A builder who has constructed whole houses has worked through each layer of a home, from the footings to the roof framing. That experience matters when you add onto an existing house because an addition must work with a structure someone else built, often decades ago.
Prestige Home Remodeling President and CEO Mike Aiello brings more than 30 years of new-home construction and remodeling experience to the company’s Baltimore County projects. This article explains how that background applies to custom homes, additions, and remodels, and what any homeowner should verify before hiring a builder.
Who Is Behind Prestige Home Remodeling?
Prestige Home Remodeling is a licensed Maryland home improvement contractor (MHIC #157777). We serve Baltimore County and nearby Central Maryland communities, including Anne Arundel, Harford, Carroll, and Howard counties.
Our leadership team brings more than 50 years of combined experience:
- Mike Aiello, President and CEO: More than 30 years of new-home construction and remodeling. Over his career, Mike has designed and built more than 1,000 homes across Baltimore, Washington, and Virginia, ranging from affordable homes to high-end custom residences. He also spent six years as President of Construction and Remodeling for a large East Coast home remodeling company.
- Roy Bond, Director of Operations: A lifelong resident of Northern Baltimore County. Roy spent 15 years as the owner of Empire Property Management, Inc., where he oversaw residential construction and managed projects with a focus on detail and cost control.
- Kristen Lawrence, Managing Director: Experience in billing, job management, customer service, and subcontractor coordination, including more than two years running kitchen, bathroom, and addition projects from start to finish.
What Prestige Home Remodeling Builds
We work across a full range of residential projects:
- Custom homes
- Home additions, including room additions, second stories, sunrooms, in-law suites, and garages
- Kitchen and bathroom remodeling
- Basement remodeling
- Whole-home remodeling
- One-day tub-to-shower and walk-in tub conversions
You can see the full list on our home remodeling services page.
Custom Homes: Where the Experience Starts
On a custom home, the builder works through every decision from the ground up. The process starts with your needs and lifestyle, and designers and architects turn those ideas into plans for layout, materials, and function.
Construction then follows a clear order. Crews pour foundations, raise the framing, and install plumbing and electrical systems before closing the walls. A final walkthrough lets the homeowner inspect the finished work before the project wraps up.
A well-run addition follows the same sequence. The difference is that an addition must also respect an existing home.
Why New-Home Experience Helps on Additions
An addition is part new construction and part remodel. The new section needs a foundation, framing, a roof, and mechanical systems, just like a new house. It also has to connect cleanly to an older structure. New-home experience helps with that connection in four main areas.
Foundations and Footings
Every new home starts with the foundation. A builder who has set many of them understands how soil, drainage, and grade affect what goes on top. That knowledge helps when a new addition foundation has to meet an existing one.
Framing and Load Paths
New-home builders think in load paths. Weight from the roof travels through walls, beams, and posts down to the footings. When you open an exterior wall for an addition, the load path changes, and someone has to plan where that weight goes next.
Roof Tie-Ins
A roof that looks “added on” usually signals a poor tie-in. Matching the pitch, overhangs, and drainage of the existing roof draws on the same skills used to frame a whole new roof.
Systems Sequencing
In a new home, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC go in before the walls close. In an addition, crews must also extend older systems into the new space. Planning the right order keeps one trade from undoing another’s work.
Common Addition Problems to Plan Around
Many addition problems stem from a handful of oversights. Planning for them early helps avoid costly fixes later.
Mismatched Floor Heights
Old and new floors can land at slightly different heights. Planning the new framing around the existing floor helps avoid unexpected steps, ramps, or awkward thresholds.
Overloaded Heating and Cooling
An addition adds rooms your existing system was never sized to serve. Without a capacity check, the new space can feel too hot in summer and too cold in winter.
A Roofline That Looks Like an Afterthought
Rushed roof designs can leave odd valleys, mismatched pitches, or drainage problems. The goal is a new roof that looks like it was always there.
Skipping the Setback Check
Zoning setbacks control how close you can build to property lines. Checking the survey early helps avoid a redesign after permit review.
Underestimating the Old House
Opening an exterior wall can expose rot, outdated wiring, or undersized framing. A realistic plan budgets for discovery rather than assuming nothing will turn up.
Why Local Knowledge Matters in Baltimore County
Baltimore County has no incorporated cities, so one county agency, the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections (PAI), reviews building permits countywide. Familiarity with that review process helps contractors prepare complete submissions and plan schedules around reviews and inspections.
