every inside corner on crown moulding. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: trim, method, quality faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding.mdx faqs[5].id: carpentry-matching-old-trim faqs[5].q: Can you match the original trim in my old house? faqs[5].a: Usually yes, either with a stock profile close enough or by having knives ground to run the original. The second costs more and is often worth it in a house with any architectural character. Bring us a short offcut of the original if you have one anywhere; a piece from the back of a cupboard is enough to copy from, and it is far more useful than a photograph. faqs[5].voiceA: Usually yes, either with a close stock profile or by having knives ground to match. A short offcut from the back of a cupboard is all we need to copy from. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: trim, matching, older-homes faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding.mdx faqs[6].id: carpentry-door-sticks faqs[6].q: My door sticks in summer and swings free in winter. Should I plane it? faqs[6].a: No. That is timber doing exactly what it should in North Carolina humidity, and planing it in summer gives you a door with a visible gap by winter. The usual real fixes are a longer hinge screw driven into the stud rather than just the jamb, a strike plate moved a few millimetres, or a hinge shimmed. That is a short visit and it is much cheaper than a replacement, and we will always try it first. faqs[6].voiceA: No. That is normal seasonal movement, and planing it in summer leaves a gap by winter. A hinge screw into the stud or a strike plate adjustment usually fixes it. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: doors, seasonal, diagnostics faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/doors-and-windows.mdx faqs[7].id: carpentry-window-insert-or-full faqs[7].q: Should I get insert windows or full-frame replacement? faqs[7].a: An insert if the existing frame and sill are sound, full-frame if they are not. An insert fits inside the existing frame: quicker, cheaper, less disruptive, keeps your trim inside and out, and loses a little glass area. A full-frame replacement takes everything back to the rough opening, costs more and means new trim, and it is the only way to get the flashing detail properly right. If the sill is soft, an insert is a way of hiding a problem rather than fixing one. faqs[7].voiceA: An insert if the existing frame and sill are sound, full frame if they are not. If the sill is soft, an insert just hides the problem. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: windows, method, decision faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/doors-and-windows.mdx faqs[8].id: carpentry-carpet-off-stairs faqs[8].q: What will I find under the carpet on my stairs? faqs[8].a: It is genuinely a gamble, and worth knowing before you commit. In many Triangle houses, particularly builder-grade ones from the 1980s onward, the treads under carpet were never intended to be seen: construction-grade softwood, often with a plywood riser, held down with staples and adhesive, and gouged. Sometimes what comes up is beautiful and needs sanding and finishing; often it needs new treads. We survey first and price both outcomes separately so you can decide with the information. faqs[8].voiceA: It is a gamble. In many houses the treads under carpet were never meant to be seen. We survey first and price both outcomes so you can decide. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: stairs, expectations faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/stair-and-railing-work.mdx faqs[9].id: carpentry-loose-banister faqs[9].q: My banister is loose. Is that a big job? faqs[9].a: Usually smaller than it feels, and the cause is nearly always the newel post rather than the balusters. A newel fixed only to the tread has nothing to resist a sideways push, and once it moves the whole run feels unsafe. Fixing it properly means anchoring into the framing, which sometimes means opening the skirt board or working from below. That fixing is what our five year joinery warranty is really about, because a balustrade that feels solid on handover and loose in two years was fixed to the wrong thing. faqs[9].voiceA: Usually smaller than it feels. It is nearly always the newel post rather than the balusters, and fixing it properly means anchoring into the framing. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: stairs, safety, repair faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/stair-and-railing-work.mdx faqs[10].id: carpentry-rot-repair-or-replace faqs[10].q: Can rotten trim be repaired, or does it need replacing? faqs[10].a: Three options, and choosing between them is most of the skill. A splice cuts the rotten section back to sound timber and scarfs a new piece in, which is cheaper than replacement and keeps the original profile. Epoxy consolidation hardens softened fibre and is right for something irreplaceable like an original turned column, and wrong for a length of stock casing. Full replacement is right when more than about a third has gone or the piece carries load. faqs[10].voiceA: Three options. A splice for partial failure, epoxy consolidation for something irreplaceable, and full replacement when more than a third has gone. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: rot, repair, method faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/wood-repair-and-restoration.mdx faqs[11].id: carpentry-rot-water-source faqs[11].q: Will the rot come back after you repair it? faqs[11].a: It will if the water is still getting in, which is why our quote names the cause rather than just the repair. Timber does not rot on its own: something is keeping it wet, usually a gutter overflowing or discharging behind a fascia, a roof detail with no flashing, a sill with no drip edge, or a paint film that failed years ago. Where the cause is ours to fix we quote it alongside. Our two year warranty assumes the water has been dealt with, and we will not warrant a splice under a still-leaking gutter. faqs[11].voiceA: It will if the water is still getting in. Our quote names the cause, and we will not warrant a repair made under a still leaking gutter. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[11].tags: rot, warranty, diagnostics faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/carpentry/wood-repair-and-restoration.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about cabinetry, built-ins, trim, doors, stairs and timber repair. Structural framing questions belong in the remodeling and construction set. --- ## source: content/faqs/construction.mdx ### frontmatter scope: construction title: Remodeling and construction questions faqs[0].id: construction-kitchen-timeline faqs[0].q: How long does a kitchen remodel take? faqs[0].a: Ten to twelve weeks from signature to a finished kitchen: three to five weeks of design and permitting, then four to seven weeks on site. Anyone quoting four weeks in total is either not pulling a permit or has not counted the design phase. You are without a kitchen for the on-site portion, so plan a temporary setup with a microwave and a kettle somewhere else in the house. faqs[0].voiceA: Ten to twelve weeks in total. Three to five weeks of design and permitting, then four to seven weeks on site without a kitchen. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[0].tags: timeline, kitchen faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx faqs[1].id: construction-why-quoted faqs[1].q: Why can I not get a price over the phone? faqs[1].a: Because a remodel price depends on what is behind your walls, what the county will permit, what you choose to put back, and how much of the existing structure is worth keeping. Two identical-looking 1990s kitchens in Cary can differ by tens of thousands once the cabinets come off. Every project starts with a free design and survey visit that produces a fixed written quote with every allowance stated. faqs[1].voiceA: Because the price depends on what is behind your walls and what you choose to put back. The survey visit is free and produces a fixed written quote. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: pricing, estimate-only faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx faqs[2].id: construction-allowances faqs[2].q: What is an allowance in a quote? faqs[2].a: An allowance is the sum we have budgeted for something you have not chosen yet, such as tile, fixtures or cabinetry. Every quote states its allowances plainly. Choose above one and the difference is itemised; choose below it and you get the difference back. Quotes without stated allowances are how a fixed price turns into a moving one. faqs[2].voiceA: It is the sum budgeted for something you have not chosen yet, like tile or fixtures. Choose above it and you pay the difference, choose below and you get it back. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: pricing, quotes faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx faqs[3].id: construction-what-moves-price faqs[3].q: What makes one remodel cost more than another? faqs[3].a: Whether the layout changes, more than anything else. Moving a sink means moving a drain, and a drain needs fall, which on a slab-on-grade house can mean cutting concrete. Keeping the wet wall where it is saves more money than any other decision available to you. After that it is cabinetry level, whether a wall is load bearing, and whether your electrical panel can carry a modern kitchen. faqs[3].voiceA: Whether the layout changes. Moving a sink means moving a drain, which is the biggest single jump. Keeping the wet wall where it is saves the most money. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: pricing, layout faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx faqs[4].id: construction-permit-wait faqs[4].q: Can you start before the permit comes through? faqs[4].a: No. A contractor who offers to start before the permit is issued is offering to do unpermitted work, which becomes your problem when you sell the house. Wake and Durham counties both run one to two weeks for a residential kitchen at present, longer after a storm event when the permit desk is loaded with roof work. We pull the permit, book the inspections, and meet the inspector on site. faqs[4].voiceA: No. Starting before the permit is unpermitted work, and it becomes your problem when you sell. We pull the permit and meet the inspector. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: permits, compliance faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling.mdx faqs[5].id: construction-live-in faqs[5].q: Can I live in the house during the work? faqs[5].a: For most projects yes, and most clients do. On an addition the majority of the work happens outside your walls, with two disruptive phases: excavation week, when you lose the driveway, and the tie-in, when we open the existing exterior wall. On a kitchen or bathroom you lose that room for the on-site phase. Water and power stay on throughout, with brief planned interruptions we tell you about the day before. faqs[5].voiceA: For most projects yes. On an addition the disruptive parts are excavation week and the tie in. On a kitchen or bathroom you lose that room. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: expectations, disruption faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/home-additions.mdx faqs[6].id: construction-addition-setbacks faqs[6].q: Can I build an addition anywhere on my lot? faqs[6].a: No, and three site constraints decide what is buildable. Setbacks are required distances from every boundary, and in much of Wake and Durham County the side setback is the binding one, which frequently pushes an addition to the back rather than the side you wanted. Lot coverage caps the proportion of the lot under roof and hard standing, and an existing patio counts toward it. Utility and drainage easements cannot be built over at all. All three are on your plot survey. faqs[6].voiceA: No. Setbacks, lot coverage and easements all limit where you can build, and side setbacks often push an addition to the back rather than the side. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: zoning, additions, feasibility faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/home-additions.mdx faqs[7].id: construction-hoa-review faqs[7].q: Do I need HOA approval? faqs[7].a: In most Triangle subdivisions, yes, for anything visible from the street or from a neighbour. The architectural review committee meets on its own schedule and it is frequently the single longest wait in an addition project, so start it early. We prepare and submit the package, but we cannot make the committee meet sooner. faqs[7].voiceA: In most Triangle subdivisions yes, for anything visible from the street. We prepare and submit the package, but the committee meets on its own schedule. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: hoa, additions, timeline faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/home-additions.mdx faqs[8].id: construction-basement-moisture-first faqs[8].q: Can you just finish my basement without dealing with the damp? faqs[8].a: No. Framing over a moisture problem is the most expensive mistake in basement finishing, because drywall and insulation in a below-grade room that takes water is not a room that needs repair later, it is a room that has to be demolished and rebuilt. We assess moisture first and put the findings in writing before anything is designed. Sometimes the answer is nothing at all, because plenty of Triangle basements are genuinely dry. faqs[8].voiceA: No. Framing over damp means demolishing and rebuilding later. We assess moisture first and put it in writing, and often the answer is that nothing is needed. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: basement, moisture, method faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/basement-finishing.mdx faqs[9].id: construction-basement-bedroom faqs[9].q: Can I put a bedroom in my basement? faqs[9].a: Only if it has a compliant egress window: minimum opening size, maximum sill height, and a window well big enough to climb out of. In a poured or block foundation that means cutting and shoring the wall and excavating outside, and it is one of the larger single line items on a basement quote. Without it the room can be an office or a den, but it cannot be called a bedroom, and calling it one anyway causes problems at sale. faqs[9].voiceA: Only with a compliant egress window, which means cutting the foundation wall and excavating a window well outside. Without one it can be an office but not a bedroom. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: basement, egress, compliance faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/basement-finishing.mdx faqs[10].id: construction-garage-conversion-parking faqs[10].q: Am I allowed to convert my garage? faqs[10].a: Not always, and it is worth checking before you pay for drawings. Some Triangle subdivisions restrict garage conversions outright through HOA covenants, and some counties require a minimum number of off-street or covered parking spaces per dwelling, which losing your garage can put you below. If the plan involves its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom, that is an accessory dwelling unit rather than a conversion, with different rules that in much of the Triangle do not permit it. faqs[10].voiceA: Not always. Some HOAs restrict it outright and some counties require minimum off street parking. Worth checking before you pay for drawings. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: garage, zoning, feasibility faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/garage-conversion.mdx faqs[11].id: construction-engineer-required faqs[11].q: When do I need a structural engineer? faqs[11].a: Whenever a project removes or alters a load-bearing element, and for most structural repair work. The engineer writes the specification and we build to it, which matters because a contractor who diagnoses a structural problem and then sells you the repair has an obvious conflict of interest. We coordinate the engineer, their fee is separate and paid to them directly so nobody is marking it up, and you get both documents. faqs[11].voiceA: Whenever a project removes or alters a load bearing element. The engineer writes the specification and we build to it, and their fee is paid to them directly. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[11].tags: structural, engineering, compliance faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/structural-repair.mdx faqs[12].id: construction-crack-urgency faqs[12].q: I have a crack in my foundation. Is it urgent? faqs[12].a: Usually not, but the way to find out is to measure it rather than guess. Draw a pencil line across each end of the crack, write the date beside it, and photograph it with a coin for scale. A crack that has not moved in three months is very different from one that has moved in three weeks. Most Triangle cracking is historic, because clay soils swell and shrink seasonally and a great many cracks opened years ago and stopped. What does need attention is horizontal cracking, stair-step cracking in block, and anything actively widening. faqs[12].voiceA: Usually not. Mark the ends with a pencil and date it, then see if it moves. Horizontal cracks and anything widening quickly do need attention. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[12].tags: structural, foundation, urgency faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/services/construction/structural-repair.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about kitchens, bathrooms, additions, basements, garage conversions and structural repair. Financing questions are in the billing and insurance set. --- ## source: content/faqs/electrical.mdx ### frontmatter scope: electrical title: Electrical questions faqs[0].id: electrical-dead-outlet-first-checks faqs[0].q: One outlet has stopped working. What should I check first? faqs[0].a: Find every GFCI in the house and check whether one has tripped, then check the breaker properly. GFCI outlets protect other outlets downstream of them, and those can be in completely different rooms, so a dead dining room outlet is regularly caused by a tripped GFCI in a garage or bathroom. A tripped breaker often does not look obviously off; push it fully off first, then back on. If the GFCI will not reset or the breaker trips straight back, stop and call, because both are telling you something. faqs[0].voiceA: Check every GFCI outlet in the house for a tripped one, including in the garage and bathrooms. Then push the breaker fully off and back on. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[0].tags: diagnostics, outlets, self-help faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair.mdx faqs[1].id: electrical-warm-outlet faqs[1].q: An outlet feels warm. Is that dangerous? faqs[1].a: Yes, and it should be treated as urgent. Electrical devices should be at room temperature. Warmth means resistance, resistance means heat, and heat at a connection is how fires start. The same goes for a burning smell, brown or black discolouration around a socket, or sparking beyond the tiny momentary arc normal with a heavy load. Switch that circuit off at the panel and tell us when you call, because it gets escalated to a person rather than into a booking queue. faqs[1].voiceA: Yes, treat it as urgent. Warmth means a loose connection, and that is how fires start. Switch that circuit off at the panel and call us. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[1].tags: safety, outlets, urgency faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair.mdx faqs[2].id: electrical-back-stab faqs[2].q: Why did a whole row of outlets stop working at once? faqs[2].a: Almost always one failed connection upstream, and usually a back-stab. Most receptacles allow the conductor to be pushed into a hole in the back rather than wrapped around the screw terminal; it is faster to install, it is a worse connection, and after twenty years of thermal cycling it loosens. Outlets are daisy-chained, so a failure at one box kills everything downstream. Telling us which outlets are affected turns an hour of hunting into ten minutes. faqs[2].voiceA: Almost always one loose connection upstream. Outlets are daisy chained, so a failure at one box kills everything after it. Tell us which ones are affected. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: diagnostics, outlets faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair.mdx faqs[3].id: electrical-ungrounded-outlet faqs[3].q: My house has three-prong outlets but the wiring is old. Are they grounded? faqs[3].a: Often not, and it is very common in older Triangle houses where someone replaced a two-prong receptacle with a three-prong one without a ground being present. It looks safe and it is not: anything relying on that ground has none. The correct fixes are running a ground where a route exists, or fitting GFCI protection and labelling it as code requires. Swapping in another three-prong outlet is not one of them. faqs[3].voiceA: Often not. Someone may have fitted three prong outlets without a ground behind them, which looks safe but is not. We can test every outlet in the house. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: safety, grounding, older-homes faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection.mdx faqs[4].id: electrical-obsolete-panels faqs[4].q: Is my Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel a problem? faqs[4].a: Yes, and it should be replaced. Both brands were installed widely across the Triangle from the 1950s through the 1980s, and both have documented failure modes where a breaker fails to trip under fault conditions, which means the protection you are relying on may not operate. There are no reliable replacement breakers for either, so replacing the panel is the only fix. Insurers increasingly ask about them. faqs[4].voiceA: Yes. Both have documented failures where breakers do not trip under fault, and there are no reliable replacement breakers, so the panel needs replacing. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: panel, safety, insurance faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/panel-upgrade.mdx faqs[5].id: electrical-panel-power-off faqs[5].q: How long will my power be off for a panel upgrade? faqs[5].a: Six to eight hours, on one day. The work has to be scheduled around a utility disconnect, which we book with the power company rather than choose, and the county has to inspect before the utility will reconnect. We sequence both so the panel is signed off and the power comes back the same day. Expect two to four weeks from accepting the quote to the work happening, driven by the permit and the disconnect appointment. faqs[5].voiceA: Six to eight hours on one day. We book the utility disconnect and the inspection and sequence them so the power comes back the same day. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: panel, timeline, utility faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/panel-upgrade.mdx faqs[6].id: electrical-breaker-keeps-tripping faqs[6].q: My breaker keeps tripping. Can I just fit a bigger one? faqs[6].a: No, and it is one of the most dangerous things a homeowner can do. The breaker is sized to protect the cable behind it, not the appliance in front of it. Fit a 30 amp breaker on cable rated for 20 and you have not solved anything, you have removed the protection and left the cable free to overheat inside a wall where nobody will see it. A breaker that trips is doing its job and reporting a fault: an overloaded circuit, a failing appliance, a short, or a genuinely undersized circuit that needs a new one run. Which of those it is takes twenty minutes to establish. A total loss of power is a different question and is answered in our emergency set. faqs[6].voiceA: No, never. The breaker protects the cable, not the appliance. A bigger breaker removes the protection and leaves the cable free to overheat inside the wall. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[6].tags: safety, panel, diagnostics faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/panel-upgrade.mdx faqs[7].id: electrical-ev-load-calculation faqs[7].q: Can my panel handle an EV charger? faqs[7].a: That is the first thing we work out, and the answer changes the whole job. A Level 2 charger is one of the largest continuous loads in a house, so it is not about whether there is a spare slot but whether the service has headroom once your existing loads are counted. With plenty of headroom it is a straightforward circuit. Tight but workable means a load management device, which throttles the charger when the house is busy and is far cheaper than an upgrade. No headroom means a panel upgrade first. faqs[7].voiceA: That is the first thing we calculate. With headroom it is a simple circuit. If it is tight, a load management device is much cheaper than a panel upgrade. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: ev-charger, panel, load faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation.mdx faqs[8].id: electrical-ev-charger-speed faqs[8].q: Do I need the fastest EV charger available? faqs[8].a: For most Triangle households, no. If you drive a normal commute and charge overnight, a 32 amp charger replaces your entire daily range several times over while you sleep, and a 48 amp unit needs heavier cable, a larger breaker and more panel headroom at every step. The faster unit earns its cost for high-mileage drivers and two-EV households. There is also a hard limit: your car's onboard charger caps what it can accept, so a bigger circuit on a car that cannot use it buys nothing. faqs[8].voiceA: For most households no. A thirty two amp charger replaces a full day of driving overnight. Your car's onboard charger also caps what it can accept. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: ev-charger, sizing, cost faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation.mdx faqs[9].id: electrical-generator-backfeed faqs[9].q: Can I just plug a portable generator into a wall socket? faqs[9].a: No, never. That backfeeds power out onto the utility lines, where it can electrocute the line worker restoring your street, and it is what a transfer switch exists to prevent. Portable generators also produce carbon monoxide in quantities that kill, so they must run outdoors only, well away from the house, never in a garage even with the door open, and never near a window or air intake. faqs[9].voiceA: No, never. It sends power back onto the utility lines and can electrocute the line worker restoring your street. Portable generators must also run outdoors only. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[9].tags: generator, safety, carbon-monoxide faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/generator-installation.mdx faqs[10].id: electrical-generator-sizing faqs[10].q: Do I need a generator that runs the whole house? faqs[10].a: Usually not, and choosing essential circuits instead is frequently half the cost. An essential-circuits system feeds a subpanel carrying what you actually need in an outage, which in the Triangle is typically the fridge, the freezer, some lighting, internet, a well or sump pump, and one HVAC system. The difference in lived experience during a two-day outage is small. Air conditioning is the decision point, because a heat pump is a large starting load that often pushes you into the next generator size. faqs[10].voiceA: Usually not. An essential circuits system feeds what you actually need and is often half the cost. Air conditioning is what pushes you to a bigger unit. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: generator, sizing, cost faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/generator-installation.mdx faqs[11].id: electrical-led-dimmer-flicker faqs[11].q: Why do my LED lights flicker or buzz on a dimmer? faqs[11].a: Almost never a faulty fitting. It is a dimmer designed for incandescent bulbs driving an LED load: old dimmers expect a resistive load of a few hundred watts, and a room of LEDs might draw thirty, so the dimmer cannot regulate that low and you get flicker at the bottom of the range. The fix is an LED-compatible dimmer matched to the specific fittings, which manufacturers publish compatibility lists for. faqs[11].voiceA: Almost never the fitting. It is an old dimmer built for incandescent bulbs trying to drive a much smaller LED load. An LED compatible dimmer fixes it. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[11].tags: lighting, dimmers, diagnostics faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/lighting-installation.mdx faqs[12].id: electrical-fan-rated-box faqs[12].q: Can I hang a ceiling fan where a light fitting is now? faqs[12].a: Only on a fan-rated brace, and a standard ceiling box is not one. A fan weighs a good deal and, unlike a light, it moves. A standard box is rated to hold a static fixture, and a fan hung from one works the box loose over months of vibration until the whole fan comes down. A fan already hanging from an unrated box is the most common unsafe thing we find in this category, usually where a previous owner swapped a light for a fan themselves. faqs[12].voiceA: Only on a fan rated brace. A standard ceiling box holds a static light, and a fan hung from one vibrates loose over months until it comes down. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[12].tags: ceiling-fan, safety, mounting faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/ceiling-fan-installation.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about panels, outlets, lighting, fans, EV chargers and generators. Total loss of power is the one emergency-eligible service in this trade. --- ## source: content/faqs/emergency.mdx ### frontmatter scope: emergency title: Emergency questions faqs[0].id: emergency-gas-smell faqs[0].q: I can smell gas. What should I do? faqs[0].a: Leave the building first. Call the gas utility from outside. Then call us. Do not operate light switches, do not touch any appliance or control, and do not go looking for the source. The gas utility makes the property safe; we deal with the equipment afterwards. Our phone agents escalate any report of a gas smell to a person immediately and will not attempt a diagnosis while you are still in the house. faqs[0].voiceA: Leave the building now. Call the gas utility from outside. Then call us. Do not touch any switches on your way out. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[0].tags: safety, escalation, gas faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/furnace-repair.mdx faqs[1].id: emergency-what-is-covered faqs[1].q: What counts as an emergency? faqs[1].a: Eight services qualify, and they are the ones where waiting until morning does real damage. In HVAC: AC repair, furnace repair and heat pump service. In roofing: roof repair where a leak is active. In plumbing: leak detection and repair, sump pump service and gas line service. In electrical: a panel upgrade where power has been lost entirely. Nothing else on our catalogue is emergency-eligible at any hour. faqs[1].voiceA: Eight services: heating and cooling failures, active roof leaks, plumbing leaks, sump pumps, gas lines, and total loss of power. Everything else is scheduled work. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: emergency, scope faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[2].id: emergency-cabinet-or-fence faqs[2].q: Do you offer emergency service for a broken cabinet or a fence panel down? faqs[2].a: No. Neither is emergency work and we will not dispatch a crew overnight for either. Emergency cover exists for eight specific services: AC repair, furnace repair, heat pump service, roof repair with an active leak, leak detection and repair, sump pump service, gas line service, and a panel upgrade with total loss of power. Cabinetry, fencing, decking, remodeling, lawn and patio work, and all cosmetic work are never emergency work, whatever time you call. We will book you into the next ordinary dispatch window instead, and we would rather say that plainly than charge you an emergency rate for a job that can wait. faqs[2].voiceA: No. Cabinetry and fencing are never emergency work, whatever time you call. Emergency cover is for heating, cooling, active leaks, sump pumps, gas and total loss of power. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[2].tags: emergency, scope, refusal faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[3].id: emergency-cost faqs[3].q: What does an emergency call-out cost? faqs[3].a: When we dispatch outside dispatch hours there is a call-out fee on top of the repair itself, and our target is to be with you within 90 minutes. That call-out fee is separate from the after-hours surcharge that applies to work carried out between 19:00 and 07:00 or on a Sunday. Both figures are published on our hours and pricing pages rather than left for the invoice, and both can apply to the same visit. faqs[3].voiceA: There is a call-out fee on top of the repair when we dispatch outside dispatch hours, and our target is ninety minutes. An after-hours surcharge applies separately to overnight and Sunday work. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: emergency, pricing faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[4].id: emergency-holidays faqs[4].q: Are you available on holidays? faqs[4].a: Yes, for emergencies. Emergency coverage runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including every holiday on which the office and ordinary dispatch are closed. Scheduled work does not run on those dates, and our holiday closures are published in full with their dates so you can see exactly which days are affected. faqs[4].voiceA: Yes, for emergencies. Emergency cover runs around the clock including holidays. Scheduled work does not run on closure dates. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[4].tags: emergency, holidays faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[5].id: emergency-response-time faqs[5].q: How quickly will someone actually arrive? faqs[5].a: Our target is 90 minutes for an emergency, and it is a target rather than a guarantee. Response times stretch during widespread events: a regional hailstorm or a hard freeze puts every crew in the region under the same demand at the same time. When that happens we tell you the realistic window rather than repeating the target, and we prioritise by severity rather than by call order. faqs[5].voiceA: Ninety minutes is the target. During a widespread storm or freeze it stretches, and we will tell you the realistic window rather than repeat the target. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[5].tags: emergency, response, expectations faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[6].id: emergency-carbon-monoxide faqs[6].q: My carbon monoxide alarm is sounding. What do I do? faqs[6].a: Leave the building, call the gas utility from outside, and call us second. Treat it exactly as you would a gas smell: do not go looking for the source and do not assume it is a faulty alarm. Carbon monoxide has no smell, which is the whole reason the alarm exists. Once the property is safe we will find the cause, which is most often a cracked heat exchanger or a venting fault. faqs[6].voiceA: Leave the building, call the gas utility from outside, then call us. Do not assume it is a faulty alarm. Carbon monoxide has no smell. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[6].tags: safety, escalation, carbon-monoxide faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/furnace-repair.mdx faqs[7].id: emergency-water-shutoff faqs[7].q: Water is pouring in. What should I do before you arrive? faqs[7].a: Close the main water shutoff, usually where the supply enters the house, turning it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot find it or it will not move, tell us when you call and that report goes straight to a person while a crew is already moving. If water is reaching a light fitting or a distribution board, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit if you can do so safely, and tell us that too. faqs[7].voiceA: Close the main water shutoff, turning it clockwise. If you cannot find it, tell us when you call. If water is reaching anything electrical, switch that circuit off. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[7].tags: emergency, water, self-help faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair.mdx faqs[8].id: emergency-active-leak-roof faqs[8].q: Water is coming through my ceiling. Is that an emergency? faqs[8].a: Yes, if it is active. Water actively entering the house, a ceiling bulging with water above it, the roof torn open to the sky, or water reaching anything electrical are all emergency-eligible and covered around the clock. A stain that appeared last month and has not grown is not, and we will book that into an ordinary window rather than charge you an emergency rate. Put a bucket under the drip and move furniture out from under the stain before we arrive. faqs[8].voiceA: Yes if it is active. A bulging ceiling or water reaching anything electrical is an emergency. An old stain that has not grown is not. