Whole Home Remodeling in Ontario
Whole home remodeling in Ontario is the right choice when you are happy with your neighborhood but not with how your house actually functions. Ontario’s housing stock runs from Chaffey-era bungalows laid out on the north-side grid after the city’s 1891 incorporation, through postwar tract homes, to newer two-story houses in Ontario Ranch where kitchens open into great rooms. Older homes on that grid often have small, closed-off kitchens that no longer suit the way families cook and gather. A whole home remodel addresses that by reworking several rooms at once, shifting walls to change the floor plan, and updating plumbing and wiring under a single permit pulled through the City of Ontario Building Department. If your home sits in a historic neighborhood, exterior changes may also require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city’s historic preservation commission. We plan for all of that from the first walk-through.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in Ontario
Whole home remodeling in Ontario starts with a thorough walk-through of the entire house before a single drawing is made. We look at the attic, the slab or crawl space, the electrical panel, and the supply and drain lines. Where something is uncertain, we investigate first: a sewer camera, asbestos testing on older textured ceilings, a structural review of framing that may have been altered over the decades. Ontario’s housing stock runs from early Chaffey-era bungalows on the north side grid, many with compartmentalized floor plans and aging systems, to newer two-story tract homes in Ontario Ranch where the kitchen already opens to a great room. The existing conditions shape what goes into the drawings, and we complete those drawings before demolition begins so changes happen on paper, not in the field.
The full plan set includes structural engineering and Title 24 energy compliance documents, all submitted together to the City of Ontario Building Department under a single permit. If your home sits in a historic neighborhood or carries a landmark designation, exterior changes may also require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city’s historic preservation commission, and we account for that review in the project schedule. Selections for cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures are made at the Horizon Design Center in Fullerton before demolition begins. Construction follows a fixed sequence: demolition, structural work, rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, followed by inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. One project manager runs the job from the first walk-through through final inspection.
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Whole home remodeling in Ontario almost always requires a full building permit with plan check, because the scope typically touches structure, electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems at the same time. All of that permitting runs through the City of Ontario Building Department. One detail that can affect your project before demolition even starts is Ontario’s status as a Certified Local Government. The city enforces its own historic preservation ordinance through a local commission, and if your home sits on a designated landmark or within a recognized historic neighborhood, exterior work may require a Certificate of Appropriateness. We review that against your scope during the first conversation, because it can influence exterior material choices, setback requirements and which review path the project takes.
The age of the house shapes nearly everything else we find once work begins. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and federal EPA rules require contractors who disturb it to follow the Renovation, Repair and Painting standard; Horizon Construction and Remodeling is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. Older flooring, popcorn ceilings and duct insulation can also contain asbestos, so suspect materials are tested before any removal begins, and abatement is handled by a licensed specialist. Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical panels show up regularly in houses of that era, and a whole home remodel is the logical moment to replace them while the walls are already open. Ontario’s north-side grid carries a large share of these older bungalows, many of them built through the postwar decades with compartmentalized floor plans and systems that were never updated.
Two California requirements come up on nearly every whole-house job. Civil Code 1101.4 requires that older high-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets be replaced with water-conserving fixtures on many permitted remodels of pre-1994 homes, so we build those selections into the fixture schedule from the beginning rather than discovering it at final inspection. Title 24 energy code applies to remodels as well as new construction, and new windows, insulation, lighting and HVAC changes all have to meet current standards. We prepare the compliance documentation with the plans.
Structure is its own category of variables. Removing a load-bearing wall, which is a common goal in older Ontario bungalows where the kitchen sits apart from the living area, requires an engineered beam, posts and sometimes new footings. Raised-floor houses may also benefit from foundation bolting and cripple-wall bracing while the work area is accessible. Unpermitted additions, enclosed patios and garage conversions are common throughout Ontario’s older neighborhoods and must be legalized, brought up to code or rebuilt before the city will sign off on the broader project. If additional square footage is part of the plan, state law allows an accessory dwelling unit on most single-family lots, and that work can be coordinated alongside the main remodel.
