Frequently Asked Questions

What areas does Beck & Call Home Services serve?
Beck & Call Home Services serves the Roanoke Valley in southwest Virginia, including Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, Cave Spring, Hollins, Fincastle, Troutville, Daleville, Blue Ridge, Bonsack, and the surrounding areas of Roanoke County, Botetourt County, Bedford County, and Franklin County. If you are near the edge of that area, call and ask. We will tell you straight whether we can get to you.

Do you serve Salem, Vinton, and Roanoke County?
Yes. Beck & Call Home Services works throughout Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, and all of Roanoke County, along with Botetourt, Bedford, and Franklin Counties.

Do you travel to Botetourt County and Bedford County?
Yes. Beck & Call Home Services regularly works in Fincastle, Troutville, Daleville, Blue Ridge, and throughout Botetourt and Bedford Counties. There is no additional travel charge inside our standard service area.

What kind of work does Beck & Call Home Services do?

Beck & Call Home Services handles home repairs, updates, and aging-in-place safety work throughout the Roanoke Valley. Common projects include decks and porches, doors that no longer close or lock properly, trim and carpentry, new doors, vanities and fixtures, lighting, flooring, painting, loose railings and steps, and mounting and hanging.
 

Aging-in-place safety is where we shine. Our goal is to help you and the people you love stay safely in the home you love. That means grab bars, railings, ramps and step-free entries, safer bathrooms, stair safety, doorway widening, and improved lighting, all led by a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist.
 

Can you update my bathroom or kitchen?

Yes! Beck & Call Home Services handles vanities, fixtures, lighting, flooring, new doors, trim and carpentry, painting, and hardware. If you want a bathroom or kitchen that looks and works better without a full gut, that is squarely what we do. Tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a straight answer about what it takes.

Does Beck & Call do remodeling or renovations?

Beck & Call Home Services does not take on large-scale remodels, renovations, or additions. Plenty of what people call remodeling is well within our range, though, including bathroom and kitchen updates. Describe your project and we will tell you honestly whether it is a good fit, and point you elsewhere if it is not.

What is the smallest job Beck & Call will take?
Beck & Call Home Services has a $175 minimum. Small jobs are welcome, and most customers have several things on a list, and it is usually worth having us take care of all of them in one visit rather than calling back separately.

What does aging in place mean?
Aging in place means staying in your own home safely as you get older, instead of moving to assisted living or a care facility. In practice it usually means making changes to the house, such as bathroom safety, entry access, stairs, and lighting, so the home keeps working for the person living in it. Most of it is smaller and less expensive than people expect, and none of it has to make a house look like a hospital.

What is a CAPS certification?
CAPS stands for Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, a credential from the National Association of Home Builders for contractors trained in home modifications that help older adults live independently. It covers the mobility, vision, strength, and balance changes that come with age, and how to design and place modifications around them. Beck & Call Home Services is proud to be one of the few contractors in the Roanoke area with a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist on staff.

Why is the bathroom the most important room for seniors?
Because bathing and using the toilet are the two daily activities no one can do for you. Someone can help in the bathroom, but they cannot do it in your place, so when the bathroom stops working, independent living usually stops with it. It is also where falls happen: hard surfaces, water, low light, and getting in and out of a tub. That is why Beck & Call treats the bathroom as the first room to address.

What bathroom modifications help seniors stay in their home?
The most effective bathroom modifications are grab bars at the shower entry, along the shower wall, and beside the toilet; a fold-down shower seat; slip-resistant flooring; a lever door handle; and better lighting. Two more are commonly missed: reversing the bathroom door so it opens outward, so a fall inside does not block the door, and removing the threshold at the doorway. Larger projects include a comfort-height toilet, a handheld shower, and converting a tub to a low-threshold shower.

How much does grab bar installation cost?
Grab bar installation in the Roanoke Valley generally depends on how many bars are needed and what is behind the wall. A single bar into an existing stud is straightforward. A bar placed where the person actually needs it often requires opening the wall to add solid blocking. Most customers are better served by a package of three or four bars placed together than by adding one at a time. Beck & Call Home Services will walk the bathroom and give you a written estimate before any work starts.

Can grab bars be installed in any bathroom?
Almost always, yes. But doing it correctly often means more than screwing a bar to the wall. A grab bar has to be anchored to a stud or to blocking installed behind the wall, and it needs to hold at least 250 pounds. Bars mounted into drywall with the hardware that came in the box can pull out under real weight, which is more dangerous than having no bar at all, because the person has already committed their weight to it.

