Steve Deubel Explains How Contractors Can Protect Their License, Reputation, and Business

Steve (00:00)
Wow. I think one of things that they need to understand is that judging from the it is in Arizona, and I’m sure it is very similar in other parts of the country, is that…

the your identity, for instance, like what happened to me. I had no clue that somebody would be able to go take your license number because in Arizona you have to, if you advertise your business on online, on any kind of documents that you have, your contracts, ⁓ anything, your ROC number has to be put on.

on that document or vehicle.

Scott Bursey (02:16)
I’m your host, Scott Bursey. And today, Pros, we are getting a serious master class in building excellence and market longevity. Our guest is Steve Deubel of Ideal Home Improvement, a pro with over 30 years of mastery. Steve brings up the fuel of time-tested quality and national-scale vision. He knows what it takes to build a business that not only lasts but dominates, whether it’s a high-end remodel or a sprawling development.

Get ready to build a bigger vision. Steve is in the house. Steve, welcome to the show.

Steve (02:49)
It’s great to be here, Scott. Thank you for having me.

Scott Bursey (02:52)
It is fantastic to have you here and for our listeners who may not be familiar with your journey, please give us the front row seat. How did your career begin and where are you putting your fuel now?

Steve (03:04)
Well, my career actually began when I moved to Arizona back in 1989. But in 91, I saw that there was a definite need for quality craftsmanship and home improvements that people just, a lot of people don’t have the skills for.

You know, and, ⁓ even if they watch something online, you know, like today, everybody’s watching YouTube. Well, I go on YouTube and figure it out. But a lot of times there were people that put videos on YouTube that really have no clue what they’re doing. And so it’s like, they are, they’re trying to show people. think they’re just on there just because they want to hear themselves speak and see themselves on, you know, on the channel. But, ⁓

I started my business, a handyman business, but in 98 I became a general contractor. People asked me to do bigger and better things because the quality of work that I did. And throughout the years it grew. In 2005, I wanted to give back to the community here in Arizona because of all the people that had helped me along the way. back in the day, I was a mobile DJ.

So ⁓ speaking in front of crowds and stuff like that, getting people motivated was just a natural thing. So I started giving back, started doing my own radio show on home improvement.

which led to people noticing me on local TV. I was a DIY expert on Sonora living here in Phoenix when I started doing my TV career, which I had never thought I would get on TV. All I wanted to do was a radio show. But at that point, I said, all bets are off and not thinking of any limitations. However, God leads me, I’m going to go. And we’re going to take it, help as many people as we can. So over the years,

You know, we kept getting bigger and better.

One thing that a lot of people that in your audience probably don’t know about me, my business identity was stolen in 2020. And I went through about…

two, two and a half years of, of hell. There’s no other way to explain it. And, ⁓ I stopped doing my radio show at the time because I had to focus on, you know, saving my credibility because I was blamed for something that I had nothing to do with. And, ⁓ but I did get through that and then started rebuilding, which was a tough thing to do because, know, when you were, you know, 10, 15 years at that point on

building a business and you having credibility in a community and something like that happens, it takes time and effort. A lot of people probably would have given up, but you know, I have a good saying about that when people mentioned that to me, I said, you can’t keep a good New Yorker down, even if they live in Arizona. So, now we’ve gotten to be, you know, doing the same things that we were doing before and bigger and better things. We’re doing more media work. ⁓

dealing with a lot of groups and high-end interior designers that need actual help with their clients and being able to guide them through the journey of a remodel.

Scott Bursey (07:16)
Steve, what an incredible journey. You your resilience, the never give up attitude. That is awesome. And what really caught my attention about you was the way that you’ve been able to successfully translate, you know, over 30 years of hands-on experience into expertise.

Steve (07:38)
Yeah, mean, like I said, it’s ⁓ the focus and the passion, think that’s what kept me going even through those rough years. ⁓ But don’t get me wrong, without my friends, family, and my faith in God, ⁓ we wouldn’t have gotten through it. Because everybody was there for me when I went through it. they know that. ⁓

that where my heart is at and where I am trying to help customers. that says a lot about ⁓ my friends. actually ⁓ gave me a lot of courage to rebuild. like I said, a lot of people probably wouldn’t have even tried it because they just would have drifted off into the sunset. I always said, when it comes time for me to move on, ⁓ I’ll be kicking and screaming.

