Marin County Whole-Home Renovation & Custom Builds
Marin County ranges from early-1900s town cores to mid-century modernists carried on posts and piers above the hillsides. Renovating here means building for fire country — most parcels sit in the wildland-urban interface, where ember-resistant construction governs. A design-build contractor in Marin carries design, permits, and construction on one team, one schedule, one fixed proposal.
We Do Construction builds whole-home remodels, hillside additions, and fire-hardening retrofits across Marin County — from ranch updates to canyon-lot rebuilds. One team carries design, permitting through Marin County CDA for unincorporated areas, and construction on a single schedule and one fixed proposal.
Who We Build For in Marin
Homeowners Planning to Stay Long-Term
This is the house you’re keeping. You want it re-systemed, structurally sound, and reorganized to live the way you actually do — done once, comprehensively.
Growing Families
The house has to grow with the family — more space, a real kitchen, a better connection to the yard. We sequence the work and, where possible, keep part of the house livable.
Owners on Hillside & Waterfront Lots
You own a Marin hillside or waterfront home and want it brought current — systems, structure, drainage — while keeping the connection to the site that makes Marin living what it is.
What should Marin homeowners know before renovating?
Marin's housing runs the century — town cores of early bungalows and shingled cottages, then the post-and-pier modernists that climbed the hillsides at mid-century. What unifies renovation across the county is fire code: most parcels fall within the wildland-urban interface, so additions, re-roofs, and exterior alterations must meet Chapter 7A ember-resistant standards — tempered glazing, ignition-resistant siding and decking, protected vents. Hillside houses add their own engineering, since posts and piers from the modernist era rarely meet current seismic expectations. In unincorporated Marin, permits run through the county's Community Development Agency; the incorporated towns each review their own. A whole-home remodel in Marin is really three projects braided together — fire hardening, structure, and design — and it prices best that way.
We Do Construction (CSLB #1096552) builds to WUI standards as a baseline, not an upgrade. Planning an addition or a hillside remodel north of the bridge? We are glad to walk the parcel with you.
Last updated July 2026.
SIGNATURE MOMENTS
What separates a full remodel from a series of renovations.
Whole-home coordination
Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC designed together — not retrofitted room by room. Systems that work as a single home.
Live-in sequencing
We phase construction around your occupancy when possible. You don't always have to leave for a full remodel.
Single-team delivery
One GC. One point of contact. No finger-pointing between trades when something needs resolution.
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
Three phases. Every room. No handoffs.
Flat-fee at every phase. You know the total investment before work begins.
PHASE 01
Discovery
We assess your entire home — structure, systems, layout — and align the scope to how your household actually lives.
PHASE 02
Design
Integrated design across every room. Finishes, fixtures, and spatial flow resolved together so nothing conflicts.
PHASE 03
Construction
Phased execution across all spaces, coordinated by one team. You stay informed at every milestone.
Architecture & Floor Plan
On a Marin hillside or waterfront lot, siting, drainage, and how the house opens to the land are where the value — and the County’s review — concentrate.
Structure & Foundation
Marin homes on sloped or waterfront lots demand serious engineering — deep footings, shear, steel, and drainage. We engineer the fixes into the scope, not the surprises.
Systems: Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC
Dated panels or knob-and-tube out, modern service in; re-plumbed supply and drains; heating and ventilation sized for the whole house — done while the walls are open.
Finishes & Millwork
Rift-sawn white oak, honed stone, custom millwork — specified and detailed before demolition so the trades build to a drawing.
The Old Way
- Separate designer and contractor
- Unclear budgets and change orders
- Delays caused by poor coordination
- Limited accountability when problems arise
Our Design-Build Approach
- One integrated team from concept to completion
- Clear scope, transparent pricing, and realistic timelines
- Fewer delays and better communication
- Full responsibility for design, permits, and construction
Why Build in Marin
Increase Property Value
On a Marin lot, a permitted, structurally documented renovation, addition, or build is the value move — the value is in the structure, systems, seismic, and approvals, not a surface refresh.
Improve Daily Functionality
A plan that finally fits the family, light brought in from the rear, and a house that works as one — the difference between patching and actually solving the house.
Modernize the Look and Feel
Consistent materials and detailing across every room — a house that reads as one considered project rather than a decade of piecemeal fixes.
PROCESS AT A GLANCE
One team. One timeline.
Every trade coordinated under one contract. No gaps, no handoffs.
STAGE 01
Discovery
2–4 weeks
Whole-home assessment, structural evaluation, scope alignment.
