Transparent pricing for clear planning

Big Lake is an independent advisor for homeowners: we help you understand your exterior, make planning decisions and compare contractor proposals. We do not sell or install exterior products.

For most services, we review your home and project first, then send you an exact price before anything is booked. Bid & Proposal Review has one set price you see when you book. The 30-minute Exterior Home Assessment is free.

No. The assessment is a standalone service. You can go straight to Project Planning, Exterior Project Planning, or Bid & Proposal Review.

Current paid-service positioning, scope, and deliverables are being confirmed. Contact Big Lake for the currently approved details.

It is the personalized plan you receive from Exterior Project Planning: conditions, priorities, order of operations, design direction, products and materials, budget context, and contractor strategy.

We compare up to three contractor proposals side by side: what each includes, what it leaves out, and what to ask before you sign. You get a written summary the day before a 30-minute phone or video call.

No. The 30-minute Exterior Home Assessment is complimentary and may end without any paid work.

No. Big Lake is an advisory firm. You select, hire, and contract directly with your contractor.

Yes. We review your home and project first, then send you an exact price before anything is booked.

No. You approve the exact service and price first. Paid work starts only after payment is confirmed or authorized invoice/payment terms are explicitly agreed. A recommendation, interest, or request alone does not start paid work.

No. The complimentary visit is a visual homeowner-advisory assessment intended to support planning and decision-making. It is not a comprehensive home inspection, engineering evaluation, code inspection, certification, or guarantee of condition. Big Lake is not a licensed contractor, architect, or engineer; when a question is outside our scope we may suggest an appropriate licensed or qualified professional.

It depends on the visible conditions and how the systems interact. Protecting the home from active damage or water intrusion usually comes before cosmetic improvements. Priorities identify what needs attention; construction sequence may differ.

No. A municipality, code official, or appropriately licensed professional should determine code compliance. Our guidance is for homeowner planning, not an inspection or certification.

We can help identify questions to ask, but we do not make authoritative permit determinations. Confirm requirements with the applicable permitting authority and your contractor.

No. Any visualization is conceptual homeowner-planning material, not an architectural service or construction document. Final dimensions, products, colors, specifications, and installation requirements should be confirmed with the manufacturer or contractor.

We work with local contractors and builders we know. Some send homeowners to us for planning and design help, and when they fit your project, we may recommend them, along with others who fit. If a contractor we name refers clients to us, we tell you. We never take payment, fees or perks from contractors. You choose who to hire and contract with them directly, and each contractor is responsible for its own work.

No. Big Lake is not a general contractor, construction manager, project manager, jobsite supervisor, or quality-control authority. We do not hire contractors, direct or supervise work, or accept responsibility for contractor performance. Contractors control and perform their work.

We serve Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon Counties in West Michigan.