Scott Bursey (08:37)
You take that service first approach. When it comes to networks and relationships, what’s made the biggest difference for you?

Steve (08:47)
I think it’s good because I enjoy putting smiles on people’s faces and creating their dream. That’s why I think it stemmed from when I used to DJ. I thoroughly enjoyed creating an environment that people were enjoying themselves and having a good time and being the guiding light through all of that. And I think I carried that.

that passion over into my remodeling because it’s so important to be able to build that trust with the customer from the moment you walk through their door and show them that you are really interested in what they want to do. They’re not just there to create something, you know, but there’s a lot of contractors will go in and I hear horror stories all the time where they go in and, you know, the customer tells them what they want to do.

And then all of a sudden, know, the contractor has got a different vision and he’s focused on that. He’s not listening to the people, you know, and I think that’s where it comes. You have to be good listener and really understand what the customer wants, even if it differentiates from what you think they should do, because it’s their home.

Scott Bursey (10:40)
Steve, after 30 years, what’s the one non-negotiable standard your company, Ideal Home Improvement, still maintains on every single project?

Steve (10:52)
I think probably one of the biggest things to do besides the quality of work is communication. think communication is key to any successful project, no matter how big or small. I said, because ⁓ there are so many things, like when I went through this bad time, one of the people that ⁓ contacted me who was involved with this gentleman who stole my identity,

⁓ he had left her hanging for like nine months without a kitchen and communication was few and far between and, and they were very distraught and you see that all the time. And I always made a point of it, whether it be phone call, text, email, or whatever, the homeowner should be kept apprised of where you are in the process of what you’re doing. And I think that goes along with the service of actually doing the project.

And it’s so important. So ⁓ it’s a multifaceted thing. I always believe that it was a privilege to go into somebody’s home and create their dream. You know, not everybody’s going to do that. And then the one important thing that I always tell everybody, well, you know, what about people that have pets? How do you deal with how do you deal with people with pets? Well, first thing you do when you meet them, you make friends with the dog.

That’s the first thing you do. Cause there are a lot of people in the homeowner see that you are compassionate and caring that, you know, and I always tell people, no matter if they’ve had to have animals, I’m like, okay, we’re going to do this today. Um, do you, what are we going to do with your pet? You’re going to keep him, you know, are we going to keep him in another part of the house? So he doesn’t interfere. Cause the last thing I want to do is.

see a dork or even a cat run away, you know, because obviously they are doing a remodel because I feel responsible. So I always make sure that all those bases are covered with the homeowner. And I think I think the homeowners appreciate that.

Scott Bursey (12:58)
And that was a really good example, Steve. know, quality, control, communication, that’s all so essential.

Steve (13:10)
Yeah, absolutely. totally, totally agree with you. And I think I wish more contractors, not just in Arizona, but probably throughout the country would, would have those same, ⁓ follow those same guidelines. think they would all be much more credible and we wouldn’t have to fight the stigma sometimes that contractors have that, you know, they are, they are banned contractors. Unfortunately, there are.

Scott Bursey (13:38)
For a company focused on quality, what is the biggest challenge in finding and retaining truly skilled trade labor right now?

Steve (13:49)
You know, it’s hard only because you can, ⁓ a lot of people they need help is one thing. Whether or not you want to find somebody that’s skilled that you could add to your team, ⁓ sometime that is a challenge because you can’t vet them ⁓ completely. And you know, all you could do is ⁓ use your best judgment.

to be able to see what they do. I think I’ve worked on that and had good results with that because a lot of the stuff I had, I could do hands-on and have them there with me and I could see physically what they’re doing and how they’re doing it and the care that’s involved.

see, you know, see and hear what their experience is. So I think it’s, it’s a, it’s just over time, but you just can’t go, you know, find anybody that you may find on, on eBay or next door or whatever that’s looking for work. They could be the best, best helper you ever had, but you have to do your proper vettings because at the end of the day, my name is on the line.

So anybody that I bring in, whether it be a person that works with me or even a subcontractor.

And, you know, one of the things that I always told people, said, when they asked me, well, how good is, how good are your subcontractors? said, well, for the most part, they are the best because I, a lot of them were sponsors on my TV and radio shows. So I wouldn’t have them as a sponsor if I couldn’t fully vouch for them. So, yes, they’re always good, but it is a challenge.