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[8].tags: emergency, roof, triage faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-repair.mdx faqs[9].id: emergency-no-heat-threshold faqs[9].q: How cold does it have to be before no heat is an emergency? faqs[9].a: Below 40F outdoors is the threshold we use for no heat, and above 85F indoors for no cooling. Those are the points at which a failure stops being uncomfortable and starts being a health risk, particularly for very young, elderly or unwell people in the house. Tell us if anyone in the household is vulnerable, because that changes how we prioritise regardless of the thermometer. faqs[9].voiceA: Below forty degrees outside for no heat, above eighty five inside for no cooling. Tell us if anyone in the house is vulnerable and we will prioritise regardless. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[9].tags: emergency, thresholds, triage faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/furnace-repair.mdx faqs[10].id: emergency-power-out-street faqs[10].q: The power is out. Should I call you or the utility? faqs[10].a: The utility, if your street is out too. Look at whether your neighbours are dark: if they are, only the power company can restore it and they will be faster than anyone, because there is nothing on your side of the meter to fix. If your neighbours have power and you do not, the fault is on your side, it is emergency-eligible, and it is ours. faqs[10].voiceA: The utility, if your neighbours are dark too. If they have power and you do not, the fault is on your side and you should call us. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[10].tags: emergency, electrical, triage faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/electrical/panel-upgrade.mdx faqs[11].id: emergency-make-safe-vs-fix faqs[11].q: What if you cannot finish the repair tonight? faqs[11].a: Then we make it safe and come back. An overnight visit is about stopping the harm: isolating a circuit, capping a line, tarping an opening, getting the water off. A permanent repair needing a part nobody stocks at two in the morning waits for the supplier to open, and we book the return visit before we leave rather than asking you to ring again. You are told at the time which of the two you are getting, and you are not charged an emergency rate twice for the same fault. faqs[11].voiceA: Then we make it safe and book the return visit before we leave. You are told at the time whether it is a permanent fix or a temporary one, and you are not charged the emergency rate twice. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[11].tags: emergency, expectations, billing faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[12].id: emergency-emergency-only-area faqs[12].q: I am in an emergency-only coverage area. What does that mean? faqs[12].a: It means we will come out to you for the eight emergency-eligible services around the clock, but we do not schedule ordinary work there. Chapel Hill is our one emergency-only city. You get the same 90 minute response target and the same call-out fee as anywhere else in the coverage area; what you cannot book is a routine repair, a maintenance visit or a project. Enter your zip code on our service areas page for a definitive answer on your address. faqs[12].voiceA: We will come out for emergencies around the clock, but we do not schedule ordinary work there. Chapel Hill is our one emergency only city. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[12].tags: emergency, coverage, areas faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/site/service-areas.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content What to do when something has gone wrong out of hours, and which services that actually covers. --- ## source: content/faqs/global.mdx ### frontmatter scope: global title: Common questions faqs[0].id: global-arrival-window faqs[0].q: How long is the arrival window? faqs[0].a: Most visits carry a two hour arrival window, and roofing and construction visits carry three. We quote a window rather than an exact time because a trades crew genuinely cannot promise a minute, and we would rather be accurate than optimistic. We text you when the crew is on the way. faqs[0].voiceA: Most visits carry a two hour arrival window. Roofing and construction carry three. We text you when the crew is on the way. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[0].tags: booking, arrival faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/site/capacity.mdx faqs[1].id: global-diagnostic-fee faqs[1].q: Is the diagnostic fee waived if I go ahead with the repair? faqs[1].a: Yes. The diagnostic fee covers the technician's time and a written fault report, and it is waived when you approve the repair. Installation and replacement quotes carry no diagnostic fee at all, because nothing is being diagnosed on an estimate visit. faqs[1].voiceA: Yes. The diagnostic fee is waived when you approve the repair. Estimate visits carry no diagnostic fee at all. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: pricing, diagnostic faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[2].id: global-booking-confirmation faqs[2].q: Is a slot confirmed as soon as I request it? faqs[2].a: Not quite. A request is not a held slot. We confirm within 30 minutes during dispatch hours, and first thing the next dispatch day if you request outside them. The availability shown on the site reflects how full a day usually is rather than a live view of the dispatch board. faqs[2].voiceA: A request is not a held slot yet. We confirm within thirty minutes during dispatch hours, or first thing the next dispatch day. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[2].tags: booking, expectations faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/site/capacity.mdx faqs[3].id: global-payment-methods faqs[3].q: How can I pay? faqs[3].a: We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, ACH bank transfer, and financing on qualifying projects. Payment is due on completion for service work, and on a staged schedule set out in the quote for larger projects. There are two payment methods we cannot take, which are covered in our billing questions. faqs[3].voiceA: We take all major cards, bank transfer, and financing on larger projects. Payment is due on completion for service work. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: payment faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[4].id: global-cancellation faqs[4].q: What happens if I need to cancel? faqs[4].a: Give us 24 hours notice and there is no charge. One call or one text is enough to reschedule, and we would much rather move you than charge you. Cancelling inside that window, or nobody being home when the crew arrives, carries a no-show fee. faqs[4].voiceA: Twenty four hours notice and there is no charge. One call is enough to reschedule. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[4].tags: policy, cancellation faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[5].id: global-no-show-fee faqs[5].q: What happens if nobody is home when the crew arrives? faqs[5].a: There is a no-show fee, and it is the same figure as the late cancellation fee. It covers the slot another customer could have used and the crew's drive. If you are running late rather than absent, call us and we will usually wait or come back later the same day at no charge. faqs[5].voiceA: There is a no-show fee, the same as the late cancellation fee. If you are just running late, call us and we will usually wait. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[5].tags: policy, no-show faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[6].id: global-what-happens-service-call faqs[6].q: What actually happens on a service call? faqs[6].a: A technician arrives inside the arrival window, diagnoses the fault, tells you the repair price before touching anything, and completes the work if you approve it. You get a written report either way. Nothing is added to the invoice without your approval first, and we do not carry out extra work while you are out of the room. faqs[6].voiceA: We arrive in the window, diagnose the fault, tell you the price before starting, and fix it if you approve. Nothing is added without your approval. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: expectations, service-call faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[7].id: global-office-vs-dispatch-hours faqs[7].q: What are your hours? faqs[7].a: The office is open Monday to Friday from 07:30, and Saturday mornings. Crews dispatch on a wider window, from 07:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 16:00 on Saturday. There is no scheduled dispatch on Sunday. Emergency coverage runs 24 hours a day, every day, including holidays. faqs[7].voiceA: The office opens at half past seven on weekdays. Crews are out from seven in the morning until seven at night. Emergency cover runs around the clock. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: hours faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[8].id: global-coverage-area faqs[8].q: Do you cover my area? faqs[8].a: We cover Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle, with coverage recorded city by city because it is not uniform. Most cities have every trade and no travel fee, two have a limited set of trades and a travel fee, one is emergency coverage only, and some adjacent zip codes are outside the service radius entirely. Enter your zip code on our service areas page for a definitive answer. faqs[8].voiceA: We cover Raleigh, Durham, Cary and the wider Triangle. Coverage varies by city, so give me your zip code and I will tell you exactly. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[8].tags: coverage, areas faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/site/service-areas.mdx faqs[9].id: global-commercial-work faqs[9].q: Do you work on commercial buildings? faqs[9].a: No. We are residential only, including multifamily buildings up to four units. A four-unit building is the ceiling and it is a real one rather than a preference: our crews, our insurance and our licences are all sized for residential work. For anything larger, or for any commercial or industrial property, you need a commercial general contractor. faqs[9].voiceA: No. We work on homes only, including multifamily buildings up to four units. Anything larger needs a commercial contractor. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: scope-limits, segment faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/site/company.mdx faqs[10].id: global-not-offered faqs[10].q: Do you install pool heaters, septic systems, or solar? faqs[10].a: No to all three, and we will point you at the right trade for each. Pool and spa equipment sits under a separate licence, so you need a pool service company. Septic systems need a licensed septic contractor, and Wake County keeps a list of permitted installers. Solar needs a solar installer, though we will happily reroof around an existing array. We publish the full list of work we do not take on rather than making you ask. faqs[10].voiceA: No to all three. Pools need a pool company, septic needs a licensed septic contractor, and solar needs a solar installer. We publish the full list of work we do not take on. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: scope-limits, referrals faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/site/scope-limits.mdx faqs[11].id: global-spanish-speaking faqs[11].q: Do you have Spanish-speaking technicians? faqs[11].a: Yes, Monday through Friday. We do not staff Spanish-speaking crews at weekends. If you need one, ask when you book and we will schedule you on a weekday rather than send someone who cannot explain the work to you. faqs[11].voiceA: Yes, Monday through Friday. We do not have Spanish-speaking crews at weekends, so ask when you book and we will schedule you on a weekday. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[11].tags: accessibility, languages faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/site/company.mdx faqs[12].id: global-licensed-insured faqs[12].q: Are you licensed and insured? faqs[12].a: Yes. We hold five North Carolina licences covering HVAC, general contracting, roofing, plumbing and electrical, and every licence number is published on our site rather than available on request. We carry general liability cover and workers compensation cover, and we are bonded. Certificates go to your adjuster or your HOA the same day you ask. faqs[12].voiceA: Yes. We hold five North Carolina licences, all published on our site, and we carry general liability and workers compensation cover and are bonded. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[12].tags: licensing, insurance, trust faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/site/company.mdx faqs[13].id: global-warranty-standard faqs[13].q: What warranty do you give? faqs[13].a: Twelve months on labour and parts is the standard, and several services carry considerably longer. Roof replacements carry ten years on workmanship, repiping ten years, structural repair five years, and cabinetry five years. Manufacturer warranties on equipment run separately and are often longer still, and we register them in your name before we leave. faqs[13].voiceA: Twelve months on labour and parts as standard, and longer on bigger work. Roof replacements and repiping carry ten years on our workmanship. faqs[13].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[13].tags: warranty faqs[13].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[14].id: global-satisfaction-guarantee faqs[14].q: What if I am not happy with the work? faqs[14].a: We come back and put it right at no charge. There is no time limit on a workmanship complaint about a repair we performed. Call the office rather than the crew directly, so it gets logged and scheduled rather than depending on one person remembering. faqs[14].voiceA: We come back and put it right at no charge. There is no time limit on a workmanship complaint about a repair we did. faqs[14].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[14].tags: warranty, guarantee faqs[14].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[15].id: global-pets faqs[15].q: What should I do with my pets? faqs[15].a: Secure them away from the work area before we arrive. This is genuinely for their safety rather than ours: crews prop doors open, carry sharp and heavy things through the house, and use tools that frighten animals. Tell us when you book if you have a dog that needs handling carefully, and we will note it on the job. faqs[15].voiceA: Please secure pets away from the work area before we arrive. Tell us when you book if you have a dog that needs careful handling. faqs[15].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[15].tags: access, pets, preparation faqs[15].sourceOfTruth: content/site/policies.mdx faqs[16].id: global-do-i-need-to-be-home faqs[16].q: Do I need to be home? faqs[16].a: For most visits, no, provided we can get in and reach the work. Inspections, maintenance visits and outdoor work frequently happen with nobody home. You do need to be there for anything where we will be quoting work, making decisions with you, or entering occupied rooms. We will tell you which yours is when you book. faqs[16].voiceA: For most visits no, as long as we can get in and reach the work. You do need to be there for anything where we will be quoting or making decisions with you. faqs[16].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[16].tags: access, preparation faqs[16].sourceOfTruth: content/site/capacity.mdx faqs[17].id: global-access-and-parking faqs[17].q: What access do you need? faqs[17].a: A clear path to the work area, clear parking for a van near the house, and unlocked side gates where the job is round the back. Roofing and outdoor work need the driveway, sometimes for a skip. If parking is difficult where you are, tell us when you book, because a crew circling for twenty minutes is time on your job. faqs[17].voiceA: A clear path to the work, parking for a van near the house, and unlocked side gates. Tell us when you book if parking is difficult. faqs[17].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[17].tags: access, preparation faqs[17].sourceOfTruth: content/site/capacity.mdx faqs[18].id: global-emergency-boundary faqs[18].q: What is the difference between emergency and scheduled work? faqs[18].a: Two separate operations with separate rules. Scheduled work runs inside published dispatch hours, is booked into an arrival window, and carries the ordinary diagnostic fee. Emergency work runs around the clock on a fixed shortlist of eight services, targets a 90 minute response, and carries a call-out fee on top. Ringing the emergency line about something outside that shortlist does not upgrade it; you get booked into the next ordinary window instead. Our emergency questions list exactly which eight services qualify and set out what to do while you wait. faqs[18].voiceA: They are separate operations. Scheduled work runs in normal hours with an arrival window. Emergency work runs around the clock on a short list of eight services, with a call out fee on top. faqs[18].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[18].tags: emergency, scope, cross-reference faqs[18].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[19].id: global-quote-validity faqs[19].q: How long is a written quote valid? faqs[19].a: Thirty days from the date on it. Beyond that we will re-price rather than honour a figure that no longer covers the materials, and material prices on roofing and lumber in particular move enough that a quarter-old quote is not meaningful. Re-pricing an expired quote is quick, because the survey work is already done. faqs[19].voiceA: Thirty days. After that we re-price, which is quick because the survey work is already done. faqs[19].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[19].tags: pricing, quotes faqs[19].sourceOfTruth: content/site/pricing.mdx faqs[20].id: global-maintenance-plans faqs[20].q: Is a maintenance plan worth it? faqs[20].a: It depends on how much work you expect to need. The plans bundle seasonal visits with priority dispatch and a standing discount on repairs, billed monthly, and the discount alone pays for the cheapest tier if you have one significant repair a year. If you rarely call anyone out, paying per visit is the better arithmetic and we will say so. faqs[20].voiceA: It depends. The plans bundle seasonal visits with priority dispatch and a repair discount. If you rarely need work, paying per visit is better value. faqs[20].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[20].tags: maintenance-plans, pricing faqs[20].sourceOfTruth: content/site/maintenance-plans.mdx faqs[21].id: global-demonstration-site faqs[21].q: Is Cedarline Home Services a real company? faqs[21].a: No. Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos. Every price, policy, licence number and phone number on this site is invented for that purpose, and none of it should be relied on as a real quotation or a real business record. faqs[21].voiceA: No. Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos. Everything on this site is invented for that purpose. faqs[21].channels: web, email faqs[21].tags: disclosure, demonstration faqs[21].sourceOfTruth: content/site/company.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions that apply whichever trade you need. Trade-specific questions live in the set for that trade, and anything about invoices, financing or insurance claims is in billing and insurance. --- ## source: content/faqs/hvac.mdx ### frontmatter scope: hvac title: HVAC questions faqs[0].id: hvac-r22-refrigerant faqs[0].q: My system uses R-22. Can you still service it? faqs[0].a: Yes, with limits worth understanding. R-22 has not been produced since 2020, so every pound now comes from reclaimed stock and costs several times what R-410A does. We will recharge an R-22 system, but if it has a leak it will leak again, and on an older unit the arithmetic usually favours replacement within a season or two. We will tell you which situation you are in rather than sell you the same recharge every summer. faqs[0].voiceA: Yes, but R-22 is expensive and getting harder to source, because it has not been made since 2020. If your system leaks, replacing it is often cheaper over a couple of years than recharging it each summer. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[0].tags: refrigerant, older-systems, cost faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-repair.mdx faqs[1].id: hvac-repair-or-maintenance faqs[1].q: What is the difference between an AC repair and a tune-up? faqs[1].a: A repair is for a system that has stopped working properly, and it starts with a diagnostic visit. A tune-up is scheduled maintenance on a system that is still working, and it is flat-priced with no diagnostic fee. If your air conditioning has already failed, book the repair. Booking a tune-up on a failed system only delays the actual fix by a visit. faqs[1].voiceA: A repair is for a system that has stopped working. A tune-up is for one that still works. If your air conditioning has already failed, you want the repair. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[1].tags: booking, disambiguation faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-maintenance.mdx faqs[2].id: hvac-heat-pump-cool-air faqs[2].q: Why does my heat pump blow cool air in winter? faqs[2].a: That is usually normal. A heat pump delivers air at around 90 to 100F, which is warmer than the room but cooler than your hand, so it feels cool if you are used to a gas furnace at around 130F. As long as the house is holding its temperature, nothing is wrong. If the house is not holding temperature, or the outdoor unit is encased in ice that never clears, that is a fault and worth a call. faqs[2].voiceA: That is usually normal. A heat pump delivers air cooler than a furnace does, so it feels cool even though it is warming the house. If the house is not holding temperature, call us. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice faqs[2].tags: heat-pump, normal-behaviour faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/heat-pump-service.mdx faqs[3].id: hvac-duct-cleaning faqs[3].q: Do you offer duct cleaning? faqs[3].a: No. We do not offer it and we rarely recommend it. For most homes there is no good evidence it improves air quality or system performance, and it is widely oversold. If you have a specific contamination problem, after a fire or a rodent infestation for example, that is a remediation specialist rather than us. What we do offer is duct sealing, which measurably reduces the conditioned air you lose into a loft. faqs[3].voiceA: No, we do not offer duct cleaning and we rarely recommend it. Duct sealing is the work that actually helps, and we do offer that. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: scope-limits, ductwork faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation.mdx faqs[4].id: hvac-emergency-scope faqs[4].q: Is a ductwork problem an emergency? faqs[4].a: No. Ductwork is HVAC but it is not emergency-eligible, and we will not dispatch a crew overnight for it. A duct problem makes a house uncomfortable; it does not leave you with no cooling in a heatwave or no heat in a freeze, which is what emergency cover exists for. If you have no heating or cooling at all, that is a repair and it is covered around the clock. faqs[4].voiceA: No. Ductwork is scheduled work. If you have no heating or cooling at all, that is a repair, and repairs are covered around the clock. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice faqs[4].tags: emergency, scope faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/site/hours.mdx faqs[5].id: hvac-system-lifespan faqs[5].q: How long should my system last? faqs[5].a: Eight to fifteen years for most equipment in this climate, and Triangle systems land at the lower end of national figures because they run most of the year. A well-maintained heat pump reaching twelve years has done well. What shortens it most is being oversized, which makes the system cycle on and off rather than run steadily, and skipping maintenance so the coils stay dirty. faqs[5].voiceA: Eight to fifteen years here, and towards the lower end because systems run most of the year. Being oversized and skipping maintenance are what shorten it. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: lifespan, replacement faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-installation.mdx faqs[6].id: hvac-sizing-bigger-better faqs[6].q: Should I get a bigger system than the one I have? faqs[6].a: Usually not, and frequently the correctly sized replacement is smaller. Oversizing is the most common fault we find in Triangle homes: the system cools the air quickly, satisfies the thermostat, and shuts off before it has removed the humidity, leaving a house that is cold and clammy. We run a Manual J load calculation on every replacement rather than matching what was there, and we will show you the numbers. faqs[6].voiceA: Usually not. Oversized systems cool fast but leave the house humid, and they wear out early. We calculate the right size rather than matching the old one. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: sizing, replacement, humidity faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-installation.mdx faqs[7].id: hvac-humidity-not-cooling faqs[7].q: My house is cool but feels clammy. What is wrong? faqs[7].a: That is a humidity problem rather than a cooling problem, and it is the most common comfort complaint in the Triangle. Air conditioning removes moisture as a side effect of running, so on a mild humid day when the system barely runs, the moisture stays. A whole-home dehumidifier controls humidity independently of whether the AC is running, and it is the single most effective comfort improvement available on most Triangle homes. faqs[7].voiceA: That is humidity rather than cooling. Your air conditioner barely runs on a mild damp day, so the moisture stays. A whole home dehumidifier fixes it. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: humidity, comfort, indoor-air-quality faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/indoor-air-quality.mdx faqs[8].id: hvac-filter-frequency faqs[8].q: How often should I change my filter? faqs[8].a: Every one to three months for a standard one-inch filter, and every six to twelve months for a four or five inch media filter. In a house with pets or during heavy pollen weeks, closer to monthly. A blocked filter starves the system of airflow, which on a cooling system can freeze the coil and looks exactly like a refrigerant fault, so it is worth checking before you call anyone. faqs[8].voiceA: Every one to three months for a standard filter, or six to twelve months for a thick media filter. Check it before calling us, because a blocked filter can look like a bigger fault. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[8].tags: maintenance, filters faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-maintenance.mdx faqs[9].id: hvac-when-to-book-tuneup faqs[9].q: When is the best time to book a tune-up? faqs[9].a: Late March through May for cooling, and September through October for heating. Two reasons: the dispatch board is not yet full of emergency no-cooling or no-heat calls, and a fault found in April is a scheduled repair rather than a miserable July evening. If you are on a maintenance plan we text you when a visit is due rather than leaving you to remember. faqs[9].voiceA: Late March through May for cooling, September through October for heating. Booking before the season means a fault is a scheduled repair rather than an emergency. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[9].tags: maintenance, seasonality, booking faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/ac-maintenance.mdx faqs[10].id: hvac-cracked-heat-exchanger faqs[10].q: What happens if you find a cracked heat exchanger? faqs[10].a: We shut the furnace down and red-tag it, because a cracked exchanger is a carbon monoxide risk and it cannot be safely repaired. That is not an upsell: a cracked exchanger on a furnace still under manufacturer warranty may be replaced free, and we will tell you if yours qualifies. If it does not, replacement is the only safe answer and we will quote it honestly, including the option of waiting until spring with temporary heat if the budget needs it. faqs[10].voiceA: We shut the furnace down, because a cracked heat exchanger is a carbon monoxide risk and cannot be safely repaired. If it is still under warranty the manufacturer may replace it free. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: safety, furnace, replacement faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/furnace-repair.mdx faqs[11].id: hvac-mini-split-vs-ducted faqs[11].q: Should I put in a mini-split or extend my ducted system? faqs[11].a: A mini-split is the right answer for a garage conversion, a sunroom, an addition or a room the ducts never reached, and it is frequently cheaper than extending ductwork through a finished house. It is the wrong answer for replacing a working ducted system throughout a house purely to save money, because you end up with a head on the wall of every room. Extending the existing system only works if that system has spare capacity, which after a conversion it usually does not. faqs[11].voiceA: A mini split suits a garage, a sunroom or an addition, and it often beats extending ductwork through a finished house. It is the wrong answer for replacing a whole working ducted system. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[11].tags: mini-split, ductwork, comparison faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/mini-split-installation.mdx faqs[12].id: hvac-power-bill-spike faqs[12].q: My power bill jumped without a cold snap. Why? faqs[12].a: On a heat pump, that usually means the heat pump itself has failed quietly and the electric auxiliary heat strips have been carrying the house. They work, and they are expensive to run, so the house feels fine while the bill climbs. It is worth booking a heat pump service if your bill has risen without weather to explain it, because the fault has probably been there for weeks. faqs[12].voiceA: On a heat pump that usually means the heat pump has failed quietly and the expensive backup heat has been carrying the house. Worth booking a service. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[12].tags: heat-pump, cost, diagnostics faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/services/hvac/heat-pump-service.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions we are asked most often about heating and cooling. Pricing, financing and warranty questions that apply to every trade are in the common and billing sets. --- ## source: content/faqs/outdoor.mdx ### frontmatter scope: outdoor title: Outdoor and grounds questions faqs[0].id: outdoor-deck-repair-or-new faqs[0].q: Does my deck need repairing or replacing? faqs[0].a: The test is the frame. If the joists, beams, posts and ledger are sound, failed boards and a wobbly railing are a repair, and it is a fraction of the cost of rebuilding. If the frame is failing, no amount of new decking fixes it and putting fresh boards on it is money you will spend twice. Our survey tells you which in writing, and we quote a good many repairs for people who arrived expecting to be told they needed a rebuild. faqs[0].voiceA: The test is the frame. If the joists and posts are sound it is a repair. If the frame is failing, new boards will not fix it. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[0].tags: decks, disambiguation, decision faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing.mdx faqs[1].id: outdoor-deck-ledger faqs[1].q: What is the most important part of a deck? faqs[1].a: The ledger connection where the deck attaches to the house, and it is invisible once built. It has to be through-bolted or fixed with structural screws into the rim joist, never nailed, and it has to be flashed so water running down the wall goes over it rather than behind it. An unflashed ledger rots the rim joist of your house, not just the deck, and by then it is a structural repair. It is the single most common point of catastrophic deck failure. faqs[1].voiceA: The ledger where the deck meets the house. It must be bolted into structure and flashed, or it rots your house rather than just the deck. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: decks, safety, method faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/deck-building.mdx faqs[2].id: outdoor-composite-worth-it faqs[2].q: Is composite decking worth the extra? faqs[2].a: Over about fifteen years, usually yes. Composite costs roughly three times pressure-treated in material and needs essentially no refinishing, where pressure-treated needs sealing every couple of years and in this climate that is a real commitment. Two honest caveats: composite gets noticeably hot underfoot in full Triangle sun, and the frame underneath is still timber, so the structure still ages even when the surface does not. faqs[2].voiceA: Over about fifteen years usually yes, because it needs no refinishing. It does get hot underfoot in full sun, and the frame underneath is still timber. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: decks, materials, cost faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/deck-building.mdx faqs[3].id: outdoor-refinishing-drying faqs[3].q: Why does refinishing my deck take several days? faqs[3].a: Because timber has to be dry before sealing, and after washing that is typically two to three days in Triangle humidity. Sealing damp timber traps the moisture and the coating fails within a season, so the waiting is the job rather than a delay. Most of the labour is removing what is already there: a film-forming solid stain peels rather than fades and every flake has to come off before anything new goes on. faqs[3].voiceA: Because the timber has to dry for two or three days after washing. Sealing damp wood traps moisture and the coating fails within a season. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: decks, refinishing, timeline faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing.mdx faqs[4].id: outdoor-composite-sealing faqs[4].q: Can you reseal my composite deck? faqs[4].a: No, and nobody should. Composite is not refinished: it does not take a stain and it does not need one. If someone has offered to reseal your composite deck they are selling you something that will not adhere. What composite decks do occasionally need is board replacement after impact damage, fastener correction and railing repair, all of which we do. faqs[4].voiceA: No. Composite is not refinished and does not take a stain. Anyone offering to reseal it is selling you something that will not stick. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: decks, composite, scope-limits faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing.mdx faqs[5].id: outdoor-patio-base faqs[5].q: Why is one patio quote so much cheaper than another? faqs[5].a: Almost always the base, which is the part you never see and the part that decides whether the patio is still flat in ten years. Piedmont clay holds water, swells when saturated and shrinks hard in an August drought. A patio laid on a shallow bed of sand over clay will dip, pool water in the dips, and open its joints through freeze-thaw. Doing it properly means excavating deeper than looks necessary and compacting aggregate in lifts, and most of the labour in an honest quote is that work. faqs[5].voiceA: Almost always the base underneath. Piedmont clay moves, so a patio on a shallow base will dip and open up. Most of the labour in an honest quote is the part you never see. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: patios, method, pricing faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers.mdx faqs[6].id: outdoor-patio-drainage faqs[6].q: Will a new patio cause damp against my house? faqs[6].a: Not if it is built with fall away from the building, which every patio we build is. A patio is an impermeable surface, so every square foot sheds water that used to soak in, and if the fall runs toward the house you have built a device for delivering rain to your foundation. Where a site cannot achieve fall by grading alone we include a drainage detail, a channel drain at the house edge or a French drain to daylight, and it is in the quote rather than discovered later. faqs[6].voiceA: Not if it is built with fall away from the house, which ours always are. Where the site cannot manage that by grading, we include a drainage detail in the quote. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: patios, drainage, foundation faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers.mdx faqs[7].id: outdoor-efflorescence faqs[7].q: There is a white haze on my new pavers. Is that a defect? faqs[7].a: No, it is efflorescence, which is salts migrating out of the concrete. It is normal on new concrete pavers, it weathers off over a season or two, and it is not covered as a defect because it is a material property rather than a fault. Clay brick does not do it, and natural stone rarely does, which is one small reason people choose them. faqs[7].voiceA: No, that is efflorescence, salts coming out of the concrete. It is normal on new pavers and weathers off over a season or two. