Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Remodeling Company in Santa Monica, CA
Home remodeling in Santa Monica runs $9,000 – $130,000 depending on scope, with whole-house projects and additions at the higher end. We coordinate scheduling from our Los Angeles office and send crews directly to Santa Monica homes, where the 1950s – 1970s wood-frame stock and Coastal Commission overlay create a permitting and construction environment unlike anywhere else in Los Angeles County. Call (949) 850-9896 to schedule your free estimate, and we’ll bring a written price to the first meeting.
Elmstead Remodeling is a Cedarwell company, and every Santa Monica project follows the Cedarwell Care Promise: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the house, a written price before any work starts, a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves, quiet tools during family rest hours where possible, and pet-safe product choices where available. Our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every completed project. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
Why Santa Monica Homes Are Different
Santa Monica’s 2015 mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance required thousands of wood-frame, tuck-under-parking apartment buildings to undergo seismic structural work, creating construction demand that neighboring cities never matched. Nearly the entire 3.5-square-mile city falls under California Coastal Commission jurisdiction, meaning even interior remodels that alter footprint or use can require a Coastal Development Permit. Contractors accustomed to inland permitting routinely underestimate this layer.
The housing stock is overwhelmingly 1950s – 1970s “dingbat” apartment buildings with open tuck-under parking, plus pre-war Craftsman bungalows in Sunset Park and north of Montana Avenue. The density of rent-controlled multi-family buildings means projects regularly navigate tenant-occupancy and relocation rules under Santa Monica’s municipal rent control law. The near-constant marine layer and salt-laden air accelerate corrosion of exposed metal components, pushing local specs toward hot-dip galvanized or stainless hardware even blocks from the water. Soft Quaternary alluvial soils amplify seismic shaking, a fact reinforced by the disproportionate structural damage Santa Monica sustained in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Santa Monica Services
Most Santa Monica homeowners who call us start with one of these three projects.
General Contractor in Santa Monica
General contracting in Santa Monica means managing trades through the city’s dual-layer permitting, where Building and Safety review runs parallel to Coastal Commission scrutiny for footprint changes. We handle structural retrofits for soft-story buildings, tenant coordination in rent-controlled properties, and coordination with the city’s Historic Preservation Office for pre-war homes. Our crews arrive in uniform with background checks completed, and we schedule noisy work outside family rest hours. General Contractor in Santa Monica
Bathroom Remodeling in Santa Monica
Bathroom remodeling here often means reconfiguring 1950s-era layouts in dingbat apartments or updating vintage fixtures in Sunset Park Craftsman homes. We work with Kohler, Moen, and Grohe fixtures, Cambria and Silestone countertops, and Schluter waterproofing systems. In rent-controlled buildings, we coordinate with property managers around tenant schedules and the city’s relocation requirements. Shoe covers and drop cloths protect original hardwood floors common in pre-war stock. Bathroom Remodeling in Santa Monica
Kitchen Remodeling in Santa Monica
Kitchen remodeling in Santa Monica ranges from compact galley updates in ocean-view condos to full gut renovations in Montana Avenue-area homes. We install KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinets, Cambria and Caesarstone countertops, and James Hardie siding where exterior walls are opened. The marine layer affects exterior-facing kitchen windows and doors, so we specify corrosion-resistant hardware. A written price arrives before any demolition begins. Kitchen Remodeling in Santa Monica
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Home Remodeling in Santa Monica
Home remodeling in Santa Monica demands familiarity with soft-story structural issues, Coastal Commission permitting, and the corrosion risks of salt-laden marine air. We are a home remodeling contractor who handles whole-house renovations, luxury upgrades, and structural reconfigurations in single-family homes and multi-family buildings across the city. Our crews know the difference between a Sunset Park Craftsman that needs sensitive historic handling and a 1960s dingbat that needs seismic reinforcement.
Whole House Remodel
Signs you need it
Your floor plan hasn’t been updated since the 1970s, systems are failing in sequence, or you’ve purchased a soft-story building that needs structural integration with cosmetic upgrading.
What it costs in Santa Monica
A whole house remodel in Santa Monica typically runs from the upper end of our standard remodeling range up to $130,000 for extensive structural and systems work combined.
