Leon straightens out botched renovation projects on series
Rico Leon has seen far more botched home renovation projects than the average Denver resident.
As a self-described “advocate for desperate families,” he has been helping locals navigate their worst construction nightmares by mediating with general contractors or taking on that role himself to help projects reach the finish line.
Now anyone can watch — and commiserate — as Leon tackles half-baked home projects around Denver in a new series, “Rico to the Rescue,” now airing Saturdays on HGTV.
Leon, a Pittsburgh native, got his start as a salesman for Roto-Rooter, bidding jobs for emergency restoration caused by fire, flood, mold and sewage.
Six years ago, he was shifting gears and moving to California to take a job selling Porsches when his car broke down in Denver. He was forced to stick around during the summer and fell in love with the Mile High City for its live music and cultural offerings.
In 2019, Leon started an emergency restoration business, and the unfortunate situations he encounters are the premise for the HGTV series. What makes Leon’s work different from other shows in the network’s programming lineup — think “Love it or List It” and “Fixer Upper” — is the distress homeowners are experiencing.
“I help people in disaster. If your house caught on fire, it’s not a good thing, but I’m the guy who helps you out,” he said.
While many featured on “Rico to the Rescue” began home projects of their own accord, they’re all trapped in an unsavory situation, such as a dispute with a general contractor. At the
very least, Leon hopes viewers can learn a few tricks of the trade before undertaking a massive at-home project.
“I learned the lessons I teach on my show because I had general contractors steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from me first,” he said.
The biggest sticking point that Leon encounters during construction projects is, unsurprisingly, money. He said it’s essential that both the homeowner and whomever they hire to do the work see the same value of the dollar to keep things moving forward.
That means contractors need to be forthright with how much things are going to cost, and homeowners need to understand the reality that pricing can change based on the work required.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the things that are very costly are not the sexy kitchens and the sexy flooring. It’s bad electrical, bad mechanical, bad framing,” Leon said. “When it comes to new renovation, people underbid, overpromise, and then they get stuck in the middle. And then it’s more of a pointing fingers game versus taking responsibility game.”
Another thing to keep in mind is both permitting
and construction will likely take longer than preferable.
In the first episode of “Rico to the Rescue,” a family’s home project is already dragging months beyond when it was supposed to be completed and then is almost derailed by the City of Denver. City inspectors tell Leon’s team they have no record that any inspections have been done and that they need to tear down all the newly hung drywall before they can move forward. Thankfully, the homeowners are able to provide documentation, and the drywall remains intact.
Among his tips when it comes to sourcing contractors, Leon recommends reading reviews and asking for company references. If a contractor has no reviews or refuses to provide references, those are huge red flags, he said.
He also recommends setting clear milestones on the project timeline to ensure both homeowners and contractors stay accountable for their obligations.
And before you start a project, consider your living situation. Will you need to vacate your home and pay for a temporary dwelling? Because that will impact the cost of your project, Leon added.