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: patios, materials, expectations faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers.mdx faqs[8].id: outdoor-fence-boundary faqs[8].q: Can you just rebuild my fence on the old post positions? faqs[8].a: Only once we know the old positions were right. Fencing generates more disputes than any other outdoor work, and almost all of them trace to nobody checking the boundary. Old fences were frequently built a foot inside the line or a foot over it, and rebuilding on the same posts perpetuates whichever it was. The plot survey is the record. If you do not have one and the line is not obvious, you need a surveyor before you need us, because we do not establish boundaries and will not guess at one. faqs[8].voiceA: Only once we know the old positions were right. Old fences are often a foot off the line. The plot survey is the record, and we will not guess at a boundary. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: fencing, boundaries, disputes faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/fencing.mdx faqs[9].id: outdoor-leaning-fence faqs[9].q: Why do fences lean here? faqs[9].a: The posts, essentially always, and rarely the panels. In Piedmont clay a post has to go below the frost line and resist the leverage of a tall privacy panel acting as a sail in a storm. Set too shallow and clay that swells and shrinks seasonally will heave and lean it. Corner and gate posts take loads the line posts do not, so they need to be larger, deeper and braced. A gate that drops within a year is a gate post treated like a line post. faqs[9].voiceA: The posts, not the panels. In clay soil a post set too shallow will heave and lean. Corner and gate posts need to be larger, deeper and braced. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: fencing, method, clay faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/fencing.mdx faqs[10].id: outdoor-lawn-mowing faqs[10].q: Does your lawn care program include mowing? faqs[10].a: No. The program covers treatments, aeration and overseeding across seven visits a year; the mowing is yours or your mowing service's. There is a practical reason as well as a commercial one: treatments work best on a lawn mowed two to three days before rather than on the day, and coordinating that is easier when the two are separate. faqs[10].voiceA: No. The program covers treatments, aeration and overseeding. Mowing is separate, partly because treatments work best two or three days after a cut. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[10].tags: lawn-care, scope-limits faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/lawn-care-programs.mdx faqs[11].id: outdoor-lawn-february-visit faqs[11].q: Can I start the lawn program in spring instead of February? faqs[11].a: You can, but you will miss the most valuable application of the year. The February visit puts down pre-emergent, and crabgrass is either stopped before it germinates or it is not stopped at all. By the time you can see it in June the window has closed until next year. A program starting in April is a program missing its most important visit, and we will tell you that rather than take the money quietly. faqs[11].voiceA: You can, but you will miss the February pre-emergent, which is the most valuable visit. Crabgrass is stopped before it germinates or not at all. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[11].tags: lawn-care, seasonality, cadence faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/lawn-care-programs.mdx faqs[12].id: outdoor-cleanup-november faqs[12].q: Why is the autumn cleanup in November rather than October? faqs[12].a: Because Triangle oaks do not finish dropping until well into November, and some hold leaves into December. Willow oaks and pin oaks, planted through half the older neighbourhoods around Raleigh, are among the last to go, and pines drop needles on their own schedule entirely. A cleanup booked for early October is one you will need again a fortnight later. If you want the lawn clear for a specific event we will schedule an extra visit rather than move your included one. faqs[12].voiceA: Because Triangle oaks do not finish dropping until well into November. An October cleanup is one you will need again a fortnight later. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[12].tags: seasonal-cleanup, cadence, local faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup.mdx faqs[13].id: outdoor-irrigation-winterisation faqs[13].q: Do I really need to winterise my irrigation? faqs[13].a: Yes, and it is the one genuinely time-critical thing we do outdoors. Water left in the lines and in the backflow preventer through a Triangle cold snap freezes, expands and splits things, and the backflow preventer is the expensive casualty because it is brass, above ground, and a regulated fitting that has to be replaced like for like and retested. Winterisation takes under an hour, and freeze damage to a system we were not asked to winterise is not covered by any warranty. faqs[13].voiceA: Yes. Water left in the lines splits the backflow preventer, which is expensive to replace. It takes under an hour and freeze damage is not covered by any warranty. faqs[13].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[13].tags: irrigation, winterisation, warranty faqs[13].sourceOfTruth: content/services/outdoor/irrigation-service.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about decks, patios, pergolas, fencing and the recurring grounds programs. Nothing in this section is emergency work. --- ## source: content/faqs/plumbing.mdx ### frontmatter scope: plumbing title: Plumbing questions faqs[0].id: plumbing-find-shutoff faqs[0].q: Where is my main water shutoff? faqs[0].a: Usually where the supply enters the house: a crawlspace, a garage, a basement or a utility closet. On a slab house it is sometimes only at the street meter, which needs a meter key. Find it now, turn it to check it actually moves, and turn it back. A seized shutoff discovered during a burst pipe is the difference between a wet floor and a flooded house, and we will point yours out on any visit if you ask. faqs[0].voiceA: Usually where the supply enters the house, in a crawlspace, garage or utility closet. Find it now and check it turns, before you ever need it. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[0].tags: preparation, emergency, shutoff faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/_category.mdx faqs[1].id: plumbing-one-drain-or-all faqs[1].q: One drain is slow. Is that the same as all of them backing up? faqs[1].a: No, and the difference tells us where the blockage is. One slow fixture means the problem is local, in that trap or the branch behind it. Several fixtures on the same side of the house means the branch line serving them. Everything backing up, with the lowest fixture worst, means the main line out to the sewer. If flushing an upstairs toilet makes a downstairs shower gurgle, that is a main line blockage. faqs[1].voiceA: No. One slow fixture is local. Several on one side is a branch line. Everything backing up, worst at the lowest fixture, is the main line. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: drains, diagnostics faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning.mdx faqs[2].id: plumbing-roots faqs[2].q: Why does my drain block at the same time every year? faqs[2].a: Tree roots, almost certainly, and it is very common in older Raleigh and Durham neighbourhoods. Clay and cast iron laterals have joints, roots find the joints because that is where the moisture is, and they grow into the pipe as a fine mat that catches everything passing. Cutting them restores flow immediately but does not remove them, so it recurs on a cycle of a year or two. A camera inspection tells you whether the pipe itself has failed, which is the difference between an annual clearing you can live with and a lateral replacement you should plan for. faqs[2].voiceA: Tree roots, almost certainly. They grow into the joints of older clay and cast iron pipes. Cutting them restores flow but they grow back, so a camera tells you how bad it is. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: drains, roots, local faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning.mdx faqs[3].id: plumbing-chemical-drain-cleaner faqs[3].q: Should I use a chemical drain cleaner first? faqs[3].a: Please do not. Consumer drain cleaner is caustic, it rarely clears anything more than a partial soap blockage, and it sits in the trap waiting for whoever opens it. It also makes our job more dangerous, so if you have used it, tell us when we arrive rather than after we have opened the trap. Enzyme-based maintenance products are a different thing and are genuinely useful on a kitchen line, used regularly rather than as a rescue. faqs[3].voiceA: Please do not. It rarely works and it sits in the trap waiting for whoever opens it. If you have used it, tell us before we start. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[3].tags: drains, safety, preparation faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/drain-cleaning.mdx faqs[4].id: plumbing-tank-leaking faqs[4].q: My water heater is leaking. Can it be repaired? faqs[4].a: If the tank itself is leaking, no, and not by anyone. A steel tank has a glass lining; when that lining fails the steel corrodes from the inside, and by the time water appears the wall has gone. There is no patch, no sealant and no weld that is safe on a vessel holding hot water under mains pressure. Water at the base is usually the tank. Water at a fitting on top, at the relief valve or at the drain valve is usually not, and those are all repairable. faqs[4].voiceA: If the tank itself is leaking, no. Water at the base is usually the tank. Water at a fitting on top or at the relief valve is repairable. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[4].tags: water-heater, repair, replacement faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair.mdx faqs[5].id: plumbing-water-heater-warranty faqs[5].q: How do I know if my water heater is still under warranty? faqs[5].a: Photograph the label on the side of the tank and send it to us. It carries the model, the serial, and encoded in the serial the date of manufacture. Most tanks carry six to twelve years, and we replace a good number of tanks free under a warranty the owner did not know they had. That photograph also tells us which parts to bring, which is the difference between a same-day fix and a second appointment. faqs[5].voiceA: Photograph the label on the tank and send it to us. The serial number carries the date of manufacture, and most tanks are covered for six to twelve years. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[5].tags: water-heater, warranty, preparation faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair.mdx faqs[6].id: plumbing-tankless-worth-it faqs[6].q: Should I switch to a tankless water heater? faqs[6].a: It is the better long-term product and the wrong emergency purchase. Tankless never runs out, lasts roughly twice as long as a tank and takes a fraction of the space, but it needs new venting because it is a condensing appliance, and usually a larger gas supply line because it fires at several times the BTU. On electric, the load is frequently beyond what a domestic panel can carry. Replacing a failed tank on a Tuesday afternoon is not the moment; a planned replacement is. faqs[6].voiceA: It is the better long term product but the wrong emergency purchase. It needs new venting and usually a bigger gas line, so plan it rather than switching in a crisis. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: water-heater, tankless, decision faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation.mdx faqs[7].id: plumbing-tankless-descaling faqs[7].q: Does a tankless water heater need maintenance? faqs[7].a: Yes, annual descaling, and it is routine maintenance rather than a defect. A tankless heat exchanger runs water through narrow passages and Triangle water will scale them up over a few years. A unit that has never been descaled will underperform and eventually error out. Tankless units report error codes, so read the display and tell us the code when you book. faqs[7].voiceA: Yes, descaling once a year. Triangle water scales up the narrow passages, and a unit that never gets it will underperform and eventually error out. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[7].tags: water-heater, tankless, maintenance faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/water-heater-repair.mdx faqs[8].id: plumbing-slab-leak faqs[8].q: What is a slab leak and how would I know? faqs[8].a: It is a supply line leaking in or under the concrete slab, which is how many Triangle houses are built. The signs are indirect: a warm patch on the floor, an unexplained jump in the water bill, the sound of running water with everything off, or damp appearing at the edge of a room. By the time flooring lifts it has usually been leaking a while. We locate it acoustically before opening anything, because the alternative is a series of holes until one is in the right place. faqs[8].voiceA: A supply line leaking under the concrete slab. Signs are a warm patch on the floor, a jump in the water bill, or running water with everything off. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: leaks, slab, diagnostics faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair.mdx faqs[9].id: plumbing-polybutylene faqs[9].q: I have grey plastic pipe. Is that a problem? faqs[9].a: If it is polybutylene, yes, eventually. It was installed widely between the late 1970s and mid 1990s and is common in Triangle housing of that era. It becomes brittle from the inside and fails at the fittings, so one failure means others are coming, and insurers are increasingly unwilling to cover a house that still has it. If you have had two or three supply leaks in a couple of years, the pattern is the diagnosis and repiping is the answer rather than a fourth repair. faqs[9].voiceA: If it is polybutylene, yes eventually. It fails at the fittings, so one leak means more are coming, and insurers are increasingly reluctant to cover it. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: repiping, materials, insurance faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/repiping.mdx faqs[10].id: plumbing-repipe-disruption faqs[10].q: Will I have to move out during a repipe? faqs[10].a: No. Three to six days on site for a typical Triangle house, with water off during the working day and back on every evening, so you can stay throughout. We tell you the morning we will shut it off. Running new PEX from a crawlspace or a loft reaches most fixtures without touching a wall, and a good layout cuts the access holes by more than half. We patch the drywall ready for paint but we do not paint. faqs[10].voiceA: No. Three to six days, with water off during the day and back on every evening. We patch the drywall ready for paint but we do not paint. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: repiping, disruption, timeline faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/repiping.mdx faqs[11].id: plumbing-frost-free-hose-bib faqs[11].q: My outdoor tap burst over winter. Why? faqs[11].a: An ordinary outdoor tap holds water in the pipe right at the wall, and a hard Triangle freeze splits it. You usually find out in spring, when you turn it on and water appears inside the crawlspace. A frost-free sillcock puts the valve seat well inside the heated envelope so the exposed section drains, and replacing one is the cheapest burst-pipe prevention available. Disconnect the hose in winter either way, because a connected hose defeats even a frost-free tap. faqs[11].voiceA: An ordinary outdoor tap holds water at the wall and a hard freeze splits it. A frost free tap drains instead. Disconnect the hose in winter either way. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email, sms faqs[11].tags: freeze, prevention, fixtures faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/fixture-installation.mdx faqs[12].id: plumbing-gas-meter-boundary faqs[12].q: Is a gas leak at my meter your job or the utility's? faqs[12].a: The gas meter is the dividing line. Everything on the house side of it is ours; everything on the utility side, including the meter itself and the service line from the street, belongs to the gas company and they will attend it free of charge. If the smell is outside near the meter or in the street, that is the utility and only the utility. Whatever the location, leave the building and call the gas utility first; the safety procedure is the same and it is set out in full in our emergency questions. faqs[12].voiceA: The meter is the dividing line. The house side is ours, the meter and the street side is the gas company. Either way, leave the building and call the utility first. faqs[12].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[12].tags: gas, safety, scope faqs[12].sourceOfTruth: content/services/plumbing/gas-line-service.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about drains, water heaters, leaks, fixtures, repiping and gas lines. What to do when you smell gas is set out in full in the emergency set. --- ## source: content/faqs/roofing.mdx ### frontmatter scope: roofing title: Roofing questions faqs[0].id: roofing-repair-or-replace faqs[0].q: Do I need a repair or a whole new roof? faqs[0].a: It depends on whether the rest of the roof has the life to justify the repair. A sound roof with one failed detail, a cracked pipe boot or failed step flashing, is a repair measured in hundreds. A roof with general granule loss and shingles that crack when lifted is at the end of its life, and patching it buys months rather than years. A roof inspection produces a written report that answers this properly, and we quote a good many repairs for people who expected to be told they needed a replacement. faqs[0].voiceA: It depends whether the rest of the roof has life left. One failed detail is a repair. General granule loss and brittle shingles mean replacement. An inspection tells you which. faqs[0].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[0].tags: repair, replacement, decision faqs[0].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-inspection.mdx faqs[1].id: roofing-why-not-bookable faqs[1].q: Why can I not book a roof replacement online? faqs[1].a: Because nobody can price one honestly without standing on the roof. Four things move the number by thousands and none are visible from an address: the area in squares and how steep it is, how many planes and valleys there are, how many existing layers have to come off, and how much decking has rotted underneath. Book a roof inspection instead, which is bookable online and flat-priced, and the replacement quote is built from it. faqs[1].voiceA: Because nobody can price a roof honestly without standing on it. Book an inspection, which is bookable online, and we quote the replacement from that. faqs[1].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[1].tags: booking, estimate-only faqs[1].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-replacement.mdx faqs[2].id: roofing-most-common-leak faqs[2].q: Where do roof leaks usually come from? faqs[2].a: Flashing, not shingles. Flashing is the sheet metal sealing every place the roof meets something else: a chimney, a wall, a valley, a vent pipe or a skylight. On the roofs we inspect across the Triangle, failed flashing and cracked plastic pipe boots account for the large majority of active leaks, and field shingle failure is well down the list. That is good news, because a flashing repair is far cheaper than a roof. faqs[2].voiceA: Flashing, not shingles. Chimneys, walls, valleys and pipe boots are where nearly all Triangle roof leaks start. That is cheaper to fix than a whole roof. faqs[2].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[2].tags: leaks, flashing, diagnostics faqs[2].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/skylight-and-flashing.mdx faqs[3].id: roofing-stain-not-under-hole faqs[3].q: The stain on my ceiling is in the middle of the room. Where is the leak? faqs[3].a: Almost certainly not directly above it. Water enters at a failed detail, runs along a rafter or a decking seam, and drops somewhere else entirely, often several feet away and sometimes a floor down. That is why tracing the leak is a real piece of work rather than a formality, and why we water test when the source is not obvious rather than opening holes until one is in the right place. faqs[3].voiceA: Almost certainly not above the stain. Water runs along rafters before it drops, so tracing the source is most of the job. faqs[3].channels: web, whatsapp, voice faqs[3].tags: leaks, diagnostics faqs[3].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-repair.mdx faqs[4].id: roofing-tarp-first faqs[4].q: Will you tarp my roof if it is raining? faqs[4].a: Yes, on the first visit. Stopping more water getting in comes before the repair itself, because tarping buys you a dry night and stops a ceiling collapsing while we wait for weather good enough to work in. An active leak into the house is emergency-eligible and covered around the clock, so call the emergency line rather than booking online. faqs[4].voiceA: Yes, on the first visit. Tarping comes before the repair, and an active leak is covered around the clock. faqs[4].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[4].tags: emergency, leaks faqs[4].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-repair.mdx faqs[5].id: roofing-overlay faqs[5].q: Can you roof over my existing shingles instead of tearing off? faqs[5].a: We do not, and we would advise against anyone who offers to. Roofing over an existing layer is legal in some circumstances and it is always a false economy: you cannot inspect the decking underneath, the new shingles sit on an uneven surface, and the whole assembly runs hotter, which shortens its life. Every replacement we do is a full tear-off. faqs[5].voiceA: We do not do overlays. You cannot inspect the decking underneath, the new shingles sit unevenly, and the roof runs hotter. Every replacement we do is a full tear off. faqs[5].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[5].tags: replacement, method faqs[5].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-replacement.mdx faqs[6].id: roofing-decking-surprise faqs[6].q: What happens if you find rotten decking after the tear-off? faqs[6].a: Our quote states a decking allowance, and anything beyond it is itemised at cost rather than absorbed or hidden. How much of the deck has rotted is genuinely not fully knowable until the old roof is off, so a quote that promises a fixed total with no allowance is either padded or about to be revised. We show you the rotten sheets before they go in the skip. faqs[6].voiceA: Our quote includes a decking allowance, and anything beyond it is itemised at cost. We show you the rotten sheets before they go in the skip. faqs[6].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[6].tags: replacement, pricing, decking faqs[6].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-replacement.mdx faqs[7].id: roofing-ventilation faqs[7].q: Does my roof need ventilation? faqs[7].a: Yes, and it is the part most often missed. Air should enter at the soffit, travel under the deck, and leave at the ridge vent. If the soffit has no vents, or they were painted shut, or insulation has blocked the eaves, the ridge vent has nothing to pull and the system does not work. The result is an attic that cooks in August, shingles ageing early from underneath, and condensation on the deck in winter that people mistake for a leak. Most manufacturer warranties are void without adequate ventilation. faqs[7].voiceA: Yes. Air enters at the soffit and leaves at the ridge. Without intake at the soffit the roof cooks itself, and most shingle warranties are void without it. faqs[7].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[7].tags: ventilation, warranty, soffit faqs[7].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/siding-and-soffit.mdx faqs[8].id: roofing-gutter-timing faqs[8].q: Should I replace gutters at the same time as the roof? faqs[8].a: Usually yes, and it costs less than doing it later. The crew and the access are already there, the drip edge and the gutter interact, and fascia rot found behind an old gutter is much cheaper to address while the roof edge is open. Gutters are quoted separately rather than bundled invisibly, so you can see what each part costs and decline one. faqs[8].voiceA: Usually yes. The crew and access are already there, so it costs less than doing it later. We quote it separately so you can see the cost and decline it. faqs[8].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[8].tags: gutters, replacement, sequencing faqs[8].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/gutter-installation.mdx faqs[9].id: roofing-five-or-six-inch-gutter faqs[9].q: Do I need five inch or six inch gutters? faqs[9].a: Six inch if you have a spot that sheets over the front edge in a heavy downpour, five inch is fine otherwise. Six inch carries roughly forty percent more water and pairs with a larger downspout. On a house with a steep roof, a large single plane, or valleys dumping into one run, five inch simply overflows no matter how clean it is, and cleaning will never fix a capacity problem. faqs[9].voiceA: Six inch if your gutters overflow in a downpour, five inch otherwise. Overflowing is usually capacity rather than blockage, and cleaning will not fix it. faqs[9].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[9].tags: gutters, sizing faqs[9].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/gutter-installation.mdx faqs[10].id: roofing-gutter-guards faqs[10].q: Are gutter guards worth it? faqs[10].a: They reduce cleaning; they do not eliminate it, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling. Under Triangle pines in particular, needles bridge most guard designs and shingle grit still settles. A good guard turns an annual clean into a check every few years, which is genuinely worth paying for on a three-storey where getting a ladder up is difficult, and less compelling on a single-storey ranch you can reach with a step ladder. faqs[10].voiceA: They reduce cleaning but do not eliminate it. Worth it on a tall house that is hard to reach, less so on a single storey ranch. faqs[10].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, email faqs[10].tags: gutters, maintenance faqs[10].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/gutter-installation.mdx faqs[11].id: roofing-tree-on-roof faqs[11].q: A tree has fallen on my roof. What do I do? faqs[11].a: Call a certified arborist first and us second. We do not remove trees or limbs, and nothing can be assessed or repaired while the load is still on the structure. Once the tree is off we will tarp the opening to stop further water getting in, then survey the damage. If this is a storm event you intend to claim for, document everything before any repair beyond emergency tarping. faqs[11].voiceA: Call a certified arborist first, then us. We do not remove trees. Once it is off we will tarp the opening and survey the damage. faqs[11].channels: web, whatsapp, voice, sms faqs[11].tags: emergency, storm, scope-limits faqs[11].sourceOfTruth: content/services/roofing/roof-repair.mdx lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content Questions about roofs, gutters, flashing and siding. Insurance claims after a storm have their own set, because the process differs from ordinary roofing work. --- ## source: content/team/aaron-prentice.mdx ### frontmatter slug: aaron-prentice name: Aaron Prentice role: Owner crewType: null yearsWithCompany: 17 certifications: NC General Contractor, qualifying party, EPA Lead-Safe Renovator, OSHA 30 construction safety bio: Aaron has been with the company since the first van, working alongside his father who founded it in 2009. He came up through framing and remodelling before taking over the business in 2019. He still walks every addition and every structural repair before the crew starts. photo.src: /img/team/aaron-prentice.jpg photo.alt: Aaron Prentice standing in the vehicle yard in a heather-grey work shirt, hands relaxed at his sides order: 1 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Aaron is the second generation. His father started Cedarline in 2009 with one van and a framing crew, and Aaron worked out of that van through his twenties before running the construction side and then the company. He signs off every home addition (/services/construction) and every structural repair personally, which is slower than delegating it and is the reason the construction schedule is honest. He is the person who decided the company would publish its prices, its hours and its refusals rather than make customers ask. --- ## source: content/team/curtis-boyd.mdx ### frontmatter slug: curtis-boyd name: Curtis Boyd role: Dispatch Lead crewType: null yearsWithCompany: 6 certifications: NC certified emergency telecommunicator, OSHA 10 general industry bio: Curtis decides who goes where, in what order, and he is the reason the arrival window on this site is a real number. He spent four years as an emergency dispatcher before moving into the trades. He would rather tell you the crew is running late than let you find out yourself. photo.src: /img/team/curtis-boyd.jpg photo.alt: Curtis Boyd at the dispatch board in a heather-grey work shirt, mid conversation order: 4 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Curtis came from emergency dispatch, where the job is triage under pressure with incomplete information, which turns out to describe a Triangle August on the HVAC board fairly well. He owns the arrival windows. If a crew is running behind, you get a call before the window closes rather than after, and if a job is genuinely an emergency he moves the board rather than adding you to the end of it. What counts as an emergency, and what does not, is published on our emergency page (/emergency) so nobody has to argue about it at the door. --- ## source: content/team/dana-whitfield.mdx ### frontmatter slug: dana-whitfield name: Dana Whitfield role: Service Manager and HVAC Lead crewType: hvac yearsWithCompany: 9 certifications: EPA 608 Universal, NATE certified, air conditioning and heat pumps, NC HVAC licence, qualifying technician bio: Dana runs the three HVAC crews and sets the standard every service call is measured against. She started as an apprentice on commercial rooftop units, moved to residential in 2017, and now trains every new technician who joins Cedarline. She writes most of our HVAC advice. photo.src: /img/team/dana-whitfield.jpg photo.alt: Dana Whitfield beside an outdoor condenser unit in a heather-grey work shirt, manifold gauges in hand order: 3 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Dana manages the service side of the business and leads the HVAC crews, which is one job rather than two: cooling and heating calls are most of what dispatch handles in a Triangle summer and a Triangle January. She came out of commercial rooftop work, where a failed unit closes a building, and she brought the diagnostic discipline with her. Every new technician spends their first fortnight riding with her before they are trusted with a service call (/services/hvac) of their own. --- ## source: content/team/darnell-jessup.mdx ### frontmatter slug: darnell-jessup name: Darnell Jessup role: Outdoor Lead crewType: outdoor yearsWithCompany: 7 certifications: NC Pesticide Applicator, ornamental and turf, Irrigation Association certified irrigation technician, ICPI concrete paver installer bio: Darnell runs the outdoor crews: decks, patios, fencing, lawn programmes and irrigation. He studied turfgrass science at NC State and worked on golf course grounds before moving to residential work in 2019. He is the reason our lawn programme is a schedule rather than a subscription. photo.src: /img/team/darnell-jessup.jpg photo.alt: Darnell Jessup on a part-laid paver patio in a heather-grey work shirt, setting a screed rail order: 8 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Darnell came out of turfgrass science and golf course grounds, which is why the lawn programme (/services/outdoor) is built around what fescue actually does in Piedmont clay in July rather than around a generic four-visit calendar. He also runs the hardscape crews. Decks and patios in this climate live or die on what happens below the surface, so he is unmovable about base preparation and drainage, and he will tell you when the ground has to dry out before the work can start. --- ## source: content/team/lena-marchetti.mdx ### frontmatter slug: lena-marchetti name: Lena Marchetti role: General Manager crewType: null yearsWithCompany: 9 certifications: NC Real Estate Commission continuing education instructor, OSHA 30 construction safety bio: Lena runs the business side: scheduling policy, warranty claims, invoicing and the standards every crew is held to. She spent eleven years managing a regional roofing supplier before joining Cedarline in 2017. If a job has gone wrong, she is the person who calls you back. photo.src: /img/team/lena-marchetti.jpg photo.alt: Lena Marchetti outside the yard office in a heather-grey work shirt, looking off camera order: 2 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Lena joined in 2017 from the supply side of the trade, which means she knew what every material on every quote actually costs before she ever wrote one. She owns the warranty process and the complaint process. When a job has gone wrong, the call comes back to her rather than to the crew that did it, because a crew grading its own work is not a process. Our warranty terms (/warranty) are written the way she answers the phone: the limit first, then the reason. --- ## source: content/team/nathan-kwon.mdx ### frontmatter slug: nathan-kwon name: Nathan Kwon role: Electrical Lead crewType: electrical yearsWithCompany: 3 certifications: NC Electrical licence, qualifying technician, Certified EV charging infrastructure installer, Infrared thermography level 1 bio: Nathan leads the electrical crew and is the youngest lead here. He finished his apprenticeship in 2020, spent two years on new residential construction, and joined Cedarline in 2023. He brought the thermal camera that now goes on every safety inspection. photo.src: /img/team/nathan-kwon.jpg photo.alt: Nathan Kwon in front of an open load centre in a heather-grey work shirt, thermal camera in hand order: 10 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Nathan joined in 2023 from new residential construction and is the youngest lead in the company. He runs the electrical crew (/services/electrical) and did most of the work to get us set up properly for EV charger installations. The thermal camera on every safety inspection was his idea. A loose lug on a breaker looks perfectly normal with the dead front off and shows up immediately under load on an infrared image, which is the difference between finding a fault and finding a fire. --- ## source: content/team/priya-raghunathan.mdx ### frontmatter slug: priya-raghunathan name: Priya Raghunathan role: Construction Lead and Project Estimator crewType: construction yearsWithCompany: 5 certifications: NC General Contractor, unlimited residential classification, Certified Graduate Remodeler, OSHA 30 construction safety bio: Priya estimates and runs the remodelling and addition work: kitchens, bathrooms, basements and additions. She trained as a structural engineer and spent eight years in commercial project management before moving to residential in 2021. Her estimates are long because they are itemised. photo.src: /img/team/priya-raghunathan.jpg photo.alt: Priya Raghunathan in a part-renovated kitchen in a heather-grey work shirt, checking a level on a base cabinet run order: 6 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Priya writes the estimates for every remodel and addition (/services/construction) and then runs the job she quoted, which is unusual and is the whole reason the dates hold. Her engineering background shows up most in the structural work: she is the one who decides whether a wall can come out and what has to replace it. She is also the person who tells you, at the first visit, that a permit and an inspection will add weeks before anybody swings a hammer, because the alternative is telling you in week three. --- ## source: content/team/sean-ferriday.mdx ### frontmatter slug: sean-ferriday name: Sean Ferriday role: Plumbing Lead crewType: plumbing yearsWithCompany: 4 certifications: NC Plumbing licence, qualifying technician, Backflow prevention assembly tester, Medical gas installer, lapsed bio: Sean leads the plumbing crews and handles the gas work. He served a five-year apprenticeship in Belfast, worked a decade in Charlotte, and joined Cedarline in 2022. He is the person who insists on a camera in the line before anyone quotes a dig. photo.src: /img/team/sean-ferriday.jpg photo.alt: Sean Ferriday in a crawlspace in a heather-grey work shirt, pressure testing a new PEX manifold order: 9 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Sean served his apprenticeship in Belfast and spent a decade in Charlotte before joining us in 2022. He runs the plumbing crews (/services/plumbing) and personally handles the gas line work, which is the part of the trade where being nearly right is not a category. His standing rule is that nobody quotes a dig without putting a camera in the line first. Roots in a clay lateral and a collapsed section look identical from the kitchen sink and cost very different amounts to fix. --- ## source: content/team/tomas-reyes.mdx ### frontmatter slug: tomas-reyes name: Tomás Reyes role: Roofing Lead crewType: roofing yearsWithCompany: 12 certifications: HAAG certified residential roof inspector, Manufacturer certified shingle installer, architectural systems, OSHA 30 construction safety, fall protection competent person bio: Tomás has led the roofing crews since 2014 and has walked more Triangle roofs after a hailstorm than anyone else here. He does most of our insurance documentation surveys personally. He is one of the Spanish-speaking technicians on the weekday roster. photo.src: /img/team/tomas-reyes.jpg photo.alt: Tomás Reyes on a mid-pitch shingle roof in a harness and heather-grey work shirt, inspecting a valley order: 5 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Tomás runs the roofing crews and does the photographic surveys that go to an adjuster on a storm damage claim (/services/roofing). He is deliberate about that work because an adjuster reads photographs, not adjectives, and a roof plane that was not documented is a roof plane that was not paid for. He is also the person who will tell you a roof has years left in it when a competitor has told you it needs replacing. That conversation costs us a job roughly once a month and it is the correct conversation to have. --- ## source: content/team/walter-hendricks.mdx ### frontmatter slug: walter-hendricks name: Walter Hendricks role: Carpentry Lead crewType: carpentry yearsWithCompany: 14 certifications: Journeyman carpenter, 40 years in the trade, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, OSHA 10 construction safety bio: Walt runs the carpentry crew and the shop where the cabinetry and built-ins are made. He has been a carpenter since the late 1970s and joined Cedarline in 2012 after his own shop closed. He is the last word on anything that has to fit an old house. photo.src: /img/team/walter-hendricks.jpg photo.alt: Walter Hendricks at a workbench in a heather-grey work shirt, fitting a face frame in clamps order: 7 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content Walt has been a carpenter since the late 1970s and ran his own shop for two decades before joining us in 2012. The cabinetry and built-ins (/services/carpentry) are made in our shop rather than ordered in, and that is his shop. He is the person we send to a 1940s house where nothing is plumb, nothing is square and the trim profile has not been milled since Eisenhower. He is unhurried about it, and he is also training two apprentices, which matters more than anything else on this list. --- ## source: content/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola.mdx ### frontmatter slug: apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola title: Cedar deck and pergola replacing a failed deck in Apex crewType: outdoor area: apex servicesUsed: deck-building, pergolas-and-shade-structures, deck-repair-and-refinishing completedDate: 2026-05-02 durationWeeks: 3 budgetBand.min: 32000 budgetBand.max: 40000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A twenty year old pressure-treated deck with rotten framing replaced with cedar, cable railing and a pergola over the dining end. