Kevin’s first job in construction was learning how to sweep properly. Not run a saw, not frame a wall — sweep. It was 1982, and he was working after school and summers alongside experienced tradesmen who believed you earned your way up from the ground floor. That foundation stuck.

From there, Kevin attended BOCES trade school for carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. At the time, New York offered a master walking test — a single exam that could certify you as a master tradesman across all disciplines. Before he could finish the final BOCES classes, the state changed the requirements, mandating W-2 employment history and written exams for each trade separately. That door closed, but the knowledge stayed.

Kevin went on to attend college at night, taking preliminary architecture, drafting, and blueprint reading courses. He later earned certification as a stick iron welder. But the real education came on the job — ground-up new home construction on Long Island. Foundation work, setting steel I-beams, framing, and eventually becoming the bench man — the most skilled position in a millwork shop, responsible for the precision cut work that defines custom cabinetry and architectural trim.

In 1986, Kevin took his first job on his own. It was small, but it was his. Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. was born.

When the new housing market dried up on Long Island in the early 1990s, Kevin transitioned to renovations — bringing his ground-up construction knowledge to existing homes. He did a stint in the union in Manhattan, working at Carnegie Hall and several other landmark buildings, before deciding that commercial work was too repetitive. Doing decks every day didn’t allow for the creativity and skill expansion that residential renovation demanded. So he came back to Nassau County, where every home is different and every project challenges you to solve something new.