<P> Throughout the rebuilding process, Holmes often comments on the professionalism of the people hired for the job or lets other contractors talk about how to build things correctly . On some occasions Holmes has vented out his frustrations with previous contractors' substandard work in front of the camera . Particularly for projects involving new homes, Holmes often criticizes the developers for following minimum code and trying to save as many costs as possible . </P> <P> Several episodes have deviated from this formula: a fourth - season episode explored the issue of mold in the household, and Holmes was brought in to investigate the matter after the homeowner had done some investigative work on their own; a fifth - season episode saw Holmes and crew build a common fence for 52 households, while a sixth - season episode saw Holmes and crew clean up and restore a house that had been rented out and, unknown to the homeowner, turned into a marijuana grow - op . The sixth - season Pasadena 911 two - hour episode also saw Mike and senior contractor Damon Bennett travel to Los Angeles to help out a couple in need after Holmes' own appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . </P> <P> Because the show is a television series, costs for the homeowners, who are likely to be strapped for cash due to the previous contractors' mistakes and / or frauds, are kept to a minimum (10% to 20% of the cost of repair). Some contractors hired on the show have even donated time, materials, and labor to help homeowners in need . The remainder of the work is funded by the TV production company, but in some cases, Mike Holmes personally contributes funds towards the repairs . </P> <P> Holmes was originally hired on Just Ask Jon Eakes, a home improvement show (also on HGTV and formerly in the US on sister network DIY Network) hosted by Jon Eakes, for some behind - the - scenes work . Mike Holmes approached the show's producers Scott Clark McNeil and Michael Quast with an idea for a new kind of home improvement show . Holmes did not intend that he appear on camera, but the producers made this a condition of the deal . Although submissions to be on the show were initially few and far between, with Holmes doing work on small botched jobs early on in the series, the number of submissions quickly ballooned by the show's fourth season . In its last season, the show was directed by The Holmes Group's Vice President Pete Kettlewell, who had worked on the show from the first season where he did the show's audio, produced by The Holmes Group's Vice President Michael Quast, who had been with the show since the fifth season, and also produced by Mike Holmes himself . </P>

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