Finding Time Contracting turns 25 in style with new offices

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

January 26, 2026

SHERWOOD – Sometimes the next big step is just a few feet away.

Husband-and-wife team, Troy and Molly Mueller, said that’s true for Finding Time Contracting, LLC, which recently opened its new office just across the street.

The new building – located at N8263 Pigeon Road in Sherwood – the couple said, was specifically designed to accommodate the company’s continued growth.

The new digs

Though the move may have been just across the street, Molly said for Finding Time, it represented much more. 

After operating for years in their former location, she said opening the new office marked a milestone moment for the company.

“It changes the feel of everything,” she said. “We had seven people in an open concept office before, now they all have an office and a meeting space. The adjustment has already been far less stressful in the last couple of months.”

Troy says the decision to build a new facility was driven by growth.

The open-concept layout, he said, was no longer working, the team needed room to expand and the company had outgrown its space – with vehicles and equipment spilling outside.

Since the move, Troy said they’ve been able to add more office staff, giving everyone their own workspace.

As for the company vehicles, Troy said they are now all housed inside a heated shop, allowing the team to load and unload them without being exposed to the elements.

“We’re not wasting time scraping frost off windows, and the batteries aren’t in the freezing cold,” he said. “Those may seem like little things, but they’re actually big things because in the long term, they save time and money. So, when we decided to build, it was about what we needed for both office employees and shop space.”

Troy said construction on the new building began at the end of May 2025, and by early November, Finding Time had moved in and begun full operations.

A 25-year history

Troy and Molly said they started Finding Time Contracting 25 years ago, beginning with small repairs and maintenance projects.

Troy, driven by a desire to be his own boss and a passion for serving customers, said he found entrepreneurship to be a natural fit – especially for the variety it offers, with no two days ever the same.

“In my previous career as a maintenance manager at a nursing home and assisted living complex, I got an opportunity to learn all sorts of things,” he said. “We did [everything from] mechanical repairs, to renovations, to customer service for the elderly. I interacted with their family members and built relationships.”

That experience, Troy said, served as the foundation for launching Finding Time.

What started as small repairs, he said, eventually grew into larger projects like bathroom remodels, kitchen renovations and full basement build-outs. 

Drawn by the sense of adventure and the opportunities he wanted to create in his life, Troy said he always knew he wanted to be his own boss.

“For me to accomplish that, I knew I needed to build a team around me who could support the business, and carry the vision forward,” he said. “I don’t need 50-100 employees to do that. We’re currently in the sweet spot, and all of our employees are amazing.”

The early days of Finding Time, Molly said, consisted of nothing more than Troy, a tool bag and a trusty truck.

“When Troy was just starting out, he declared that in five years he was going to have another truck and trailer on the road,” she said. “He’s done that multiple times since. Every time we come to a new threshold in our business, we’ve been intentional with our decision-making, and we’ve gotten bigger and better.”

As the business grew, the Muellers said they focused on sharpening their leadership skills while surrounding themselves with a talented, dedicated team.

Though the now-team of 16 still takes on small jobs, Troy said bigger projects now dominate most of Finding Time’s schedule. 

From home additions and structural modifications to new construction and full-scale remodels, he said the company’s work has expanded dramatically.

The business, Troy said, “just snowballed” over the years – and it shows no signs of slowing down.

“I’ll tell you, there isn’t one of those projects over the years that I dislike, because they’re all so unique in themselves,” he said.

One day, project at a time

The Muellers said the remodeling industry is full of surprises.

To succeed, Molly said it takes confidence, experience and a strong team to face whatever challenges arise and handle them head-on.

Some builders, she said, avoid additions or remodels altogether, not wanting the headaches that come with modifying an existing structure.

“We have a lot of builders in the Valley that refer their clients to us, which I think is a neat relationship to have,” she said. “They trust us with their customers’ homes, and that speaks volumes.”

 As a full-service general contractor, Troy said Finding Time Contracting guides clients through every phase of a project from start to finish. 

From estimating and design to scheduling, on-site work and coordinating subcontractors, he said the Finding Time team manages every detail.

Though the company’s crews handle many aspects of each project, Troy said specialized trades such as plumbing, electrical, masonry and HVAC are subcontracted to trusted experts – ensuring every detail is done right.

Currently, he said, Finding Time works with about 35 specialized subcontractors.

“General contracting typically is a turn-key business,” he said. “How you get there depends on the scope of work. I have some jobs that our own crew never sees, and I have others where they do it all. It just depends on what the job requires.”

