Palo Alto Design-Build Contractor, From Eichler to Estate
Palo Alto holds the Bay Area's densest concentration of Eichlers — Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow — alongside prewar cottages in Old Palo Alto and Professorville. A home renovation in Palo Alto means respecting radiant slabs, flat roofs, and walls of glass while navigating an exacting plan check. We carry the whole job — design, permits, and construction — on one team, one schedule, one fixed proposal.
We Do Construction restores and expands Palo Alto originals — Eichler system rebuilds in Greenmeadow, cottage renovations in Professorville, whole-home remodels. Design, City of Palo Alto plan check and correction cycles, and construction run through one team, one schedule, one fixed contract.
Who We Build For in Palo Alto
Homeowners Planning to Stay Long-Term
Growing Families
Eichler & Mid-Century Owners
What should Palo Alto homeowners know before remodeling an Eichler or a cottage?
Eichler stewardship is a specialty, and Palo Alto — with Greenmeadow and Fairmeadow anchoring the Bay Area's densest concentration — demands it. Plumbing runs inside the radiant slab, so repiping and layout changes require slab strategy, not guesswork; flat foam roofs need periodic renewal; and those signature walls of glass call for structural and energy solutions that keep the transparency Eichler intended. Across town, 1920s–40s cottages in Old Palo Alto and Professorville bring the opposite discipline: traditional craft and careful additions. Either way, the city runs one of the region's most exacting plan checks, and its objective-standards pathways reward submittals that arrive fully compliant. A whole-home remodel in Palo Alto is won or lost at the drawing stage.
We Do Construction (CSLB #1096552) prepares those drawings and then builds them — design, permits, and construction as one accountable team. Living in an Eichler or a Professorville cottage with a next chapter in mind? We speak both languages.
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
Structure & Foundation
Systems: Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC
Finishes & Millwork
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 Renovate in Palo Alto
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.
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 Palo Alto
What Impacts the Cost of a Palo Alto Renovation
- 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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Over 20 five-star reviews
We Do Construction, Inc.
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FAQ
Yes. As a licensed California general contractor (CSLB #1096552), we file and manage the entire permit process with the City of Palo Alto — building, structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical — plus Architectural Review and any Development Services requirements for exterior or Eichler-sensitive work.
A full-scope renovation is roughly several weeks of design, a Palo Alto permit-review window, and a few months of construction. Eichler and Architectural-Review projects can add review time. We give you the sequence up front so the project doesn’t stall.
Often, yes. We phase construction around your occupancy where the scope allows, so you don’t always have to move out for the duration.
Cost depends on scope and what’s behind the walls. We open the structural reality during feasibility and price it into a single fixed proposal, so the number is real before work begins rather than arriving later as change orders.
Yes. Eichlers have specific realities — post-and-beam framing, radiant slabs, single-pane glazing, exposed ceilings. We renovate to the architecture: updating systems, insulation, and finishes without erasing what makes an Eichler an Eichler.
Yes — design and build under one roof. The structural and spatial decisions are made before demolition, so the trades build to a drawing instead of guessing, and accountability sits with one team.
All of them — Professorville, Crescent Park, Old Palo Alto, Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Midtown, and the surrounding Peninsula including Atherton and Menlo Park.
Yes. Start with a free estimate; the fixed number comes out of feasibility once we’ve assessed the house.
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.