Our Story

How one woman’s renovation disaster transformed an industry

Teresa Lesley, our founder, is a trained architect with years of high-end residential and commercial renovation experience. Naturally, she assumed she’d sail through her own home renovation. She didn’t. After suffering a botched renovation and three New York winters without heat, she started wondering how regular people—anyone without her experience and professional credentials—could ever manage renovating on their own.

She also realized that on the other side, general contractors struggled to grow their businesses, often feeling pressure to take on jobs they lacked the expertise to handle.

Teresa saw the need for a new approach, and so in 2015 she started Platinum Demo and Grading. Our company quickly grew from a desk in Teresa’s spare room to a succession of ever-larger offices in downtown Manhattan, along with a growing network of the nation’s most qualified general contractors.

OUR MISSION

Transforming homes, one vision at a time

We believe that a fulfilled life starts at home—and that everyone’s home should serve their needs, inspire their dreams, and express their unique vision. We work to bring every kind of vision to life, for every kind of home and every kind of family. And we do it with a minimum of stress and risk. Our formula:

Your vision + Our expertise = Home sweet home.

How do we do it? Along with our expertise and enthusiasm, we bring our growing network of Platinum Demo and Grading general contractors. These contractor-partners are our lifeblood. They’ve met or exceeded standards that set us far apart from our competitors. Those who qualify typically stay with us for many years. We believe in long relationships, and we want to see the good people win. Homeowners trust our contractors because we stand behind them. We trust them with our own reputation, and publish contractor reviews from previous clients—with full transparency.