Whole Home Remodeling in Irvine
Whole home remodeling in Irvine draws a particular kind of homeowner to us: someone who bought into a village like Woodbridge, Turtle Rock, or University Park and has no interest in leaving, but has spent years working around a floor plan that was designed decades ago. Many of these homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s under the Irvine Company master plan, and the layouts show it. Kitchens were walled off from living areas, bathrooms were sized for a different era, and the electrical and plumbing systems have been patched rather than updated. The house is solid. The way it functions is the problem.
A whole home remodel addresses that by treating the house as one project instead of a series of disconnected jobs. We move walls to open the floor plan, reroute plumbing and update wiring as part of the same scope, and pull a single permit that covers all of it through the City of Irvine Building and Safety Division. If your village has an HOA with architectural review, we factor that process into the schedule from the start. The result is a house that works the way you actually live, without the cost and disruption of phasing the work over several years.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in Irvine
A whole home remodel in Irvine starts well before anyone picks up a sledgehammer. We walk the entire house first, not just the rooms on your list. We look at the attic, the slab, the electrical panel, and the supply lines. On a 1970s or 1980s tract house in a village like Woodbridge or University Park, that inspection often turns up textured ceilings we test for asbestos, or framing that a previous owner quietly altered. Where something looks uncertain, we investigate before we draw anything: a sewer camera, a structural look at modified walls, whatever it takes to understand what is actually there. Changes found on paper cost far less than changes found mid-construction.
From that walk-through we produce a set of drawings that shows both the existing house and the new layout together. Structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents go into the same plan set, so we submit once to the City of Irvine Building and Safety Division rather than in pieces. If your home sits in a village with an HOA, we factor in the architectural review process at this stage, because approval timelines vary and we would rather plan around them than be surprised. Cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures for every room are selected at our design center in Fullerton before demolition begins, so materials are confirmed and lead times are known.
Construction follows a deliberate sequence: demolition first, then structural work, then rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, then inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. Because the full scope is planned as one project, a plumber rerouting lines through a slab-on-grade foundation does it once, correctly, rather than working around a prior partial remodel. Flooring runs continuously through the house without a threshold marking where an old project ended. One project manager carries the job from that first walk-through all the way through final inspection.
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Pulling permits for a whole home remodel in Irvine means going through the City of Irvine Building and Safety Division with a full building permit and plan check, because a project that touches structure, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work at the same time requires coordinated review across all of those trades. Before we submit anything, we also check whether your village is governed by a homeowners association with an architectural review process, because most of them are. If your neighborhood was built from the 1980s onward, it may also carry Mello-Roos assessments that can affect financing and resale disclosures. None of that stops the project, but knowing it early keeps us from hitting a delay after the plans are already drawn.
The age of the house shapes almost everything we find once the walls are open. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and any contractor who disturbs it must follow the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. Popcorn ceilings, certain older resilient flooring and duct insulation from that period can contain asbestos, so suspect materials get tested before any work touches them, and if abatement is needed it goes to a licensed abatement contractor. Galvanized supply lines corrode from the inside out and restrict water pressure noticeably by the time a home is forty or fifty years old. Undersized electrical panels are just as common in houses of that era, and a whole home remodel is the practical moment to address both, while the walls are already open and the inspectors are already on site.
Two state requirements come up on nearly every whole house job regardless of which village the home sits in. California Civil Code 1101.4 requires that older high-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets be replaced with water-conserving fixtures on many permitted remodels of homes built before 1994, so we work that into the fixture schedule from the start rather than catching it at final inspection. California’s Title 24 energy code applies to remodels as well as new construction, and the 2025 standards govern permits filed on or after January 1, 2026. New windows, insulation, lighting and any mechanical changes all have to meet those standards, and we prepare the compliance documents as part of the plan set.
Structure is the other variable that surprises homeowners, especially in the older Irvine villages where the floor plans kept the kitchen walled off from the living area. Removing a load-bearing wall to create the open layout that later village plans made standard requires an engineered beam, properly sized posts and sometimes new footings at the slab. Unpermitted work from past decades is also common throughout the city, including enclosed patios, converted garages and room additions that never went through plan check. Those spaces have to be legalized, brought up to current code or rebuilt before the city will sign off on the rest of the house. If additional square footage is part of the goal, state law allows an accessory dwelling unit on most single-family lots, and planning it alongside the remodel usually makes better use of both the permit process and the construction schedule.
Other Remodeling Services We Offer
A kitchen remodel touches more trades than any other room in the house: layout, cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, ventilation and finishes. Horizon designs and builds kitchen remodels under one contract, from the measured layout to the final inspection.
Whether you envision a classic Southern California pool or a fully customized backyard oasis, Horizon Construction & Remodeling delivers the highest level of quality and service. Our comprehensive pool design and remodeling services cover everything from layout and decking to built-in BBQs and final touches like landscaping. Let Horizon be your trusted partner in transforming your backyard into the perfect outdoor retreat.
