Home Remodeling Contractor in Orange County & Los Angeles

A whole-home remodel touches almost every trade at once: framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall, flooring, cabinets, tile and paint, plus the permits and inspections that tie them together. IA Builders is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1124696) based in Culver City, and we run these projects as one coordinated job for homeowners across Orange County and Los Angeles.

What a whole-home remodel can include

Most of our home remodeling projects combine several of these:

• Opening up the floor plan. Removing or moving walls between the kitchen, dining and living areas, including the beams and engineering a load-bearing wall needs.
• Kitchen and bathrooms together. Doing the kitchen and bathrooms in one project is usually cheaper and faster than doing them years apart, because the plumbing, electrical and finish trades are already on site.
• Systems the walls are hiding. Older Southern California homes often still have galvanized supply lines, cast-iron drains, undersized electrical panels or ductwork that has reached the end of its life. A full remodel is the right time to replace them.
• New finishes throughout. Flooring, interior doors, trim, lighting, windows and paint, so the whole house feels finished rather than patched.
• More space. If the house needs more than a new layout, a remodel can be combined with a room addition or an ADU.

How a home remodel works with us

1. Site visit and scope

We walk the house with you, talk through what isn't working, and look at the things that drive cost: structure, plumbing locations, the age of the electrical service, and access. You get a written scope and estimate rather than a number on a napkin.

2. Plans, engineering and permits

Moving walls, adding circuits or changing plumbing needs permits. We coordinate drawings and structural engineering when they're required and handle the submittal to the city. Every city we work in has its own building department and its own rules. Coastal cities often add coastal-zone review, and many neighborhoods in Orange County have HOA approval on top of the city permit, so we plan the schedule around those steps instead of finding out late.

3. Construction

We sequence the work so that rough plumbing, electrical and mechanical are inspected before walls close, and finish trades follow in order. You have one point of contact for the whole project, and we keep you updated as each phase is completed.

4. Final inspection and walkthrough

The city signs off the permit, and we walk the house with you to close out any punch-list items before the job is done.

Living at home during a remodel

Whether you can stay in the house depends on the scope. A remodel that leaves one bathroom and a working kitchen area in place can often be phased so you stay home; a gut renovation of the whole house usually can't. We'll tell you honestly at the scope stage which kind of project yours is, so you can plan.

What affects the cost

No two whole-home remodels are priced the same, but the same factors come up every time:

• How much of the structure changes (moving walls, beams, new openings)
• Whether plumbing fixtures move or stay in place
• The condition of the electrical panel, wiring, plumbing and HVAC
• Finish levels for cabinets, counters, tile, flooring and fixtures
• Permit requirements, engineering, and any HOA or coastal approvals
• Access to the site and how the work has to be phased

Frequently asked questions

How long does a whole-house remodel take?

It depends on the scope and on permit review times, which vary a lot from city to city. A cosmetic refresh of a few rooms moves quickly; a remodel that changes structure, plumbing and electrical throughout the house takes months, plus the time for plans and permits before construction starts. We give you a schedule with the estimate.

Do I need permits for a home remodel?

Almost always, if the work changes structure, plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems. Painting, flooring and replacing cabinets in the same layout generally don't, but most whole-home remodels include work that does. Unpermitted work can cause problems when you sell or insure the house, so we pull permits for the work that needs them.

Can you remodel a house in an HOA community?

Yes. Many planned communities in Orange County, including parts of Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda and Tustin Ranch, require HOA architectural approval before the city permit. We prepare what the HOA needs and build the approval time into the schedule.

Do you work in both Orange County and Los Angeles?

Yes. We're based in Culver City and work across the Westside and South Bay of Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes, and in north and central Orange County, including Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Brea, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

How much do I pay upfront?

California caps the down payment on a home improvement contract at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. The rest is paid on the schedule written into your contract, and any change to price or scope needs a signed written change order.

Last reviewed October 2026