Whole Home Remodeling in Los Angeles
Most homeowners who come to us about whole home remodeling in Los Angeles already want to stay in the city. The house itself is the problem, not the address. A whole home remodel treats the property as a single project, reworking multiple rooms at once, moving walls to open the floor plan, and bringing plumbing and wiring up to date under one permit pulled through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Los Angeles housing spans more than a century, from 1920s bungalows with closed, compartmentalized kitchens to postwar valley tracts and hillside houses with stacked floor plans, so no two projects start from the same place. That variety is exactly why we approach each job differently from the first walk-through.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in Los Angeles
Whole home remodeling in Los Angeles starts long before any wall comes down. We walk the entire house, not just the rooms on your wish list, because a property that might date to the 1920s bungalow era or a postwar valley tract often carries decades of undocumented changes. The attic, the slab or crawl space, the electrical panel, and the supply lines all get looked at, and where something is uncertain we investigate first: a sewer camera run, asbestos testing on textured ceilings, a structural read on framing that previous owners may have altered. From that survey we draw the existing house and the proposed layout together, so revisions happen on paper. Structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents go into a single plan set submitted to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety under one permit.
If your property sits inside one of the city’s Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, exterior additions and alterations go through staff or HPOZ Board review, and we account for that process in the schedule from the start. Selections for cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures across every room are confirmed at our design center in Fullerton before demolition begins. Construction follows a fixed sequence: demolition, structural work, rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC, inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. Because everything runs under one plan, the plumber reroutes lines once and the flooring moves through the house without the awkward threshold that marks where an old piecemeal project stopped. One project manager carries the job through final inspection.
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Permits, Preservation Zones and What to Expect from the Process
A whole home remodel in Los Angeles almost always requires a full building permit with plan check, because the work touches structure, electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems at the same time. Those permits go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. One detail that catches homeowners off guard is that the city has 35 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, covering areas from Hollywood to neighborhoods across the Eastside. If your home sits inside one, exterior changes, additions and new construction go through staff or HPOZ Board review under a neighborhood preservation plan. We check that against your scope in our first conversation, because it can affect exterior materials, setbacks and the review path well before any demolition begins.
The age of your house shapes almost everything we find once work starts. Los Angeles housing spans more than a century, from 1920s bungalows in neighborhoods like Koreatown to postwar valley tracts that went up quickly to meet demand. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and any contractor who disturbs it must follow the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. Horizon Construction and Remodeling Inc. is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. Older popcorn ceilings, some flooring materials and duct wrap can also contain asbestos, so suspect materials are tested before work begins and any removal is handled by a licensed abatement contractor. Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical panels are common in houses from that era, and a whole home remodel, with walls already open, is the right time to address both.
Two California rules come up on nearly every project of this scope. Civil Code 1101.4 requires that older high-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets be replaced with water-conserving models on many permitted remodels of homes built before 1994, so we work it into the fixture schedule from the start rather than discovering it at final inspection. Title 24 energy code applies to remodels as well as new construction. The 2025 standards govern permits filed on or after January 1, 2026, and requirements around windows, insulation, lighting and HVAC changes all have to be documented. We prepare the compliance paperwork as part of the plan set.
Structural work is the other major variable, and hillside houses with stacked floor plans add a layer of complexity that flat valley lots do not. Removing a load-bearing wall to connect a kitchen to a living area typically requires an engineered beam, posts and sometimes new footings. Raised-floor homes often benefit from foundation bolting and cripple-wall bracing while the area is already open. Unpermitted additions, enclosed patios and garage conversions are common across Los Angeles housing stock, and the city typically requires those to be legalized, upgraded or rebuilt before it will sign off on the broader remodel. If additional square footage is the goal, state law allows an accessory dwelling unit on most single-family lots, and that unit can be designed and permitted alongside the main home project.