From the client’s perspective, Molly said the general contractor serves as a single point of contact – and that’s by design.

“If somebody were to try and run a remodel on their own, they are responsible for finding and scheduling their own plumbers, electricians, drywallers, painters, etc. and trying to match all those schedules, and get all those moving parts to match up,” she said. “That’s what we specialize in. We manage schedules, budgets and trades and handle all the unforeseen things that come up along the way. This allows the customers to relax and have a level of comfort with the whole project.”

Finding Time, Molly said, provides extremely detailed estimates, leaving little room for questions.

Expectations, selections and the full scope of work, she said, are clearly outlined in writing.

If anything arises during the project, Molly said Finding Time is there to manage it.

The Muellers said what truly sets them apart in the industry is their commitment to integrity and customer service.

“We treat every home as if it’s our own,” Troy said. “Every day, we leave the homes better than they were when we got there. That extends to everyone on our team and subcontractors who, even though they are not direct employees, represent us and our mission.”

Troy said the entire Finding Time team understands that inviting contractors into your home is a vulnerable experience.

With the rise of remote work and homeschooling, he said their team often works around homeowners who are balancing jobs, school and daily life within the same space.

“We are in people’s homes every day, and we’re working around their family and work schedule,” he said. “I think we do a great job of walking them through that.”

Troy and Molly said it all comes down to communication – from educating clients to clearly setting expectations.

It’s an area, Molly said, where the entire Finding Time team excels.

“The more detail we have in the contract, the better it is for everyone, so there’s no confusion,” she said. “It also helps clarify the numbers behind the project, so it’s not just a lump sum estimate – it’s broken down line by line, so the customer knows exactly how the money is allocated, and they can adjust as needed.”

Growth in business, industry

In their 25 years in business, the Muellers said they’ve seen plenty of change.

Despite the ups and downs of the economy, Troy said the business continued to grow.

Trends like social media and DIY television shows, Molly said, have also shaped the remodeling industry over the years.

“Things like Houzz, Pinterest and HGTV give people these ideas about what they would like to have in their homes,” she said. “The real challenge is often helping the customer identify what their vision is, as it relates to their budget. People often have no concept of what these kinds of upgrades can cost. In some ways, these things give people unrealistic expectations. When we’re estimating jobs, it’s really an educational process.”

Part of their job as general contractors, the Muellers said, is helping customers understand how choices – like granite countertops, tile showers or high-end fixtures – can significantly impact the cost of a project.

Setting realistic expectations from the very beginning, Troy said, is essential.

“Some of the things people find on social media and TV are really expensive to do,” he said. “The pain point comes when a customer might just see the finished work and think it’s as easy as ‘one, two, three’ – but they don’t realize it’s all the things that need to be done to get to that point. When estimating in situations like that, it can be frustrating for our staff and the customer.”

Regardless, Molly said one principle they never compromise on is cutting corners to meet a budget.

“If a customer is asking us to do something the cheapest way possible, and we know that’s going to haunt them later, we won’t do it,” she said. “We will certainly educate along the way, and we’re respectful about it, but we won’t put our name on something that we can’t stand behind, and our reputation supersedes all of it.”

Staying ahead of the game, Troy said, requires more than just good planning – it also means managing product availability.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the supply chain has mostly recovered, but with vendors stocking less than before, the team has to order strategically to keep projects on schedule.

Molly said the team has adjusted their processes to accommodate longer lead times – keeping projects on track. 

Internally, she said technology has reshaped their business over the last 25 years, turning tedious tasks into streamlined operations and allowing them to deliver a better experience for clients

“We have a customer portal that shows the project calendar, invoices and all things related to that project in real time,” she said. “Customers can also message us through the portal. A lot of our customers are traveling when we’re doing their project, so they can track progress by the daily photos we upload. It is a very transparent process that customers seem to appreciate.”

The future

From the beginning, Troy said his goal was to create a business that was both well-known and respected in the Greater Fox Valley area.

He said he feels that vision has been realized, as he continues to pursue excellence as the region’s premier remodeler.

Looking to the future, the Muellers said they anticipate more growth – whether through additional office space, new team members or expanded projects – and hope to eventually step back from daily operations and let the business run independently.

“With the staff I have, once I feel everyone is up to speed, I will be able to focus on the things I enjoy,” Troy said. “I’ll still be involved but not have a foot in every department. For me, my perfect day is in my truck, checking on my jobs, touching base with the customers and being around to boost the morale of my crews. That’s where I want to be next.”

Learn more about Finding Time Contracting at findingtimecontracting.com.