County requirements also vary by property. For example, homes on a well and septic system face additional review when an addition adds a bedroom and increases square footage or occupancy. Properties in a county historic district or on the Landmarks List need a permit for exterior work or any work that affects the home’s exterior appearance. Our guide to permits for basements and additions in Baltimore County explains these requirements in more detail.
Custom Home, Addition, or Remodel?
Many homeowners reach a point where the house no longer fits their needs. The choice usually falls into one of three paths.
Because we build all three, we can talk through each option based on your home and goals. If you are weighing these choices, our build or remodel guide walks through the bigger decision, and our home additions in Maryland page explains the addition types we build.
What to Verify Before You Hire a Builder in Baltimore County
Experience matters, but you should verify it. Use these checks with any contractor, including Prestige.
1. Check the MHIC License
The Maryland Home Improvement Commission licenses home improvement contractors and offers a public license search on its website.
Licensing gives homeowners real protections. The Commission’s Guaranty Fund can compensate homeowners for actual losses from a licensed contractor’s defective, incomplete, or abandoned work, up to $30,000 per claimant and no more than the amount the homeowner paid the contractor. Since June 1, 2024, Maryland has also required licensed home improvement contractors to carry at least $500,000 in general liability insurance.
2. Confirm the Right Registration for New Homes
New-home construction in Maryland falls under a separate law. The Maryland Home Builder Registration Act requires most new-home builders to register with the Home Builder Registration Unit in the Office of the Attorney General. Ask any custom home builder for that registration number.
3. Ask Who Handles Permits
Baltimore County requires the contractor’s MHIC license number on permits for residential additions and alterations. Ask who will obtain permits and schedule inspections. A contractor who suggests skipping required permits is a red flag.
4. Review Similar Projects
Ask to see completed work similar to yours. Browse our project gallery for kitchens, additions, and whole-home renovations.
5. Get the Scope and Warranty in Writing
A clear proposal lists what the price includes and excludes, including design, permits, site work, materials, labor, and cleanup. Ask what the builder covers after the final walkthrough and for how long, and get those warranty terms in writing.
For a fuller checklist, read our guide on how to choose a remodeling contractor in Maryland.
Questions Worth Asking Any Builder
Bring these questions to your first meeting:
- How many projects like mine have you completed?
- Who manages the job site day to day?
- Which trades do you use, and how long have you worked with them?
- How do you handle conditions found during demolition?
- Who will be my main contact, and how often will I get updates?
- How will you match the addition to my existing house?
- What does your final walkthrough include?
Clear, specific answers show how a builder runs a project. Vague answers deserve follow-up questions.
How a Prestige Home Remodeling Project Moves Forward
We follow a five-step process:
- Free in-home consultation: We visit your home, look at the existing space, and discuss your goals, priorities, and budget.
- Design and planning: We develop the project direction, review layout and material options, and identify construction considerations.
- Scope, pricing, and preparation: We clarify the scope of work, discuss pricing, and coordinate permits as needed.
- Construction: We coordinate the crews, skilled trades, and major project details.
- Final walkthrough: We review the finished work with you and address final details.
Financing options are also available for qualified homeowners.
Experience You Can Verify
Decades of building whole houses give a builder a clear view of how homes work. That view helps an addition match the original house, carry loads properly, and connect cleanly to existing systems.
Ask questions, check licenses, and review real projects. Then choose the builder who explains your options plainly.
Planning a custom home, addition, or major remodel in Baltimore County? Schedule a free in-home consultation with Prestige Home Remodeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between a home builder and a remodeler?
A home builder constructs new houses, while a remodeler changes existing ones. Some companies, including Prestige Home Remodeling, do both, which can help with additions that combine new construction with an existing house.
2. How do I check whether a contractor is licensed in Maryland?
Use the Maryland Home Improvement Commission’s license search on the Maryland Department of Labor website. You can search by contractor name or license number.
3. What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?
It is a state fund that can compensate homeowners for actual losses caused by a licensed contractor’s defective, incomplete, or abandoned work. The maximum recovery is $30,000 per claimant, and it cannot exceed the amount the homeowner paid the contractor.
4. What areas does Prestige Home Remodeling serve?
We serve Baltimore County and nearby Central Maryland communities, including Anne Arundel, Harford, Carroll, and Howard counties.
5. Should I build a new home or add onto my current one?
Consider adding on when you want to stay in your location and your lot or structure can accommodate more space. Consider building new when the house or lot cannot meet your long-term needs.
