Whole Home Remodeling in Pasadena
A whole home remodel in Pasadena lets you fix how your house works without giving up the neighborhood you chose. Most of the housing stock here grew out of the development wave that followed the Santa Fe railway’s arrival in 1887 through the 1920s, leaving the city with a high concentration of Craftsman bungalows and period revival houses built between 1900 and 1930. Those homes typically have a closed rear kitchen, a service porch, plaster walls, and original wood windows, which means any serious floor plan change involves working around old framing and wiring. A whole home remodel addresses all of that in one coordinated project: walls relocated, plumbing and electrical brought up to current standards, and multiple rooms updated under a single permit rather than a string of separate jobs. That scope requires different planning from the start than a single-room renovation does.
Services We Offer
Structural & Seismic Work
Roof, Windows & Envelope
Additions & ADUs
Our Whole Home Remodeling Process in Pasadena
Whole home remodeling in Pasadena starts long before a single wall comes down. Because so much of the city’s housing dates to the Craftsman bungalow era between 1900 and 1930, we always begin with a full walk-through that goes beyond the rooms on your wish list. We look at the attic, the crawl space or slab, the electrical panel, and the supply lines. Where something is in doubt, we investigate first, whether that means a sewer camera, asbestos testing on textured ceilings, or a structural assessment of framing that was altered in earlier decades. All of that information feeds into drawings of both the existing house and the proposed layout, so changes happen on paper, where they cost nothing.
Structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents are folded into the same plan set, which we submit together to the City of Pasadena Building and Safety Division as one permit. If your home sits within a landmark district like Bungalow Heaven, exterior changes may also require historic review, and we account for that in the schedule from the start. Cabinets, tile, flooring, and fixtures for every room are selected at our Fullerton design center before demolition begins. Construction then follows a fixed sequence: demolition, structural work, rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC, inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes. One project manager carries the job through final inspection.
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Whole home remodeling in Pasadena almost always means pulling a full building permit with plan check, because the scope touches structure, electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems at the same time. That process runs through the City of Pasadena Building and Safety Division, part of the Planning and Community Development Department. We handle the submittal, respond to plan check comments and coordinate inspections so you are not managing that back-and-forth on top of everything else. If your property sits in a designated landmark district, such as Bungalow Heaven with its roughly 800 Craftsman homes built from 1900 to 1930, exterior changes may go through historic review before a permit issues. We check your address and project scope against those boundaries at the start, because that review can affect material choices, setbacks and the approval timeline before construction begins.
The age of most Pasadena housing stock shapes what we find inside the walls. Homes from the post-railway boom through the 1920s were built with plaster walls, original wood windows and wiring that was sized for a very different load. Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical panels show up frequently in houses of that era, and a whole home remodel is a practical time to address them while the walls are already open. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and disturbing it requires following the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule; that work is handled by appropriately credentialed contractors we coordinate. Suspect materials in popcorn ceilings, older flooring and duct wrap are tested before any removal, and abatement goes to a licensed specialist.
Two state requirements come into the picture on nearly every permitted whole house job. California Civil Code 1101.4 calls for older high-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets to be upgraded to water-conserving fixtures on many remodels of homes built before 1994, so we build 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, covering windows, insulation, lighting and HVAC changes, and we prepare the compliance documentation with the permit set.
Structure is the other major variable. Many Craftsman-era floor plans in Pasadena center on a small rear kitchen separated from the main living area, and opening that layout typically means removing a load-bearing wall, engineering a beam and sometimes adding new footings. Raised-floor houses can also benefit from foundation bolting and cripple-wall bracing while the work area is open. Unpermitted additions or garage conversions from past decades need to be legalized, brought up to current code or rebuilt before the city will sign off on the broader project. If more square footage is part of the goal, state law allows an ADU on most single-family lots, and it can be designed alongside the remodel rather than treated as a separate 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 Pasadena
Horizon Construction and Remodeling has held a Class B general building contractor license since 2009, and whole-home remodeling is exactly the kind of work that license covers: structural changes, multiple trades, and a single coordinating permit pulled through one general contractor. We are licensed and bonded, and our team manages drawings, engineering coordination, and construction under one contract with one project manager. That structure means the people planning your floor plan are in direct contact with the crew executing it, which matters on a complicated job.
