Irby in Chattanooga: General Contractor for Residential Remodeling and New Construction

Irby is a licensed general contractor based in Chattanooga that handles residential remodeling, kitchen and bath upgrades, and new home construction, operating at the mid-to-upper scale of Chattanooga's contractor market. The company pulls permits through Hamilton County and works across the greater Chattanooga area, managing jobs that typically range from $50,000 to $500,000.

What Irby actually does

Irby operates as a full-service GC rather than a trade specialist. The company takes on general contracting work that requires coordinating multiple trades—plumbing, electrical, HVAC, framing, drywall—rather than handling any single trade in-house. This means homeowners deal with one project manager instead of scheduling and managing five separate contractors. The company is licensed as a general contractor in Tennessee and carries liability insurance, both required benchmarks in Chattanooga where unlicensed work can delay projects and create code compliance headaches.

Irby handles kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, whole-home additions, and new construction on individual lots. The company does not do spec building or large multi-unit development; it focuses on single-family projects where the homeowner is directly involved in decisions.

Services and typical pricing

Irby charges a combination of fixed bid pricing for clearly scoped jobs and time-plus-materials for work where scope evolves as demolition or framing reveals hidden problems. A kitchen remodel in Chattanooga typically runs $60,000 to $150,000 depending on whether cabinets are custom or semi-custom, whether plumbing moves, and whether electrical upgrades to the panel are needed. A bathroom renovation generally falls between $20,000 and $60,000. Additions and new construction pricing depends on square footage and material selections; confirm current rates directly, as labor costs and material availability shift seasonally in the regional construction market.

Irby requires a signed contract that specifies scope, timeline, and payment schedule. Most projects work on a 50 percent deposit, 40 percent at substantial completion, and 10 percent at final walkthrough after all punch-list items close. The company pulls all required permits through the City of Chattanooga or Hamilton County, depending on location, and schedules inspections at framing, electrical rough-in, plumbing rough-in, and final. Those inspections are non-negotiable; the contractor cannot close out the job without sign-off from the city or county inspector.

How Irby compares to other Chattanooga general contractors

Irby sits in the middle tier of Chattanooga GCs. At the lower end, smaller operations or solo contractors often bid $30,000 to $80,000 jobs and may carry lighter insurance or less overhead; they typically charge hourly rates between $75 and $100 per hour for smaller scoped work. At the upper end, larger firms like Ashton Woods Homes or established commercial GCs pursue projects over $300,000 and manage multiple concurrent jobs with dedicated on-site superintendents; those companies often require longer timelines and have less flexibility on small scope changes.

Irby's niche is the homeowner who wants a licensed, insured contractor capable of managing a $50,000 to $150,000 project without the overhead costs of a 50-person firm. Choose Irby for remodels that require permit work, multiple trades, and a clear single point of contact. Choose a smaller contractor if your project is under $40,000 and scope is minimal. Choose a larger firm if you are building a new home from the ground up on a raw lot or if you need a company with bonding capacity for a project over $250,000.

Who Irby suits and who it does not suit

Irby works well for homeowners in Chattanooga proper and in close suburbs like East Brainerd or North Shore who want a remodel done right and are willing to pay for the coordination that makes that possible. The company suits people who know what they want and are prepared to make decisions on schedule; kitchen color selections, cabinet door styles, and tile choices need to move fast to keep the job on track.

Irby does not suit homeowners looking for the absolute lowest bid, nor does it work for projects small enough to hire a plumber and electrician directly and save the general contractor margin. It is not the right fit for spec builders or investors buying multiple properties in volume; those clients need different economics.

What the first engagement involves

Contact Irby for a consultation. Be prepared to discuss the scope (remodel vs. addition, square footage, which rooms), the timeline (when you need to move back in or when construction must start), and your rough budget range. The company will schedule a site visit, walk the project, take photos, and discuss what permits will be needed. You will receive an estimate that breaks costs into labor, materials, and contingency. Contingency on remodels typically runs 10 to 15 percent because walls hide surprises—plumbing that does not meet code, framing rot, undersized electrical service.

Once you approve the estimate and sign the contract, Irby pulls permits. That takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on city or county backlog. You are not required to be present every day, but the PM will call if decisions are needed or if scope changes surface a cost impact.

Hours, location, and logistics

Irby operates standard business hours for office contact and maintains typical job-site hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Confirm current hours and scheduling before you call. The company is based in Chattanooga and does not travel beyond the metro area. No parking constraints apply to residential jobs; contractors and material deliveries stage at the work site.

Irby's track record in Chattanooga's permit system and working relationship with city and county inspectors makes the difference between a remodel that closes on time and one that stalls on inspection failures. For homeowners willing to coordinate with a mid-scale GC, Irby delivers the reliability and scope management that DIY coordination or unlicensed work cannot provide.