Millbrae Whole-Home Remodeling & Additions
Mills Estates and Millbrae Meadows climb view hillsides lined with mid-century and split-level homes, most still wearing their original single-pane glass. A whole-home remodel in Millbrae usually pairs new glazing and sound insulation — this is jet-corridor country — with opened plans that face the view. One team carries design, permits, and construction on one schedule, one fixed proposal.
We Do Construction renovates Millbrae’s view homes — split-level remodels in Mills Estates, kitchen and glazing upgrades, jet-corridor sound insulation. One team carries design, permitting through the Millbrae Building Division, and construction on a single schedule and fixed contract, from feasibility to final inspection.
Who We Build For in Millbrae
Homeowners Planning to Stay Long-Term
This is the house you’re keeping. You want it re-wired, re-plumbed, 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 bedrooms, a real kitchen, a better connection to the yard. We sequence the work and, where possible, keep part of the house livable.
Owners of Mid-Century & Ranch Homes
You own a solid Millbrae ranch and want it brought current — insulation, systems, layout, and a kitchen — without losing the single-level livability that makes it work.
What should Millbrae homeowners know before remodeling?
Millbrae's mid-century and split-level homes in Mills Estates and Millbrae Meadows were built for their views, and the best remodels double down on that premise — larger openings toward the Bay, decks and window walls where the original builders economized. Two scopes recur in nearly every project: replacing single-pane glazing, and upgrading sound insulation for homes under the jet corridor, work that transforms daily comfort as much as any kitchen remodel. Split-level plans also respond well to reconfiguration, turning choppy half-flights into coherent living space. The Millbrae Building Division reviews plans in roughly fifteen-business-day cycles, so a well-prepared submittal keeps a home renovation in Millbrae on a predictable rhythm.
We Do Construction (CSLB #1096552) is a design-build contractor for hillside homes like these — one team from first sketch through final inspection. Which view is your house not using yet? We'd like to help you claim it.
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
Opening a dated ranch to light and the yard, or adding square footage on a flat Millbrae lot, is where the value is — and where the plan earns its keep.
Structure & Foundation
Post-war Millbrae homes can hide undersized framing and dated foundations. We engineer the fixes — footings, shear, steel where needed — into the scope, not the surprises.
Systems: Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC
Knob-and-tube or dated panels 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 Remodel in Millbrae
Increase Property Value
In Millbrae, a permitted, structurally documented remodel or addition is the value move — the value is in the structure, systems, 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 Millbrae
A full remodel or addition in Millbrae is a real permit — structural, electrical, plumbing, and City of Millbrae planning review for added square footage 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 Millbrae Remodel
- 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
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Over 20 five-star reviews
We Do Construction, Inc.
Featured Millbrae Projects
Recent Peninsula whole-house remodels and additions — Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Bruno.
Our Services in Millbrae
Serving Millbrae and the Peninsula
FAQ
Yes — a renovation, addition, or build means a structural permit set with the City of Millbrae, 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 Millbrae, 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 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 Millbrae, and construction on one team and one contract.
Yes — we handle the planning review and engineering for additions and ADUs as part of the scope.
Yes — Millbrae 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.