
Working as a home remodeler requires meticulous planning and organization. Which is definitely not the way Elliott Pike made his way into an award-winning, home-remodeling career.
A native of the Birmingham suburb of Homewood, Pike admits he meandered a bit following his graduation from high school in 1992. OK, he meandered a lot.
Over the ensuing decade, Pike enrolled as a student at the University of Montevallo, then transferred to Auburn University where he planned to study to be a catfish farmer. But Pike quickly decided there was something kind of ick about ichthyology. So he left Auburn, worked at a restaurant in Troy, then moved into his grandparents’ old house and began farming the land. He even purchased a tractor and some cows.
That career lasted a few growing seasons before Pike returned to college, this time at Troy University, where he majored in journalism. “At that point, I just wanted to get a degree in something as fast as possible,” Pike says with a smile.
Degree in hand, Pike moved back to Birmingham and bounced around a few more jobs. He accepted a role in technical sales for a company that built telecom enclosures for cell towers. He sold residential building materials to contractors. He started his own logistics company.
Finally, a mere 13 years removed from high school, Pike began to lay a true career foundation when he went to work as a project manager for a company that specialized in remodeling apartment complexes. Sensing he had discovered a profession that he both enjoyed and could do well, Pike ventured out on his own in 2008 and formed Elm Construction.
Armed with his commercial contractor license, Pike headed down his new career path … and almost immediately veered one more time. The first project he acquired for Elm was to rebuild part of a house that had been damaged by fire, and he quickly discovered he enjoyed residential work more than commercial.
“The commercial stuff was non-emotional, which is OK. But I just loved the residential side, because you build these relationships with people,” Pike says. “I still maintain my commercial license, but I rarely use it. My work is about 98 percent residential.”
It is work that Pike apparently is doing well. He started with only one employee and now has a team of 12, including three designers. And last year, Pike was named the Remodeler of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Pike says things truly changed for him and Elm Construction when he became a member of one of the NAHB’s 20 Clubs, a group of builders and remodelers from various markets who meet twice a year to discuss issues and share experiences. It was at one of these gatherings that Pike was introduced to the design-build process of remodeling.
“That was extremely eye-opening for me,” Pike says. “When I started this company, our model was more traditional. Just come in with a notepad and tape measure and talk to the client. But that was like throwing darts blindfolded. I had a good idea about what they wanted to do, but it was hard to get it exactly right. It was rare that we dealt with clients who had a true set of specifications.
“With design-build, our designers come in and assess your needs and look at your style. We bring (subcontractors) in to look at it and give feedback about things like countertops, cabinets, light fixtures, tile, faucets. Then we start creating plans and making selections. We bring all the services under one roof, so everybody knows what everybody else is doing.”
Pike says there are three primary objectives with this approach, and that all three need to be met for a successful project.
“One, we have to be able to solve whatever the problem or issue is with the existing space,” Pike says. “Second is to be make it fit in with the rest of the house and look like it’s always been there and isn’t a renovation. Then the third piece is the budget. We haven’t had a client yet who says, ‘Just do it. I don’t care about the cost.’ If you can’t do all three of those things, you’re probably not going to have a happy customer.”
Keeping customers happy is one of Pike’s strengths, according to people who have worked with him. Alicia Vincent, a recent executive officer for the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders, says Pike has the type of personality needed to handle remodeling as compared to general homebuilding.
“Being a remodeler is a whole different realm of builder experience. It’s a totally different world than construction because of that personal side of it,” Vincent says. “Most of the time the family is still living there, so you’re disrupting their life. And it doesn’t matter how good you are, there are going to be problems and delays that cause frustrations.

“Elliott is such a great communicator. He is so careful to think about all the what-ifs and all the details to make sure that his business and his contractors are doing everything they possibly can to be professional and efficient. A remodel can be a tough thing for a homeowner to go through. Elliott understands that and takes it into strong consideration. He knows how to work through things on the front end in order for it to be successful on the back end.”
That was the experience of Karen and Steve Odle, Vestavia Hills residents who hired Elm Construction last year to remodel a bedroom, two bathrooms and a storage area, a process that took approximately three months.
“You don’t realize how many details there are in something like that, but they hold your hand along the way and make it easier,” Karen Odle says. “The thing that stood out to me was they really listened to what we wanted. That’s what made the process work so well.”
For Pike, that actually is one of the most enjoyable aspects of his job. He says he enjoys talking with clients and hearing their conception for the remodel. He will offer advice and suggestions, of course. In the end, however, Pike says he simply wants to help make their vision become a reality, no matter what that vision might be.
“We always want to encourage the owners to maintain the character of the existing space,” Pike says. “But if their dream is to have a NASCAR-themed bathroom, then you got it. If we don’t solve whatever the issue is that they have and give them what they want, then what’s the point?”
Cary Estes and Art Meripol are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the September 2024 issue of Business Alabama.