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 Ontario
Horizon Construction and Remodeling is a licensed Class B general building contractor, bonded, and in operation since 2009. A whole home remodel is exactly the kind of project a Class B license is built for: multiple trades working together, structural decisions, and a coordinated permit process rather than a string of separate pulls. In Ontario, permits for this scope of work go through the City of Ontario Building Department, and our team manages that process from the initial application through final inspection so you are not tracking it yourself.
We handle drawings, engineering coordination, permits, and construction under a single contract with one project manager overseeing the work. The people who laid out the floor plan are in direct contact with the crew building it, which keeps details from getting lost between phases. Finishes across every room are selected together, so the kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring read as one coherent project rather than a collection of separate decisions made at different times.
We are also direct about the parts of a remodel homeowners do not always want to hear upfront: what an older bungalow in the north side grid is likely to need once walls are open, whether living in the house during construction is practical, and which upgrades can reasonably be deferred without driving up costs later. Ontario’s historic preservation ordinance also means exterior work on designated properties may require a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits move forward, and we factor that into the schedule from the start.
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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 series of separate projects. Multiple rooms are reworked at once, walls are moved or removed to reshape the floor plan, and plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are updated throughout in a single coordinated effort. For Ontario homeowners, that might mean opening the closed-off kitchen of a north-side bungalow or reconfiguring the layout of a two-story Ontario Ranch tract house. Everything is drawn, permitted through the City of Ontario Building Department, and sequenced together so trades move through once without reopening finished work.
What's the difference between a whole home remodel and a complete home renovation?
A remodel changes layouts and finishes, while a renovation restores what the house is built from: structure, roof, windows, plumbing, wiring, and heating and cooling. In practice, most whole home remodeling projects in Ontario combine both, because older north-side bungalows and newer Ontario Ranch tract homes alike tend to need system updates alongside the layout and finish work homeowners actually want. We scope everything together, addressing whatever protects the house first, then the systems buried behind walls, then the surfaces you live with every day.
Do we have to move out during a whole home remodel?
Whether you stay in your home during a whole home remodeling project in Ontario depends on how much work is happening at once. Tearing out the kitchen and every bathroom simultaneously, or pulling floors and drywall throughout the house, typically pushes families out during the heaviest phases. Phasing the work, keeping one bathroom live and setting up a temporary kitchen, lets some homeowners stay put, though it adds time to the schedule. We walk through that trade-off once the plan is drawn.
How long does a whole home remodel take?
How long a whole home remodel in Ontario takes depends on scope, how fast selections get made, and how plan check moves through the City of Ontario Building Department. Permitting and design together often consume as much calendar time as construction itself, and plan check alone can run several weeks. A full house remodel typically takes several months to complete, and structural work, additions, or surprises behind the walls add time. We build a schedule specific to your project into the proposal, and starting drawings early is the single biggest lever on your move-back-in date.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in Ontario?
Yes, we handle the full permit process for whole home remodeling in Ontario. Our team prepares the plan set, covering structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents, then submits everything to the City of Ontario Building Department and works through any plan-check comments until the permit is in hand. We schedule and attend every required inspection, from framing through insulation and mechanical, and close the permit out at final. For homes in historic neighborhoods near the Euclid Avenue corridor or Downtown Ontario, exterior scope may also require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city’s historic preservation commission, and we build that review into the project schedule alongside any applicable HOA approvals.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Whole home remodeling costs in Ontario vary widely, and two houses of the same square footage can land far apart in price. The main 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 remediation, added square footage, and the finish level you choose. Older bungalows on the north side grid often carry more of those hidden conditions than newer Ontario Ranch tract homes. Your written proposal separates every line item, distinguishing work that is necessary from work that is optional.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Ontario and the surrounding San Bernardino County communities.