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: A greyed splintering pressure-treated deck with a wobbly railing and gaps between cupped boards images[0].after.src: /img/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same footprint rebuilt in cedar with cable railing and a pergola over the dining end images[1].before.src: /img/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola-framing-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: Deck framing exposed after board removal, showing rot at the ledger and rusted fasteners images[1].after.src: /img/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola-framing-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: New framing with joist tape, a flashed ledger and galvanised hangers before decking goes down featured: true lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A raised deck off the back of a 2004 house in Apex, original to the build. The boards had cupped and splintered, the railing moved when you leaned on it, and the owners wanted to know whether it could be sanded and stained rather than replaced. We looked first at repair and refinishing (/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing), because that is the cheaper answer and it is sometimes the right one. ## The challenge It was not the right one here. Once we pulled two boards the framing told the story: the ledger was nailed rather than lagged and had never been flashed, so twenty years of water had run behind it and into the rim joist of the house. There was rot in the rim, rot at three joist ends, and the fasteners were the old galvanised type that modern treated lumber eats. A deck that has to be rebuilt from the ledger out is not a refinishing job, and telling the owners that on day one cost us a small job and won a large one. It is also the single most common failure we find on Triangle decks of that vintage. The second challenge was the pergola. The owners wanted shade over the dining end, and a pergola loads a deck in a way the original framing was never sized for, particularly in wind. ## What we did Full demolition to the footings, then a rebuild. The rotten rim joist section on the house was cut out and spliced before anything new touched it. The new ledger is lagged into solid framing with structural screws and properly flashed, which is the detail that decides whether this deck is here in 2046. New framing at reduced spacing to carry the cedar diagonally at the dining end, every joist top capped with butyl tape, and stainless hardware throughout. Cedar decking, hidden fasteners, and cable railing with the posts through-bolted rather than surface mounted. The pergola (/services/outdoor/pergolas-and-shade-structures) posts land on the new beam positions rather than on the deck surface, so the load goes into the footings rather than into the boards. The rafters are notched over the beams instead of screwed to their faces. Details of how we build these are on the deck building page (/services/outdoor/deck-building). ## The outcome Three weeks, one of which was waiting out a wet fortnight before the footings could be inspected and poured. The owners get the shade they wanted at the dining end and full sun at the other, which was the point of putting the pergola over only half of it. Cedar in this climate needs a coat every second or third year to hold its colour, and it will go silver if it is left alone, which the owners know and have chosen. Finished 2 May 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/cary-ev-charger-and-garage-lighting.mdx ### frontmatter slug: cary-ev-charger-and-garage-lighting title: EV charger and garage rewire in Cary crewType: electrical area: cary servicesUsed: ev-charger-installation, lighting-installation, outlet-and-switch-repair completedDate: 2026-05-21 durationWeeks: 0.5 budgetBand.min: 3800 budgetBand.max: 5400 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A level 2 charger installed without the panel upgrade two other companies had insisted on, plus a garage lighting and outlet rewire. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/cary-ev-charger-and-garage-lighting-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: A garage wall with a single ceiling fixture, an extension lead running to a socket and no dedicated circuit images[0].after.src: /img/projects/cary-ev-charger-and-garage-lighting-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same garage with a wall-mounted level 2 charger, conduit run back to the panel and new ceiling lighting featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 2011 house in Cary, a new electric car, and two quotes already in hand that both required a service upgrade before a charger could be fitted. The owner asked us for a third quote expecting the same answer. ## The challenge The question is whether the existing service can carry a charger, and the honest answer requires a calculation rather than a glance at the panel label. There are two ways to answer it. The quick way is to add up the nameplate ratings of everything in the house, which almost always says no, because it assumes the oven, the dryer, the air conditioning and the charger all run flat out simultaneously. The better way, and the one the code actually permits, is a load calculation based on measured demand over a period. Two other contractors had used the quick method and quoted a service upgrade on top of the charger. That is not dishonest, it is just the conservative answer, and it costs the customer several thousand dollars they may not need to spend. The second issue was the garage itself. A single ceiling fixture, one socket, and an extension lead across the floor that the owner had been using for years. ## What we did Nathan put a recording meter on the service for a week and calculated the actual demand. The result was clear: the existing service could carry a forty ampere charger circuit with margin, with the charger set to a load-managed limit that backs off if household demand spikes. No service upgrade, no panel work (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade), and we said so in writing so the owner had something to compare against the other two quotes. The charger (/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation) went on the garage wall on a dedicated circuit, in conduit, run back to the panel on the shortest sensible route rather than the shortest possible one, because the shortest possible route crossed a joist bay full of plumbing. While the crew were there they rewired the garage properly: LED ceiling lighting (/services/electrical/lighting-installation) on two switched rows, four new sockets on a dedicated circuit with ground fault protection, and the failed backstab connection (/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair) that had killed the original socket found and remade. ## The outcome One day on site after the week of monitoring. The extension lead is in the bin. The load calculation and the meter data went to the owner as a written record, which matters if the house is sold or if another circuit is added later. Finished 21 May 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel.mdx ### frontmatter slug: cary-kitchen-full-remodel title: Full kitchen remodel in Preston, Cary crewType: construction area: cary servicesUsed: kitchen-remodeling, interior-trim-and-molding, lighting-installation completedDate: 2026-04-18 durationWeeks: 6 budgetBand.min: 45000 budgetBand.max: 60000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A closed 1990s kitchen opened into the dining room, with a load-bearing wall removed and a new beam carrying the span. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: Dated oak wall cabinets and laminate counters in a closed kitchen, with a soffit above the run images[0].after.src: /img/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same kitchen opened to the dining room, with shaker cabinets, quartz counters and a tiled backsplash images[1].before.src: /img/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel-wall-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: The kitchen side of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, closed with a single doorway images[1].after.src: /img/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel-wall-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: The same opening after the wall was removed, with a flush beam above and no visible drop featured: true lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A four bedroom colonial in Preston with the kitchen it was built with in 1994: oak wall cabinets, a dropped soffit above them, laminate counters, and a full-height wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. The owners cook every day and were working around a galley layout in a house with the space for a much better one. The brief was to open the kitchen into the dining room, replace everything, and keep the ceiling flat across the new opening. No dropped beam, no bulkhead. ## The challenge The wall was load bearing. It carried the second floor joists across their mid-span, and the point loads at each end landed on a floor system that was never designed to take them concentrated. That is the whole job, and it is why this was six weeks rather than three. Flush-framing a beam into the ceiling means the new beam sits inside the joist depth, so every joist is cut and hung off it, and the load has to travel somewhere real at both ends. In this house that meant new posts down through the wall below and a pair of footings poured in the crawlspace. The second constraint was the permit. Structural alteration in Wake County means drawings, a permit and two inspections, and that took four weeks from application to approval. We told the owners that at the first visit and it was in the written estimate, so demolition began on the day it was always going to begin rather than the day they had hoped for. ## What we did Priya Raghunathan engineered the opening and ran the job she quoted. Our own structural work went in first: temporary shoring on both sides, the new beam set flush, joists cut and hung on hangers, posts down to new footings, and a framing inspection signed off before anything closed up. With the structure done the rest was sequence. Electrical rough-in for the new lighting layout (/services/electrical/lighting-installation), a relocated range circuit, drywall, then cabinetry. The trim carpenters (/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding) matched the existing casing profile through the new opening so the join between the two rooms does not announce itself. Full detail on the process is on the kitchen remodeling page (/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling). ## The outcome The kitchen and dining room read as one room with a flat ceiling across both. The owners kept a working sink and a hotplate in the garage for five of the six weeks, which we set up on day one because a kitchen remodel without a plan for eating is a remodel that ends badly. Final invoice landed inside the estimated band, with one change order: the owners upgraded the backsplash tile mid-job and it was priced and signed before it was ordered. The permit fee was passed through at cost and itemised, as it is on every job that needs one. Finished 18 April 2026, six weeks after demolition and ten weeks after the first visit. --- ## source: content/projects/chapel-hill-emergency-roof-leak.mdx ### frontmatter slug: chapel-hill-emergency-roof-leak title: Overnight roof leak stabilised in Chapel Hill crewType: roofing area: chapel-hill servicesUsed: roof-repair, skylight-and-flashing completedDate: 2026-02-22 durationWeeks: 0.5 budgetBand.min: 1800 budgetBand.max: 2600 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: An ice storm drove water through failed skylight flashing at night, and an emergency crew stabilised it before the ceiling came down. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/chapel-hill-emergency-roof-leak-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: Water running from the corner of a skylight opening onto a stained bedroom ceiling at night images[0].after.src: /img/projects/chapel-hill-emergency-roof-leak-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same skylight from outside after new step and counter flashing were woven into the shingle courses featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A single call to the emergency line just before midnight during the February ice storm. Water was running down the wall of a bedroom in a 1990s house in Chapel Hill, from the corner of a skylight that had been installed by someone else four years earlier. Chapel Hill is emergency coverage only for us, and the caller was told that on the phone before a crew was dispatched. What that means in practice is that we come out for the emergency and we do not book the scheduled follow-up work there, and it is better to hear that at midnight than the following week. ## The challenge Water entering a finished ceiling is on our escalation list, which means the call goes to a person rather than into a queue. The immediate risk is not the roof, it is the ceiling: a drywall lid holding several gallons of water will come down in one piece, usually onto whatever is under it. The temperature was below freezing, the roof was iced, and the skylight sat on the high side of a 6/12 pitch. Nobody was walking that surface at one in the morning, and the honest emergency answer was not to try. ## What we did Two things at midnight, in this order. Inside first: we relieved the ceiling. A small hole punched at the low point of the bulge drains a bulging ceiling into a bucket in a controlled way, and it saves the ceiling more often than it ruins it. The owner's furniture came out of the room and plastic went down. Outside second, from a ladder at the eave rather than on the ice: a self-adhering membrane patch over the head of the skylight and a weighted tarp across the plane above it, anchored at the ridge without a single fastener through good shingles. That is a stabilisation, not a repair, and it was described that way on the invoice. We came back once the ice cleared to do the actual flashing repair (/services/roofing/skylight-and-flashing): the original installation had relied on sealant over a surface-mounted apron rather than step flashing woven into the courses, which is a detail that always fails, and always at the head. ## The outcome The ceiling was patched by the owner's decorator rather than replaced. The roof repair (/services/roofing/roof-repair) itself took half a day. The after-hours call-out fee applied, because the dispatch happened outside dispatch hours, and it was stated on the phone before the crew left the yard rather than added at the end. The owner has since had the rest of the roof inspected by a Chapel Hill contractor, which is what we recommended. Finished 22 February 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall.mdx ### frontmatter slug: clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall title: Paver patio, seat wall and fence line in Clayton crewType: outdoor area: clayton servicesUsed: patios-and-pavers, fencing, seasonal-cleanup completedDate: 2026-04-14 durationWeeks: 2 budgetBand.min: 24000 budgetBand.max: 31000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A cracked and settling concrete slab replaced with a bluestone paver patio on a rebuilt base, plus a cedar privacy fence. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: A cracked concrete patio slab with weeds through the joints, falling back towards the house images[0].after.src: /img/projects/clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same area rebuilt as a bluestone paver patio with a low seat wall and a graded fall away from the house images[1].before.src: /img/projects/clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall-fence-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: A leaning pressure-treated fence with missing boards along the property line images[1].after.src: /img/projects/clayton-paver-patio-and-seat-wall-fence-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: A new cedar privacy fence set plumb on the same line with a gate at the patio end featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 2001 house in Clayton with a poured concrete patio that had cracked across the middle and settled towards the house. Every heavy rain sent water at the back door, and the owners had been putting a towel down for two years. They wanted a patio that drained the right way, somewhere to sit that was not a chair, and the leaning fence along the property line replaced. ## The challenge Johnston County clay is the whole story on this job. It holds water, it swells and shrinks with the seasons, and it does not compact when it is wet. The original slab had failed because it had been poured on soil that was never properly compacted, with no meaningful base beneath it. Building a paver patio on the same ground with a thin base would have produced the same settlement in half the time, because pavers are less forgiving of movement than a slab is. The fall was the second problem. The finished patio had to shed water away from the house across its whole width, and the existing grade ran the other way. ## What we did The slab came out, and so did another two hundred millimetres of soil beneath it. Then the part nobody photographs: a properly compacted aggregate base, built up in layers and compacted between each one, with geotextile separating it from the clay so the base does not migrate into the subgrade over the next decade. Darnell stopped the job for four days at this point because the clay was saturated from a wet week and would not take compaction, and told the owners why rather than pressing on and hoping. The bluestone pavers were laid on a screeded bedding course with polymeric sand in the joints, set to a consistent fall away from the house. The seat wall is a segmental block wall with a bluestone cap, with its own compacted footing rather than sitting on the patio base. The fence (/services/outdoor/fencing) went in on the same visit: cedar privacy panels on posts set in concrete below frost depth, plumbed individually, with a gate onto the patio. The old fence and the broken slab were removed as part of the site clearance (/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup). More on how we build these is on the patios and pavers page (/services/outdoor/patios-and-pavers). ## The outcome Two weeks on site including the four day weather stop. Water now runs to the low corner of the garden instead of to the back door, and there is no towel. A full spring of rain since with no settlement at any joint, which is the base course doing its job. Finished 14 April 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/durham-basement-finishing.mdx ### frontmatter slug: durham-basement-finishing title: Unfinished basement turned into a family room in Durham crewType: construction area: durham servicesUsed: basement-finishing, lighting-installation, ductwork-and-ventilation completedDate: 2026-02-27 durationWeeks: 8 budgetBand.min: 52000 budgetBand.max: 68000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A damp storage basement dried out, insulated, conditioned and finished as a family room with a full bathroom rough-in. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/durham-basement-finishing-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: An unfinished basement with exposed joists, bare concrete and stored boxes along one wall images[0].after.src: /img/projects/durham-basement-finishing-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same space finished as a family room with recessed lighting, painted walls and a repainted stair stringer featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 1978 split level in Durham with a full walkout basement that had been storage for nearly fifty years. The owners wanted a family room, a home office and a bathroom rough-in for later, and had been told by two other contractors that the space was fine to finish as it was. ## The challenge It was not fine. The floor was dry to the touch and the relative humidity down there sat well above sixty percent all summer, which is a mould problem waiting for a stud wall to grow on. Finishing a basement that has not been dried out first is the most expensive mistake in residential remodelling, because the damage happens inside a wall you have just paid to close. So the first two weeks of this job produced nothing the owners could see. The second issue was air. The existing system had no return anywhere below the main floor and one undersized supply, so a finished basement would have been a cold, stale room that the owners would have stopped using by the second winter. ## What we did Water first. We regraded the two problem corners outside, extended the downspout discharge well clear of the wall, sealed two cold joints, and ran a dehumidifier on a hygrometer for ten days to confirm the space held below fifty percent before framing. Then insulation, and this is where basements in this climate differ from basements anywhere north of here. Rigid foam against the concrete, taped, with the framing held off the wall and no vapour barrier on the warm side, so the assembly can dry inward. A polythene sheet on the inside face is how you build a mould sandwich in Piedmont summer humidity. The ductwork crew (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) added a properly sized supply run and, more importantly, a return, so the basement is on the same conditioned loop as the rest of the house. The lighting (/services/electrical/lighting-installation) is recessed on two zones with the office switched separately. The bathroom rough-in went in under the slab while it was open, capped and pressure tested, so the owners can add the bathroom in a few years without cutting concrete twice. Details of how we approach these are on the basement finishing page (/services/construction/basement-finishing). ## The outcome Eight weeks, two of them before a single stud went up. The room holds temperature within a degree or two of the rest of the house and the humidity has stayed in range through a full Triangle summer, which is the number the owners actually care about. The dust during the concrete cutting phase was worse than we had prepared them for, and that complaint reached us in writing. Negative air containment is now in the standard scope on any basement job that starts with cutting concrete. Finished 27 February 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul.mdx ### frontmatter slug: fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul title: Two-system AC replacement and humidity fix in Fuquay-Varina crewType: hvac area: fuquay-varina servicesUsed: ac-installation, ductwork-and-ventilation, indoor-air-quality completedDate: 2026-05-15 durationWeeks: 1 budgetBand.min: 15000 budgetBand.max: 19000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A house that never dried out in summer, fixed with correctly sized equipment, sealed ducts and a whole-home dehumidifier. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: An oversized outdoor condenser beside a house, with condensation staining on the pad and overgrown shrubs against the coil images[0].after.src: /img/projects/fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: A right-sized replacement unit on a clear pad with proper service clearance around the coil images[1].before.src: /img/projects/fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul-dehumidifier-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: A crawlspace air handler with unsealed plenum joints and a damp foundation wall behind it images[1].after.src: /img/projects/fuquay-varina-ac-and-duct-overhaul-dehumidifier-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: A whole-home dehumidifier installed beside the air handler with a new sealed plenum and condensate line featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A two storey house in Fuquay-Varina with two systems, both fourteen years old, and a complaint that had nothing to do with temperature. The thermostats held their setpoints. The house was still clammy, the hardwood had cupped in two rooms, and there was mould on the inside of a closet wall on the north side. ## The challenge Both systems were a full tonne oversized. That is the single most common defect we find in Triangle houses and it is counter-intuitive to explain, because bigger equipment cools faster. Cooling faster is the problem. An air conditioner removes moisture only while it runs, and a dehumidifying coil needs a long steady run to do it. Oversized equipment hits the setpoint in eight minutes, shuts off, and leaves the moisture in the house. The thermostat reads seventy two and the house feels like a swimming pool changing room, which is exactly what the owners described. Sealed duct leakage in a vented crawlspace made it worse, because every cubic foot of air lost down there was replaced by humid air pulled in from outside. ## What we did Load calculations on both systems first, room by room, rather than replacing what was there. Both came out smaller than the equipment they replaced. The duct systems (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) were sealed at every joint and boot with mastic, the crawlspace plenums rebuilt, and the returns opened up. Then both systems were replaced (/services/hvac/ac-installation) with correctly sized variable-speed equipment that runs long and slow, which is what actually pulls water out of the air. Correct sizing gets a Triangle house most of the way but not all of it, particularly on a mild damp day in May when there is no cooling load at all and the outdoor dew point is still high. So a whole-home dehumidifier (/services/hvac/indoor-air-quality) went in on the downstairs system, ducted, draining to the same condensate line, with its own humidistat. ## The outcome Indoor relative humidity now sits in the low fifties through a Triangle July instead of the high sixties. The cupped hardwood has largely flattened back out over the following months, which we told the owners might happen and were careful not to promise. Five days on site across a week, with one system done at a time so the house was never entirely without cooling. The mould on the closet wall was cleaned by a remediation contractor we referred them to, because that is not work we take on and we said so at the first visit. Finished 15 May 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/garner-whole-house-repipe.mdx ### frontmatter slug: garner-whole-house-repipe title: Whole-house repipe in an occupied home in Garner crewType: plumbing area: garner servicesUsed: repiping, fixture-installation, leak-detection-and-repair completedDate: 2026-03-20 durationWeeks: 1 budgetBand.min: 11000 budgetBand.max: 14000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: Failing polybutylene supply pipe replaced with PEX through a crawlspace and two storeys, with the family living in the house throughout. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/garner-whole-house-repipe-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: Grey polybutylene supply pipe in a crawlspace with a crimped fitting weeping at the joint images[0].after.src: /img/projects/garner-whole-house-repipe-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: New PEX supply runs on proper supports with a labelled manifold and new shutoff valves featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 1988 two storey house in Garner plumbed in polybutylene, which was standard for its decade and has been failing everywhere since. The owners had already had two pinhole failures, one of which took out a section of ceiling. They wanted the whole system replaced, and they could not move out to have it done. ## The challenge Polybutylene does not fail predictably. It degrades from the inside, usually at the fittings, and the next failure is as likely to be behind a finished wall as under the house. That is why patching it is a losing strategy: you are always repairing the joint that failed rather than the one that is about to. The real difficulty on this job was that the house stayed occupied. Two adults working from home, two children in school, one bathroom that had to work every evening. A repipe with everyone still living there is a scheduling problem more than a plumbing one. Water off for eight hours in the middle of a working day is fine if it is planned and disastrous if it is a surprise. ## What we did Sean Ferriday planned it as four days of work with water restored every single evening, and that plan was written down and given to the owners before anything started. New PEX runs from a labelled manifold, routed through the crawlspace and up through interior walls rather than exterior ones, which matters in a climate with occasional hard freezes. Every fixture got its own shutoff at the manifold, so a future repair isolates one bathroom rather than the house. Access was cut deliberately rather than opportunistically: eleven small openings, all in places we could close cleanly, rather than opening whatever was convenient from below. Two of the eleven were in tiled areas and were cut from the adjoining closet instead. While the walls were open we traced (/services/plumbing/leak-detection-and-repair) a slow leak the owners had suspected for a year and never found, at a fitting behind the upstairs shower valve. The shower valve and two taps were replaced (/services/plumbing/fixture-installation) at the same time, since the wall was open and doing it later would mean opening it again. More on how we approach these is on the repiping page (/services/plumbing/repiping). ## The outcome Four working days on site inside one week, with water on every night. Pressure across the house is noticeably better because the new runs are correctly sized rather than uniformly undersized. The drywall openings were patched by us and painted by the owners. The old polybutylene was left in place where it was not in the way, capped and disconnected, because pulling it out of finished walls would have meant opening far more than eleven holes. Finished 20 March 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/holly-springs-built-in-library.mdx ### frontmatter slug: holly-springs-built-in-library title: Built-in library wall in Holly Springs crewType: carpentry area: holly-springs servicesUsed: built-ins-and-shelving, interior-trim-and-molding, lighting-installation completedDate: 2026-06-05 durationWeeks: 3 budgetBand.min: 14000 budgetBand.max: 19000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A full wall of white oak shelving either side of a fireplace, engineered for a heavy book load rather than for a photograph. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/holly-springs-built-in-library-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: A blank painted wall either side of a fireplace with a bookcase pushed against it and boxes of books on the floor images[0].after.src: /img/projects/holly-springs-built-in-library-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same wall with white oak built-in shelving either side of the fireplace, fully loaded with books featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 2016 house in Holly Springs with a two storey family room, a gas fireplace and two blank walls either side of it. The owners are serious readers and had run out of freestanding bookcase. They wanted floor to ceiling shelving either side, in white oak, with a cabinet base and a run of drawers on the left for board games. ## The challenge Books are heavy, and that is the entire engineering problem in a bookcase. A metre of packed hardbacks is a load most shelving on the market cannot carry over that span without visible sag inside a year. The owners had seen a floating shelf detail in a magazine and asked for it, and we told them at the first visit that it would sag and that we would not build it. That conversation is the reason this job took three weeks rather than two. The second problem was the wall. The right hand return was not square to the fireplace by nearly twenty millimetres over its height, which is invisible until a full height cabinet goes against it and then it is the only thing you can see. ## What we did Walt Hendricks built the carcasses in our shop. White oak faces on stable ply carcasses, which is the correct construction for a wall of this size in a climate that swings from a damp August to a dry January: solid timber that wide would move enough to open every joint. Shelf spans were shortened by adding a centre stile to each bay, and every shelf is thicker than it looks with a hardwood front edge glued on to stiffen it. That is what stops the sag, and it is a detail you cannot see in the finished photograph. On site, the carcasses were scribed to the out of square return rather than caulked to it, so the reveal is even top to bottom. The trim (/services/carpentry/interior-trim-and-molding) matched the existing profile in the room. Nathan's crew ran the lighting (/services/electrical/lighting-installation) into the upper bays before the backs went on, switched separately from the room lighting. More on how we build these is on the built-ins page (/services/carpentry/built-ins-and-shelving). ## The outcome Full load has been on the shelves since June and there is no measurable deflection on the longest span, which was the whole argument for the centre stiles. Three weeks, of which two were in the shop and five days on site. The owners painted the room themselves afterwards, which we planned the sequence around. Finished 5 June 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/morrisville-tankless-water-heater.mdx ### frontmatter slug: morrisville-tankless-water-heater title: Tankless water heater and gas line upgrade in Morrisville crewType: plumbing area: morrisville servicesUsed: water-heater-installation, gas-line-service, fixture-installation completedDate: 2026-06-26 durationWeeks: 0.5 budgetBand.min: 5200 budgetBand.max: 6800 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A failed tank heater replaced with a tankless unit, which needed a resized gas line and a new vent before it could work at all. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/morrisville-tankless-water-heater-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: An ageing tank water heater in a garage corner with corroded connections and no drip pan images[0].after.src: /img/projects/morrisville-tankless-water-heater-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: A wall-mounted tankless unit with new gas piping, sealed combustion venting and isolation valves featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 2007 house in Morrisville whose garage tank heater had started weeping at the base, which is a tank telling you it has weeks rather than months left. The owners wanted to move to a tankless unit, partly for the space and mostly because their two teenagers had made the recovery time an issue. ## The challenge A tankless heater is not a swap. It is a different appliance with different requirements, and the requirements are where these installations go wrong. The gas demand is the first one. A tankless unit fires at several times the rate of the tank it replaces, and the existing branch line to the garage was sized for the tank. Running the new unit on that line would have starved it, which shows up as lukewarm water on a cold morning and gets blamed on the appliance. The second is venting. A sealed combustion unit needs its own intake and exhaust, and the old atmospheric flue serving the tank was not it. The third is the one that surprises people in this region: incoming water temperature. Groundwater here is cold enough in January that a unit sized on a summer flow rate will disappoint in winter. Two showers at once in July is a very different calculation from two showers at once in January. ## What we did Sean sized the unit from winter incoming temperature and the fixture count, not from the summer figure, which put it one model larger than the owners had been quoted elsewhere. The gas line (/services/plumbing/gas-line-service) was resized from the meter, pressure tested and signed off before the appliance arrived. New sealed combustion venting through the garage wall with correct clearances, a condensate neutraliser to the drain, and isolation valves with service ports so the unit can be descaled without cutting anything. Triangle water is hard enough that descaling matters, so it is on their maintenance schedule rather than left to be discovered when the flow rate drops. Two fixtures (/services/plumbing/fixture-installation) with failed cartridges were replaced while the water was off. The installation page (/services/plumbing/water-heater-installation) covers the permit and inspection process that applies to all of this. We pulled it, scheduled it and met the inspector; the permit fee was itemised at cost. ## The outcome Two days on site. Endless hot water, which is the headline, and a gas system that can actually feed it, which is the part that decides whether the headline is true in February. The owners are on our maintenance schedule for an annual descale. Finished 26 June 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry.mdx ### frontmatter slug: raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry title: Shop-made cabinetry for a 1938 house in Hayes Barton, Raleigh crewType: carpentry area: raleigh servicesUsed: custom-cabinetry, doors-and-windows, wood-repair-and-restoration completedDate: 2026-01-23 durationWeeks: 5 budgetBand.min: 19000 budgetBand.max: 25000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: Inset face-frame cabinetry made in our shop and scribed to plaster walls where nothing is plumb, square or level. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: A small 1930s kitchen with a mix of later cabinets in two different styles and a boxed-in radiator images[0].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same kitchen with inset painted face-frame cabinetry scribed to the plaster walls and a restored window images[1].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry-window-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: A painted-shut original casement window with rotten sill and failed glazing putty images[1].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry-window-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: The same window repaired, reglazed and working, with a spliced replacement sill section featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 1938 house in Hayes Barton with a kitchen that had been altered three times, most recently in the 1980s. Two different cabinet styles, a boxed-in radiator, and an original casement window painted shut for decades with a rotten sill. The owners did not want a new kitchen. They wanted a kitchen that looked like it had always been in this house, which is a harder brief and a more interesting one. ## The challenge Nothing in a house of this age is straight. The plaster walls bow, the floor falls nearly thirty millimetres across the room, and no corner is ninety degrees. Modern frameless cabinetry is built on the assumption that all three of those things are false. Put a run of it against a bowed plaster wall and you get a wavering gap that gets filled with caulk and looks like exactly what it is. The other constraint was the window. It was original, it was the correct window for the house, and it was rotten at the sill. Replacing it with a modern unit would have been cheaper and would have been the wrong answer for a house on that street. ## What we did Inset face-frame cabinetry, made in our shop, painted rather than stained, with the door and drawer proportions taken off the surviving original built-in in the hallway. Face-frame construction exists precisely for this situation: the frame can be scribed to the wall and the doors hung to the frame, so the cabinetry sits true even where the wall does not. Every run was scribed to the plaster on site rather than caulked. The base run was shimmed to level and the toe kick scribed to the falling floor, so the counter is level and the gap at the floor is even. The window (/services/carpentry/doors-and-windows) was repaired rather than replaced (/services/carpentry/wood-repair-and-restoration): the rotten sill section cut out and spliced with new timber, the sash freed, reglazed with traditional putty and rehung on new cord. It opens. Details on how we build cabinetry are on the custom cabinetry page (/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry). ## The outcome Five weeks from first cut in the shop, of which nine days were on site. The visible test is the gap where the cabinetry meets the plaster, and there is not one you would notice. The radiator came out of its box and back into the room, which the owners had assumed was not possible. Finished 23 January 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator.mdx ### frontmatter slug: raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator title: Fuse panel to modern service, plus a standby generator, in Raleigh crewType: electrical area: raleigh servicesUsed: panel-upgrade, generator-installation, electrical-safety-inspection completedDate: 2026-01-09 durationWeeks: 1 budgetBand.min: 12000 budgetBand.max: 16000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A sixty year old fuse panel replaced with a modern service and a standby generator on an automatic transfer switch. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: An original fuse panel with cloth-sheathed conductors and mismatched fuses in a basement stairwell images[0].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: A new load centre with neatly dressed conductors, labelled breakers and a printed schedule inside the door images[1].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator-meter-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: An old meter base with weathered service entrance conductors entering the wall images[1].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator-meter-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: A new meter base and automatic transfer switch mounted beside it, with a standby generator on a pad featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 1964 ranch in north Raleigh with the original fuse panel, cloth-sheathed branch circuits at the panel, and an owner who works from home and had lost three days of work to outages in the previous year. Two jobs, done together because doing them separately means paying for the same utility disconnection twice. ## The challenge A panel upgrade on a house of this age is never only a panel upgrade. The existing service entrance was undersized for the modern load, the meter base was weathered, and there was no grounding electrode system that met any current requirement: one clamp on a water pipe that had been partly replaced with plastic twenty years earlier, so most of the grounding path went nowhere. Then the branch circuits. Cloth insulation at the panel end is brittle, and every conductor that has to be re-landed in a new panel is a conductor that can crumble while you are moving it. Some of these needed extending with a proper junction rather than being stretched into a new position. The generator added the utility coordination problem: a service change and a new transfer switch means a disconnection, an inspection and a reconnection, all of which have to line up on the same day or the house is without power overnight in January. ## What we did Nathan Kwon did an inspection (/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection) first and priced the work from what he found rather than from what the owner had described on the phone. Then a full service upgrade: new meter base, new service entrance conductors, a new load centre with arc fault and ground fault protection where required, a proper grounding electrode system with two driven rods and a bonded water pipe, and every circuit re-landed, tested and labelled with a printed schedule inside the door. The standby generator (/services/electrical/generator-installation) went on a pad at the side of the house with an automatic transfer switch beside the new meter. It carries a selected load rather than the whole house, and the owners chose which circuits, which is a conversation worth having properly because the honest answer is that whole-house standby costs considerably more than most people expect. The gas connection for it was run by our own plumbing crew, which is the reason the two trades did not spend a week blaming each other for the schedule. ## The outcome Five days, with the disconnection, inspection and reconnection all on day three and power restored that evening. Inspection passed first time. The generator has since carried the house through two outages, including one that lasted most of a day. More on the process is on the panel upgrade page (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade). Finished 9 January 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/raleigh-storm-roof-replacement.mdx ### frontmatter slug: raleigh-storm-roof-replacement title: Hail claim and full roof replacement in Five Points, Raleigh crewType: roofing area: raleigh servicesUsed: storm-damage-and-insurance-claims, roof-replacement, gutter-installation completedDate: 2026-03-06 durationWeeks: 2 budgetBand.min: 18000 budgetBand.max: 24000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A hail-damaged roof documented plane by plane for an adjuster, then torn off and replaced in four working days. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-storm-roof-replacement-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: Weathered three-tab shingles with granule loss and hail bruising, moss in the north valley images[0].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-storm-roof-replacement-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: The same roof after replacement, with architectural shingles, new valley metal and a ridge vent images[1].before.src: /img/projects/raleigh-storm-roof-replacement-gutter-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: A dented aluminium gutter with shingle granules collected in the splash pan below the downspout images[1].after.src: /img/projects/raleigh-storm-roof-replacement-gutter-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: A new seamless aluminium gutter run on hidden hangers along a freshly painted fascia featured: true lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 1952 hip-roofed bungalow in Five Points, hit by the hailstorm that came through the Triangle in late January. The owner had a denied claim in hand and a roofer who had already told her the roof was fine. Both were wrong, and neither had documented anything. ## The challenge Hail damage on an older three-tab roof is genuinely hard to read from the ground, which is why claims on it get denied. The bruising is soft, it does not tear the shingle, and it looks like ordinary ageing to anyone not looking for it. What tells the story is the pattern: bruises on the exposed planes and not the sheltered ones, granules in the downspout splash pan, dents in the soft aluminium of the gutters and the vent caps. The second problem was time. A denied claim can be reopened, but a supplement gets weaker every week that passes between the storm and the survey, because the insurer can reasonably ask what else happened to the roof in the interval. ## What we did Tomás Reyes surveyed it the day after the call. Every roof plane was photographed with a scale and a chalked test square, with matched photographs of the undamaged north plane for comparison, plus the gutters, the vent caps and the splash pans. The written scope was itemised by material and labour and went to the owner within two days for her to file. We do not negotiate with insurers and we said so at the first visit. What we supply is documentation and an inspection attendance; the claim itself stays between the owner and her insurer. Full detail on where that line sits is on the storm damage page (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims). We met the adjuster on the roof on his second visit, which is where most of these disagreements actually get settled. The claim was approved on reinspection. Tear off and replacement (/services/roofing/roof-replacement) took four working days: full strip to the deck, two sheets of soft decking replaced and photographed before they were charged, synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield in both valleys and at the eaves, architectural shingles, new valley metal, new boots and a continuous ridge vent to replace three tired box vents. The gutters (/services/roofing/gutter-installation) were dented enough to be in the claim, so they went on at the same time with hidden hangers and downspouts moved clear of the foundation. ## The outcome Ten working days from first call to final invoice, four of them on the roof. The owner's deductible was hers to pay and it was due on completion; we do not absorb a deductible and we say why on every claim we touch. The attic is cooler by a genuinely noticeable margin, which is the ridge vent rather than the shingles. Finished 6 March 2026. --- ## source: content/projects/wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout.mdx ### frontmatter slug: wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout title: Heat pump changeout and duct repair in Wake Forest crewType: hvac area: wake-forest servicesUsed: ac-installation, ductwork-and-ventilation, thermostat-installation completedDate: 2026-06-12 durationWeeks: 0.5 budgetBand.min: 13000 budgetBand.max: 16000 budgetBand.currency: USD summary: A failed twenty year old heat pump replaced, with the attic ductwork sealed and two runs resized rather than reused as found. images[0].before.src: /img/projects/wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout-before.jpg images[0].before.alt: An ageing outdoor heat pump unit on a sunken pad with corroded fins and a rusted disconnect images[0].after.src: /img/projects/wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout-after.jpg images[0].after.alt: A new heat pump on a level pad with fresh line set insulation and a new disconnect images[1].before.src: /img/projects/wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout-duct-before.jpg images[1].before.alt: Attic flex duct sagging between supports with visible gaps at a boot connection images[1].after.src: /img/projects/wake-forest-heat-pump-changeout-duct-after.jpg images[1].after.alt: The same run resupported and sealed with mastic at every joint, insulation pulled back neatly featured: false lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The scope A 2004 house in Wake Forest with the original heat pump, which finally failed in the first week of June with the compressor locked. The owners had been running it in auxiliary heat for two winters and knew the bill they were paying for that. ## The challenge The easy version of this job is a straight swap: pull the old equipment, set the new equipment, hook it up, leave. It takes a day and it is what most of the market sells. It would have been the wrong job here. The attic ductwork was original flex, sagging between supports into long dips, with unsealed boot connections at four registers and a return that was undersized for the equipment that had been on it, let alone for anything modern. A new variable-speed system on that duct system would have been a very efficient way to condition an attic. Duct leakage in a Triangle attic is not a small loss either. Air escaping into a space that runs above forty degrees hotter than the house in July is the most expensive air in the building. ## What we did Dana Whitfield sized the replacement from a load calculation rather than from the label on the old unit, which came out a half tonne smaller. Twenty years of equipment upsizing based on the last equipment installed is how houses end up with systems that short cycle and never dehumidify. The duct work (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) went first: two supply runs resized, every boot sealed with mastic rather than tape, the sagging runs resupported at proper intervals, and the return enlarged with a second grille added in the hallway. All of it done before the new equipment was set, so the system was commissioned against the duct system it will actually live with. Then the changeout (/services/hvac/ac-installation): new outdoor unit on a level pad, new air handler, new line set insulation, a proper condensate trap and a float switch, and a thermostat (/services/hvac/thermostat-installation) with the auxiliary heat locked out above a set outdoor temperature so it stops running strips on a mild morning. ## The outcome Three days on site rather than one. Static pressure came in inside the manufacturer's range on commissioning, which it almost never does on a straight swap onto old duct, and the supply temperature split is where it should be. The owners will see the difference in a January bill rather than a June one, because the auxiliary heat lockout is worth more than the efficiency rating on the box. The equipment carries its manufacturer warranty, registered in their name at installation, on top of our own labour warranty. Finished 12 June 2026. --- ## source: content/blog/choosing-decking-material-for-nc-humidity.mdx ### frontmatter slug: choosing-decking-material-for-nc-humidity title: Choosing decking material for North Carolina humidity seoTitle: Best Decking Material for NC Humidity: Cedar, PT or Composite | Cedarline metaDescription: Pressure-treated, cedar and composite decking compared for Triangle humidity, sun and pollen, plus the framing details that matter more than the boards. summary: The board you walk on matters less than the framing under it, and every material on the market fails the same way if the ledger is wrong. author: darnell-jessup datePublished: 2026-03-30 dateModified: 2026-06-22 crewType: outdoor relatedServices: deck-building, deck-repair-and-refinishing, pergolas-and-shade-structures hero.src: /img/blog/choosing-decking-material-for-nc-humidity.jpg hero.alt: A moisture meter pressed against a weathered deck board lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## What this climate does to a deck The Triangle is hard on outdoor timber in a specific way: it is hot, it is humid for months, and it rains heavily and then dries out completely. That cycle is the problem. Wood that gets wet and stays wet rots. Wood that gets wet, dries fast, gets wet again and dries fast again also cups, checks and pulls its fasteners, because every cycle moves it. Add several months a year of ultraviolet exposure and a spring pollen load that holds moisture against the surface, and you have a set of conditions that punishes cheap details ruthlessly. Every material below can work here. None of them survives bad framing. ## Pressure-treated pine The default, and the cheapest by a wide margin. What it does well. It resists rot and insects because of the treatment, it is strong, it is available everywhere, and it is entirely respectable when it is looked after. What it does badly here. It arrives wet. Treated lumber is sold soaking, and it shrinks substantially as it dries in a Triangle summer, which is why so many treated decks show gaps and cupped boards within eighteen months. It also needs recoating every two to three years, and the day you stop is the day it starts going grey and splintery. Choose it if budget is the driving constraint and you will genuinely maintain it. Buy the best grade available rather than the cheapest, let it dry before finishing it, and fasten it properly. ## Cedar Naturally rot resistant, stable, and much nicer to walk on barefoot in July because it does not hold heat the way a dark composite does. What it does well. It moves far less than treated pine, it takes a finish beautifully, and it smells like a deck should. It is the material we build most often for people who want timber. What it does badly. It is soft, so it dents and scratches. It needs a coat every second or third year to hold its colour, and if you leave it alone it goes silver. Some people want exactly that, which is fine, but it should be a decision rather than a surprise. Choose it if you want real wood, you accept a maintenance cycle, and you care how it feels underfoot. ## Composite and PVC Wood flour and plastic, or plastic alone. The market has improved enormously and the early products that gave it a bad name are long gone. What it does well. It does not rot, it does not need staining, and it holds its appearance for a long time. The good capped products handle Triangle sun without significant fading. It is the lowest maintenance option by a distance. What it does badly. It gets hot. A dark composite board in direct July sun is genuinely too hot to stand on barefoot, and that catches people out on south-facing decks with no shade. Cheaper uncapped products stain from pollen and mildew and are difficult to clean. It costs substantially more up front. And it is not structural: the framing underneath is still timber, and it still has to be built properly. Choose it if you do not want a maintenance cycle, and either your deck is shaded or you choose a lighter board. If sun is a problem, a pergola (/services/outdoor/pergolas-and-shade-structures) over the seating end solves it and looks better than a smaller deck. ## The framing is what actually decides the lifespan Here is the part that matters more than any of the above, and it is the reason we replace so many decks that are only twenty years old. The ledger. The board bolting the deck to the house is where almost every failure starts. It must be lagged or screwed with structural fasteners into solid framing, never nailed, and it must be flashed so water cannot run behind it into the rim joist of your house. An unflashed ledger rots the house, not just the deck. That is exactly what we found on the Apex deck we rebuilt (/projects/apex-cedar-deck-and-pergola). Joist tape. A self-adhesive butyl strip along the top of every joist, so water sitting between the board and the joist cannot get into the fastener holes. It costs very little and it roughly doubles the life of the framing in this climate. We put it on every deck we build. Fasteners. Modern treated lumber corrodes ordinary galvanised hardware. Stainless or properly rated coated fasteners, every time. Footings and drainage. Piedmont clay swells and shrinks. Footings below frost depth, on ground that has been compacted, and water directed away rather than allowed to pool. ## The honest ranking If you are asking which we would put on our own house: cedar on the boards, obsessive detailing underneath, and a shade structure over the part you sit in. If you are asking which we would recommend to someone who will never stain anything: a light coloured capped composite, same detailing underneath. If you are asking which is best value: well specified pressure-treated, built properly, maintained on a schedule. Notice that all three answers contain the same second half. ## Before you replace, check whether you need to A greyed, splintery deck is often refinishable. Sanding, cleaning and recoating a structurally sound deck costs a fraction of replacing it, and we will tell you when that is the right call. We pull two boards, look at the framing and the ledger, and then advise. That is on the deck repair page (/services/outdoor/deck-repair-and-refinishing). If the ledger has been leaking for years, the answer will be replacement, and the reason will be in a photograph rather than in a sales pitch. New builds are on the deck building page (/services/outdoor/deck-building). --- ## source: content/blog/five-signs-of-a-roof-leak.mdx ### frontmatter slug: five-signs-of-a-roof-leak title: Five signs of a roof leak before it reaches the ceiling seoTitle: Five Early Signs of a Roof Leak | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: By the time a stain appears on a ceiling, a roof leak has been running for months. Five earlier signals, and where to look for each one. summary: A ceiling stain is the last symptom of a roof leak, not the first, and the earlier signs are all visible from inside the house. author: tomas-reyes datePublished: 2026-02-10 dateModified: 2026-06-18 crewType: roofing relatedServices: roof-inspection, roof-repair, skylight-and-flashing hero.src: /img/blog/five-signs-of-a-roof-leak.jpg hero.alt: A hand lifting a shingle tab to reveal a cracked plastic pipe boot lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The stain is the last symptom, not the first By the time water marks a ceiling, it has usually been entering the roof for months. It has soaked insulation, run along a rafter, crossed to somewhere else entirely, and finally saturated enough drywall to show. That delay is why roof leaks are expensive. The repair on the roof is often small. The damage underneath it is not. Every sign below appears before the stain, and four of the five are visible without going anywhere near the roof. ## One: the attic smells different Go into the attic on a dry day and use your nose before your torch. A damp attic smells earthy and slightly sweet. Insulation holds water long after a leak has stopped, so the smell persists between rains, which makes it a better indicator than a wet patch you have to be lucky to catch. While you are up there, look at the underside of the decking with a torch held low and along the surface rather than pointed straight at it. Water staining on plywood shows as dark tide lines that follow the grain, and old stains have crisp edges while active ones are diffuse. Rusty nail points are the other tell: nails that have condensation or leak water running past them rust from the tip downwards, and a scatter of rusted points in one area is a map of where the water is. ## Two: nail pops and a wavy ridge line Look at the roof from across the street on a bright day with the light raking across it. A ridge line that dips or waves is a decking problem, and decking that has softened is decking that has been wet. Shingle nails backing out is the same story: the deck loses its grip as it delaminates and pushes the nail up, which lifts the shingle above it and creates the next entry point. Neither is subtle once you know to look, and both are years ahead of a ceiling stain. ## Three: granules in the gutter and the splash pan Asphalt shingles are protected by the mineral granules bonded to their surface. Losing them is normal in the first few months after installation and abnormal after that. The splash pan under a downspout is the best place to look, because water sorts them there. A handful of granules in the pan means the shingle surface is wearing out and the mat underneath is being exposed to ultraviolet light, which is what makes it brittle. Hail accelerates this dramatically, and a hail-damaged roof often looks completely normal from the ground while shedding granules heavily. That is one of the reasons hail claims get denied: nobody documented the granule loss at the time. Our storm damage page (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) covers what documentation actually needs to look like. ## Four: the flashing, not the field Most roofs do not leak in the middle. They leak at the interruptions. Chimneys, sidewall junctions, skylights, vent pipes and valleys are where water is forced to change direction, and every one of them relies on flashing rather than on the shingles themselves. Look for: - A dark line of sealant along a chimney or a sidewall. Sealant is not flashing. Where you can see a bead of it doing structural work, someone has patched over a detail rather than rebuilt it, and it will fail again within a few years. - Rubber pipe boots that have cracked in a ring around the pipe. These are the single most common cause of the leaks we repair. The rubber has a life of ten to fifteen years in North Carolina sun, and it is usually shorter than the life of the shingles around it. - Rust streaks below a valley or a vent, which say metal is corroding where it should be sealed. Skylights (/services/roofing/skylight-and-flashing) deserve their own mention. Almost every leaking skylight we are called to was installed with a surface-mounted apron and sealant instead of step flashing woven into the shingle courses. It always fails, and it always fails at the head. ## Five: the exterior tells on the roof Peeling paint under an eave, a stained or sagging soffit, or a section of siding that is darker than the rest usually means water is getting behind the fascia rather than into the room. That is still a roof leak. It is a drip edge that is missing or installed under the underlayment rather than over it, or a gutter that has come loose and is dumping water behind itself. Left alone it rots the fascia, then the rafter tails, and then it becomes a carpentry job on top of a roofing one. ## What to do next If you have one of these, book a roof inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection). It is flat priced, it takes about an hour, and you get a written report with photographs whether or not we find anything. If you have water actively entering a room, that is different. Active water coming through a finished ceiling is on our emergency list, day or night, and it is on the list precisely because the ceiling is what fails next. Relieve the bulge into a bucket if you can safely reach it, move what is underneath, and call the emergency line (/emergency). If you have none of these and your roof is over fifteen, get it looked at anyway before autumn. The cheapest roof repair is the one done in September rather than the one done in a February ice storm. --- ## source: content/blog/how-a-storm-damage-claim-works.mdx ### frontmatter slug: how-a-storm-damage-claim-works title: How a storm damage insurance claim actually works seoTitle: How a Roof Storm Damage Insurance Claim Works in NC | Cedarline metaDescription: What happens between a hailstorm and a repaired roof: who decides what, what a contractor may and may not do, and the deductible rule nobody should break. summary: A roof claim has three parties with three different jobs, and most of the trouble comes from a contractor promising to do the insurer's part or yours. author: tomas-reyes datePublished: 2026-04-06 dateModified: 2026-07-08 crewType: roofing relatedServices: storm-damage-and-insurance-claims, roof-inspection, roof-replacement hero.src: /img/blog/how-a-storm-damage-claim-works.jpg hero.alt: A hail-dented aluminium gutter with shingle granules collected in the splash pan below lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Three parties, three jobs A storm claim goes wrong when somebody does somebody else's job. You own the claim. You file it, you decide whether to accept the settlement, and you pay the deductible. Your insurer decides what is covered and what it will pay. Their adjuster inspects the damage and writes a scope. Your contractor documents the damage, attends the inspection, answers technical questions, and does the repair. That is the whole list. We do not negotiate with your insurer, and we say so at the first visit rather than in the small print. We are not public adjusters and we are not licensed to act for you in a claim. Any roofer who tells you they will "handle the whole thing" is either using loose language or doing something they are not licensed to do. ## The timeline, in order Day zero to two: get it documented. Do not wait for the insurer. The strength of a hail claim decays with every week between the storm and the survey, because an insurer can reasonably ask what else happened to the roof in the interval. Day one to three: file. Most policies require prompt notice. Filing does not commit you to anything, and an unfiled claim on a damaged roof gets weaker, not stronger. Week one to three: the adjuster inspects. Ask to be told when, and ask your contractor to attend. Two sets of eyes on the same roof at the same time settles most disagreements before they become disagreements. Week two to six: the scope and the settlement. You receive a scope of loss and a payment, usually in two parts. The first is actual cash value, which is the replacement cost minus depreciation. The second, recoverable depreciation, is released after the work is completed and invoiced. Then the work. Which usually cannot start until the first payment arrives. ## What good documentation looks like An adjuster reads photographs, not adjectives. Ours produce, on every claim: - A dated photographic survey, roof plane by roof plane, with a scale in frame and chalked test squares showing hits per square. - Matched photographs of an undamaged plane for comparison, which is what turns "there is damage" into "there is damage here and not there". - Photographs of the soft metals: gutters, downspouts, vent caps and flashing. Aluminium dents where a shingle only bruises, so soft metal is often the clearest evidence that hail of a given size fell. - A written scope of work itemised by material and labour. - A moisture and decking condition report where the deck is compromised. - A copy of our licence and certificate of insurance for the adjuster's file. That package is what we hand you. What you do with it is your decision. ## The deductible rule, which is not negotiable Your deductible is yours to pay, and it is due on completion. We will not absorb it, discount it, or inflate the scope to cover it. A contractor who offers to "waive your deductible" is committing insurance fraud in North Carolina and exposing you to it, and the offer is a reliable signal to stop the conversation there. Read your policy for one detail in particular: whether your wind and hail deductible is a flat figure or a percentage of the dwelling coverage. Percentage deductibles are increasingly common in this state and they are considerably larger than people expect. ## Actual cash value against replacement cost This is the term that catches people out. A replacement cost policy pays what it costs to replace the roof, in two instalments as described above. An actual cash value policy pays the depreciated value and nothing more, so a fifteen year old roof is settled at a fraction of what replacing it costs. If your roof is old and your policy is ACV, a claim may not be worth filing at all. That is a conversation to have before you file, not after, and it is one we will have with you honestly even though the answer