Scott Bursey (16:20)
What building ⁓ innovation or regulatory shift do you see as the biggest opportunity for builders over, let’s say, the next five years,

Steve (16:32)
Wow. well, there’s a lot of different things, you know, a lot of people are downsizing, uh, they’re getting into, uh, one thing that I see that I’m connected with a lot is people are interested in doing, uh, ADU’s accessory dwelling units and putting that secondary dwelling unit on their property. And only about two and a half, three years ago did, uh,

Arizona and the city of Phoenix and the surrounding cities around Phoenix allow you to do and put a secondary dwelling on your property. So this way, you know, you could have a place for, you know, grandma, grandpa.

or aunt and uncle on their property if they so choose or they put an AD on their property if they’re in an area like here in Phoenix where we have a lot of different you know national things come through you know the waste management Phoenix open a lot of the other things where people come in they’re looking for something and that they made it to a VRBO and ⁓ so they could use it for you know ⁓ secondary income.

or as they say, could be their side hustle. So I think that’s a challenge. People are looking to do that. ⁓ In the luxury side of it, people are looking, know, Phoenix is sprawling out, you know, I mean, it takes a while to go from the Far East side to the Far West side and much like Los Angeles, it’s spread out. So ⁓

material, I think in the next five years, you’re going to see an improvement in different types of materials. We’ve seen that not just in roofing, insulation, ⁓ anything to see homes built more sustainable. That’s the one thing that we cover in our podcast Boxcar Universe is sustainable lifestyle living. And one of those things that can be done is obviously is a big thing that I’m involved with is container homes.

You know, so I think that’s one of the things that is a growing trend.

Scott Bursey (18:46)
That’s really fascinating. Walk us down that path with container homes.

Steve (18:52)
Well, you know, got interested in container homes several years ago. A friend of mine was an interior designer and she was interested in it. And ⁓ for the most part, for all, all the viewers and your audience, have, you know, we’re flooded with thousands of shipping containers that come over from.

you know, from China and Asia and all other parts of the world, when they get here and they’re emptied, you know, we don’t send them back because they’re empty. A lot of them, they just go to a landfill or they go somewhere and they’re not used. Now, I think it was back in the eighties, if my memory serves me right, they started using and modifying containers for

living areas and we’ve used shipping containers in military for years and years and years before that. But people started using containers for living and there are lot of different things that have to be done with it. They have to be re-engineered because you just can’t cut.

the steel open and just throw up some studs and a drywall and whatever else. It has to be much like a home. has to be engineered properly. If you cut windows and doors in, they have to be properly engineered. So you have support mechanisms to put windows and doors. Once you get past that, it’s just like doing ⁓ a building a home. Plumbing, electrical, insulation, know, HVAC.

One of the things that we do in in in container homes, we use mini splits for heating and air conditioning, which is a great economical way to be able to cool and heat the container. We could put multiple containers together, build larger container homes. One of my missions and I hope

someone in your audience will hear me because I would love to talk to them about it is that one of the people, the missions that I have, I want to be able to build a container home community for homeless veterans. And not just here in Phoenix, but all over the country, you know, because I think it’s, there’s no reason that you should go to drive on the street every day and you see somebody standing on the corner. If you could believe the sign that says, I’m a vet, please help.

I mean, they gave up their lives for their country. They should not come home and be homeless. And we should do everything we can to help them. And that’s one of the things that I want to do with what we’re doing. But container homes is great. mean, we also, along with the container homes, I have a friend of mine who actually is in Las Vegas who builds container pools, which is a very unique way to be able to do it. And you could have a container pool.

put on your property with the proper infrastructure put down. They build it, they come, they drop it in place and they hook it all up and then I could build a deck around it. And then if you decide to move, just pick it up and take it with you. So it’s not stuck in the ground like if you do a regular pool, but it’s a unique way of having, you know, a pool on your property. And it’s a great discussion point with your neighbors.

Scott Bursey (22:16)
while Steve talk about being resourceful and contributing to society. That is just remarkable.

Steve (22:25)
Well, thank you. I truly believe that ⁓ I want to be able to help as many people as we can in whatever way I can.

Scott Bursey (22:36)
What is the biggest threat to the reputation of America’s best builder that the average contractor is currently blind to?

Steve (22:47)
Wow. I think one of things that they need to understand is that judging from the it is in Arizona, and I’m sure it is very similar in other parts of the country, is that…

the your identity, for instance, like what happened to me. I had no clue that somebody would be able to go take your license number because in Arizona you have to, if you advertise your business on online, on any kind of documents that you have, your contracts, ⁓ anything, your ROC number has to be put on.

on that document or vehicle.

