What you are actually hiring when you hire a general contractor
Most homeowners searching for a contractor in Mission are not looking for one more installer. They have a project that touches framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, tile, and paint, and they need one person who owns the outcome. That is the difference between a trade contractor and a general contractor: the general contractor carries the whole thing.
On a MrImproveIt project that means six concrete things.
A written scope
Before anything is priced, the project is written down: what is being built, what is being demolished, what the allowances are, and what is explicitly not included. A number without a scope is a guess that gets revised upward later.
Permits pulled by us
Mission projects go through city review plus Johnson County trade inspections. We file the application and carry the inspection sequence. It is in the contract, not a task handed back to you.
Licensed trade subs
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection require separate trade licenses in Johnson County — they sit outside Class C on purpose. We schedule licensed subs into the build and they are inspected before walls close.
A real sequence
Demo, framing, rough-in, rough inspection, insulation, drywall, finishes, final inspection, punch list. Out-of-order work is how projects stall for weeks waiting on an inspector.
One point of accountability
Mike Salazar does the walkthrough, writes the scope, and is on the job. There is no handoff to a project manager you have not met.
A final walkthrough
The job is not done when the last sub leaves. It is done when we walk it together and the punch list is closed out.
Licensing, plainly stated
Kansas does not issue a statewide general contractor license. Contractor licensing in this market is handled county by county, and in Johnson County that runs through the county contractor licensing program.
MrImproveIt Remodeling LLC holds an active Johnson County contractor license, Class C. Class C is the residential building classification: it authorizes construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of single-family and duplex residences and their accessory buildings, including framing, roofing, and both structural and non-structural remodeling work.
Class C deliberately does not include electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or fire protection. Those are separately licensed trades with their own permits and their own inspectors, and that is exactly how we run them — as licensed subcontractors scheduled into the build, never quietly self-performed.
Projects we general-contract in Mission
| Scope | What it involves | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home renovation | Multiple rooms, mechanical updates, often layout changes and new finishes throughout | $120,000 – $350,000+ |
| Home addition | Foundation or slab, framing, roof tie-in, full mechanical rough-in, exterior match | $95,000 – $260,000+ |
| Basement finishing | Moisture control, egress window, framing, rough-in, ceiling strategy, finishes | $45,000 – $120,000+ |
| Kitchen remodel | Cabinets, counters, flooring, electrical updates, sometimes wall removal | $35,000 – $95,000+ |
| Bathroom remodel | Waterproofing, tile, shower system, plumbing changes, vanity, ventilation | $18,000 – $55,000+ |
| Load-bearing wall removal | Beam sizing, point loads carried to the footing, permit, framing inspection | $8,000 – $28,000+ |
| Deck construction | Footings, framing, ledger flashing, railing, permit and inspection | $14,000 – $45,000+ |
| Siding and windows | Tear-off, sheathing repair, house wrap, flashing details, trim | $16,000 – $60,000+ |
| Stamped concrete patio or driveway | Grading, base prep, forming, reinforcement, pour, stamp, seal | $9,000 – $35,000+ |
These are Mission-area ranges drawn from real project scopes, not a price list. Your number comes from a walkthrough and a written estimate.
What Mission houses actually need
Mission's housing stock is mostly 1950s and 1960s ranches, capes, and split-levels on modest lots, and that produces a predictable set of general contracting problems.
- Kitchens boxed off from the living room. The single most requested change, and it is a structural job: the wall between them is usually carrying roof or second-floor load.
- Cast iron drain stacks and galvanized supply lines. Original to the house and at or past end of life. Opening a wall for a remodel is the cheapest moment in the next thirty years to replace them.
- Undersized electrical service. 60- and 100-amp panels with no room for a modern kitchen, a heat pump, or an EV charger. Service upgrades belong in the scope up front, not discovered in week six.
- Basements without egress. A basement bedroom legally requires an egress window and window well. Finishing without one produces a room you cannot list as a bedroom.
- Small original bathrooms. Often a 5x8 with a tub alcove. Tub-to-shower conversions and borrowed closet space are the usual moves.