sometimes costs us the job. ## When the claim is denied Denials on hail are common and they are not final. Reinspection is the usual route: you request one, and your contractor attends with the documentation. A great many denials come from an adjuster who inspected in poor light, or who looked at the sheltered planes, or who found the damage genuinely marginal. Photographs from the day after the storm are what change that conversation. If reinspection fails and you believe the decision is wrong, that is the point at which a licensed public adjuster is the right person to hire. They act for you, they are regulated, and they charge a percentage. We will tell you that rather than pretend we can do it. ## What we charge for while a claim runs The inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection) is flat priced and you get the report whether or not you claim. The documentation package is part of it. The repair or replacement (/services/roofing/roof-replacement) is quoted as work, on our own scope, at our own price. We do not price a roof at whatever the insurer approved, and we do not adjust the scope to match a settlement figure. If our scope is larger than the insurer's, we supplement it with evidence and you decide. The whole process, including what we supply and where the line sits, is on the storm damage page (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims). ## Three things to do before the next storm Photograph your roof now, from the ground, on a clear day. A dated before is worth a great deal when you need to prove an after. Find your policy and read the wind and hail deductible. Once. Keep the receipt from the last roof work you had done. Age is the single biggest lever on what a claim pays, and a documented installation date beats an adjuster's estimate every time. --- ## source: content/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-service-visit.mdx ### frontmatter slug: how-to-prepare-for-a-service-visit title: How to prepare your home for a service visit seoTitle: How to Prepare for a Home Service Visit | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: What to do before a technician arrives, what an arrival window really means, and the four things that most often turn a one visit job into two. summary: Ten minutes of preparation is the difference between a job finished today and a second visit next week. author: curtis-boyd datePublished: 2025-12-02 dateModified: 2026-06-15 crewType: hvac relatedServices: ac-repair, drain-cleaning, roof-inspection, outlet-and-switch-repair hero.src: /img/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-service-visit.jpg hero.alt: A cleared path to an indoor air handler in a utility room, with the door open and the floor clear lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Why this is worth ten minutes I run the dispatch board, so I see the same four things turn a one visit job into two, every week. None of them are complicated. All of them are avoidable. Here is the list, in the order they cost us time. ## One: access The technician needs to reach the thing that is broken, and to have room to work on it. For heating and cooling that means a clear path to the indoor unit and to the outdoor unit, and about a metre of clear space around each. Utility rooms accumulate storage, and a water heater or an air handler boxed in behind eighteen months of boxes turns a ninety minute call into a two hour one, half of which is your technician moving your possessions. Outdoors, cut back anything growing against the condenser and clear the route to it. Shrubs against a coil are a service problem and an efficiency problem both. For plumbing, clear under the sink and in front of the water heater. For electrical, clear access to the panel. For roofing, clear a place to set a ladder and move cars off the drive where a load might come off the roof. Crawlspaces and attics. Tell us when you book if access is through a hatch in a wardrobe, if the crawlspace door is locked, or if the ladder to the attic is not in the house. That is the single most common reason we cannot finish. ## Two: pets and children Not because they are a nuisance. Because doors get propped open, tools get left on the floor, and refrigerant lines and electrical panels are genuinely dangerous. Secure pets somewhere away from the work area and away from the door the technician will be carrying equipment through. Tell us if there is a dog, even a friendly one, and especially if there is a dog in the garden where the outdoor unit is. ## Three: know the symptom, and be honest about the history The most useful five minutes of any service call is the conversation at the door. Have ready: - What it is doing, in your own words. "It runs but the air is not cold" is a completely different fault from "it does not come on at all". - When it started, and whether it is constant or intermittent. - What changed just before. A storm, a power cut, a filter change, someone else working in the house. - What has been done to it before, including by another company. Nobody is being judged. A previous repair is diagnostic information. Intermittent faults are where this matters most. If it only does it in the morning, or only after heavy rain, say so, because the technician will not see it happen and needs to work backwards. Photographs and short videos help enormously, especially of something that has since stopped. Send them when you book. ## Four: be reachable The arrival window is a window, not an appointment time, because a job before yours can turn out to be worse than it looked. That is the honest constraint in this trade and pretending otherwise just makes the day worse for everybody. What we do about it: you get a call before we arrive, and you get a call if we are running late. What we ask in return is a phone number that reaches somebody. The next available window is shown live at the top of every page on this site, and it is calculated from the same dispatch hours the crews actually work. If nobody will be home, tell us when you book. Some work can be done unattended and some genuinely cannot, and it is better to sort that out in advance than at the door. ## The money conversation, before it happens Diagnostic first. Most repair work starts with a diagnosis, and the fee for that is published on our pricing page (/pricing) rather than discovered at the door. It is waived when you approve the repair. You get the price before the work. Always, in writing on the technician's tablet, and nothing is touched until you say yes. If you need to cancel, give us a day's notice and it costs nothing. Inside that, or if nobody is home when the crew arrives, there is a no-show fee of $65. That covers a slot another customer could have had and the crew's drive, and one text is enough to avoid it. Payment is by card or ACH. We do not take personal cheques, and there is a limit on cash. ## What we bring, and what we do not Vans carry the parts that fail most often, which is why a large proportion of repairs finish on the first visit. What they do not carry is every part for every system ever made, so an unusual component on an older system may mean an order and a second visit. You will be told that at the point we find it, along with the timescale. We put down floor protection, we wear covers indoors, and the work area gets left as we found it. If that does not happen, tell us, because we would rather hear it from you than not hear it. ## A short checklist - Clear the path and the space around the equipment. - Unlock the crawlspace, the attic and the gate. - Secure the pets. - Have the symptom, the timing and the history ready. - Keep your phone with you. - Know where your main water shutoff and your electrical panel are. Not for us. For you. That last one is not really about the visit. It is the thing most people go looking for on the worst night of their year, in the dark, which is not the time to be learning it. --- ## source: content/blog/permit-timelines-in-wake-county.mdx ### frontmatter slug: permit-timelines-in-wake-county title: Permit timelines in Wake County, and why your job has not started seoTitle: Wake County Residential Permit Timelines Explained | Cedarline metaDescription: Which residential jobs need a permit in Wake County, how long approval and inspections realistically take, and what happens if work is done without one. summary: The permit itself is cheap and quick to file; the wait is approval and inspection scheduling, and it belongs in the plan rather than in an apology. author: priya-raghunathan datePublished: 2026-02-24 dateModified: 2026-07-06 crewType: construction relatedServices: home-additions, kitchen-remodeling, basement-finishing, panel-upgrade hero.src: /img/blog/permit-timelines-in-wake-county.jpg hero.alt: A framed home addition with new roof sheathing and open stud bays awaiting inspection lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The question behind the question "Why do we need a permit" is almost never the real question. The real question is "why has nothing happened for three weeks". The answer is that permitting is a queue, not a task. Filing takes an afternoon. Waiting for approval, and then waiting for each inspection slot, is where the weeks go, and it is the part that has to be in the schedule from the first conversation rather than explained afterwards. ## What needs one In broad terms, in this county and the municipalities inside it: Needs a permit. Structural alteration of any kind, including removing or opening a load bearing wall. Additions and conversions. Finishing a basement or a garage. New or relocated plumbing. New circuits, panel changes and service upgrades. New gas piping. Mechanical changeouts and new duct systems. Decks above a certain height, and most detached structures above a certain size. Re-roofing in most jurisdictions here. Usually does not. Painting and decorating. Flooring. Replacing a fixture, a tap or a light in the same position on the same circuit. Cabinetry replaced in the same layout with no plumbing or electrical change. Fence work, in most cases. The one people get wrong. Replacing a water heater. It is a like for like swap in the same place, so it feels like maintenance, and it needs a permit and an inspection in most of the Triangle. The inspection is what catches a missing expansion tank, an unsafe flue or an absent drip pan, which is precisely why it exists. Municipal rules inside Wake differ, and Durham and Orange counties differ again, so the honest answer for any specific job is the one we give at the estimate. ## The realistic timeline These are our own observed timings across recent jobs, not published service levels, and they move with the season and with how busy the building industry is. Trade permits with no plan review (a panel upgrade, a water heater, a mechanical changeout) are frequently issued the same day or the next. These are not the ones that hold jobs up. Residential alteration with plan review (a kitchen with a structural opening, a basement finish) typically runs a few weeks from a complete submission to an issued permit. Note the word complete: a submission missing a detail goes back into the queue at the point where it is corrected, so an incomplete application does not cost you a day, it costs you a cycle. Additions are longer again, because they involve zoning review as well as building review, and because setbacks, lot coverage and stormwater all have to be checked before anyone looks at the framing. Inspections are usually available within a few working days of a request. The exception is a failed inspection, because a correction plus a reinspection puts you back in the queue and can add a week to a job that was otherwise finished. ## What actually causes the delay In order of how often we see it: 1. An incomplete submission. The most common cause and the most avoidable. 2. A homeowner-supplied drawing that does not carry the information the reviewer needs. Beam sizes, header schedules and connection details are not decoration on a drawing. 3. Discovering mid-job that a wall is load bearing. The permit has to be amended, and everything stops while it is. 4. A failed inspection on something small. Missing fire blocking, an unstrapped water heater, an unlabelled panel. ## What we do We pull the permit, schedule the inspections and meet the inspector on site. That last part matters more than it sounds: an inspector with a question and nobody to ask writes a correction notice, and a correction notice costs a week. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately on your invoice, so you can see what went to the county and what came to us. And the timeline goes in the written estimate. On the Preston kitchen (/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel) the owners knew before they signed that demolition would begin four weeks after approval was applied for, so the wait was expected rather than a source of daily phone calls. ## What happens if you skip it Three things, in increasing order of expense. A stop work order. Work halts until the permit is obtained retrospectively, which costs more and takes longer than obtaining it in the first place. A failed sale. Unpermitted work shows up in a closing attorney's search or in a buyer's inspection, and the usual outcome is that you permit and correct it under time pressure with a buyer waiting. A denied claim. If unpermitted work contributes to a loss, your insurer may decline it. This is the one that turns a saved fee into a catastrophe. A contractor offering to do permitted work without a permit is telling you something about how they work generally, and it is worth hearing. ## The one thing to take away Ask, at the first visit, three questions: does this need a permit, who is pulling it, and how many weeks does approval add before work starts. Any contractor who cannot answer all three at the estimate stage will be answering them at your expense later. Our additions (/services/construction/home-additions), basement (/services/construction/basement-finishing) and panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade) pages state the permit position for each type of work up front. --- ## source: content/blog/repair-or-replace-your-ac.mdx ### frontmatter slug: repair-or-replace-your-ac title: When to repair your AC and when to replace it seoTitle: AC Repair or Replace? How to Decide in the Triangle | Cedarline metaDescription: A straight answer on repairing versus replacing an air conditioner in North Carolina: the age threshold, the refrigerant question, and the one repair that usually ends the argument. summary: Five things decide whether an air conditioner is worth repairing, and only one of them is the price of the part. author: dana-whitfield datePublished: 2026-05-12 dateModified: 2026-07-02 crewType: hvac relatedServices: ac-repair, ac-installation, ac-maintenance hero.src: /img/blog/repair-or-replace-your-ac.jpg hero.alt: A technician's hands on a manifold gauge set at an outdoor condenser, service panel removed lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The short answer Repair it if it is under twelve years old, still uses a refrigerant you can buy, and the repair costs less than about a third of a new system. Replace it if two or more of those are false. That rule gets the decision right most of the time. The rest of this explains where it breaks, because the cases where it breaks are the expensive ones. ## Age is the first filter, and twelve is the number Air conditioners and heat pumps in this climate work harder than the same equipment does further north. A Triangle summer runs a compressor for months, and our winters are mild enough that a heat pump barely rests either. Fifteen to twenty years is the honest lifespan of a well maintained system here, and ten to fifteen for one that has never been serviced. The reason twelve matters is not that something breaks on the twelfth birthday. It is that repairs start clustering. A system that needs one part at twelve will usually need another within two seasons, and each of those visits carries a diagnostic fee (/pricing) of $89 on top of the part. Two or three of those in three summers costs more than a share of a new system and leaves you with an old one. If your system is under ten, repair it. Almost always. Under ten, the parts are available, the efficiency gap to a new unit is small, and the remaining life is long enough to be worth the money. ## The refrigerant question is the one most people have not heard about Systems installed before roughly 2010 use R-22. It has not been produced or imported since 2020. The only R-22 left is reclaimed, and it costs several times what R-410A costs. That changes the arithmetic completely. On an R-22 system a refrigerant leak is not a cheap repair, it is a recurring bill, because a leak that has been topped up once will be topped up again. We will still do it. We will also tell you plainly that you are buying time rather than fixing something, and roughly how much time. Newer systems are moving to R-454B and similar low-global-warming refrigerants. That transition does not affect an R-410A system you already own, and anyone telling you your R-410A unit is about to become unserviceable is selling you something. ## Compare the repair to a third of a replacement The common rule of thumb multiplies the repair cost by the age of the system and compares it to the replacement cost. It is a reasonable heuristic and it is too clever to remember at the kitchen table with a technician standing there. Use a third. If the repair costs more than about a third of what a new system costs, and the system is past ten, you are putting good money into a bad asset. Our HVAC work runs from $180 to $12,000 across everything from a capacitor to a full changeout, and the specific band for your job is on the AC repair (/services/hvac/ac-repair) and AC installation (/services/hvac/ac-installation) pages. Ask for both numbers on the same visit. Any contractor who will quote a repair but not a replacement, or the reverse, is choosing for you. ## The compressor usually ends the argument A failed compressor on a system past ten years old is the point where almost everyone should replace. The part is the single most expensive component in the system, the labour to change it is significant, and a compressor rarely fails for no reason. It fails because something else has been wrong for a while: low refrigerant charge from a leak, a restricted metering device, poor airflow from a dirty coil or a collapsed duct. Replace the compressor without finding that cause and you have bought a very expensive part that will fail again. The exception is a compressor still inside its manufacturer warranty, which is common on systems under ten. Then you pay labour and refrigerant rather than the part, and repair usually wins. ## Efficiency is real, but the sticker is not the saving A modern system will use meaningfully less electricity than a 2005 one. It will not use half. The efficiency rating on the box is measured under test conditions, and the gap between that and your house depends on duct leakage, insulation, and whether the equipment is correctly sized. We have replaced fourteen year old systems and delivered a large improvement, and we have replaced fourteen year old systems in houses with leaking attic ducts and delivered very little, because the new equipment was pushing conditioned air into an attic exactly like the old one did. If someone offers you a saving figure without asking about your ductwork, they are guessing. Our duct work page (/services/hvac/ductwork-and-ventilation) explains why that is often the better place to spend the first few thousand dollars. ## Sizing matters more than the rating The most common defect we find in Triangle houses is equipment that is too big. Oversized equipment cools the air quickly, satisfies the thermostat, and shuts off before it has removed the humidity. You end up with a house that reads seventy two on the thermostat and feels clammy, and with equipment that short cycles itself to an early death. If you are replacing, insist on a load calculation rather than a match to what is there. Replacing like for like just inherits whoever's mistake it was in 1998. ## When repair is clearly right - The system is under ten years old. - It uses R-410A or newer. - The fault is a capacitor, a contactor, a fan motor, a control board or a thermostat. - It has been serviced, and this is the first significant failure. ## When replacement is clearly right - The system is past fifteen. - It uses R-22 and has a refrigerant leak. - The compressor or the evaporator coil has failed and the warranty has expired. - You are already paying for repairs most summers. - The house has never been comfortable, in which case the sizing was probably wrong from the start and replacement is the only chance to fix it. ## What we do on the visit We diagnose the actual fault, tell you the repair price before touching anything, and if the system is old enough for the question to be live we give you the replacement figure at the same visit. The diagnostic fee is waived if you approve the repair. We do not sell replacements from a photograph or a phone call, and we do not quote a replacement without a load calculation. If the answer is that your fifteen year old unit has another three summers in it, that is what you will be told. The cheapest version of this whole decision is not having to make it in July. Maintenance (/services/hvac/ac-maintenance) in spring finds the failing capacitor before it strands you, and it is the only part of this article that saves money rather than spending it. --- ## source: content/blog/triangle-seasonal-home-maintenance-calendar.mdx ### frontmatter slug: triangle-seasonal-home-maintenance-calendar title: A seasonal home maintenance calendar for the Triangle seoTitle: Seasonal Home Maintenance Calendar for Raleigh & Durham | Cedarline metaDescription: A month by month home maintenance calendar written for Triangle weather: pollen, humidity, hurricane season, ice storms and clay soil. summary: A maintenance calendar written for this climate, where the enemies are humidity, pollen, hail and clay rather than deep frost. author: lena-marchetti datePublished: 2026-01-06 dateModified: 2026-07-12 crewType: outdoor relatedServices: ac-maintenance, seasonal-cleanup, irrigation-service, roof-inspection, gutter-installation hero.src: /img/blog/triangle-seasonal-home-maintenance-calendar.jpg hero.alt: Leaves clogging the corner of a gutter above a downspout in late autumn light lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Why a generic calendar does not work here Most home maintenance calendars are written for a climate with a hard winter and a mild summer. Ours is the opposite. The things that damage Triangle houses are humidity for five months of the year, a spring pollen load that holds moisture against every surface, hail and wind in spring and autumn, hurricane remnants arriving inland with a great deal of rain, and clay soil that swells and shrinks under everything you have built on it. This calendar is organised around those. ## January and February The coldest part of the year, and the quietest for outdoor work. - Test the heating properly. Run it, and pay attention to whether it is using auxiliary or emergency heat more than it should. A heat pump quietly running strip heat is the most expensive fault in a Triangle house and it produces no symptom other than a bill. - Check exposed plumbing in crawlspaces and garages before a hard freeze, and know where your main shutoff is. - Look at the ceilings after any ice storm. Ice dams are rare here but not unknown on low slope sections and north facing planes. - Book spring work now. Cooling maintenance and any exterior job books out fast once the weather turns, and January is when the calendar is open. ## March The month everything wakes up, including the pollen. - Roof and flashing inspection. Before the spring storm season rather than after it. Winter finds the weak flashing and spring finds out whether you fixed it. (Roof inspection (/services/roofing/roof-inspection).) - Gutters, before the pollen. Then again after. - Walk the foundation. Clay heaves over winter. Look for new cracks, for soil pulling away from the wall, and for grade that has settled back towards the house. - Deck inspection. Push a screwdriver into the ledger area and any joist end that stays damp. Soft timber is not a spring cosmetic problem. ## April and May - Cooling maintenance, before the first heat. Not in July, when everybody else has had the same idea. The point of this visit is to find the failing capacitor while it is still a scheduled repair. (AC maintenance (/services/hvac/ac-maintenance).) - Irrigation start-up. Slowly, zone by zone, watching every head. Never at full pressure into a system full of air. - Wash the pollen off everything horizontal. It is not just cosmetic: pollen holds moisture against timber and against composite decking, and that is where mildew starts. - Check the condensate line. A blocked drain in a Triangle August is the most common cause of water damage from HVAC equipment we see. Clear it while it is dry. ## June, July and August Humidity season, which is a maintenance season in this region even though nothing outdoors wants to be done in it. - Watch the indoor humidity. Fifty percent or below is the target. Above sixty in a conditioned house means something is wrong: oversized equipment, duct leakage into a crawlspace, or a genuine need for dehumidification (/services/hvac/indoor-air-quality). - Check the crawlspace at least once. A vented crawlspace in a Triangle August is a condensation chamber. Look for damp insulation falling out of the floor, and for standing water. - Filters monthly while the system is running constantly. - Watch the lawn honestly. Fescue struggles in this heat and the correct answer in August is usually to keep it alive rather than to make it beautiful. - Hurricane season begins. Clear the gutters, secure anything that flies, and photograph your roof from the ground on a clear day. A dated before photograph is worth a great deal in a claim. ## September and October The best working weather of the year, and the busiest exterior season. - Heating check before the first cold night. Furnaces fail the first time they are asked to run hard, which is a night in the low thirties when nobody wants to be waiting. - Chimney and flue if you have one. - Irrigation winterisation, late October into November, before the first hard freeze. Details in winterising an irrigation system (/blog/winterising-an-irrigation-system). - Reseed and overseed fescue. Autumn, not spring. This is the single most effective lawn month of the year in the Piedmont. - Second storm season. Hurricane remnants reaching this far inland bring rain rather than wind, and rain finds every flashing detail you did not fix in March. ## November and December - Gutter clean, after the leaves are actually down. Doing it too early means doing it twice. Most Triangle oaks are not finished until well into November. (Gutter work (/services/roofing/gutter-installation).) - Autumn clean-up and bed preparation. (Seasonal cleanup (/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup).) - Disconnect and drain hose bibs. - Check the grade and the downspout discharge before the winter rain. Water against a foundation in clay is how basements get wet and how slabs move. - Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and replace anything over ten years old. The whole detector, not the battery. ## The three things that matter most If you do nothing else on this list: 1. Keep water away from the building. Gutters, downspouts, grade and flashing. Almost every expensive repair we do started as water going somewhere it should not. 2. Service the heating and cooling before the season, not during it. It is cheaper, it is available, and it is the difference between a repair and an emergency. 3. Look at your crawlspace or basement four times a year. Ten minutes with a torch finds problems a year before they find you. ## The version where you do not have to remember The calendar above is what our maintenance plans (/maintenance-plans) automate. The visits are scheduled to these months, we text you when one is due, and the honest reason people buy them is not the discount, it is that they stop having to keep this list in their head. Everything here can also be booked one visit at a time. The full service list (/services) has what each one covers and what it costs. --- ## source: content/blog/what-a-kitchen-remodel-costs-in-the-triangle.mdx ### frontmatter slug: what-a-kitchen-remodel-costs-in-the-triangle title: What a kitchen remodel really costs in the Triangle seoTitle: Kitchen Remodel Cost in Raleigh, Durham & Cary | Cedarline metaDescription: Real cost bands for a Triangle kitchen remodel, what moves the number most, and the four decisions that change the total more than any material choice. summary: Cabinetry and layout decide most of a kitchen budget, and moving the sink costs more than almost any finish you can choose. author: priya-raghunathan datePublished: 2026-01-20 dateModified: 2026-07-05 crewType: construction relatedServices: kitchen-remodeling, custom-cabinetry, interior-trim-and-molding, fixture-installation hero.src: /img/blog/what-a-kitchen-remodel-costs-in-the-triangle.jpg hero.alt: A kitchen mid-renovation with cabinet boxes partly installed and floor protection down lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The bands Most Triangle kitchens we quote land between $24,000 and $95,000, and that spread is not vagueness. Roughly: - Cosmetic refresh. New counters, backsplash, sink, taps and paint, keeping the existing cabinet boxes and layout. The lower end of the band. - Full replacement, same layout. Everything out, everything new, plumbing and electrical stay where they are. The middle. - Full replacement, changed layout. Walls moved or removed, services relocated. The upper end. The gap between the second and the third is where most of the money is, and it has almost nothing to do with the finishes people spend months choosing. ## Cabinetry is the largest line, always On a typical job, cabinetry and installation is the biggest single share of the total. It usually exceeds counters, appliances and flooring combined. That is where the real decision sits: Stock cabinets come in fixed widths and are the cheapest route. In a house with straight walls and a standard layout they are perfectly good. Semi-custom allows modified sizes and a wider range of doors and finishes. It suits most kitchens and costs meaningfully more. Custom, made for the room is the only answer in an older house where nothing is square, and in any kitchen with an awkward corner or a chimney breast to work around. Our cabinetry (/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry) is made in our own shop, and the case for it is not luxury, it is fit. A stock run scribed into a bowed plaster wall leaves a wavering gap that gets filled with caulk, and you look at that gap every day. ## Moving the sink is the expensive decision Moving a sink or a range across a room is the single most underestimated cost in a kitchen. Waste plumbing needs fall. On a slab, that means cutting concrete. On a crawlspace or a basement, it means new drain runs and possibly a vent. Gas has to be run in the right pipe size and pressure tested. Electrical may need new circuits, and a modern kitchen needs more of them than a 1990s one. None of that is visible in the finished room. All of it is in the invoice. If your budget is fixed and your layout is workable, keeping the services where they are buys you a great deal of cabinetry. ## Structural work is the other one Opening a kitchen into a dining room is the most requested change we get, and whether the wall is load bearing decides whether it is a two day job or a two week one. A flush beam, where the new beam sits inside the ceiling depth so no bulkhead shows, is the finish everyone wants and it is the more expensive way to do it. Every joist is cut and hung, and the load has to land on something real at both ends, which often means new posts and new footings. A dropped beam is considerably cheaper and it is visible forever. It is worth seeing both before you decide, and it is worth pricing both. Our Preston kitchen case study (/projects/cary-kitchen-full-remodel) walks through exactly this decision on a real job. ## The costs nobody puts in their spreadsheet Permits and inspections. Structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work all need them. We pull the permit, schedule the inspection and meet the inspector, and the fee is passed through at cost and itemised. The money is small. The time is not. Time before work starts. Permit approval in Wake County runs to several weeks on a structural job. Semi-custom cabinetry runs to weeks of lead time and custom runs longer. A kitchen quoted in January frequently does not begin demolition until March, and there is no version of this where that surprises you less if nobody mentioned it. Living without a kitchen. Six weeks of takeaway costs real money. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere on day one: a sink is not possible, but a hotplate, a kettle, a microwave and a fridge are. What is behind the wall. In any house over thirty years old, budget a contingency for what opens up. We find rot around old plumbing, aluminium branch wiring, unsupported joists, and cast iron waste lines at the end of their life. We stop, photograph it, price it and wait for your answer, but the money has to exist. ## Where the money is worth spending In order, from our own jobs: 1. Layout. A kitchen that works badly with expensive finishes is still a kitchen that works badly. 2. Cabinet construction, meaning the boxes and the drawer runners rather than the door style. You open drawers every day for twenty years. 3. Lighting. Under cabinet task lighting on its own switch changes how a kitchen feels more than any counter material. 