How Ukrainian Contractor Taras Kasianchyk Is Growing His Home Renovation Business in the U.S.

The U.S. construction industry faces a shortage of skilled workers. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimates that more than 500,000 additional workers are needed this year. Many newcomers begin as subcontractors, handling specific parts of a project for a general contractor who oversees the work and deals directly with the homeowner. Working directly for homeowners means finding customers and managing those relationships without a general contractor in between.

Taras Kasianchyk, founder of TIDEECONSTRUCTION LLC in Mount Vernon, Washington, began working directly with homeowners within a year and a half of starting his company. He specializes in siding installation and deck construction.

Experience Across Three Countries 

Taras previously worked as a paramedic, a job that taught him to connect with people from different backgrounds. After he married, he realized that his salary would not be enough to support his family and turned to construction. His father was a bricklayer and carpenter, so construction was familiar to him from childhood. Taras started as a construction laborer in Poland, learned the trade and later ran his own business in Kyiv. He describes his Ukrainian clients as demanding and credits them with teaching him to pay close attention to the quality of his work.

On his first day working in the U.S., Taras was surprised to encounter a wood-frame house after working mainly with brick and concrete in Ukraine. Building walls with lumber and sheathing panels initially struck him as too simple, but he came to appreciate the method. He also concluded that adding more materials or using more complex techniques did not necessarily improve the result.

Early Jobs 

After learning the local requirements, Taras registered the company in February of last year to work as both a subcontractor and a general contractor. He obtained his license, insurance and bond right away while keeping other startup costs low. He used the family car to travel to job sites until he bought a damaged work van at auction and repaired it himself.

Taras worried about finding work and communicating with American clients, but neither proved to be a problem. For about the first year, Taras worked with one general contractor. He later began working with several others. After eight hours on a job site, he spent another two handling paperwork and contacting larger exterior renovation companies to offer his services as a subcontractor.

In early 2024, Taras took on a particularly challenging subcontracting project, installing siding on a two-story building in Edmonds. The work ran from February 13 to March 15 and involved technical details he had not encountered on previous jobs. Despite his initial hesitation, he completed the installation. Additional trim work and materials brought the final price to $21,579, up from the original $21,000.

Aluminum Railings 

Taras found his first direct clients through Thumbtack, an online platform that connects homeowners with local service providers. One customer hired him to hang framed photos and later asked for an estimate for work on a lake house. The homeowner approved his estimate for replacing the roof and deck railings.

Taras replaced the old wooden railings with aluminum ones. He says the cost on that project was comparable to installing new wooden railings, while aluminum would require no painting and less maintenance. Friends of the homeowner noticed the finished work, and their referrals led to additional projects. He often recommends aluminum or steel railings as alternatives to the wood commonly used by builders in his area.

Protecting Homes from Moisture 

Taras begins siding replacement by carefully removing the old cladding and inspecting the framing underneath. In western Washington’s rainy climate, this inspection can reveal moisture damage hidden behind the siding. If an older building lacks insulation, he recommends adding it before the new siding is installed. At the end of the job, he checks the siding for cracks, verifies that sealing is complete and makes sure the work area is clean and safe for the homeowner.

He uses James Hardie fiber-cement siding, made from cement and cellulose fibers, and composite decking that combines wood and plastic. Both materials resist moisture. One homeowner wanted to replace only a few cedar deck boards. After Taras explained the benefits of composite decking, the owner chose it despite the substantially higher cost.

Between June 12 and July 3, Taras renovated a garage in Bellingham under an $18,966 contract, including tax. He removed nearly 750 square feet of old siding, inspected the framing and installed five new windows and two doors. He then covered the walls with a water-resistive barrier before installing the Hardie panels.

Plans for Growth 

Taras lists the planned tasks and materials in each estimate, then gives a total price for labor and materials. He buys from wholesale suppliers and explains the quote in terms of the work required and the cost of supplies. Siding replacement typically takes two to four weeks, while deck construction takes one to two weeks.

The company now completes an average of two to three projects a month within 60 miles of Mount Vernon. Taras does most of the work himself and spends about 10 hours of his 45-hour workweek on paperwork. His tax return shows a net income of $42,646 for his first partial year in business. He aims to reach $100,000 in annual net income and take on more projects directly from homeowners.

His plans for growth focus on workmanship and service rather than a large workforce. On deck projects, he checks the existing framing, replaces rotten sections and makes sure the boards and railings are securely fastened. These checks guide the scope of the repair, whether the homeowner initially asks for a few replacement boards or a more extensive renovation.

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