- Aging roofs and original siding. Hail and wind exposure across Johnson County means tear-off, sheathing inspection, and proper flashing rather than a layover.
How a project runs
- Walkthrough. We look at the actual conditions — basement, panel, plumbing, framing — not just the room you want changed.
- Written scope and estimate. Line by line, with allowances stated. This is where surprises get eliminated.
- Contract and permits. We file with the city and Johnson County and get the inspection sequence on the calendar.
- Demo and structural. Beams, headers, and framing before anything else.
- Rough-in and inspection. Licensed electrical, plumbing, and mechanical subs, inspected before insulation.
- Drywall and finishes. Tile, cabinets, counters, flooring, trim, paint.
- Final inspection and walkthrough. We close the punch list together before the job is called done.
Get a written estimate for your Mission project
Bring the address, photos, the rooms in scope, your must-haves, and a target timeline. You get a real walkthrough and a written scope, not a square-foot guess over the phone.
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General contracting questions from Mission homeowners
What does a general contractor do that a single-trade remodeler does not?
A general contractor carries the whole project: the written scope, the permit application, the build schedule, every licensed trade sub, the inspection sequence, and the final punch list. A single-trade remodeler installs one thing well. If your project touches structure, permits, or more than two trades, you need someone holding the whole thing together — that is the general contractor's job.
Is MrImproveIt licensed as a general contractor in Johnson County?
Yes. MrImproveIt Remodeling LLC holds an active Johnson County contractor license, Class C — the residential building classification. Class C covers construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of single-family and duplex homes and accessory structures, including framing, roofing, and structural and non-structural remodeling. Kansas does not issue a statewide general contractor license; licensing is handled at the county and city level.
Who does the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work?
Separately licensed trade contractors, pulled and scheduled by us. Johnson County Class C specifically does not cover electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or fire protection — those require their own trade licenses and their own permits and inspections. On our jobs those subs are licensed, scheduled into the build, and inspected before anything gets closed up.
Do I need a permit for my Mission remodel?
Almost certainly, if the project touches structure, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, windows, decks, or square footage. Mission projects go through city review plus Johnson County trade inspections. Cosmetic-only work — paint, flooring, a cabinet swap in the same footprint — usually does not. We pull the permits as part of the contract, not as a line item you chase later.
Can you remove a load-bearing wall?
Yes, and it is one of the most common requests in Mission's 1950s and 1960s houses, where the kitchen is boxed off from the living room. It requires a beam sized for the actual span and load, point loads carried down to the footing, a permit, and a framing inspection. Anyone who quotes it without looking in the basement is guessing.
What does a whole-home renovation cost in Mission?
Most whole-home scopes on a Mission ranch or cape run $120,000 to $350,000+, depending on how much of the mechanical system is replaced, whether walls move, and finish level. A kitchen alone typically runs $35,000 to $95,000+; a bathroom $18,000 to $55,000+; a finished basement $45,000 to $120,000+. Every number here is a range, not a quote — your estimate comes from a walkthrough.
How long does a general contracting project take?
A bathroom is typically 3 to 5 weeks. A kitchen is 6 to 12 weeks. A finished basement is 8 to 14 weeks. A whole-home renovation or addition is 4 to 9 months. Permit review and inspection scheduling are real calendar items, and material lead times on cabinets and windows often drive the schedule more than labor does.
Who is actually on my job site?
Owner Mike Salazar. He does the first walkthrough, writes the scope, and is on site through the final walkthrough, with a consistent crew and licensed trade subs. You are not handed off to a salesperson and then to a project manager you have never met.
Do you provide a written estimate?
Always, before any work begins. The estimate states the scope, the allowances, what is included, and what is not. A written scope is the only way a fixed number means anything, and it is what protects you when something unexpected shows up behind a wall.
What areas do you general-contract in?
Mission is home base, at 4917 Dearborn St. We also work Merriam, Roeland Park, Fairway, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Overland Park, Shawnee, Leawood, Lenexa, and Olathe, plus Parkville, Gladstone, and Liberty across the state line.