STAGE 02
Design
6–12 weeks
Integrated room-by-room design, material selections, system planning.
STAGE 03
Permit
3–8 weeks
Permit drawings, city submission, multi-trade approvals.
STAGE 04
Build
4–12 months
Phased construction across all rooms through final walk-through.
What to Expect Building in Marin
A full renovation, addition, or build in Marin is a real permit — structural, electrical, plumbing, and planning review with Marin County (or the relevant town) for new square footage, hillside work, or exterior changes. Plan on design, a review window, and several months of construction. We file the set and carry it through every inspection.
What Impacts the Cost of a Marin Project
- One integrated team from concept to completion
- Clear scope, transparent pricing, and realistic timelines
- Fewer delays and better communication
- Full responsibility for design, permits, and construction
- One integrated team from concept to completion
- Clear scope, transparent pricing, and realistic timelines
- Fewer delays and better communication
- Full responsibility for design, permits, and construction
Professionals Tips
Increase Property Value
A whole-house renovation done right is the biggest value move a home here can make — but the value is in the structure, the systems, and the permits, not a surface refresh.
Improve Daily Functionality
A plan that finally fits the family, light brought in from the rear, and a house that works as one — the difference between patching and actually solving the house.
Modernize the Look and Feel
Consistent materials and detailing across every room — a house that reads as one considered project rather than a decade of piecemeal fixes.
Increase Property Value
A whole-house renovation done right is the biggest value move a home here can make — but the value is in the structure, the systems, and the permits, not a surface refresh.
Improve Daily Functionality
A plan that finally fits the family, light brought in from the rear, and a house that works as one — the difference between patching and actually solving the house.
Modernize the Look and Feel
Consistent materials and detailing across every room — a house that reads as one considered project rather than a decade of piecemeal fixes.
What Our Clients Say
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We Do Construction, Inc.
Featured Marin-Area Projects
Recent Marin whole-house renovations, additions, and custom builds across the county.
Our Services in Marin
Serving Marin and the North Bay
FAQ
Yes — a renovation, addition, or build means a structural permit set with Marin County, plus planning review for new square footage or exterior changes. We file it, manage the review, and carry the job through every inspection.
Typically several months of design, a review window with Marin County, and several months of construction — longer for a down-to-studs renovation or a large addition. We give you the real schedule in feasibility.
For phased or partial-scope work we can often keep part of the house livable. A full down-to-studs renovation is safer and faster with the house empty.
It depends on square footage, how much structure, seismic, and systems work is involved, and the finish level. We price it in feasibility against a real scope, then hold it in a fixed proposal.
Both. We are design-build — architecture, engineering, permitting through Marin County, and construction on one team and one contract.
Yes — we engineer foundation, shear, and seismic upgrades into the scope so the work is sound, not just refinished.
Yes — Marin and the surrounding communities. Each project files with the jurisdiction that governs it.
Yes. After feasibility and a defined scope we issue one fixed proposal covering design, permits, and construction.
How much does a full home remodel cost in San Francisco?
A full home remodel in San Francisco typically runs $350,000–$900,000+ in 2026 — roughly $300–$600 per square foot, and higher when structural or seismic work is involved. The range reflects SF labor rates, the realities of pre-1978 housing stock, and the finish level of a design-build home. We Do Construction (CSLB #1096552) delivers whole-home remodels across San Francisco on a single fixed-price design-build contract.
| Tier | Typical SF range (2026) | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Finishes-forward | $350,000–$500,000 | Existing layout kept, new kitchen and baths, finishes, systems refresh |
| Full reconfiguration | $500,000–$750,000 | New floor plan, relocated plumbing and electrical, Title 24 systems |
| Structural / addition-grade | $750,000–$900,000+ | Walls out, steel and seismic upgrades, custom millwork throughout |
SF labor/trade rates per Block Renovation SF data. Ranges are planning figures — your fixed number comes out of feasibility. Last updated June 2026.
What permits does a full home remodel require in San Francisco?
A whole-home remodel touching layout, structure, plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems requires a building permit from the SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI), and work that changes the building envelope or use also goes through SF Planning. Full-scope and structural permits run 2–4+ months in plan review, and additions 3–6 months; historic districts north of California Street add design review. Pre-1978 homes also trigger lead and asbestos protocols. As a licensed SF general contractor (CSLB #1096552), We Do Construction files and manages the entire DBI and Planning process in-house. Last updated June 2026.