We think the personality of our company should inform your decision when choosing a contractor for your job. We run our company as though we were our own clients. We don't like surprises. We know what it means to be punctual, courteous, precise and reliable. We know what it means to keep promises and meet expectations.

From the start of a project, we want to know how you use your house. We want you to tell us about any idiosyncrasies that may influence changes to your home. We want to help you discover what's right for your family.

Think of us as a resource to improve the way you live in your home.

Guildmaster Award Winner 2009 Guildmaster With Highest Distinction
2011 Guildmaster With Distinction
2012 Guildmaster With Highest Distinction

GuildQuality Partner Affiliations Remodeling's Big50

Affiliations GuildQuality
Chrysalis Award
Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award

Guildmaster Q&A

Company History

Founded in 1985, Schulte Restorations has grown to an award-winning, residential and historic restoration contracting company in the Princeton, NJ area. Kurt, a Princeton University graduate, started the company as an outgrowth of his speculative remodeling experience. His move to the Princeton area corresponded with an opportunity to change the focus of his efforts from buying and selling properties to working as a general contractor in an area that offered challenging and complex projects. The company started as a two person operation and has developed into one with 4-5 field employees that handles projects with multi-million dollar budgets.

Scope of Work

Schulte Restorations begins their involvement in the project from the very beginning of the design phase, continues through the construction phase, and finishes when a lasting bond is created with the client. From the onset we meet with the owner and the design professional to give real-time feedback on job costs so important design-related issues can be resolved. Acting as general contractor, Schulte Restorations manages all trade professionals associated with the project while providing all of the in-house carpentry expertise. Throughout the project, a Project Manager devotes his full attention to the job at hand until the final punchlist is complete. At the conclusion of the job, Schulte Restorations follows up with a 24 month warranty program to make sure the owner continues to be satisfied with their experience.

Typical Workload

Schulte Restorations' projects range from single room additions to whole house renovations with budgets that range from $150 thousand to $3 million. While jobs that offer some sort of technical challenge or important historic details have a certain appeal, Kurt is attracted to projects that make the biggest difference in peoples' lives. Put a different way, Schulte Restorations likes to work on people's homes rather than their houses.

Team Makeup

Schulte Restorations, led by Kurt Schulte, employs six full-time employees, including four Project Managers, one Production Manager, and one Office Manager/Bookkeeper.

With the assistance of personality profiling testing, Schulte Restorations has hired employees who possess not only exceptional knowledge in the trade, communication skills and demonstrated commitment to goals, but who are also able to work together as a team and complement each other's individual strengths.

Personal

Kurt feels strongly about the company's responsibility to be an active member of the local community. Schulte Restorations has worked with several local churches, libraries and organizations. In particular, Kurt has spearheaded two local Habitat for Humanity projects as the Construction Supervisor. Schulte Restorations has also taken a leading role in supporting efforts to acquire local Greenspace lands and to preserve the surrounding natural environments.

Our communities need people who can appreciate the benefits of working together for a common goal. Towards that end, Kurt has coached multiple basketball and lacrosse teams for local youth.

Approach to Working With Clients

We don't like to work for people. We like to meet people halfway and work together.

Like a good houseguest, we want to leave a job better than when we found it. We want to be invited back.

What should clients bring to the table and contribute during the construction process?

As we say: "If you can think it, we can do it". The most successful projects are ones in which the client has a good understanding of their goals and budget for the project. There are always multiple solutions to a given challenge, but the best answers are ones that take goals and budget to heart. They should also be prepared to spend time in the design process as we develop the best design solution. During the actual construction phase, we meet on a weekly basis to ensure that all parties are aware of the most recent progress and upcoming milestones. These meetings keep the owners and design professionals abreast of the progress so there are no surprises along the way. We encourage clients to give us their feedback during construction so we can accommodate any modifications the client wants incorporate as the project develops. We would rather build what the client will love and appreciate rather than restrict ourselves to the original scope of work. We want to make the client happy.