Most remodelers sell the project, then rely on outside trades for the work behind the walls. CMK is different. Our in house plumbers and electricians are part of our own team, trained to our standards, scheduled by our project managers, and accountable to the same company responsible for your remodel.
That single decision shapes the quality, the timeline, and the accountability of every Tampa kitchen remodel and bathroom remodel we build. If you are comparing remodelers in Tampa Bay right now, it is one of the clearest ways CMK stands apart, and many remodeling companies cannot say the same.
By the team at CMK Construction, a state certified general contractor and licensed remodeler in Tampa Bay. Last updated June 2026.
What in-house really means
In-house means the plumbers and electricians on your project are CMK employees, W2 team members on our payroll, not a crew we call when a job comes up. They report to our project managers, follow our process, and have a stake in our reputation because it is also theirs.
Many remodelers operate only as general contractors who hire out the skilled trades. They sell the project, then go find a plumbing crew and an electrical crew, often whoever is cheapest or available that week. You never meet those crews before they arrive, they do not work for the company you signed with, and when something goes wrong they get blamed while you get caught in the middle.
To be clear, CMK does use trusted, vetted subcontractors for some finish work such as tile. What we never subcontract are the two trades where mistakes are the most costly and the hardest to fix: plumbing and electrical. Those crews are CMK employees. And because CMK is the licensed general contractor on your project, one company stays accountable for the entire job, every trade included.
| Plumbing & Electrical at CMK | Subbed Out (Most Remodelers) | |
| Who does the work | CMK employees, on our payroll | A crew hired job to job from another company |
| Accountability | One company responsible start to finish | Blame shifts between contractor and sub |
| Your schedule | We decide when crews are on your job | Crews juggle other clients while your job waits |
| Standards | Trained to one consistent CMK standard | Unknown, and they change with every crew |
| Licensing | Permits pulled and backed under CMK’s own credentials | Rides on whether the sub’s paperwork is current |
| Communication | Direct answers from inside CMK | Relayed through a third party |
A state certified general contractor, state certified plumbing contractor, and licensed electrical contractor
Here is the credential that makes our in house model possible. CMK Construction is a state certified general contractor, a state certified plumbing contractor, and a licensed electrical contractor. Holding the plumbing and electrical credentials in particular is rare among remodeling companies, and it matters more than most homeowners realize.
Our credentials are public, and we encourage you to verify them. CMK holds state certified general contractor license CGC1516665, state certified plumbing contractor license CFC1430533, and electrical contractor license ER13016498. You can confirm all three for free on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation license lookup at myfloridalicense.com, and we recommend you do the same for any contractor you are considering.
Because we hold our own plumbing and electrical credentials, we are licensed to pull those permits, perform the work, and stand behind it directly. We are not borrowing another company’s license or trusting that a subcontractor’s paperwork is in good standing. Your remodel is permitted under our own credentials, inspected against our work, and warrantied by the business whose name is on your contract.
What hiring in house protects you from
This is where CMK separates from the rest of the market. Cheap remodelers win on price by subbing everything to the lowest bidder, then cut corners where you cannot see them, which in plumbing and electrical means leaks behind new tile and undersized circuits feeding a modern kitchen. Paper general contractors hold a license but perform almost none of the work themselves, marking up a chain of other companies while you pay for a middleman instead of skilled hands.
The same risk runs through the back end of a project. Sell and farm out operations are great at closing the sale and gone once the work starts, leaving you with crews who have no relationship to the company you trusted. And blame the sub contractors keep a built in escape hatch: when something fails, the contractor points at the sub, the sub points back, and you pay to settle the argument. With CMK there is no finger pointing on plumbing and electrical, because those crews are ours, and as the licensed general contractor we answer for the whole project either way.
Why it matters for your remodel
The payoff of in-house plumbing and electrical shows up in concrete ways across the entire project.
- One point of accountability. Your plumber, electrician, and project manager all answer to the same company. Nobody passes the blame.
- Your schedule stays on track. We control when our crews are on your job, so phases connect cleanly instead of stalling on an outside crew.
- Consistent quality. Our in house plumbers and electricians are trained to one CMK standard and have worked together across hundreds of projects.
- Permitted, code compliant work. Permits are pulled under our own credentials and the work is built to current code, ready for inspection.
