The Truth About Who Funds Renovations on 'Holmes Family Rescue'

When it comes to home renovations, Mike Holmes’s advice is basically gospel. And for good reason — the guy has decades of experience and has been helping homeowners fix renovation disasters for 20 years. Whether it's tips to boost your home's value through a kitchen or bathroom upgrade or signs your HVAC system needs to be replaced, Mike pretty much knows it all when it comes to making a home more efficient or just fixing what someone else messed up.

So when he lends his expertise on the HGTV series Holmes Family Rescue — helping homeowners who’ve been scammed by shady contractors or left with what he calls “crappy workmanship” — it’s no surprise the show draws major attention, and a few questions. One of the most commonly asked questions from viewers is: Who pays for the renovations? Turns out, it’s a group effort.

It isn’t just one person footing the bill on Holmes Family Rescue; the cost of repairs can actually be split among several contributors, including the homeowners themselves. While the financial breakdown varies from project to project, Mike addressed the question on his website, explaining that sometimes the network helps cover costs through sponsorships.

And “sometimes our wonderful trades and suppliers and product partners step up to donate materials, products, and even their own time,” he added. And that’s not all. Mike’s kids, Sherry and Michael, also chip in alongside their dad.

Mike also noted that his production company, The Holmes Group, has helped cover the cost of certain repairs in the past. As for the homeowners, they sometimes are required to pay toward the project, too. According to the Holmes on Holmes Wikipedia page, which Holmes Family Rescue is considered a continuation of, they may be asked to cover between 10 to 20 percent of the total repair costs.

It makes sense to keep their portion on the lower end, especially since many have already shelled out thousands for what they hoped would be a dream renovation, only for it to turn into a nightmare.

For instance, in the teaser for Season 3 of Holmes Family Rescue, homeowners Nicole and Bill called on Mike for help after not one, but two renovation jobs went horribly wrong. Their mudroom was left in worse condition than it was before any work even started.

They had already spent $30,000 — first to a contractor who bailed after realizing the job was too much to handle, and then to another who did the work completely wrong and tried to avoid permits (which, by the way, is never the recommended route when it comes to home renovations). In a case like this, where the homeowners were clearly financially drained, it’s the kind of situation where Mike would likely call in reinforcements to help make the renovation happen.

While this depends on the extent of the project and is determined on a case-by-case basis, Mike revealed on his website that homeowners may need to spend a few weeks, or even up to a month, out of their home during the renovation. But considering the end result, it’s safe to assume most don’t mind the temporary relocation.