Remodeling boom boosts Baumgartner Enterprises

LAFAYETTE — Ask the modest, soft-spoken Doug Baumgartner how Lafayette-based Baumgartner Enterprises grew revenues by 150 percent in 2002, and he cites two reasons.

The first is the architectural and design firm handled more residential remodels of larger sizes. The second is that word has spread about Baumgartner’s commitment to not only meet but to surpass client expectations with how their dream homes are actualized within a budget they can afford.

?They know what they want, but they don’t have any idea about how to get it,? said Baumgartner, about the homeowners he assists. ?I bring (their ideas) to life. I have a passion for design and construction, and I want to follow through and build the designs I personally create.?

Last year, Baumgartner Enterprises increased revenues from $300,000 to $750,000, ranking the company No. 4 on The Business Report’s Mercury 100 list of fastest-growing private companies. As the sole proprietor, Baumgartner operates his business with help from an office manager and relies on a host of subcontractors to assist with construction.

Baumgartner started Baumgartner Enterprises in 1990, and he has since acquired 26 years of experience in residential construction. He started his career as a framer, but after a couple years he decided also to specialize in design. So he went back to school and has been a licensed architect for 13 years. Today, he focuses on residential remodels, additions and new construction of any size, primarily in Boulder County.

According to Baumgartner, in the competitive field of design and build, Baumgartner Enterprises differentiates itself from competitors as being a single source of service.

?I work on (a home) from concept to finished product,? said Baumgartner, compared to others who solely do design, then hand off blueprints to a builder. ?I handle every project as if it were my own. I try to handle one project at a time so it receives my full attention. With my background and experience, I feel that I am an expert at this.?

With Baumgartner, new homes typically take a year to complete, while remodels require eight months. Last year, however, he essentially focused on remodels, driven in large part by the current market demand due to low interest rates.

?There’s cheap money out there right now,? Baumgartner added. ?People think they want to find something bigger, but then find out they can’t afford it so they decide to improve their current homes instead.?

The most popular type of remodels and additions that he sees is ?pop-tops,? where homeowners build up instead of out to increase the size of their homes due to limited lot sizes. With the expansions, Baumgartner sees that people generally seek to enlarge the entire home and not just a single room.

In 2002, he handled five more jobs total than the previous year. Examples of work completed last year include 1009 Portland Place in Boulder, where he handled an addition and remodel. On the 900-square-foot home, he added 1,100 square feet for two bedrooms and a master bath. He also remodeled the kitchen, another bathroom, the living room and dining room. The age of the original home posed a unique challenge for the rework. Constructed at the turn of the century, the 100-year-old home featured fragile masonry that required extra care when placing an addition on the structure.

Another sample of Baumgartner’s work from 2002 is the home at 815 Utica Ave. in Boulder. There, he added 850 square feet for a laundry room, office and dining room, then remodeled 1,700 square feet of the existing home to include a new kitchen, master bath and powder room. He also created a new entry and stairway in the home that provided a huge improvement both aesthetically and functionally, Baumgartner added.

This year Baumgartner anticipates expanding his services into new areas. He is interested in doing work with multifamily homes such as townhouses and condominiums for a change. Previously, he has focused on single-family homes.

Additionally, he anticipates beefing up his staff to be able to take on more work. To start, he seeks to hire a superintendent to oversee construction. Depending on the number and size of jobs going forward, he also may hire additional design help and his own crew for construction.

on Facebook on LinkedIn