Whole Home Remodeling in La Mirada
Most La Mirada homeowners who call us about a whole home remodel are happy with their neighborhood but frustrated with how their house functions. That frustration makes sense given the housing stock. Almost every home here was built in the 1950s, when a single 2,100-acre development grew the area from roughly 100 homes to more than 8,000 before La Mirada incorporated in 1960. The result is a city full of three and four bedroom single-story tract houses with compact, walled-off kitchens and separate dining rooms that feel disconnected from the rest of the living space. A whole home remodel addresses that as one coordinated project, moving walls to open the floor plan, updating plumbing and wiring, and covering the work under a single permit pulled through the City of La Mirada Community Development Department. That is a fundamentally different undertaking than a single-room renovation, and we approach the planning accordingly from the first walk-through.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in La Mirada
Whole home remodeling in La Mirada almost always starts with a discovery phase rather than a drawing board, because the tract houses built here in the 1950s have had seven decades of modifications layered on top of original construction. We walk the entire house, including the attic, the crawl space or slab foundation, the electrical panel, and the supply lines, before we draw a single line. Where something looks altered or uncertain, we investigate first, through sewer cameras, asbestos testing on textured ceilings, or a structural look at framing that previous owners may have touched. Structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents go into one plan set, which we submit together to the City of La Mirada Community Development Department for a single building permit covering all the work.
Once permits are in hand, construction follows a fixed sequence: demolition, structural work, rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC by appropriately licensed subcontractors we coordinate, inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. Selections for cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures are made at our Fullerton office before demolition begins, so there are no delays mid-project. One project manager carries the job from that first walk-through through final inspection.
Read More →
La Mirada’s housing stock tells you a lot before you ever open a wall. The city grew almost overnight in the 1950s, going from roughly 100 homes to more than 8,000 as a single 2,100-acre development spread across the area ahead of incorporation in 1960. Most of what stands today is a three- or four-bedroom single-story tract house, and the typical floor plan shows its age: a compact, walled-off kitchen, a separate dining area, and layouts that made sense in the postwar years but feel cramped by current standards. Whole home remodeling in La Mirada is largely about rethinking those original choices while the building is sound enough to support real change.
Because a project of this scope touches structure, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work at once, it nearly always requires a full building permit with plan check. That work goes through the City of La Mirada Community Development Department, which manages planning, building permits and inspections. No unusual local overlay complicates the process here, which means the California building code and the age of the house are the two things that drive the review. We map your scope against both before anything is scheduled, since they can affect exterior materials, setbacks and how long the review path takes before a single wall comes down.
The age of these homes shapes almost every phase of the work. Houses built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and any disturbance of those surfaces must follow EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting requirements; specialty abatement work is handled by appropriately licensed subcontractors we coordinate. Popcorn ceilings, certain older flooring and duct wrap can contain asbestos, so suspect materials are tested before removal begins. Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical panels are common findings in homes of this era, and a whole home remodel is the practical time to address them while the walls are already open. Unpermitted additions, enclosed patios and garage conversions built in past decades also turn up regularly and have to be legalized or rebuilt before the city will sign off on the broader project.
Two state requirements come up on nearly every whole-house job in California. Older high-flow fixtures typically must be replaced with water-conserving models on permitted remodels of pre-1994 homes, so we work that into the fixture schedule from the start rather than discovering it at final inspection. California’s Title 24 energy code applies to remodels as well as new construction, covering insulation, windows, lighting and mechanical changes. If you want to add space at the same time, state law allows an ADU on most single-family lots, and planning it alongside the remodel can reduce permitting and construction costs compared to tackling it separately.
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 La Mirada
Horizon Construction & Remodeling Inc. has been operating as a licensed Class B general building contractor, bonded, since 2009. A Class B license is built for exactly this kind of work: multiple trades, structural considerations, and a coordinated permit process running through a single point of accountability. For a whole home remodeling project in La Mirada, that structure matters because the City of La Mirada Community Development Department handles planning, building permits, and inspections, and keeping one project manager in contact with that office is more efficient than routing questions through separate contractors.
La Mirada’s housing stock is largely tract construction from the 1950s, and those homes often have conditions behind the walls that don’t show up until demolition begins. We are straightforward about what an older house is likely to need structurally or mechanically before finishes go in, and which items can be deferred without creating bigger costs later. Specialty trade portions of any project are performed by appropriately licensed subcontractors we coordinate directly.
Drawings, engineering coordination, permits, and construction sit under one contract with one project manager at Horizon. The people working through your floor plan are communicating with the crew building it. Finishes across every room are selected together, so your kitchen, bathrooms, and living areas stay consistent from one end of the house to the other. Contact us to request a free estimate.
Schedule a Consultation
Whole Home Remodeling FAQ
How is a whole home remodel different from a regular home remodel?
A whole home remodel treats the house as one connected system rather than updating a single room and stopping there. In La Mirada, where most homes are single-story tract houses built in the 1950s, that often means moving or removing walls to open up the floor plan, modernizing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC throughout, and reworking compact kitchens that were walled off from the rest of the house. Every scope of work is drawn, permitted through the City of La Mirada Community Development Department, and sequenced together so the trades come through once without reopening finished work later.
What's the difference between a whole home remodel and a complete home renovation?
Remodeling and renovation are related but not the same thing. A remodel changes layout and finishes, while renovation means restoring the house itself, covering structure, windows, plumbing, wiring, and heating and cooling. Most whole home remodeling projects in La Mirada blend both, which makes sense given that the typical tract house here dates to the 1950s and often needs system upgrades alongside any layout work. We scope everything together, addressing what protects the house first, then the systems buried inside walls, then the finishes you live with every day.
Do we have to move out during a whole home remodel?
How disruptive a whole home remodel in La Mirada will be depends almost entirely on scope. When a project pulls out the kitchen and every bathroom at once, or takes floors and drywall down throughout the house, most families leave during the heaviest phases. Phased work, where one bathroom stays functional and a temporary kitchen gets set up elsewhere, lets some homeowners stay put. That approach adds time to the schedule, so we walk through the trade-off together once the plan is drawn.
How long does a whole home remodel take?
How long a whole home remodel in La Mirada takes depends on scope, how fast selections are made, and how smoothly plan check moves. The City of La Mirada Community Development Department handles building permits and inspections, and plan check alone can run several weeks or more. Design and permitting often match construction in total time. The actual build on a whole house typically runs several months, and longer when there is structural work or hidden conditions inside the walls of these 1950s tract homes. We give you a project-specific schedule with the proposal, and getting the drawings started early is the single biggest factor in your move-back-in date.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in La Mirada?
Yes, we handle permitting as part of every whole home remodel we manage in La Mirada. Our team prepares the full plan set, including structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents, then submits everything to the City of La Mirada Community Development Department and responds to any plan-check comments until the permit is issued. We schedule and attend all required inspections during construction and close the permit out at final. If an HOA approval also applies, we build that into the project schedule.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Whole home remodel costs vary widely, and two La Mirada tract houses of the same square footage can land far apart in price, so we do not publish ranges. The biggest cost drivers are structural changes such as removing a load-bearing wall, relocating a kitchen or bathroom on a slab foundation, how much repiping, rewiring, and panel work the house needs, any lead or asbestos handling, added square footage, and the finish level you choose. Every proposal breaks all of it out line by line, separating must-do items from decisions that are yours to make.
Explore More in La Mirada
Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving La Mirada and the surrounding Los Angeles County communities.