Shaw Contract partnered with this confidential student housing ownership group to specify flooring for a major renovation initiative and connected Certified Finishes with the end user to assist with planning and execution of this complex occupied renovation project, requiring exceptional coordination, planning, and execution.

This confidential student housing renovation consisted of a complete interior flooring replacement across 157 occupied units totaling approximately 140,000 square feet. Unit types included one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom layouts with corresponding bathrooms and common areas. The facility is comprised of two separate buildings, with wood base replacement required in one building.

The project was executed while residents remained actively living in their units, with all work restricted to a daily window of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM while students were in class. The entire scope was required to be completed within a 12-week overall schedule, creating an extremely aggressive timeline combined with exceptionally difficult site conditions.

Certified Finishes worked closely with the owner/operator to develop an intricate, repeatable production plan that allowed continuous daily progress without relocating residents. A two-day unit cycle was established:

Day 1: Complete all bedrooms
Day 2: Complete all common areas

Using this system, crews would start work in eight units per day and fully complete four units per day, maintaining a rolling production schedule for the duration of the project.

Each day began with Certified’s crews carefully moving owner-provided furniture and residents’ boxed personal belongings. Prior to work, teams photographed each room and used color-coordinated tape to label contents by bedroom, ensuring that every item was returned to its exact original location. Existing flooring was demolished, subfloors prepared, and new flooring installed before furniture and personal items were returned the same day.

Beyond flooring installation, crews were also responsible for removing and resetting toilets in every unit, as well as removing and reinstalling washers, dryers, refrigerators, and stoves. In select units, additional gypcrete repairs were required after demolition and had to be addressed within the same compressed schedule.

Site conditions were further complicated by the realities of an occupied student environment. Students did not always follow packing or preparation instructions, requiring crews and supervisors to continually adapt in real time. Maintaining resident safety, privacy, and satisfaction demanded daily communication, flexibility, and problem-solving.

Logistics added another layer of difficulty. Materials were delivered in carefully planned stages to avoid overloading limited storage areas. Product was stored in designated storage rooms on each floor, creating semi-centralized access near active work zones. Crews tightly managed quantities, inventory, and timing so only the necessary material was on site at any given time, balancing accessibility with extremely constrained storage space.

Success on this project was driven by disciplined planning, strong field leadership, and close coordination between Certified’s installation teams, superintendents, onsite staff, and ownership. Systems such as photo documentation, color-coded labeling, standardized sequencing, staged material deliveries, and daily coordination allowed the team to overcome unpredictable conditions while maintaining consistent production.

The project was completed within the required 12-week schedule, achieving full renovation of all 157 units without resident relocation. This project exemplifies Certified Finishes’ ability to execute large-scale renovations inside occupied environments while successfully managing aggressive schedules and some of the toughest site conditions imaginable, made possible through early collaboration between Shaw Contract, ownership, and Certified Finishes.