HGTV ‘Rico to the Rescue’ Star Rico León on Saving Homeowners From Contractor Hell

Rico León isn’t just fluent in English and Spanish but also speaks homeowner and contractor. A skillset that has all helped him as he works with desperate families looking to salvage shoddy renovations. HGTV viewers have gotten to know the Puerto Rican builder thanks to the first season of Rico to the Rescue.

The series sees León step into the role of advocate, fixer, and conflict mediator between property owners and builders. León works with his team in Denver to resolve issues on various projects. It’s a mission born out of a past experience where his own parents were taken advantage of by a crooked contractor. Ahead of a Season 1 marathon of the show on HGTV on Saturday morning (September 30), we caught up with the Pittsburgh transplant to talk about its success.

Here in Hispanic Heritage Month, how does it feel to bring more Latin American representation to HGTV? 

Rico León: Just after Season 1 the outreach I received from the Latino community was insane. I’m taking people who have been in construction for years. They wanted to start their own business and got inspired when they saw me running the show with great people working with me. Things like that were pretty phenomenal. Even as high up as Marc Anthony reaching out. We have a lot of similarities as he has a nonprofit where he helps build community centers for the underprivileged in the United States and outside it. A door opened for opportunity. It has been overwhelming.

What kind of response have you gotten after that first season? 

I realized people had a lot of questions. I think this is a unique show in the sense that people are dealing with construction nightmares like crazy. Everyone is one degree from someone they know who got money stolen or a contractor not showing up or bigger scenarios. Ever since the show has come out it’s overwhelming how many people are dealing with a situation like this. It gave me a huge why because I want people not to go through this. If homeowners and contractors can take the information I provide and do better, then I’ve done my job.

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So you’ve seen a positive response from contractors as well? 

Contractors a hundred percent. Contractors are not all bad people. Sometimes they are phenomenal at building a kitchen but not as good with communication or money. Whatever hits the fan, when things go south, they are trying to find solutions. Sometimes they don’t want to have that conversation with the homeowner because a lot of people are scared to have that confrontation. I’m not scared of that confrontation because I’m always trying to come up with a solution. When I hear both sides, it’s nice. I know all the reasons contractors screw up. Some of them are vindictive and bad people and straight-up steal money. A lot of them are also good people who just mismanage things. Those are the people who reached out wanting to make sure it doesn’t happen to them

I think communication is key to everything. When it comes to timetable estimates and expectations,  it all comes into play. From my vantage point, I also find a lot of the time companies one hires are outsourced out to another company. That just adds to the challenges a homeowner faces. 

That’s an amazing observation and one of my pieces of advice. The person who is a sweet talker and says everything you want to hear. That’s the face of the company. Sometimes that face isn’t the owner. They just want to collect a paycheck. They sold a job and moved on to the next. An owner will speak differently, have higher expectations, and be realistic about expectations. It takes a village. One person doesn’t do everything. I say meet the people that are going to be inside the house. Meet the estimator. Meet the plumber, designer, electrician, etc. It makes things so much easier. It’s true what you said. They sell a job and move on. Then another company comes in that you don’t recognize. Huge red flags come.

Reading some notes, you’re a foodie and have many Spanish dance competitions. Ever thought about a Food Network show yet? Maybe Dancing with the Stars? 

I would love to do those opportunities for sure. For me, there is a need for what I’m doing right now.  My biggest role is taking care of families. That is my focus. But to be able to show off my dancing skills, which are not bad. Pretty good even. I wouldn’t mind. I’m also a huge foodie so I wouldn’t turn that down too.

I know you are working with homeowners in Denver, but any thought of venturing outside of the area in the future for the show? 

When the show came out, I got messages from Florida, California, Tennessee, and Texas. Contractor nightmares are a pandemic. I would like to. I think it would be fun to go to my hometime and help people there. I’ve had celebrities reach out to me also saying they would love for me to come to California to renovate including a very famous home. Those are great opportunities. I would love to travel, but my main focus is Colorado.

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Any celeb names you can mention? 

I can’t mention it yet. I’ll have to leave you hanging on that one. But the house was owned by a very famous person from movies back in the day.

Viewers have to wait until 2024 for Season 2 of Rico to the Rescue, but what can you tell us? 

I always have a high level of empathy. When someone has lost $50,000 or $75,000, and doesn’t have a house that functions. That is high-level stress. Couples will fight.  Kids can’t invite their friends over to play. It’s very detrimental to the families I take on that stress as well. My main thing is to be hyper-focused. I crack the whip. I am on everyone making sure things run on time. That’s the whole East Coast Pittsburgh side of me. If you want to relax, do it after the job is done.

What is a big tip you want people to know? 

Just move slower. Have clearer expectations. Having milestones, contractual milestones. Having friends involved to keep an eye out on things. Also covering what ifs. I think so many people are scared to do renovations. Renovation in your house is a good thing. It adds value and makes the home more personal to you, I always say slow things down in the beginning. Do your due diligence and be more extensive. People can buy reviews now. I tell homeowners to look up reviews and pick three or four names from all the five-star reviews. Ask the business owner if you can reach out to these people. People will see reviews and think it’s always a real person. Now there are different ways to make people better than they really are. Now all homeowners have to do their hyper due diligence.

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How does the family in Puerto Rico feel about the show and your success? 

They are very proud but hardcore Latinos. They are strict. I’m like, “Have you seen the show?” They are like, “Make sure your credit score is good.” They are old school. They are typical old-school Latinos but are proud in Puerto Rico. They have given me a boost to keep this whole thing going.

Rico to the Rescue marathon, September 30, 7-10 a.m./6-9c, HGTV (Season 1 episodes also available on Max)

Rico to the Rescue Season 2 is slated to premiere in 2024.