If you are planning a complete bathroom remodel or simply want to change your tub, shower, update your plumbing fixtures, or make the space more efficient, our team at Horizon will help you through the process with expert advice, professional craftsmanship, and affordable options with beautiful results. Learn more about our bathroom remodeling services.
Transform your space with our expert interior work services. We offer a comprehensive range of solutions — from space planning and custom design to the selection of high-quality finishes and materials. Our team of experienced professionals works closely with you to create a space that’s both functional and stylish, tailored to your unique needs, goals, and budget. Whether you’re updating a single room or overhauling your entire interior, we bring precision, creativity, and craftsmanship to every project.
At Horizon, we believe your home is more than just four walls — it’s where life happens. It’s the place you relax, gather with family and friends, and create lasting memories. That’s why we offer a full range of exterior work services designed to elevate your outdoor living space. From patios and hardscaping to custom decks and exterior renovations, we help turn your vision into a dream yard that complements your lifestyle and enhances curb appeal.
At Horizon Construction & Remodeling, our expert team includes a dedicated design and planning division that works hand-in-hand with licensed architects and structural engineers. We take care of everything — from detailed plans and blueprints to securing city permits — so you don’t have to deal with delays or red tape. Our goal is to streamline the process and provide a fully approved set of documents that aligns with both your vision and city regulations, saving you time and stress.
Why Choose Horizon Remodeling For Whole Home Remodeling in Irvine
Homeowners in Irvine hire us for whole home remodeling because a project that touches every room needs a contractor whose license actually covers that scope. A Class B general building license exists precisely for jobs that combine structural work, multiple trades, and a single coordinated permit. We have held that license since 2009, and we are bonded, which means the credentials backing our work are current and verifiable before we ever walk through your door.
The design-build structure we use is the practical reason many families choose us over piecing together separate professionals. Your drawings, engineering coordination, permits, and construction all sit under one contract with one project manager. The people who laid out your new floor plan are in direct communication with the crew building it. Finishes for every room, kitchen cabinets, bath tile, flooring throughout, are selected together, so nothing looks disconnected from one end of the house to the other.
We are also straightforward about the parts of a whole home remodel that contractors sometimes avoid discussing. We will tell you honestly whether living in the house during construction is realistic for your family, what an older home is likely to need once walls are opened, and which items can be deferred without creating more expense later. That kind of direct conversation early in the process is what keeps a large project from developing surprises that disrupt your budget or your schedule.
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Whole Home Remodeling FAQ
How is a whole home remodel different from a regular home remodel?
A typical remodel focuses on one room while the rest of the house stays put; a whole home remodel treats every room as part of a single project. Walls come down, the floor plan changes, and plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are updated throughout the house in one coordinated effort. This matters in Irvine’s older Woodbridge and University Park tracts, where the original 1970s and 1980s layouts often kept the kitchen walled off from the living area. Drawing, permitting, and sequencing everything together means trades move through once instead of tearing into finished work later.
What's the difference between a whole home remodel and a complete home renovation?
The two terms overlap more than most people realize. A remodel typically means changing the layout and finishes, while a renovation focuses on restoring what the house is built from: structure, windows, plumbing, wiring, and heating and cooling systems. Most whole-home projects in Irvine end up being both, especially in 1970s and 1980s tract homes where the systems are aging and the closed floor plans no longer suit the way families use space. We scope everything together, addressing what protects the house first, then the systems that become hard to reach once walls close, then the finishes you see every day.
Do we have to move out during a whole home remodel?
It depends on the scope of the work. If we are opening up every bathroom and the kitchen at the same time, or pulling flooring and drywall throughout the house, most families find it easier to stay elsewhere during the heaviest phases. In Irvine’s older village homes, where the kitchen is often a closed-off room, a temporary cooking setup in an adjacent space can sometimes keep you in place. Phasing the work adds time, so we walk through the trade-off once the plan is finalized.
How long does a whole home remodel take?
A whole home remodel in Irvine typically takes several months of construction, and that does not count the time spent on design and plan check, which can easily run just as long. The City of Irvine Building and Safety Division reviews permit applications on its own timeline, and plan check alone can take several weeks or more. If your project involves structural changes, an addition, or surprises behind the walls, construction runs longer. Starting drawings early is the single biggest factor in controlling your move-back-in date, and we build a project-specific schedule into every proposal.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in Irvine?
We handle the permit. For a whole home remodel in Irvine, that means submitting to the City of Irvine Building and Safety Division with a complete plan set that includes structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents. We respond to plan-check comments until the permit is issued, then schedule and attend every required inspection through final sign-off. Many Irvine villages also require HOA architectural review, and we build that process into the project schedule so it does not catch anyone off guard.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Cost is driven by the scope of structural and systems work your home actually needs, not just its square footage. Relocating a kitchen or bathroom on a slab foundation, for example, is significantly more involved than the same move in a two-story home with a crawl space, and many Irvine tract homes from the 1970s and 1980s also need repiping, rewiring, or panel upgrades before finish work begins. Structural changes, hazardous material handling, added square footage, and your chosen finish level all push the number in different directions. Every proposal we prepare breaks costs out line by line.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Irvine and the surrounding Orange County communities.