Jack Dever, of Dever Design & Build, nails the perfect remodel

By Patricia Nugent

Jack Dever likes to say that sawdust runs through his veins.

With his father in the construction field, he grew up loving every aspect of it, from planning to designing and building. After Jack attended Cleveland State University, he worked in the corporate world for a few years, but the tug of nails and studs, hardhats and blueprints brought him back.

“It started out slowly, I would buy a property here and there and renovate it to sell, then people would see my work and ask me to do the same for their home,” he recalls. “Before I knew it, I was transitioning to a full-time builder and left the corporate world behind to found Dever Design & Build. When I started the company, I took an unwritten oath that I am 100% responsible for my clients’ happiness while they’re in my care. Thirty years later and I’m fortunate to still be doing what I love.”

How Jack Differs from Others
“You often hear the horror story of someone who hires a contractor, then he doesn’t show up to work and they have no way of contacting him,” says Jack. “That’s the antithesis of how I run my business. I show up at the job site personally every day. I’m the only person a client will deal with. The people on my team work together seamlessly and have all been in this business for decades.”

Judging by the five-star reviews, Jack’s approach is working.

“I appreciate what a significant investment home remodeling can mean for a family, with a complete kitchen renovation costing in the $50,000 ballpark,” he says.

Stuck in the ‘80s
Like many home improvement projects, Amy Bloomberg’s South Euclid first-floor renovation in 2018 began with just wanting new flooring and snowballed from there.

“My kitchen was stuck in the 1980s, with white square tile flooring and white Formica countertops,” she says. “Once we got into the nuts and bolts of the design, Jack came up with the idea of knocking down the wall to the formal dining room to add more space. What we gained helped us create a large island with seating for four, and another wall of counterspace and special illuminated cabinetry with glass doors to showcase prints that are meaningful to us.”

Selecting leathered black granite countertops with a subtle matte texture added an interesting element juxtaposed against the sleek white cabinets. And installing a sliding barn door that leads to the basement created a rustic element while saving space.

A Commercial Undertaking with All the Comforts of Home
Even though most of Jack’s work is residential, he does commercial projects when the right one comes his way. Two years ago, the owners of McMahon, Coyne & Vitantonio Funeral Home on Center Street in Mentor reached out to him because they were interested in transforming their 1970s building into an elegant and homey place of business.

“Their goal was to make it more spacious, functional and beautiful, both internally and externally,” says Jack. “They wanted to take the setting from dark and dreary to light and welcoming.”

From a functionality standpoint, they plan to enlarge the bathrooms and make them more wheelchair accessible, expand the office and meeting room, and create a kitchen/family gathering area where food can be served.

“We plan to give them a warm and inviting feeling by adding light and introducing distinctive touches like crown molding and white-on-white wainscoting that you’d find in a fine family home,” he adds.

Dever Design & Build is headquartered at 9898 W. Alpine Drive in Willoughby. Call 440-477-2338 or visit DeverDesignAndBuild.com for more information. Go to MimiVanderhaven.com to see more photos and updates on the funeral home renovation.