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 Los Angeles
Horizon Construction and Remodeling is a licensed Class B general building contractor, bonded, and has been active since 2009. A whole-home remodel is exactly the kind of work a Class B license covers: multiple trades, structural scope, and coordinated permitting handled under a single contract. We manage the drawings, engineering coordination, and construction through one project manager, so you are not passing information between separate architects, engineers, and subcontractors. The people who produce the floor plan communicate directly with the crew building it.
Los Angeles homes span more than a century of construction, from 1920s bungalows in areas like Koreatown and Hollywood to postwar valley tracts and hillside houses with stacked floor plans. That range matters because what sits behind the walls of a 1925 bungalow is very different from what you find in a 1960s San Fernando Valley tract home. We are straightforward about what older construction typically requires once work begins, which items can reasonably wait, and whether staying in the house during the build is realistic for your situation. Permits go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and properties within one of the city’s 35 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones face an additional layer of exterior review that we account for from the start.
Finishes across every room are selected together, keeping kitchens, baths, and flooring consistent throughout the house rather than decided room by room in isolation.
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Whole Home Remodeling FAQ
How is a whole home remodel different from a regular home remodel?
A whole home remodel treats the house as a single system rather than a collection of separate rooms. Instead of updating one kitchen or one bath and leaving everything else alone, several areas are addressed at the same time, walls are moved or removed to change the floor plan, and plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are updated throughout. In a city as varied as Los Angeles, where housing ranges from 1920s bungalows with closed kitchens to postwar valley tracts and hillside houses with stacked floor plans, that unified approach matters. Everything is drawn, permitted through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and sequenced together so trades move through once instead of reopening finished work on the next project.
What's the difference between a whole home remodel and a complete home renovation?
A remodel and a renovation are not the same thing, though most whole-home projects in Los Angeles involve both. Remodeling changes layouts and finishes; renovation addresses the building itself, covering structure, windows, plumbing, wiring, and heating and cooling. In a city where housing ranges from 1920s Koreatown bungalows to postwar San Fernando Valley tracts, the right balance shifts with every house. We scope both sides together, placing protective work first, then systems buried behind walls, then the finishes you live with daily.
Do we have to move out during a whole home remodel?
Whether you stay in the house during a whole home remodeling project in Los Angeles depends entirely on scope. Gut-level work across the kitchen and every bathroom at once, or floors and drywall coming out through the whole house, typically pushes families out for the heaviest phases. Phasing the project can change that: keeping one bathroom functional and setting up a temporary kitchen elsewhere lets some households stay put, though phasing adds time overall. We walk through that trade-off once the plan is drawn.
How long does a whole home remodel take?
How long a whole home remodeling project takes in Los Angeles depends on scope, how quickly you finalize selections, and how the city’s plan check process moves. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety can take several weeks or more on plan check alone, and design and permitting together often match the length of construction itself. Building out a full house typically runs several months, with structural work, additions, or surprises behind the walls pushing that further. We build a schedule around your specific home and include it with the proposal. Getting drawings started early is the single biggest factor in moving your move-back-in date forward.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in Los Angeles?
Yes, we handle the full permit process for whole home remodeling in Los Angeles. Our team prepares the plan set, including structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents, submits everything to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and works through plan-check comments until the permit is issued. We schedule and attend all required inspections during construction and close out the permit at final. If your home falls within one of the city’s 35 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, we build that review process into the schedule as well.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Whole home remodeling costs in Los Angeles vary too widely for a published range to mean much, because two houses of similar square footage can land far apart depending on what the work actually involves. Structural changes such as removing a load-bearing wall, relocating a kitchen or bathroom, or adding square footage all move the number significantly, as do repiping, rewiring, panel upgrades, and any lead or asbestos handling the house requires. In a city where the housing stock runs from 1920s bungalows with closed floor plans to postwar valley tracts and hillside homes, those conditions shift from property to property. The finish level you choose is another major factor. Every proposal we put together separates the must-do items from the choices and breaks the full scope out line by line, so you can see exactly what is driving the cost.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Los Angeles and the surrounding Los Angeles County communities.