About Us
Old Dominion Renovators specializes in major renovations and expansions of homes, creating dramatic results. We will transform your home visually, create a more livable floor plan and real curb appeal, at the same time enhancing the value of your investment.
Old Dominion Renovators are experienced home builders and renovators. Jim Egnew, owner and general manager, is a both a graduate architect and a Virginia Class A General Contractor. Jim brings over thirty years of renovation experience to every project, with a balanced approach to design, quality and cost. His background includes single family, condominium and historic property renovations, as well as larger scale commercial redevelopment projects. Jim brings a small team of experienced professionals and tradesmen with the skill and experience to create top quality projects.
Our Mission
Old Dominion Renovators mission is to enable our clients to create their dream home.
These are the principles that we believe are key to a successful renovation and a great client – contractor experience:
We listen to what you want, exchange ideas, then develop a plan.
We work to recommend economically feasible improvements and to create a budget that generates the maximum cost-benefit and homeowner equity.
We pay particular attention to creating a harmonious result where the new blends seamlessly and in proportion with the existing home and to its surrounding neighborhood.
We pay attention to details and quality workmanship.
We work to minimize the disruption that renovations cause to you during the process. We recognize that bringing a construction site into your home is never easy, but we have learned the practical realities of dealing with the process with the least impact. This starts with a realistic discussion of the issues up front, as soon as the design concept is prepared.
We believe in scheduling a renovation to the shortest duration possible. This reduces cost, minimizes negative impact on your life. This means that we always seek to have workers on your project every day.
How we Work
Design / Build
As a long time builder with an architectural degree, Jim is a natural at the design/build process. The principal feature of this approach to building is that the architect and the builder join with the owner at the beginning of the process and work as a team. As the builder, we offer our construction experience and cost estimating during the design process to achieve an efficient “constructable” design that works to a budget. We manage the process from start to finish, saving time and money in the process. We can work with your architect or provide an architect, per your preference. The design/build process works in two parts. The design phase results in plans ready for permitting and final costing for construction. Then we prepare a fixed price contract which commences the construction phase.
General Contractor
If you already have your architect or your plans are completed, we often work as a general contractor and will build your project under a fixed price contract. We regularly bid on plans provided by our clients or as a requested bidder by architects.
About Jim Egnew
30+ Years Experience
As in most industries, there is no substitute for knowledge and experience in the construction world. Jim is a home builder who has built and renovated hundreds of homes and can help you avoid the pitfalls of construction. Jim has over 30 years of experience, building on his education as a graduate of Ohio State University School of Architecture. He started Old Dominion Renovators to focus on his lifelong love of renovating and carefully improving old homes, and has the experience and background to create stunning results. Jim is proud to have built a team of experienced professionals and subcontractors that live up to his standard and have worked with him for years.
Fully Licensed and Insured
Jim Egnew is fully licensed and insured. He holds Class A Virginia License 2705136878 with classifications CBC and RBC. Old Dominion Renovators can build any size building, both residential and commercial, but our specialty is renovating the older homes in our Alexandria/Arlington community. Our company also carries a million dollar liability insurance policy that protects not only us but also our customers.
Client Reviews
“We are very pleased with our addition and enjoyed our experience with Jim Egnew. He designed the space taking into account our needs, wants and budget and the finished product is beautiful. Jim was very attentive and flexible; often meeting us late in the evening after our children were in bed when necessary. He was very responsive and knowledgeable.” -ACollins
“Jim Egnew worked closely with us to renovate our 90 year old rowhouse. Jim had a great eye for maintaining the historic characteristics and charm of our house, while modernizing our bathroom, installing central AC, and all new windows and exterior doors (among many other things). We were very happy with Jim, and love our new (old) house.” -KF
“Jim designed and built an extensive renovation for our home. He spent a lot of time working with us in the design phase, helping us think about how we would need our space to work as our family grows. We now have a beautiful home that fits our family perfectly both in terms of design and function.” -CWoods