Whole Home Remodeling in Monrovia
A whole home remodel addresses the way a house works, not just the way it looks, and that distinction shapes how we plan every project. Monrovia’s housing stock grew in distinct waves, from the 1886 to 1887 townsite boom through the Pacific Electric era of 1903 to 1910 and into the 1920s, when the city set a building permit record in 1923. Those older foothill houses from the streetcar and 1920s periods tend to have rooms and kitchens sized to their era rather than to open floor plans. A whole home remodel in Monrovia tackles that all at once: walls repositioned, floor plans reworked, plumbing and wiring brought current, and a single permit through the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division covering the full scope. That is a fundamentally different job from a single-room project, and we treat it that way from the first walk-through.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in Monrovia
Whole home remodeling in Monrovia asks for a different kind of starting point than a single-room job. Many homes here date to the streetcar and 1920s eras, when kitchens and rooms were sized for a different way of living, and some sit within the city’s 164 designated historic landmarks, where work is reviewed by Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued through the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division. Before we draw anything, we walk the entire house, including the attic, crawl space or slab, the electrical panel, and supply lines. Where something looks uncertain, we investigate first, whether that means a sewer camera, asbestos testing on textured ceilings, or a structural review of framing altered in past decades.
From that inspection, we draw the existing layout alongside the proposed one so changes happen on paper, where they cost nothing. Structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents go into a single plan set submitted for one permit. Cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures for every room are selected before demolition begins. Work then follows a fixed sequence: demolition, structural, rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC, inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. Because everything runs under one plan, trades coordinate once rather than working around each other, and one project manager carries the job through final inspection.
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Whole home remodeling in Monrovia almost always means a full building permit with plan check, because the work touches structure, mechanical systems, plumbing and electrical all at once. Those permits go through the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division, and the review process is more layered here than in many neighboring cities. Monrovia has designated 164 historic landmarks under its 1995 preservation ordinance, and any work on a landmark property goes through a Certificate of Appropriateness review before construction can begin. Mills Act contracts are also available to qualifying owners. We look at where your property stands relative to that program at the very beginning of a project, because landmark status can affect exterior materials, setbacks and the entire review path well before any walls come down.
The age of the house drives most of what we find once planning begins. Monrovia grew in distinct waves, from the 1886 to 1887 townsite boom through the Pacific Electric streetcar years and into the 1920s building surge that peaked with a city permit record in 1923. Homes from those eras are common throughout the foothill neighborhoods, and they come with period-specific conditions. Houses 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 flooring materials and duct wrap can also contain asbestos, so suspect materials get tested before any removal begins, and abatement goes to a licensed specialist. Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical panels show up regularly in homes of this age, and a whole home remodel is the right time to address them while the walls are already open.
Two state requirements come up on nearly every project. California Civil Code 1101.4 requires older high-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets to be replaced with water-conserving fixtures on many permitted remodels of homes built before 1994, so we build that into the fixture schedule from the start rather than discovering it at final inspection. California Title 24 energy standards apply to remodels as well as new construction, and the 2025 standards cover permits filed on or after January 1, 2026. New windows, insulation, lighting and any HVAC changes have to comply, and we prepare the required compliance documentation with the permitted plan set.
Structural scope is the other major variable. Opening a kitchen to a living area in one of these older foothill houses typically means an engineered beam, posts and sometimes new footings. Raised-floor homes can also benefit from foundation bolting and cripple-wall bracing while the work area is accessible. Unpermitted additions, enclosed patios and garage conversions are common in houses that changed hands many times over the decades, and the city will generally require those spaces to be legalized, brought up to code or rebuilt before signing off on the broader project. If additional square footage is part of the goal, state law allows an accessory dwelling unit on most single-family lots, and that scope can be planned alongside the remodel rather than treated as a separate effort later.
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 Monrovia
Horizon Construction & Remodeling Inc. is a licensed and bonded Class B general building contractor, and that classification matters on a whole home remodel. A project that touches the kitchen, bathrooms, structure, and multiple finish trades is exactly the scope a Class B license is designed to cover. We have been doing this work since 2009, and the homes we work on most often in Monrovia are the older footprint houses from the streetcar and 1920s eras, where the rooms and kitchens were sized for their period rather than for the open, connected layouts most families want today.
Drawings, engineering coordination, permitting through the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division, and construction all sit under a single contract managed by one project manager on our side. The people who worked out the floor plan are in direct contact with the crew building it. That matters on older Monrovia housing stock, where what is behind the walls often shapes what is possible, and we are straightforward about that from the start rather than after demolition.
Finishes across every room are selected together so the kitchen, baths, and flooring read consistently from one end of the house to the other. We are also direct about the practical side: what an older house typically needs once walls are open, and which items can reasonably wait without creating larger costs down the road.
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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 one connected system rather than a room-by-room series of separate projects. Several areas are addressed at once, walls are moved or removed to reshape the floor plan, and plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are updated throughout the structure in a single coordinated effort. Everything is drawn, permitted through the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division, and sequenced together, so trades come through once instead of reopening finished work later. That approach fits naturally in Monrovia, where many foothill homes from the streetcar and 1920s eras carry period-sized rooms and kitchens that were never designed for the open layouts most families want today.
What's the difference between a whole home remodel and a complete home renovation?
A remodel changes layouts and finishes; a renovation restores what holds the house together, meaning structure, systems, and envelope. Most whole home remodeling projects in Monrovia end up being both at once, especially in the streetcar-era and 1920s foothill houses that make up much of the city’s older stock, where original plumbing, wiring, and narrow room configurations all need attention together. We scope both sides from the start, addressing anything that protects the structure 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?
Whether you stay in the house during a whole home remodel in Monrovia depends on the scope of the work. Phased projects, where one bathroom stays functional and a temporary kitchen gets set up elsewhere, let some families remain in place, though phasing adds time to the schedule. Gut renovations that pull out every bathroom and the kitchen at once, or strip floors and drywall throughout, typically push families out during the heaviest phases. Many Monrovia homes date to the streetcar and 1920s eras, so the scope question comes up early, and we walk through the trade-offs once the plan is drawn.
How long does a whole home remodel take?
How long a whole home remodel in Monrovia takes depends on scope, how fast selections get made, and plan check timing at the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division, which can run several weeks or more on its own. Design and permitting often consume as much calendar time as construction itself. For the older footprint homes common to the streetcar and 1920s eras here, structural surprises and conditions behind the walls are real possibilities that can extend a build by months. We provide a project-specific schedule with every proposal, and starting drawings early is the single biggest factor in shortening your move-back-in date.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in Monrovia?
Yes, we handle the full permit process for whole home remodeling in Monrovia. Our team prepares the complete plan set, including structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents, submits everything to the City of Monrovia Community Development Department Building Division, and works through plan-check comments until the permit is issued. During construction we schedule and attend framing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and insulation inspections, then close out at final. Many of Monrovia’s older foothill homes from the streetcar and 1920s eras also carry historic landmark status, so if a Certificate of Appropriateness review applies to your property, we build that into the schedule as well.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Whole home remodeling costs in Monrovia vary too widely for published ranges to be useful, because two houses of the same size can land far apart depending on what the work actually involves. Many older foothill homes from the streetcar and 1920s eras need structural changes, repiping, rewiring, or hazardous-material handling before cosmetic work even begins. Relocating a kitchen or bathroom, opening a load-bearing wall, adding square footage, and the finish level you select all move the number significantly. Every proposal we provide breaks costs out line by line, separating required work from optional choices.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Monrovia and the surrounding Los Angeles County communities.