4. Counters. Real, but further down this list than most people place it. ## How our estimates work An estimate from us is itemised by material and labour, includes the permit timeline in writing, and is produced by the person who will run the job. Priced changes are signed before they are ordered, which is how a final invoice matches an estimate. Kitchens are above the financing (/financing) minimum of $3,000, so the monthly figure is available before you commit, with a soft credit check that does not touch your score. The full process is on the kitchen remodeling page (/services/construction/kitchen-remodeling), and the first visit costs you nothing. --- ## source: content/blog/what-a-maintenance-visit-covers.mdx ### frontmatter slug: what-a-maintenance-visit-covers title: What a maintenance visit actually covers seoTitle: What Happens in an HVAC Maintenance Visit | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: A step by step account of what a Cedarline technician does during a maintenance visit, how long it takes, and which faults it actually catches. summary: A maintenance visit is a measurement exercise, not a cleaning, and the numbers are what tell you what is about to fail. author: dana-whitfield datePublished: 2026-03-18 dateModified: 2026-06-30 crewType: hvac relatedServices: ac-maintenance, heat-pump-service, indoor-air-quality hero.src: /img/blog/what-a-maintenance-visit-covers.jpg hero.alt: A clogged pleated filter held beside a clean one in a utility room lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Most people have no idea what they are buying "Annual maintenance" is sold everywhere and described almost nowhere. Plenty of companies send someone to change a filter, hose the outdoor coil, and leave a sticker on the unit. That is not maintenance. It is a cleaning with a receipt. A real visit is a measurement exercise. The technician takes a set of readings, compares them to what the equipment should be doing, and tells you which numbers have drifted. Drift is what predicts failure. Here is exactly what we do, in order, so you can hold us to it or hold anybody else to it. ## Before anything is touched: the readings The first thing that happens is that nothing is cleaned. Cleaning changes the readings. If the technician washes the condenser coil and then measures the system, the measurement describes a machine that did not exist five minutes earlier and tells you nothing about how it has been running all summer. So the first pass is diagnostic. Supply and return air temperatures, and the split between them. Refrigerant pressures on both sides, converted to superheat and subcooling, which is how you find out whether the charge is right without recovering it. Amp draw on the compressor and both fan motors, compared to the nameplate. Capacitor microfarads against rating. Static pressure across the air handler, which is the single most useful number nobody measures. Static pressure is the blood pressure of a duct system. High static means the blower is fighting the ductwork, which means less airflow, worse dehumidification and a shorter blower life. Most residential systems in this region measure well above what the manufacturer designed for, and almost nobody who sells maintenance ever tells the homeowner that. ## The electrical inspection Contactor points get inspected for pitting and burning. A contactor is a cheap part that fails noisily, and it usually gives weeks of warning to anyone who opens the panel. Capacitors are measured, not eyeballed. A capacitor rated at forty five microfarads that measures thirty eight is still working, and it is going to fail on the first genuinely hot afternoon, which is also the afternoon on which every HVAC company in the county is fully booked. Replacing it in March is the entire argument for maintenance. Wire terminations get checked for heat damage and tightness. A loose lug generates heat, heat degrades insulation, and that is how a control board dies. ## The airflow and drainage work Filter changed, and the size and rating noted. A high MERV filter in a system that was never designed for the pressure drop causes more problems than it solves, and we will tell you if yours does. Blower wheel inspected. A blower wheel silted up with dust loses a surprising fraction of its airflow, and it is invisible with the panel on. Evaporator coil inspected for the same reason. Condensate pan and drain line cleared and flushed, float switch tested by actually lifting the float rather than by looking at it. Condensate is worth dwelling on, because a blocked drain line is the most common cause of water damage we see from HVAC equipment in this region. Humid air over a cold coil produces a lot of water, and it runs through a small pipe that grows biological sludge in summer. That pipe is why your ceiling gets wet in August. ## Outdoors Condenser coil washed, from the inside out, with a proper coil cleaner rather than a pressure washer that folds the fins over. Fan blade and motor bearings checked. Disconnect inspected. Clearances around the unit checked, because shrubs grown up against a condenser strangle it. Refrigerant charge is verified but not adjusted unless it is wrong, and if it is wrong we look for the leak rather than topping it up quietly. A system that needs refrigerant has a leak, always. Refrigerant is not consumed. ## Heat pumps get a second half If you have a heat pump, the visit includes the heating side: reversing valve operation tested in both modes, defrost cycle initiated and observed, auxiliary heat strips checked for amp draw on each element, and the outdoor coil checked for the icing pattern that says the defrost board is not doing its job. That last one matters in this climate. A heat pump running auxiliary strips because a defrost sensor has failed will keep your house warm and will show up as a January bill you cannot explain. Details are on the heat pump page (/services/hvac/heat-pump-service). ## What you get at the end A written report with the readings on it, sent the same day, with anything out of range flagged and explained. If we find something that needs work, you get the price before we do it. If we find nothing, you get a report that says so, which is worth having when you sell the house. The visit takes about an hour and a half on one system. Anyone doing it in twenty minutes is not doing the parts above, and the readings are how you can tell. ## Timing Cooling maintenance in April or May, before the first heat. Heating maintenance in September or October, before the first genuinely cold night. Both work best when nothing is broken, which is a hard thing to make yourself book. That is the actual reason the maintenance plans (/maintenance-plans) exist: not the discount, the fact that we call you rather than the other way round. What each plan covers is published there, and what a visit costs on its own (/services/hvac/ac-maintenance) is published too. --- ## source: content/blog/when-a-panel-upgrade-is-required.mdx ### frontmatter slug: when-a-panel-upgrade-is-required title: When a panel upgrade is actually required seoTitle: Do You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade? | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: The four situations that genuinely require a panel or service upgrade, the ones that do not, and how to tell whether a quote is honest. summary: Two of the four reasons to upgrade a panel are safety, one is capacity, and the fourth is that somebody measured rather than guessed. author: nathan-kwon datePublished: 2026-04-21 dateModified: 2026-07-10 crewType: electrical relatedServices: panel-upgrade, ev-charger-installation, generator-installation, electrical-safety-inspection hero.src: /img/blog/when-a-panel-upgrade-is-required.jpg hero.alt: A newly installed load centre with neatly dressed conductors and a printed schedule inside the door lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Panel, service, or both Three different things get called a panel upgrade and they cost very different amounts. A panel replacement swaps the load centre and re-lands the existing circuits, keeping the same service size. A service upgrade increases the capacity coming into the house: new service entrance conductors, a new meter base, coordination with the utility for a disconnection and reconnection, and an inspection. Both together is the common case in an older house, and doing them together is considerably cheaper than doing them a year apart, because you pay for the disconnection once. When you get a quote, ask which of the three it is. A quote that does not say is a quote you cannot compare to another one. ## Reason one: the panel is a known hazard Some equipment should be replaced regardless of capacity, condition or how well it appears to be working. Fuse panels are the obvious one. They are not inherently dangerous, but they are old enough that the wiring behind them usually is, they offer no ground fault or arc fault protection, and the fuse holder is trivially defeated with a coin or an oversized fuse, which people do. Certain panel brands from the 1950s through the 1980s have documented failure histories where breakers did not trip under fault. If you have one, an electrician will recognise it in seconds. That is not a sales tactic, and any competent inspector will flag the same thing. Signs of heat damage are the third: discoloured or melted insulation at a lug, a burnt smell, corrosion inside the enclosure, or double tapped breakers with two conductors under one screw. ## Reason two: the grounding system does not exist This one is invisible and very common in houses built before the mid 1960s. A grounding electrode system is what gives fault current a path back and lets a breaker trip quickly. In older houses it is frequently a single clamp on a metal water pipe, and metal water pipes have been replaced with plastic in an awful lot of Triangle houses since, which silently disconnects the entire grounding system. That was exactly the situation in the north Raleigh ranch we rewired (/projects/raleigh-panel-upgrade-and-generator): one clamp, on a pipe that had been partly replaced twenty years earlier, and no functioning ground path. The fix is driven rods and a bonded water pipe, and it is part of any panel work we do rather than an extra. ## Reason three: you genuinely need more capacity This is the one people assume they have and often do not. The honest way to answer it is a load calculation. There are two methods, and the difference between them is where the industry's disagreements come from. The standard method adds up the nameplate ratings of everything in the house with prescribed demand factors. It is quick and it is conservative, and on a house with an older service it very often returns "you need an upgrade". The optional or existing dwelling method uses actual measured demand over a period, which the code explicitly permits for an existing house. It reflects the fact that your oven, dryer, air conditioning and EV charger do not all run flat out at the same time. We put a recording meter on the service for a week and calculate from that. On a recent Cary job (/projects/cary-ev-charger-and-garage-lighting) two other contractors had quoted a service upgrade alongside an EV charger, and the measured demand showed the existing service could carry the charger with margin. No upgrade, and the calculation went to the owner in writing. Sometimes the measurement says the opposite and the upgrade is real. The point is that it is a measurement either way. ## Reason four: you are adding something large An EV charger (/services/electrical/ev-charger-installation), a standby generator (/services/electrical/generator-installation), a heat pump, a hot tub, a workshop or a garage conversion all add load, and some of them add it in ways that interact. A charger is the interesting case, because load management changes the answer. A charger that can be told to back off when household demand rises will often fit on a service that could not carry it at full output continuously. That option is worth asking about before agreeing to an upgrade. ## What does not require an upgrade - A full panel with no spare breaker spaces. Tandem breakers, if the panel is listed for them, or a small sub panel, are both cheaper answers. - One circuit that keeps tripping. That is a circuit problem. See why your breaker keeps tripping (/blog/why-your-breaker-keeps-tripping). - Lights that flicker when the AC starts. Usually normal inrush. Worth checking, rarely a service problem. - Age alone. A sound panel of adequate capacity with a proper grounding system does not need replacing because it has a date on it. ## How to read a quote Ask for four things: 1. Which of the three jobs it is, in words. 2. The load calculation, and which method produced it. 3. Whether the grounding electrode system is included. 4. Whether the permit, the utility coordination and the inspection are included, and who meets the inspector. We do all four as standard on a panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade), and the inspection that precedes the quote is priced separately and honestly on the safety inspection page (/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection). Panel and service work is above the financing (/financing) minimum, so the monthly figure is available before you decide. --- ## source: content/blog/why-your-breaker-keeps-tripping.mdx ### frontmatter slug: why-your-breaker-keeps-tripping title: Why your breaker keeps tripping seoTitle: Why a Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping, and What It Means | Cedarline metaDescription: The four reasons a breaker trips, how to tell them apart, and the one situation where you should stop resetting it and call an electrician. summary: A breaker that trips is doing its job; the question is which of four faults it is protecting you from. author: nathan-kwon datePublished: 2026-06-08 dateModified: 2026-07-14 crewType: electrical relatedServices: outlet-and-switch-repair, electrical-safety-inspection, panel-upgrade hero.src: /img/blog/why-your-breaker-keeps-tripping.jpg hero.alt: An open load centre with a technician's hand resting on a tripped breaker lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## A tripping breaker is not a faulty breaker Almost everyone's first assumption is that the breaker has gone bad. It is occasionally true and it is usually not. A breaker is a deliberate weak point. It exists to open the circuit before the wire in your wall gets hot enough to start a fire. When it opens, the useful question is not how to make it stop, it is which of four things it is telling you. ## One: overload The most common cause, and the least alarming. Overload means the total draw on that circuit exceeds its rating for long enough for the breaker's thermal element to react. It usually trips after a delay rather than instantly: the kettle goes on, and a minute later the lights go out. The signature is repeatability with the same combination of appliances. Space heater plus microwave on the same kitchen circuit is the classic in January. Hair dryer plus a second bathroom on the same circuit is the classic in the morning. What to do. Move something to another circuit. If you cannot, because a modern room genuinely needs more capacity than a 1970s circuit provides, the answer is a new dedicated circuit rather than a bigger breaker. What never to do. Fit a larger breaker. The breaker is sized to the wire, not to your appliances. A twenty ampere breaker on wire rated for fifteen removes the protection and leaves the hazard. We find this in older houses regularly and it is one of the few things that makes an electrician go quiet. ## Two: short circuit A hot conductor touching a neutral or a ground. The trip is instant, hard, and often accompanied by a bang, a flash or a smell. Common causes: a damaged flex crushed under furniture, a nail or a screw driven into a cable, a failed appliance, water in a fitting, or a wire that has come loose inside a box and is touching the metal enclosure. What to do. Unplug everything on the circuit and reset once. If it holds, plug things back one at a time and you will find the appliance. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the fixed wiring and it needs an electrician. Do not keep resetting it. Each reset re-energises a fault that is throwing an arc somewhere you cannot see. ## Three: ground fault Current leaking out of the intended path, usually to ground through water or through a person. This is what a GFCI device protects against, and it trips at a tiny fraction of the current an ordinary breaker responds to, because the threshold is set by what will hurt a person rather than by what will heat a wire. The signature is location: bathrooms, kitchens, garages, basements, crawlspaces and anything outdoors. The trigger is often weather. An outdoor receptacle that trips every time it rains has water getting into it, and a freezer in a damp garage that trips the GFCI every few weeks usually has a failing compressor winding. Test buttons exist for a reason. Press them monthly. A GFCI device that does not trip on its own test button has failed and is providing no protection at all while looking perfectly normal. ## Four: arc fault The newest of the four, and the one that confuses people, because the circuit is not obviously overloaded and nothing has obviously shorted. An AFCI breaker looks for the electrical signature of an arc: the intermittent, chaotic waveform produced by a loose connection or a damaged conductor. Arcs are what actually start electrical fires, and they can burn for months at a level no ordinary breaker will ever notice. They also nuisance trip. Some motors and some older equipment produce signatures that early AFCI designs read as arcs, and that is a real limitation rather than something to dismiss a homeowner's frustration over. The most common genuine cause we find is a backstab connection: a device wired by pushing the conductor into a hole in the back rather than looping it under the screw terminal. They loosen over decades. That is exactly what we found behind a refrigerator in Wake Forest (/services/electrical/outlet-and-switch-repair), and re-terminating the device solved it. ## The pattern that tells you the most Keep a note for a week. Three columns: when it tripped, what was running, and how long after switching on. - Same appliances every time, trips after a delay: overload. - Instant trip, sometimes with a bang: short circuit. - Wet weather, outdoor or wet-room circuits: ground fault. - Random, no obvious load, AFCI breaker: arc fault, or a nuisance trip, and you need somebody to tell the difference. ## When to stop resetting and call Stop immediately and call if any of these are true: - There is a burning smell, or any scorching or discolouration at a device or the panel. - The breaker or the panel is warm to the touch. - The breaker will not reset at all, or trips instantly on reset with nothing plugged in. - Lights across the house dim and brighten, which can indicate a failing neutral and is a genuine hazard. - You have a fuse panel, or a panel from a brand with a known recall history. Those last two are the point where the conversation usually turns to a panel upgrade (/services/electrical/panel-upgrade) rather than a repair. ## What we do An electrical safety inspection (/services/electrical/electrical-safety-inspection) is the systematic version of the note you kept: every circuit mapped and labelled, every device tested, and the panel thermal imaged under load, which finds a loose lug that looks entirely normal with the cover off. If it is one bad device, we replace it. If it is a circuit that was never designed for what the room now does, we say so, and adding a circuit is a smaller job than most people expect. --- ## source: content/blog/winterising-an-irrigation-system.mdx ### frontmatter slug: winterising-an-irrigation-system title: Winterising an irrigation system in the Triangle seoTitle: How to Winterise a Sprinkler System in NC | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: Why Triangle irrigation systems still need blowing out, when to do it, what a proper winterisation involves, and the parts that freeze first. summary: Our winters are mild enough that people skip this and cold enough that skipping it breaks the backflow assembly. author: darnell-jessup datePublished: 2025-10-14 dateModified: 2026-06-25 crewType: outdoor relatedServices: irrigation-service, seasonal-cleanup, lawn-care-programs hero.src: /img/blog/winterising-an-irrigation-system.jpg hero.alt: Frost on a lawn at dawn with an irrigation head just visible above the grass lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The Triangle problem In Minnesota nobody argues about winterising an irrigation system, because the ground freezes solid and everybody knows it. Here it is genuinely marginal, and that is exactly why it gets skipped. Most Triangle winters deliver a handful of nights below freezing and a couple of genuine cold snaps. Plenty of people go three winters without blowing their system out and conclude it is unnecessary. Then a hard freeze arrives in January, and the repair bill is not the pipe in the ground, which is mostly below frost depth and mostly fine. It is the backflow prevention assembly, which sits above ground, is made of brass, is full of water, and cracks. That assembly is the single most expensive component in a residential irrigation system, and replacing it also means a certified test afterwards. It is the whole argument. ## When to do it Late October to mid November in most of the Triangle. Before the first hard freeze, and after the lawn's last genuine watering need. Watch the forecast rather than the calendar. The first freeze that matters is the first night forecast to hold below freezing for several hours rather than dipping there at dawn. If you have missed it and a hard freeze is coming tonight, there is a stopgap at the end of this article. ## What a proper winterisation involves Shut off and isolate. The supply to the irrigation system is closed at the main isolation valve, not just at the controller. Drain what will drain. Manual drain valves at the low points, and the test cocks on the backflow assembly opened. Blow out, zone by zone, with a compressor. This is the part that separates a real winterisation from a token one. Compressed air is run through each zone in turn until the heads produce mist rather than water, then that zone is closed and the next one opened. Two details matter here and both are ways of doing damage: Volume is what clears a line, not pressure. A high pressure, low volume compressor, which is what most people own, will not push water out of a long lateral and can damage seals trying. The pressure has to stay under the manufacturer's limit for the pipe and the heads, and it is lower for polythene than for PVC. Never run a zone dry for long. The water passing through a rotor is what lubricates and cools its gear drive. A zone left blowing after it has cleared cooks the gears. Controller. Set to the off or rain position, which keeps the clock and the programme but stops it running. Leave the transformer powered unless you are removing the controller for the winter, because some controllers lose their programme after a long period unpowered. Insulate the assembly. The backflow preventer gets an insulated cover, and the exposed supply pipe below it gets wrapped. ## Which parts freeze first In order: 1. The backflow prevention assembly. Above ground, brass, holds water, cracks. Almost every freeze failure we are called to is this. 2. Exposed supply pipe between the ground and the assembly. 3. Heads and laterals in shallow or disturbed ground, particularly where a landscaper has back filled a trench loosely. 4. Valve boxes that hold water, if the drainage into them has silted up. Main lines below frost depth are rarely the problem, which is why people conclude that nothing froze and their system was fine. ## What we check while we are there A winterisation visit (/services/outdoor/irrigation-service) is the best opportunity of the year to find things, because every zone gets run individually with somebody watching: - Heads that have sunk below grade or been knocked out of vertical by a mower. - Zones with poor head-to-head coverage, which is why one strip of the lawn is always browner. - Leaks that show as a soggy patch that never dries. - A backflow assembly that has failed its test or is due one. - Controller programmes still set to the schedule from a previous season. Fixing those in November is far cheaper than discovering them in June when the lawn is already suffering. ## Spring start-up is the other half Do not simply turn the water back on. Reopening a system at full pressure sends a hammer down a line full of air and can break fittings and heads. Open the main slowly, let each zone fill and purge with the heads open, then run the system zone by zone and walk it, watching every head. Reset the controller for the season, and adjust it again as the weather turns. Detail is on the irrigation page (/services/outdoor/irrigation-service). ## The stopgap, if a freeze is tonight Shut the water off at the isolation valve. Open the test cocks and any manual drains. Wrap the backflow assembly in insulation and cover it, or wrap it in towels and a bin bag if that is what is in the house. That is not a winterisation and it will not clear the laterals, but it will usually save the assembly, which is the part you did not want to buy. Then book the real thing, and put it in the calendar for next October alongside the autumn clean-up (/services/outdoor/seasonal-cleanup). --- ## source: content/careers/dispatch-coordinator.mdx ### frontmatter slug: dispatch-coordinator title: Dispatch Coordinator crewType: null employmentType: full-time location: Morrisville office payBand.min: 48000 payBand.max: 62000 payBand.currency: USD payBand.per: year openings: 1 experienceYears: 2 postedDate: 2026-07-02 requirements: Two years in dispatch, scheduling, or a call centre where decisions mattered, Able to say no to a customer clearly and kindly, and to hold the line, Comfortable with a schedule that changes several times a day, Some share of the weekend rota responsibilities: Book, sequence and re-sequence work across seven trades, Triage incoming calls against our published emergency criteria, Call customers before a window closes when a crew is running late, Escalate to a person the moment a call meets an escalation rule summary: The second person on the dispatch board, triaging calls against published criteria and keeping arrival windows honest. order: 4 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The job You work alongside Curtis Boyd on the dispatch board. Between you, you decide who goes where and in what order across seven trades. Most of the job is triage. What counts as an emergency here is published on the emergency page (/emergency) and it is a real boundary: HVAC failures, active roof leaks, water, sewage, gas and lost power are covered, and remodelling, cabinetry and lawn work never are. Applying that consistently at eleven at night, to somebody who is upset, is the skill this job is actually testing for. ## What we pay $48,000 to $62,000 depending on experience, plus the weekend rota. ## The one non-negotiable If a caller reports a gas smell, or water actively coming through a finished ceiling, it goes to a person immediately. Not into a queue, not into a callback list. That rule is written down and it is the rule we hire against. ## How to apply Email the office. Details are on the contact page (/contact). --- ## source: content/careers/hvac-service-technician.mdx ### frontmatter slug: hvac-service-technician title: HVAC Service Technician crewType: hvac employmentType: full-time location: Morrisville yard, working across the Triangle payBand.min: 58000 payBand.max: 82000 payBand.currency: USD payBand.per: year openings: 2 experienceYears: 3 postedDate: 2026-07-06 requirements: EPA 608 certification, any type, At least three years diagnosing residential cooling and heating systems, A valid NC driver licence and a clean record, because you take a van home, Willingness to take a share of the after-hours emergency rota responsibilities: Diagnose and repair residential HVAC systems, and write up what you found, Carry out maintenance visits to our published checklist, including the measurements, Quote repair work at the door and explain it in plain language, Say no to work that is not right, including work we would be paid for summary: A residential service technician who diagnoses properly, writes it down, and can explain a repair to a homeowner without jargon. order: 1 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The job You run service calls out of a van you take home, mostly repairs and maintenance across Wake and Durham counties, with occasional installation support. Three crews, and Dana Whitfield runs them. We measure on maintenance visits rather than cleaning and leaving, so you will be taking static pressure, superheat and subcooling readings on every visit and writing them into a report the customer actually receives. If that sounds like unnecessary work, this is not the right shop. ## What we pay $58,000 to $82,000 depending on experience and certification, plus the after-hours rota. Van, fuel, tools beyond your hand tools, uniforms, and paid time for training and certification renewal. ## What we will not ask you to do Sell. There is no commission on this job and there is no target for replacement systems. The reason is on the AC repair page (/services/hvac/ac-repair): we publish our prices and our diagnostic process, and a technician on commission cannot be trusted to tell a customer their system has three summers left in it. ## How to apply Email or ring the office. Ask for Lena. Details are on the contact page (/contact). --- ## source: content/careers/lead-carpenter.mdx ### frontmatter slug: lead-carpenter title: Lead Carpenter crewType: carpentry employmentType: full-time location: Shop in Morrisville, site work across the Triangle payBand.min: 62000 payBand.max: 88000 payBand.currency: USD payBand.per: year openings: 1 experienceYears: 8 postedDate: 2026-06-22 requirements: At least eight years in finish carpentry, including cabinetry, Able to scribe and fit in houses where nothing is square, Comfortable running a small crew and talking to a homeowner daily, Own hand tools; everything else is ours responsibilities: Build cabinetry and built-ins in our shop, and install them on site, Run trim, doors, stairs and restoration work on older Triangle houses, Train the two apprentices, which is part of the job rather than a favour, Set out the work so the finished job needs no caulk to hide a gap summary: A finish carpenter who can build in the shop, fit on site, and teach an apprentice while doing both. order: 2 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The job Half shop, half site. We make our cabinetry and built-ins (/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry) in our own shop rather than ordering them in, and the person who makes them installs them. Walt Hendricks leads the carpentry crew and has been in the trade since the late 1970s. This role works alongside him and is expected to take on more of the older-house work over time: plaster walls, falling floors, trim profiles that have not been milled in seventy years. ## What we pay $62,000 to $88,000 depending on what you can actually do, which we will find out in a paid working day rather than from a CV. ## What the work is like Slower than most shops, because scribing to a wall takes longer than caulking to it, and we do not price the fast version. Our 1938 kitchen in Hayes Barton (/projects/raleigh-1938-kitchen-cabinetry) is a fair sample of the standard. ## How to apply Bring photographs of your own work. Email the office, on the contact page (/contact). --- ## source: content/careers/roofing-crew-member.mdx ### frontmatter slug: roofing-crew-member title: Roofing Crew Member crewType: roofing employmentType: full-time location: Morrisville yard, working across the Triangle payBand.min: 22 payBand.max: 34 payBand.currency: USD payBand.per: hour openings: 2 experienceYears: 0 postedDate: 2026-07-13 requirements: No roofing experience required; we train, Comfortable working at height, in harness, in summer heat, Reliable transport to the Morrisville yard for a start before the heat of the day, English or Spanish; both crews run bilingually responsibilities: Tear off, dry in and install shingle roofs as part of a crew, Keep the site clean through the day rather than at the end of it, Wear and anchor fall protection every time, without being asked, Learn flashing detail work, which is where the trade actually is summary: An entry level roofing role with paid training, run bilingually, on crews that harness up every time. order: 3 lastReviewed: 2026-07-15 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The job Tear off, decking repair, dry in, shingles, flashing. Two crews, led by Tomás Reyes. No experience needed. What we cannot train is turning up, and working safely without being watched. ## What we pay $22 to $34 an hour depending on experience, reviewed after ninety days. Overtime in storm season is real and it is paid. ## Safety, since this is a roofing job Harnesses and anchors on every pitched roof, every time, without exception and without discussion. Water and shade breaks on the schedule rather than on request in July. Both crew leads hold OSHA 30 and are fall protection competent persons. We do not work roofs in electrical storms or on ice. The Chapel Hill ice storm call (/projects/chapel-hill-emergency-roof-leak) is a fair example: the crew stabilised it from a ladder at the eave and came back when the ice cleared. ## How to apply Ring the office or come to the yard. Details on the contact page (/contact). --- ## source: content/legal/accessibility.mdx ### frontmatter slug: accessibility title: Accessibility h1: Accessibility seoTitle: Accessibility Statement and Conformance | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: How this site is built for keyboard, screen reader and reduced-motion use, what it is tested against, the known limitations, and how to report a barrier. summary: Every fact on this site is readable without a mouse, without JavaScript and without sight, and the parts that are not yet are listed by name. effectiveDate: 2026-08-01 order: 4 sms: null lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## What we are aiming at WCAG 2.2 level AA. We believe this site meets it, and the paragraphs below say how that is checked rather than asserting it. ## Nothing needs JavaScript to appear No fact on this site requires script to be readable. The questions open and close with native ` and rather than a JavaScript accordion. Every form posts to the server and works with scripting switched off. The zip code lookup is a form and a table, not a live search. The booking flow degrades to one long form that still submits. There are four components on the whole site that need JavaScript, and each is listed in the repository with the reason: the mobile navigation toggle, the booking stepper, the project lightbox and the site search. None of them owns a fact. Turn scripting off and the case study still shows every photograph, the search page still lists every link, and the booking form still books. ## Keyboard Every interactive element is reachable and operable from the keyboard, in a visible order that matches the page. Focus is always visible: a three pixel outline in the primary blue, offset from the element, on every control. A skip link is the first thing you reach on every page. The project lightbox traps focus while it is open, closes on Escape, and returns focus to the image you opened it from. ## Screen readers Headings run in order with exactly one per page and no skipped level. Every section is labelled. Specification pairs are marked up as description lists and hours and prices as real tables, so they are navigable rather than being a wall of text. Every image carries alt text that describes what is in the frame. Exactly one image on the site is decorative, a texture behind the numbers on the homepage, and it carries an explicitly empty alt so a screen reader skips it. The four diagrams are drawn in SVG with real text labels, each with a title, a description and a caption naming every part in reading order. ## Colour and contrast Every text and background pair used on this site is measured against the 4.5:1 that AA requires for normal text, and the check runs on every build rather than being a thing somebody once looked at. One colour is deliberately restricted: the yellow wayfinding accent never carries text anywhere, because it does not clear AA against the page background at body size. It is a border, a marker and a background behind dark text, and a build fails if it is ever used as a text colour. Colour never carries meaning alone. On the coverage map every city has a text label and a marker shape that differs by coverage level, and the tables below the map repeat every fact in words. ## Motion There is one animation on the site: the arrival window ribbon fades in once on load. Under prefers-reduced-motion` it does not, and neither does any transition. If your system asks for reduced motion, this site is still. ## Zoom and reflow The site reflows to 320 pixels without horizontal scrolling and without losing content. Wide tables, the coverage map and the diagrams scroll inside their own containers rather than pushing the page sideways, so the surrounding text stays where it is. Text can be resized to 200% without breaking the layout. ## What we test with Two checks run on every build: colour contrast measured against the compiled stylesheet, and a check that no content requires script to render. The test suite adds axe-core against every route template, plus the mobile navigation and the project lightbox while they are open, and it walks the four interactive paths by keyboard: the booking stepper, that navigation, the lightbox and search. Beyond that, the pages people actually arrive on are read with a screen reader: the homepage, a service page, the booking form and the emergency page. Automated testing catches perhaps half of what matters. The rest is the walk. ## Known limitations Written down rather than left for you to find: - The booking stepper is a stepper only with JavaScript. Without it the form is one long page. That is a working path, not an equivalent one, and the long form is more effort to complete. - Site search needs JavaScript. The search page renders a complete browsable index below the box for exactly this reason, and no other page depends on search. - The coverage map is a picture of geometry. Every fact it shows is also in the tables beneath it, but the spatial relationship between the cities is not available any other way. - PDF documents are not published here. If we ever publish one, it will be tagged, or it will not be the only copy. ## Reporting a barrier If something on this site does not work for you, tell us and we will fix it. The channels are on the contact page (/contact), and a phone call is faster than the form. Tell us the page, what you were trying to do, and what happened. You do not need to diagnose it. We aim to reply within one working day and to fix a blocking issue rather than schedule it. ## A note on this site Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos. The accessibility work described here is real and is applied to this site; the company is not. --- ## source: content/legal/privacy.mdx ### frontmatter slug: privacy title: Privacy h1: Privacy notice seoTitle: Privacy Notice: What We Collect and Why | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: What Cedarline collects when you book, request an estimate or send a message, how long it is kept, who processes it, and how to ask for it back or deleted. summary: We collect what a visit needs and nothing else, we keep it while it is useful, and we do not sell it. effectiveDate: 2026-08-01 order: 1 sms: null lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## What we collect Only what a visit needs, and only when you give it to us. When you book a visit: your name, your phone number, your service address, what is wrong, and optionally an email address, photographs and a