BORN AS A HUMBLE TWO-MAN OPERATION BETWEEN BROTHERS, THIS 30-YEARSTRONG CONTRACTING FIRM HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE BOROUGH’S MOST TRUSTED SOURCES FOR SUPERIOR HOME RENOVATIONS

BY ERIK SCHONING • PHOTOS BY ALEX BARRETO AND AMANDA DOMENECH

In 1996, Jeff Troost was at a crossroads. He had a college degree in architecture, but for years he had been performing side home improvement jobs for friends and family, and he felt increasingly pulled in that direction. He observed a lack of experienced, trustworthy contractors around Staten Island and knew it was time to launch his own contracting business. It would be a small operation at first a single van based out of his parents’ house and he called the one person crazy enough to jump on board: his brother.

“I said, ‘Scot, I have a proposition,’” Jeff Troost recalled. “He had to think about it long and hard. He was living in Connecticut at the time and would have to relocate back to Staten Island, leaving his fiancée behind temporarily to move back into our parents’ house. But after a week or so, he got back to me he was on board.”

Since those humble beginnings, Troost Bros. has become one of Staten Island’s premier remodeling companies. As the company approaches 30 years in business, they’ve completed around 4,500 projects for homeowners across Staten Island and in neighboring boroughs. What began as a small, homegrown partnership between brothers has become a sweeping, full-scare operation.

“Most people I’ve met who have tried to go into business with a sibling have failed,” Troost said. “We have different personalities, but every day we meet in the conference room. And yes, sometimes we butt heads a little bit [laughs], but it’s not that often. We work well together. We have a good relationship.”

Over time, a natural splitting of responsibilities emerged, and today Jeff oversees marketing, scheduling, advertising, contracts, and estimations, while Scot manages projects out in the field, working directly with employees, subcontractors, and ultimately the homeowners. Any new client first meets with Jeff; once a project is ready to go, Scot steps in. It’s a seamless handoff that ensures a personal touch from ownership at every stage of the process.

Even the indirect route the brothers took to enter the renovation business has proven to be a strength. Drawing on his experience as a draftsman during his tenure in architecture, Jeff is a master at reading blueprints, a skill that is surprisingly rare in his field. He is also deeply versed in topographical site maps, mechanical drawings, and structural engineering. Scot, for his part, had worked as a jewelry designer and brings an eye for detail that is absolutely necessary in project management.

Success in this business is never happenstance. Over the years, the Troosts have grown their company organically: simply by performing quality, clean, professional work with every project. The results speak for themselves: since the early days of small bathroom and kitchen remodels out of their parents’ house, the company has expanded to include an entire office complex.

They’ve even bought and absorbed other contractors along the way.

Despite this growth, the Troost brothers have never lost sight of their values. They’ve always prioritized their employees, perhaps because they’ve been in their shoes, traversing the island in a van. They see the company as a working family, staffed with long-term employees who are treated well and incentivized to excel. After all, a contractor is only as good as its employees; you can make the best plans, but if you don’t have the right people out on a job, success will be hard to come by.

“Construction is difficult,” Troost said. “We’re dealing with weather, we’re dealing with interior and exterior elements. We’re dealing with debris. And we’re dealing with people. It’s a lot to take in, and our job is to ensure everyone is being careful and aware of the full scope of work every day. You have to have people with a good head on their shoulders.”

In Jeff and Scot’s experience, what it all boils down to is communication. If you are planning an addition to your home, for example, that process will look very different on paper than it will once walls are knocked down. A good contractor requires the foresight to anticipate any difficulties, contingencies, and challenges that might pop up along the way, and keep everyone on the same page, from ownership and management down to subcontractors, suppliers, and, of course, the homeowner.

“The challenges are mapped out before they become challenges,” Troost said. “If there’s proper organization, you should not have too many issues that come up. If there are any questions, they’re answered within hours, if not immediately. Everyone has a full understanding of what’s happening that day, the day following, and the day after that.”

As small, family-run contractors are gradually replaced by conglomerates and franchises, that individual attention comes at a greater premium than ever before. It’s what makes Troost Bros. special, even after all these years.

“We’ve had a reputation on this island for over thirty years,” Troost said. “Our phones are ringing every day. If it’s not a bathroom project, it’s a roof raise, or it’s windows, a basement, or a siding project. We started this back in ‘96 on our own. We did one job at a time. We waited for the phone to ring, for the next job to come in. That’s how far we’ve come.”

Troost Brothers Home Renovations

470 Clove Road / 718.667.3131 / troostbros.com