In Pasadena, that coordination often gets complicated quickly. A large share of the city’s housing dates from the late 1800s through the 1920s, and many of those Craftsman bungalows and period revival homes carry plaster walls, original wood-framed windows, and wiring that was never designed to support a modern kitchen. Opening a closed floor plan means working carefully around old framing, and we are straightforward with homeowners about what an older house typically needs behind the walls before finish work begins.
Permits in Pasadena go through the City’s Building and Safety Division, and properties in designated landmark districts like Bungalow Heaven can face historic review for exterior changes. We factor that into the planning process from the start. Finishes across every room are selected together, keeping your kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring consistent throughout the house. Contact us today to request a free estimate.
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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 individual rooms tackled one at a time. Walls move, floor plans open up, and plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are updated across the entire structure in a single coordinated effort. In Pasadena, where many homes in areas like Bungalow Heaven date to the Craftsman era of 1900 to 1930, that often means working around original framing, plaster walls, and aging wiring. Everything is drawn, permitted, and sequenced together from the start, so trades move through the house once instead of reopening finished work later.
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, windows, plumbing, wiring, and mechanical systems. In practice, most whole home remodeling projects in Pasadena combine both, especially in the Craftsman bungalows and period revival houses that make up much of the city’s older stock, where original framing, plaster walls, and aging systems often need attention before any finish work begins. We scope everything together, addressing what 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?
It depends on the scope of your whole home remodeling project in Pasadena. Tearing out the kitchen and every bathroom at once, or pulling floors and drywall throughout the house, pushes most families out during the heaviest phases. In older Craftsman bungalows, where original plaster walls and aged wiring often surface unexpected conditions, that disruption can run deeper than anticipated. Phasing the work, keeping one bathroom live and setting up a temporary kitchen, lets some households stay, though phasing adds time. We go over 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 Pasadena depends on scope, how quickly you finalize selections, and how plan check moves through the City of Pasadena Building and Safety Division. Design and permitting often consume as much time as construction itself, and plan check alone can stretch several weeks or more. Construction on a full house typically runs several months, and that window grows when the work involves structural changes, an addition, or conditions hidden inside walls, which is common in the Craftsman bungalows and period revival homes that define much of the city’s housing stock. We build a schedule specific to your house and include it with the proposal, and getting drawings started early is the single biggest factor in shortening the time before you move back in.
Who handles the permit for a whole home remodel in Pasadena?
Yes, Horizon handles the full permit process for whole home remodeling in Pasadena. Our team prepares the plan set, including structural engineering and Title 24 energy documents, submits everything to the City of Pasadena Building and Safety Division, and works through plan-check comments until the permit is in hand. Many Pasadena homes, particularly the Craftsman bungalows concentrated in areas like Bungalow Heaven, sit within designated landmark districts where exterior changes can also require historic review, and we build that review period into the schedule from the start. Throughout construction we coordinate and attend all required inspections, including framing, mechanical, and insulation, and we close out the permit at final.
What drives the cost of a whole home remodel?
Whole home remodeling costs vary widely, and two houses of the same square footage can land far apart in price. In Pasadena, where so many homes date to the Craftsman era of the early 1900s, that range spreads even further because old framing, original wiring, and plaster walls often surface surprises once work begins. The biggest cost drivers are structural changes such as removing a load-bearing wall, relocating a kitchen or bathroom, repiping and rewiring needs, any hazardous material handling, added square footage, and the finish level you choose. Your proposal breaks every item out line by line, separating must-do work from optional upgrades.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Pasadena and the surrounding Los Angeles County communities.