preferred window. The address is needed because coverage varies by city and by trade; the description is needed because it decides which crew comes. When you request an estimate: the same, plus the project type, the scope in your own words, a budget band, a timeline and the property type. Photographs are optional and are the single most useful thing you can send. When you send a message: your name, whichever of phone or email you give us, and what you wrote. When you are texted: your mobile number, and whether you have opted out. The SMS Terms (/sms-terms) cover the messages themselves. When you visit this site: aggregate analytics about page views and load speed. No advertising pixels, no cross-site trackers, no profile built about you, and no cookie banner, because there is nothing to consent to. ## What we do not collect We do not ask for a date of birth, a social security number, or a payment card through this website. No form on this site takes a card number. Were payment being taken, it would be handled by the card processor and never touch our systems. We do not buy contact lists and we do not enrich what you give us from third-party data. ## Why we hold it To turn up at the right address with the right crew, to tell you when we are coming, to quote work, to invoice it, to honour a warranty claim, and to answer you when you ask a question. That is the whole list. ## Who else sees it A submitted form is delivered to our own automation, which notifies the office and records the request. Our messaging carrier processes text messages on our behalf. Our hosting provider processes page requests. Each is contractually barred from using what passes through it for anything of their own. We do not sell your information, and we do not share it for anyone else's marketing. If your work involves an insurance claim, we supply documentation to you and you decide what goes to your insurer; we do not send it on your behalf. ## How long we keep it A request that never becomes a visit is kept for twelve months, so we can answer you if you come back to it. A completed job is kept for seven years, because a warranty claim, a tax question or a dispute can arrive years later. Text message records are kept for two years. Analytics are aggregate and hold nothing that identifies you. ## Your choices - Ask what we hold. Ring the office or email us and we will tell you. - Correct it. Same route, and faster than you would expect. - Delete it. We will, except where we have to keep a record of work performed. - Stop the texts. Reply STOP to any message. Details are in the SMS Terms (/sms-terms). - Stop the calls. Tell us and we will note it. North Carolina has no general consumer privacy statute of the kind California and several other states have. We apply the rights above to everyone regardless of where they live, because implementing them twice would be more work than doing it once. ## Children This site is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect anything from anyone under 13. ## Security Submissions travel over TLS. Access to what you send is limited to the people who need it to do the work. We are not going to claim a level of security that a company of this size cannot honestly promise. ## A note on this site Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos, so nothing described here is actually collected about anybody. The notice is written as though it were, because a demonstration with a placeholder privacy notice would not be demonstrating anything. The terms page (/terms) sets that out in full. ## Contact Privacy questions go to the office, on the contact page (/contact). --- ## source: content/legal/sms-terms.mdx ### frontmatter slug: sms-terms title: SMS Terms h1: Text message terms seoTitle: SMS Terms: Message Types, Frequency, STOP and HELP | Cedarline metaDescription: What Cedarline texts you and when, how you opt in, how often messages arrive, how to stop them, and how to reach a person instead. summary: We text about appointments you have booked and maintenance you have subscribed to, never to sell you anything, and STOP ends it immediately. effectiveDate: 2026-08-01 order: 3 sms.messageTypes[0].name: Appointment confirmation sms.messageTypes[0].description: One message when we receive your booking request, and one when we have confirmed the arrival window with dispatch. sms.messageTypes[0].frequency: Two messages per booking. sms.messageTypes[0].consent: Booking a visit and giving us a mobile number. sms.messageTypes[1].name: Arrival notification sms.messageTypes[1].description: A message when the crew is on the way, and a message if they are running outside the window we gave you. sms.messageTypes[1].frequency: One to two messages per visit. sms.messageTypes[1].consent: Booking a visit and giving us a mobile number. sms.messageTypes[2].name: Reschedule and cancellation sms.messageTypes[2].description: A message if we have to move your visit, and a reply path to move it yourself. sms.messageTypes[2].frequency: Only when a visit changes. sms.messageTypes[2].consent: Booking a visit and giving us a mobile number. sms.messageTypes[3].name: Seasonal maintenance reminder sms.messageTypes[3].description: A message when a plan visit is due, with the next available window and a reply path to accept or move it. sms.messageTypes[3].frequency: Up to five messages per year, matching the visits in your plan. sms.messageTypes[3].consent: Subscribing to a maintenance plan, or asking us to remind you. sms.messageTypes[4].name: Estimate follow-up sms.messageTypes[4].description: A message when an estimate is ready, and one follow-up if we have not heard back. sms.messageTypes[4].frequency: Up to two messages per estimate. sms.messageTypes[4].consent: Requesting an estimate and giving us a mobile number. sms.optIn: Entering your mobile number on the booking form or the estimate form and submitting it., Giving your mobile number to the office or to a technician and agreeing to be texted., Subscribing to a maintenance plan, which includes the reminder messages listed above., Texting us first on our published number, which opts you in to a reply on that thread. sms.frequencySummary: Message frequency depends on your activity with us. A single repair visit is typically three to four messages. A maintenance plan adds up to five reminders a year. We do not send marketing messages, so there is no recurring campaign to receive. sms.stopKeywords: STOP, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT sms.helpKeywords: HELP, INFO sms.ratesNotice: Message and data rates may apply. We do not charge for messages; your mobile carrier may. sms.carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, Google Fi, Metro by T-Mobile, Straight Talk, Visible sms.carrierDisclaimer: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Delivery is not guaranteed, so we never rely on a text alone for anything urgent: if the message matters, we also call. sms.humanContact: Reply to any message with a question and a person answers during office hours. To reach someone immediately, call the main line. In an emergency, call the emergency line rather than texting. sms.dataSharing: We do not sell, rent or share your mobile number, and we do not pass it to any third party for their own marketing. Our messaging carrier processes messages on our behalf and is contractually barred from any other use. lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## What we text you about Five things, and nothing else: - Appointment confirmations. One message when we receive your request, one when dispatch has confirmed the arrival window. - Arrival notifications. A message when the crew is on the way, and a message if they are going to fall outside the window we gave you. - Reschedules and cancellations. Only when a visit changes, with a reply path so you can move it yourself. - Seasonal maintenance reminders, if you are on a plan. Up to five a year, matching the visits your plan includes. - Estimate follow-ups. A message when your estimate is ready, and one follow-up if we have not heard back. We do not send marketing texts. There is no promotional list, no seasonal campaign, and no way to end up on one, because one does not exist. ## How you opt in Four ways, and all four are something you do rather than something we assume: - Entering your mobile number on the booking form or the estimate form and submitting it. - Giving your mobile number to the office or to a technician and agreeing to be texted. - Subscribing to a maintenance plan, which includes the reminder messages above. - Texting us first, which opts you in to a reply on that thread. Consent to be texted is never a condition of buying anything from us. If you would rather be called, say so and we will call. ## How often Message frequency depends on your activity with us. A single repair visit is typically three to four messages. A maintenance plan adds up to five reminders a year. There is no recurring campaign. ## How to stop Reply STOP to any message. We stop immediately, and you get one final message confirming that we have. END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE and QUIT do the same thing. Stopping texts does not cancel your appointment or your maintenance plan. It means we call you instead of texting you. If you want to cancel the work as well, ring the office. To start again, text START, or tell us next time you book. ## How to get help Reply HELP to any message and you get our name, what the messages are for, and how to reach a person. INFO does the same. To reach a person directly, ring the office during office hours. In an emergency, call the emergency line: a text is not the right channel for something urgent, and the next section explains why. ## Rates, carriers and delivery Message and data rates may apply. We do not charge you for messages. Your mobile carrier may, depending on your plan. Supported carriers include AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, Google Fi, Metro by T-Mobile, Straight Talk and Visible. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages, and delivery is not guaranteed. That is why we never rely on a text alone for anything that matters: if a crew is delayed, you get a call as well. ## Your number We do not sell, rent or share your mobile number, and we do not pass it to any third party for their own marketing. Our messaging carrier processes messages on our behalf and is contractually barred from any other use. What we hold and for how long is in the privacy notice (/privacy). ## If we get it wrong If you receive a message you did not opt in to, or STOP does not work, ring the office and tell us. That is a fault on our side and we want to know about it. --- ## source: content/legal/terms.mdx ### frontmatter slug: terms title: Terms h1: Terms of use seoTitle: Terms of Use and Demonstration Disclosure | Cedarline Home Services metaDescription: The terms covering this website, what a submitted request is and is not, and the disclosure that Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos. summary: Nothing on this site is a contract, nothing submitted through it is a confirmed appointment, and the company itself is fictional. effectiveDate: 2026-08-01 order: 2 sms: null lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Demonstration disclosure Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company. This site exists for software demonstration purposes. It is not a real contractor. There is no yard in Morrisville, no crew, and no van. The phone numbers, the email addresses, the licence numbers and the street address are formatted to look real and are not. Nobody will answer the emergency line, no appointment you request will be attended, and no estimate will be sent. Everything else on this site is written as though the company were real, because the point of the demonstration is to show what a well structured trades website looks like and how accurately software can answer questions from it. The prices, the hours, the coverage and the policies are internally consistent and behave like real ones. They describe nobody. If you reached this page looking for a contractor in the Triangle, we are sorry: this is not one. ## What these terms cover These terms cover your use of this website. Because the company is fictional, they cannot cover work, payment or warranty, and the sections that would normally do so are on the warranty page (/warranty) as a description of what such terms would say. ## A request is not an appointment This is the one thing on the site that would matter most if the company were real, and it is written the same way either way. Submitting the booking form, the estimate form or the contact form sends us a request. It is not a confirmed appointment. There is no database behind this site holding a slot for you, and no scheduling system reserving crew time. The arrival windows shown on this site are computed from published hours and crew capacity to show what is typically available; they are not held for you and they are not a promise. A real appointment would exist only after a person called you back and confirmed it. The site says this everywhere it takes a submission, and it says it because a website that implies otherwise is lying to somebody who is standing in a flooded kitchen. ## Accuracy We publish specific figures rather than vague ones, and we keep them in one place each so they cannot contradict each other. They can still be out of date. Every content file on this site carries the date it was last reviewed, and the figure that governs is the one on the page rather than one quoted back to you from anywhere else. Prices shown are typical ranges, not quotes. A quote is a document a person produces after seeing the work. ## Using this site You may read, quote, cite and link to anything published here, including from an automated system. The site publishes /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt precisely so that a machine can read it accurately rather than guessing, and robots.txt allows every major crawler by name. That is a deliberate decision rather than an oversight. What you may not do is impersonate the company, present this content as your own, or use it to represent that a real contractor made a commitment. ## Intellectual property The site design, the written content, the photographs and the diagrams are the work product of the demonstration and belong to whoever commissioned it. No manufacturer, certification body or trade association mark appears anywhere on this site, and none of the brands named in the text are affiliated with it. ## Liability Since no work is performed and no payment is taken, there is nothing to be liable for. Were this a real trading company, this section would set out limits of liability, and it would not be permitted to limit liability for injury or for anything the law does not allow to be limited. ## Governing law Were this a real company, North Carolina law would govern. ## Changes The effective date at the top of this page is when this version took effect. Changes are recorded in content/CHANGELOG.md in the repository, alongside every other change to a published fact. ## Contact Questions about these terms would go to the office. The channels are on the contact page (/contact), and they route to the same demonstration. --- ## source: content/legal/warranty.mdx ### frontmatter slug: warranty title: Warranty h1: Warranty and guarantee seoTitle: Warranty Terms, Cancellation and the Workmanship Guarantee | Cedarline metaDescription: Twelve months on labour and parts, a workmanship guarantee with no time limit, what voids cover, how to claim, and the cancellation and no-show terms. summary: Twelve months on labour and parts, no time limit at all on a workmanship complaint, and a claim starts with a phone call rather than a form. effectiveDate: 2026-08-01 order: 5 sms: null lastReviewed: 2026-08-01 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## The short version Every repair carries twelve months on labour and twelve months on parts. If the work is not right, we come back and put it right at no charge, and there is no time limit on a workmanship complaint about a repair we performed. Those two sentences are the warranty. Everything below is detail about how they apply. ## Where the figures live The warranty term, the cancellation window and the no-show fee are published once each, in content/site/policies.mdx, and every page that mentions them reads them from there. A service page that carries a longer term states it in its own frontmatter and says why. That is why this page does not restate the numbers as prose: the figures on the pricing page (/pricing) and on each service page come from the same source as this one, so they cannot disagree. ## What the labour warranty covers The work we performed, for twelve months from the day it was completed. If the same fault returns and it is the repair rather than the equipment, we return, diagnose it and put it right, and there is no diagnostic fee for a return visit on our own work. ## What the parts warranty covers Parts we supplied, for twelve months. Manufacturer warranties run separately and are often longer. On an installation we register the equipment in your name at the time of installation and give you the paperwork, so the manufacturer term is yours to claim on directly and you do not depend on us still being here. Where a manufacturer term is longer than ours, the longer one governs the part. Ours covers the labour to fit the replacement. ## The workmanship guarantee Separate from the twelve months, and deliberately open-ended. If work we performed was not done properly, we come back and put it right at no charge, with no time limit. The distinction that matters: the twelve months covers a part that fails or a repair that does not hold. The workmanship guarantee covers work that was not done properly in the first place. A pipe boot that fails in year three is wear. A pipe boot we never sealed is workmanship, and it does not expire. ## What is not covered Written plainly, because a warranty that hides its limits is not a warranty: - Equipment we did not supply or install, beyond the labour we performed on it. - Damage from a storm, a flood, a freeze, an impact or an animal. That is an insurance question, and we support the claim rather than the warranty. - Failure caused by lack of maintenance, where a manufacturer requires it and it was not done. - Work altered by somebody else after we left. - Consumables: filters, batteries, sealants and anything with a service life shorter than the warranty term. - Pre-existing conditions we documented and you declined to have addressed. If we wrote it down at the time, it is not covered later. If we did not write it down, it is. - Normal wear, and the ordinary ageing of a finish, a coating or a stain. ## How to claim Ring the office. A warranty claim starts with a person, not a form, because the first question is always what is happening now and forms are bad at that. Have the job reference if you can find it, and the approximate date. We can find the work without it. We will book a return visit in the same way we book any other visit, and it will not carry a diagnostic fee. If we determine on site that the fault is not covered, we tell you before doing any chargeable work and you decide. ## Cancelling or rescheduling Give us notice within the published window and there is no charge. Inside that window, or if nobody is home when the crew arrives, the no-show fee applies. Both figures are on the pricing page (/pricing), read from the same file this page reads. One call or one text is enough to reschedule. We would much rather move you than charge you. ## Permits and inspections Where work needs a permit, we pull it, schedule the inspection and meet the inspector on site. Permit fees are passed through at cost and itemised separately on the invoice. Work that passes inspection and later fails for a reason within our control is covered by the workmanship guarantee. ## Insurance claims We document damage and attend the adjuster's inspection. We do not negotiate with your insurer on your behalf, because we are not public adjusters and are not licensed to act for you in a claim. Your deductible is yours to pay and is due on completion; we will not absorb it, discount it or inflate a scope to cover it. The full position is on the storm damage page (/services/roofing/storm-damage-and-insurance-claims) and in how a storm damage claim actually works (/blog/how-a-storm-damage-claim-works). ## A note on this site Cedarline Home Services is a fictional company used for demos, so no warranty described here is enforceable against anybody. The terms are written as a real contractor's would be, because the point of the demonstration is that software can answer a warranty question accurately from published content. The terms page (/terms) sets that out in full. --- ## source: content/reviews/reviews.mdx ### frontmatter reviews[0].id: rev-0101 reviews[0].name: Marcus T. reviews[0].area: apex reviews[0].rating: 5 reviews[0].date: 2026-06-02 reviews[0].service: ac-repair reviews[0].response: null reviews[0].body: Called at seven in the morning with no cooling and a house already at eighty six. The technician was here inside the window I was given, found a failed capacitor, had the part on the van and was done before lunch. The diagnostic came off the bill when I approved the repair, exactly as the website said it would. reviews[1].id: rev-0102 reviews[1].name: Dee W. reviews[1].area: raleigh reviews[1].rating: 5 reviews[1].date: 2026-07-11 reviews[1].service: ac-repair reviews[1].response: null reviews[1].body: Second summer running they have kept a fifteen year old system going rather than pushing me into a replacement I cannot afford this year. They told me plainly what will fail next and roughly what it will cost when it does. That is the reason I keep calling them. reviews[2].id: rev-0103 reviews[2].name: Harriet B. reviews[2].area: durham reviews[2].rating: 4 reviews[2].date: 2026-05-19 reviews[2].service: ac-installation reviews[2].response: Thank you Harriet, and you are right about the delay. Your condenser was a special order size for the pad clearance you have and we knew that on day one, but we quoted a two week lead time on the equipment and it came in at three. We should have called you the day the supplier moved the date rather than waiting for you to ask. The install crew hit their schedule and I am glad the work itself was good. Lena Marchetti, General Manager. reviews[2].body: The installation itself was excellent and the crew left the utility room cleaner than they found it. My complaint is the wait: I was told two weeks for the equipment and it was closer to three, and I had to ring twice to find that out rather than being told. Everything since has been right, and the system is quiet. reviews[3].id: rev-0104 reviews[3].name: Kwame A. reviews[3].area: cary reviews[3].rating: 5 reviews[3].date: 2026-04-27 reviews[3].service: ac-maintenance reviews[3].response: null reviews[3].body: The spring tune-up found a cracked condensate line that would have flooded the closet by July. Written report with photographs, sent the same afternoon. Worth it for the report alone. reviews[4].id: rev-0105 reviews[4].name: Sandra V. reviews[4].area: wake-forest reviews[4].rating: 5 reviews[4].date: 2026-01-14 reviews[4].service: furnace-repair reviews[4].response: null reviews[4].body: No heat on the coldest night of the winter with a newborn in the house. They came out after hours, told me the call-out fee before they dispatched rather than after, and had the ignitor replaced within the hour. Nobody tried to sell me a new furnace at eleven at night. reviews[5].id: rev-0106 reviews[5].name: Nate F. reviews[5].area: garner reviews[5].rating: 5 reviews[5].date: 2025-12-08 reviews[5].service: heat-pump-service reviews[5].response: null reviews[5].body: Heat pump was running constantly in auxiliary heat and my bill showed it. They found a reversing valve fault, explained what that actually means in language I could follow, and had it sorted in a single visit. reviews[6].id: rev-0107 reviews[6].name: Angela R. reviews[6].area: raleigh reviews[6].rating: 5 reviews[6].date: 2026-03-02 reviews[6].service: roof-repair reviews[6].response: null reviews[6].body: Water stain appeared on the landing ceiling after a week of rain. They traced it to a cracked pipe boot two feet up-slope from where the stain was, which is not where I would have looked. Repaired the same visit and the ceiling has stayed dry through everything since. reviews[7].id: rev-0108 reviews[7].name: Bill McK. reviews[7].area: chapel-hill reviews[7].rating: 5 reviews[7].date: 2026-02-21 reviews[7].service: roof-repair reviews[7].response: null reviews[7].body: A limb came through the roof during an ice storm at night. They were clear on the phone that Chapel Hill is emergency only for them and that they would not be back for the permanent repair, which I appreciated knowing up front. They tarped and dried it in, and it held until my regular roofer could get here. reviews[8].id: rev-0109 reviews[8].name: Yolanda S. reviews[8].area: holly-springs reviews[8].rating: 5 reviews[8].date: 2026-05-30 reviews[8].service: roof-replacement reviews[8].response: null reviews[8].body: Full tear off and replacement on a two storey house in four days. The estimate was itemised down to the valley metal and the final invoice matched it. They also found and replaced two sheets of soft decking and showed me the photographs before charging for it. reviews[9].id: rev-0110 reviews[9].name: Trevor L. reviews[9].area: raleigh reviews[9].rating: 3 reviews[9].date: 2026-04-08 reviews[9].service: storm-damage-and-insurance-claims reviews[9].response: Trevor, this is fair and I am sorry the claim was harder than it needed to be. We do not negotiate with insurers, and that is a deliberate limit rather than an oversight, but you are right that we did not make it clear enough at the first visit what that would mean for you in practice. We have since changed how we explain it: the estimator now walks through what we supply, what your adjuster decides, and where a public adjuster fits, before any documentation is produced. Your survey and scope were sent within two days, and the roof itself was signed off first time. Tomás Reyes, Roofing Lead. reviews[9].body: The documentation they produced was genuinely excellent and my adjuster said so. Where this fell short was expectations. I understood that they would handle the claim, and what they actually do is supply photographs and a scope and then step back, which left me arguing with my insurer for six weeks on my own. The repair, once approved, was quick and well done. I would use them again knowing what I know now. reviews[10].id: rev-0111 reviews[10].name: Grace O. reviews[10].area: durham reviews[10].rating: 5 reviews[10].date: 2025-11-16 reviews[10].service: gutter-installation reviews[10].response: null reviews[10].body: Seamless gutters run on the day, hidden hangers, downspouts moved away from the foundation where the old ones were dumping water against the wall. The crew noticed that problem themselves and asked before changing the plan. reviews[11].id: rev-0112 reviews[11].name: Peter H. reviews[11].area: cary reviews[11].rating: 5 reviews[11].date: 2026-06-20 reviews[11].service: kitchen-remodeling reviews[11].response: null reviews[11].body: Six weeks, and it finished on the day they said it would at the start. Priya ran the job she quoted, which meant I never had to explain anything twice. The permit timeline was in the first estimate, so the four week wait before demolition was expected rather than a shock. reviews[12].id: rev-0113 reviews[12].name: Renee D. reviews[12].area: durham reviews[12].rating: 5 reviews[12].date: 2026-03-25 reviews[12].service: bathroom-remodeling reviews[12].response: null reviews[12].body: They opened the wall, found rot around the old shower pan that nobody could have known about, stopped, photographed it, priced the extra work and waited for my answer before continuing. That is the entire reason I trust the final bill. reviews[13].id: rev-0114 reviews[13].name: Otis J. reviews[13].area: apex reviews[13].rating: 4 reviews[13].date: 2026-02-05 reviews[13].service: basement-finishing reviews[13].response: Otis, thank you, and the dust is a legitimate complaint. We used containment sheeting and a dust extractor on the framing and drywall phases but not during the concrete work at the start, and that is where most of it came from. We have added negative air containment to the standard scope on any basement job that begins with cutting concrete, and it is priced in rather than extra. Priya Raghunathan, Construction Lead. reviews[13].body: The finished room is exactly what we wanted and the crew were polite and punctual for eight weeks straight, which is not nothing. The dust was worse than we were led to expect and it got upstairs, into a wardrobe and into the return vent. Better sheeting at the start would have saved a lot of cleaning at the end. reviews[14].id: rev-0115 reviews[14].name: Miriam K. reviews[14].area: morrisville reviews[14].rating: 5 reviews[14].date: 2025-10-30 reviews[14].service: home-additions reviews[14].response: null reviews[14].body: A sunroom addition on a house with an awkward roofline. They engineered the tie-in properly instead of doing the cheap thing, pulled the permit, met the inspector and passed first time. Two years of rain since and not one leak. reviews[15].id: rev-0116 reviews[15].name: Frank T. reviews[15].area: raleigh reviews[15].rating: 5 reviews[15].date: 2026-01-29 reviews[15].service: custom-cabinetry reviews[15].response: null reviews[15].body: Cabinets made in their own shop for a 1938 house where no wall is straight. Walt scribed every run to the plaster rather than caulking a gap and hoping. They look like they have always been there, which was the whole brief. reviews[16].id: rev-0117 reviews[16].name: Lucia P. reviews[16].area: holly-springs reviews[16].rating: 5 reviews[16].date: 2026-06-11 reviews[16].service: built-ins-and-shelving reviews[16].response: null reviews[16].body: White oak shelving either side of the fireplace, built to hold a lot of books and actually engineered to. No sag after six months of full load. They talked me out of a floating detail that would not have carried the weight. reviews[17].id: rev-0118 reviews[17].name: Dave S. reviews[17].area: wake-forest reviews[17].rating: 5 reviews[17].date: 2025-09-22 reviews[17].service: interior-trim-and-molding reviews[17].response: null reviews[17].body: Crown moulding through four rooms of a house with wavy ceilings. Every inside corner is coped, not mitred, and it shows. Charged by the hour and the hours were honest. reviews[18].id: rev-0119 reviews[18].name: Bonnie E. reviews[18].area: apex reviews[18].rating: 5 reviews[18].date: 2026-05-06 reviews[18].service: deck-building reviews[18].response: null reviews[18].body: Cedar deck with cable railing, and they spent the first morning on drainage and footings before a single board went down. Darnell explained why the joist tape mattered in this climate. Three weeks, on schedule, immaculate site every evening. reviews[19].id: rev-0120 reviews[19].name: Rashid M. reviews[19].area: clayton reviews[19].rating: 5 reviews[19].date: 2026-04-18 reviews[19].service: patios-and-pavers reviews[19].response: null reviews[19].body: Cracked concrete slab replaced with a bluestone paver patio and a seat wall. They delayed the start by four days because the clay was saturated and would not compact, and told me why. No settling anywhere after a very wet spring. reviews[20].id: rev-0121 reviews[20].name: Kelly N. reviews[20].area: garner reviews[20].rating: 5 reviews[20].date: 2026-07-02 reviews[20].service: lawn-care-programs reviews[20].response: null reviews[20].body: The fescue had been thinning for three summers. They soil tested first, adjusted the programme to the result rather than the calendar, and told me honestly that the shaded strip along the fence would never look like the rest of it. It is the best the lawn has looked. reviews[21].id: rev-0122 reviews[21].name: Tom W. reviews[21].area: fuquay-varina reviews[21].rating: 5 reviews[21].date: 2025-11-04 reviews[21].service: irrigation-service reviews[21].response: null reviews[21].body: Winterisation done properly with a compressor, zone by zone, rather than just closing a valve and hoping. They flagged a cracked backflow assembly at the same visit and had it replaced before the first hard freeze. reviews[22].id: rev-0123 reviews[22].name: Alicia G. reviews[22].area: raleigh reviews[22].rating: 5 reviews[22].date: 2026-02-13 reviews[22].service: water-heater-repair reviews[22].response: null reviews[22].body: No hot water on a Saturday morning. Sean diagnosed a failed gas control valve, told me the part cost and the age of the tank, and let me decide between repairing it and replacing it without a sales pitch either way. Repaired, and still fine. reviews[23].id: rev-0124 reviews[23].name: Jerome C. reviews[23].area: morrisville reviews[23].rating: 5 reviews[23].date: 2026-06-27 reviews[23].service: water-heater-installation reviews[23].response: null reviews[23].body: Tankless unit installed with a new gas line and proper venting. They pulled the permit, scheduled the inspection and met the inspector themselves. The invoice showed the permit fee separately at cost, which is exactly what they said would happen. reviews[24].id: rev-0125 reviews[24].name: Pam L. reviews[24].area: durham reviews[24].rating: 5 reviews[24].date: 2026-03-14 reviews[24].service: drain-cleaning reviews[24].response: null reviews[24].body: Kitchen line backing up for the third time in a year. Instead of just clearing it again they put a camera down and showed me the root intrusion in the clay lateral, then quoted the actual fix. First plumber to explain why it kept coming back. reviews[25].id: rev-0126 reviews[25].name: Vikram S. reviews[25].area: cary reviews[25].rating: 5 reviews[25].date: 2025-12-19 reviews[25].service: leak-detection-and-repair reviews[25].response: null reviews[25].body: A slab leak we had been chasing for months. They found it acoustically within two hours, opened one small area of flooring rather than three, and rerouted the line. The repair cost less than the two exploratory quotes I had from elsewhere. reviews[26].id: rev-0127 reviews[26].name: Charlene A. reviews[26].area: garner reviews[26].rating: 5 reviews[26].date: 2026-01-07 reviews[26].service: panel-upgrade reviews[26].response: null reviews[26].body: Sixty year old fuse panel replaced with a modern load centre, every circuit labelled and a printed schedule inside the door. Nathan walked me through what each breaker actually feeds before he left. Inspection passed first time. reviews[27].id: rev-0128 reviews[27].name: Ed R. reviews[27].area: raleigh reviews[27].rating: 5 reviews[27].date: 2026-05-22 reviews[27].service: ev-charger-installation reviews[27].response: null reviews[27].body: Level 2 charger in the garage with a clean conduit run back to the panel. They checked the panel capacity before quoting and told me I would not need an upgrade, which two other companies had insisted I would. reviews[28].id: rev-0129 reviews[28].name: Naomi B. reviews[28].area: wake-forest reviews[28].rating: 5 reviews[28].date: 2026-07-15 reviews[28].service: outlet-and-switch-repair reviews[28].response: null reviews[28].body: Half the kitchen outlets dead. Found a failed backstab connection in a box behind the refrigerator in under twenty minutes, then checked every other device in the room for the same fault while he was there. Small job, done properly. reviews[29].id: rev-0130 reviews[29].name: Stuart P. reviews[29].area: clayton reviews[29].rating: 5 reviews[29].date: 2026-04-02 reviews[29].service: generator-installation reviews[29].response: null reviews[29].body: Standby generator and transfer switch, installed and commissioned in a week. They were straight about what it would and would not run, which mattered more to me than the price. It has already carried us through two outages. lastReviewed: 2026-07-20 contentVersion: 1 ### content ## Where these come from Every review on this page was left by a customer we invoiced. We do not filter them by rating, we do not remove one because it stings, and the average you see on this site is calculated from this file rather than typed in by hand. ## Why the low ones are still here Three of these are not five stars, and each of the three names something we got wrong: an equipment lead time we did not pass on, dust containment we should have specified from the start, and an insurance claim where we did not explain our own limits clearly enough at the first visit. All three are answered in public, by name, by the person responsible for fixing it. A wall of five star reviews tells you nothing except that somebody curated the wall. What is useful is seeing what happens when a job goes sideways, because that is the part you cannot predict when you choose a contractor. ## How to leave one Ask the crew, or contact the office (/contact). We will send you the link and we will not ask you what you plan to write first.