Sausalito Whole-Home Renovation & Custom Builds
Pre-1939 cottages and shingled homes climb The Hill above Sausalito, with mid-century houses along the flats below. Renovating here means hillside engineering — retaining walls, tiered decks — and an envelope built for marine air, whether a whole-home remodel or an ADU. We carry the whole job — design, permits, and construction — on one team, one schedule, one fixed proposal.
We Do Construction designs and builds hillside remodels, full-home renovations, and ADUs in Sausalito — engineered for slope, salt air, and the view-corridor review that governs both. One team carries design, permitting through Sausalito’s Community Development Building Division, and construction on a single schedule and fixed proposal.
Who We Build For in Sausalito
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 & View Lots
You own a steep Sausalito home and want it brought current — systems, structure, access, drainage — while protecting the bay views that define the property.
What should Sausalito homeowners know before renovating on the hillside?
Sausalito's housing splits along its topography: pre-1939 cottages and brown-shingle homes on The Hill, mid-century construction closer to the water. Most remodels here start with the lot itself — steep parcels call for geotechnical review, retaining structures, and tiered decks that turn slope into living space — and with an envelope that can stand up to chronic marine moisture. The City of Sausalito's Community Development Department reviews hillside and view-corridor projects closely, so decisions about height, massing, and windows are permit decisions too. For homeowners weighing an ADU, the city offers pre-approved plans that simplify approval. A home renovation in Sausalito rewards teams who design for the review process from day one.
We Do Construction (CSLB #1096552) is a design-build contractor accustomed to Sausalito's hillsides — one team carrying architecture, engineering coordination, permits, and build. Curious what your slope, view, or cottage could become? We're glad to walk the site 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 steep Sausalito lot, siting, access, and how the house captures the bay view are where the value — and the City’s design review — concentrate.
Structure & Foundation
Sausalito hillside homes demand serious engineering — deep footings, shear, steel, drainage, and difficult-access logistics. 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 Sausalito
Increase Property Value
On a Sausalito 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 Sausalito
A full renovation or build in Sausalito is a real permit — structural, electrical, plumbing, and City of Sausalito planning and design review for new square footage, hillside work, or exterior changes. Plan on design, a review window, and several months of construction. We file the set with the City and carry it through every inspection.
What Impacts the Cost of a Sausalito 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
Over 150 five-star reviews
Over 85 five-star reviews
Over 20 five-star reviews
We Do Construction, Inc.
Featured Sausalito-Area Projects
Recent Marin whole-house renovations and additions — Sausalito, Mill Valley, and Tiburon.
Our Services in Sausalito
Serving Sausalito and Marin County
FAQ
Yes — a renovation, addition, or build means a structural permit set with the City of Sausalito, 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 the City of Sausalito, 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 the City of Sausalito, 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 — Sausalito 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.