Anybody could walk up and I’ve heard horror stories when this happened to me where they go up and they find they find out that someone I mean I talked to one guy several years ago he took his number opened up a storefront and he created some different things that ⁓ that caused people to

file complaints with the registrar contractors and then all of a sudden the actual business owner finds out about it and he’s blindsided by it. So I think guarding your license is so, so very important to make sure that ⁓ no one’s out there. You could check with the state of Arizona to find out if there are any projects going on that have permits.

that have your license number on it that you did not contract and you could check on that. And I urge everybody, whatever state you’re in, listening to to make sure that you guard your license, you know, with every ounce of energy that you have because that is your lifeline. Because I remember when I got blamed.

for what this guy did, okay? And they took my license away for a period of time. It’s devastating. It’s just devastating. So you don’t know how important that is. And I think that’s something that every contractor should be very well aware of.

Scott Bursey (25:02)
Thank you for highlighting that, Steve. And if someone’s listening to this and they’re thinking, Hey, this is someone that I like to learn from. What would you like them to know first about your business?

Steve (25:14)
Well, I think what I would urge everybody to do if they’d like to know more about my business, you could go and check out our website, which is idealhomeimprovementaz.com. You could see the projects that we do, some of the things that we’re connected with as far as our podcast.

⁓ box car universe, could go to boxcaruniverse.com. could learn more about container homes and listen to all the podcasts that we’ve done. ⁓ I’ve got, you know, many, many years of just, I went after I.

regained my footing after my identity was stolen. That’s when I restarted my radio show, but as Boxcar Universe. But before that, with my old company, the Image Home Improvement Show and Image Home Improvement, the contractor, that was all from 2005 to about 2020. So all that can be found on there and see exactly what I do. And ⁓ if anybody’s interested in seeing the journey of

how I started, all these different things that I said that I have gone to. You can always go to Legacy Makers TV and, ⁓

search Steve Deubel and you will see the documentary that was filmed outlining my story, what I did, how I got through it. And I wanted to do it for a lot of different reasons, but I hope that it was an inspiration for people that when something bad happens to them, that they are able to, you know, dust themselves off, get back on a horse, so to speak, and move on and be better than you were before.

Scott Bursey (27:05)
Awesome, Steve. Thank you for that. And you’ve given us so much great advice today. Is there any additional golden nuggets that you can leave with our listeners?

Steve (27:17)
I would say for all our listeners that are actually homeowners or business owners, make sure that if you are going to hire somebody ⁓ to do work in your home, make sure you fully vet them, make sure they’re license bonded and insured. ⁓

references from people if somebody if you’re to do something that’s really serious, you know a complete home remodel which we’ve done many many throughout the years. ⁓ You want to make sure that somebody is doing the work correctly and somebody who’s got a track record. So don’t just hire somebody who is maybe the cheapest because as we all know the cheapest is not the best.

Okay. And as long as someone knows what they’re doing and you don’t forget, you’re not paying just for the job to be done.

but you’re paying for the knowledge and the experience of the person that’s guiding you through this journey. And I think that’s the most important thing to make sure. And obviously, if you’re in the Phoenix area and you’re listening to me, I would surely love for you to reach out to me and we could surely take a look at your project and we could see what we could do. And as we like to say, take your home from ordinary to extraordinary.

Scott Bursey (28:38)
Absolutely. And you’re spot on with that, Steve. Now you’ve illustrated your website. Is there any other means that our listeners, our pros can contact you?

Steve (28:50)
Yes, you can always contact me through my contact submission form on idealhomeimprovementaz.com. You could always ⁓ email me at [email protected] or you could reach me by phone, you know, hopefully people are still making phone calls because you get text messages and phone calls all the time. But yeah, we do accept text messages, phone calls at 602-332-6203. ⁓

Scott Bursey (29:25)
Steve, thank you so much for being on the show today.

Steve (29:29)
I appreciate you taking time and it’s great to share my experience with all your viewers and ⁓ hope I’ve been an inspiration to them.

Scott Bursey (29:40)
And to our listeners, we appreciate you. If you got value from today’s episode, please subscribe. We’ve got a lineup of exceptional guests, just like Stephen, who are making huge moves in the market. Until next time, keep your standards high and your vision clear. We’ll see you on the next episode, everyone.