- Direct communication. Questions about your plumbing or electrical layout get answered from inside CMK, not relayed through a sub.
What this looks like on a real CMK remodel
This is not a hypothetical. On a recent owner’s suite bathroom remodel, the homeowners worked with one CMK project manager who scheduled every trade and kept the job ahead of the calendar. Here is how they described it in their own five star review:
“He made sure to tell us when to expect their electrician, plumber, cabinet installers, tile layers and they always showed up on time and were very courteous. They laid construction paper down on the floors to prevent any damage and cleaned up after each job was completed.”
The project manager estimated six to eight weeks and finished in just under six. That kind of schedule control is what you get when your plumber and your electrician are on the same team as your project manager, instead of two outside crews fitting your home in between other clients.
Proof we have earned the trust
For 21 years, CMK has been a licensed remodeling contractor in Tampa Bay, with more than 7,136 completed projects and our own plumbing and electrical on the job the entire way. From kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Tampa to whole home renovations, that track record shows in the feedback: a 4.8 Google rating across more than 400 reviews, and Tampa Bay Times Best of the Best for six consecutive years. You do not earn that by handing the most critical trades to whoever is available.
One company accountable, start to finish
After you sign, your project also includes our 4,000 square foot Tampa design showroom and dedicated time with an accredited designer to finalize the selections that bring your remodel to life. Every trade on your job, the ones we self perform and the finish subs we bring in, runs through one licensed general contractor. That means one company stays accountable for your home from design through the final walkthrough.
Frequently asked questions about CMK’s in house trades
Does CMK use subcontractors on my remodel?
For the two trades behind your walls that carry the most risk, plumbing and electrical, no. Those crews are CMK employees. We do bring in trusted, vetted finish subcontractors for certain specialty work such as tile setting. The part that protects you is accountability. Because CMK is the licensed general contractor on your project, one company stands behind every trade on the job, the work we self perform and the finish work we coordinate, from the first permit to the final inspection. You always have one company to call.
Are CMK’s plumbers and electricians actually employees, or hired job to job?
They are W2 employees on CMK’s payroll, not a crew we round up after a job sells. They are trained to one CMK standard, scheduled by your dedicated project manager, and they have a personal stake in our reputation because it is also theirs. When you hire CMK, the people performing your plumbing and electrical work answer to the same company whose name is on your contract.
Is CMK licensed in Florida, and can I verify it?
Yes, and you should verify it for any contractor you consider. CMK Construction is a state certified general contractor (CGC1516665), a state certified plumbing contractor (CFC1430533), and a licensed electrical contractor (ER13016498). You can confirm all three for free on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation license lookup at myfloridalicense.com. CMK is also EPA Lead-Safe certified and has been BBB A+ accredited since 2016, and we are fully insured and bonded.
Why does it matter whether the plumbers and electricians are in house?
Plumbing and electrical are the two trades where a hidden mistake is the most expensive and the hardest to fix once the walls are closed. When those crews are employees rather than outside subs, you get schedule control, because we decide when our crews are on your job. You get consistent quality, because it is one standard and largely the same team across hundreds of projects. And you get a single point of accountability with no finger pointing between a contractor and a sub. You also get direct answers, because the people who did the work are inside the company you hired.
Who pulls the permits and handles inspections?
CMK does, under our own credentials. Because we hold the general contractor and plumbing credentials and a licensed electrical contractor credential, we pull the permits in our own name, perform the work, and meet the inspector on your behalf. You are not depending on whether an outside sub’s paperwork is current, and you are not left coordinating inspections on your own.
Get an estimate from the company that does the work
When you are choosing who to trust with your Tampa kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel, ask each company one direct question. Are your plumbers and electricians your own employees, or are they subcontractors? The answer tells you who is truly responsible for the most critical work in your home.
At CMK Construction, the answer is clear. Our plumbers and electricians are ours, our credentials are ours, and your remodel is our responsibility from the first measurement to the final inspection. That is what it means to keep in house plumbers and electricians for remodeling, and it is the difference you feel in a CMK kitchen or bath. One recent homeowner put it best in a five star review:
“I felt like Davis was our advocate and was working hard to keep the project moving to completion … While CMK may not be the lowest bid you receive I can assure you they will do the best work. I would highly recommend CMK Construction.”
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