Where should grab bars be placed in a shower?
Grab bar placement depends on the person: their height, which side is stronger, and how they get in and out. Generally that means a vertical bar at the shower entry for stepping in, a horizontal bar along the long wall for standing support, and one beside the toilet for sitting and standing. Placing bars where they look tidy rather than where the person actually reaches is the most common mistake, and it is the reason Beck & Call walks the bathroom with the person who will be using it.

Does Medicare pay for home modifications like grab bars or ramps?
Medicare generally does not cover home modifications such as grab bars, ramps, or bathroom remodeling, because it treats them as home improvements rather than medical equipment. Most families pay out of pocket. Other programs sometimes help, depending on the situation: state Medicaid waiver programs, veterans' benefits, and local Area Agency on Aging services. Your local Area Agency on Aging is the best starting point, since eligibility varies. Beck & Call Home Services does not administer or apply for these programs, but we are glad to provide a written estimate if one is required for an application.

My parent is at risk of falling at home. Where should I start?
Start with the bathroom, then the entry, then the stairs, in that order. The bathroom carries the highest fall risk and the biggest consequence for independence, and it is usually the cheapest to address. If you are not sure what is needed, a walkthrough with a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist will identify the real hazards and put them in priority order, so you are not guessing or spending money on the wrong things first. Beck & Call Home Services offers this in the Roanoke Valley.

Will safety modifications make the house look like a hospital?
No. Modern grab bars, railings, and shower seats come in finishes that match normal bathroom hardware, and many double as towel bars or shelves. Done well, most visitors will not identify them as safety equipment. This matters more than people expect. The fear that a house will start looking institutional is one of the main reasons safety work gets put off until after a fall.

Can you install safety equipment for someone coming home from the hospital?
Yes. Beck & Call Home Services regularly works on short notice for families preparing a home for a discharge. Tell us the discharge date when you call and we will tell you honestly what can be finished in time. Grab bars, a shower seat, a railing, and a threshold ramp can usually be done in a single visit.

How do I get an estimate from Beck & Call Home Services?
Call Beck & Call Home Services at (540) 632-1483 or submit a request through our website. For many smaller repairs we can estimate from photos and a description without a visit. Larger or more complex jobs get an in-person walkthrough.

Are estimates free?
Estimates are usually free. Occasionally a job needs a deeper assessment before we can tell you what the work involves, and in those cases we charge our minimum for the visit and credit it back against your final invoice once the work is done.

That usually applies when simply reaching the problem takes real effort, such as ladder access, getting up on a roof, or going into a crawlspace.

How quickly can you come out?
If your project needs an in-person walkthrough, we will coordinate with you to get a specific day and time on the calendar, usually within a few days of your first call. If your need is urgent, let us know! We will do our best to accommodate it, and if we cannot, we will say so clearly rather than leaving you waiting.
 

When can you get to my project?

It depends on how much we have booked, the nature of the work, and whether any materials need to be special ordered. Once your estimate is approved, we stay in contact with you until the work is on the calendar with a firm date. If your need is urgent, call us and we will be straightforward about whether we can help in the time frame you need.

Is Beck & Call Home Services licensed and insured?
Yes. Beck & Call Home Services holds Virginia Class B Home Improvement Contractor license #2705182813 and carries general liability insurance. A certificate of insurance is available on request.

Do you use subcontractors or your own crew?

Beck & Call Home Services performs most repair and aging-in-place work with our own in-house crew. For work that calls for specific trade expertise, we bring in trusted trade partners so the job is done by the person best equipped to do it well.

When a trade partner is doing the work, Joshua meets them at your home on the first day, introduces them, and gets the job started.
 

Do you require a deposit?

New customers are required to pay a deposit to reserve their place on our schedule. For returning customers, a deposit is only needed when materials or trade partner costs make up a significant part of the job. A deposit protects both sides. It holds your spot on the calendar, and it tells us the project is ready to move forward so we are not holding time that could go to someone else.
 

How do I pay?

We accept cash, check, credit, and debit cards. The deposit is due before the work is scheduled, and the balance is due when the work is complete. For residential jobs, we collect the final payment on site the day we finish.
 

Do you warranty your work?

Yes. Beck & Call Home Services warranties our workmanship for one year from the date work is completed. If something we installed or repaired fails, tell us and we will come back and make it right. The warranty covers our workmanship. It does not cover manufacturer defects, normal wear and tear, or damage from other causes, and some specialty work carries different terms. Our full terms are in our contractor agreement.
 

What are your hours?

Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 3:00pm, and we perform work Monday through Friday during business hours. We do not typically schedule evening or weekend work. If you reach out after hours about a new project, you will still get a real person rather than a voicemail box.​