How we do it
We start with structural assessment, then sequence mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in before closing walls and finishing with named-brand materials, with permit inspections at each phase and a final walkthrough photo documenting the clean-up.
Home Renovation
Signs you need it
Specific rooms function poorly, finishes are dated but structure is sound, or you’re preparing a rent-controlled unit for re-occupancy under Santa Monica’s relocation-return requirements.
What it costs in Santa Monica
Home renovation in Santa Monica typically ranges $9,000 – $45,000 for kitchen and bathroom focused work, with smaller single-room projects at the lower end.
How we do it
We isolate the work zone with dust barriers, protect original features worth keeping, complete the renovation with pet-safe products where available, and leave a photo of the clean space before the crew departs.
What Home Remodeling Costs in Santa Monica
| Item | Typical range in Santa Monica |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
How long does a whole house remodel take in Santa Monica?
Most whole house remodels in Santa Monica take 4 – 8 months, with Coastal Commission permits adding 2 – 6 weeks for projects affecting footprint or exterior walls. We build this into the schedule we present with your written price. Call (949) 850-9896 for a timeline specific to your project.
Do you handle permits for home remodeling in Santa Monica?
Yes, we pull all required permits including Building and Safety and Coastal Development Permits when triggered by scope, and we schedule inspections so you don’t coordinate with the city. Call (949) 850-9896 to discuss what permits your project will need.
Brands We Service in Santa Monica
We install and service cabinets from KraftMaid and Wellborn, countertops from Cambria, Silestone, and Caesarstone, fixtures from Kohler, Moen, and Grohe, and exterior materials from James Hardie and GAF. We also work with Sakrete concrete products and Schluter waterproofing systems. Parts are stocked through our Los Angeles-area supply chain with typical next-day turnaround for Santa Monica jobs. See our brands for full details.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Remodeling Company in Santa Monica, CA
| Service | Typical range in Santa Monica |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Small Kitchen Remodel | $9,000 – $20,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 – $10,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 – $80,000 |
| Roof Replacement | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Window Replacement | $4,500 – $15,000 |
| Impact Window Installation | $8,000 – $25,000 |
Prices in Santa Monica run higher than inland markets due to Coastal Commission compliance costs, corrosion-resistant material specifications, and the complexity of working in rent-controlled buildings. Every project receives a written price before any work starts, with line-item breakdowns and no change orders unless you alter the scope.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Santa Monica
Our crews work across Santa Monica’s distinct neighborhoods, from the Craftsman homes north of Montana to the soft-story apartment corridors along Pico and Lincoln. Scheduling is coordinated from our Los Angeles office with typical first availability within a few business days.
- Sunset Park
- Montana Avenue area
- Ocean Park
- Pico Neighborhood
- Wilshire-Montana
Service Area – Cities Near Santa Monica
We serve homeowners throughout the Westside, with Santa Monica as our core market. Our crews also work in Venice, CA, Pacific Palisades, CA, Marina del Rey, CA, and Culver City, CA. Each project follows the same Cedarwell Care Promise and 365-Day Done Right Promise, with permits and logistics adjusted to each city’s requirements.
Serving Santa Monica, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Santa Monica area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Remodeling Company in Santa Monica
Phones are answered by a live person 24/7, and we typically schedule initial consultations within a few business days. For projects in rent-controlled buildings, we build extra time into the schedule for tenant coordination required by Santa Monica’s municipal code.
Not always. Interior work without footprint changes usually only needs City of Santa Monica Building and Safety permits. But any substantial alteration to footprint, use, or exterior near the coastal zone can trigger Coastal Development Permit requirements, even parcels a mile inland. We identify this during our first visit so you’re not surprised mid-project.
It depends on scope and the building’s rent-control status. Santa Monica’s rent control law includes specific relocation and return rights for tenants during substantial construction. We coordinate with property managers and legal counsel where needed, and we schedule noisy work outside typical rest hours to minimize disruption.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local construction pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Santa Monica Customers Say
"Guest bath and laundry redo. Respectful of our schedule, quiet when we needed it, and not a speck of mess left behind. Finished close to on schedule."
- Barrett Lowell"Two bathrooms done at once with kids and a dog in the house. They kept dust contained, were gentle with the pets, and left the place clean each day. Calm and careful."
- Paige Lindholm"Kitchen and living room refresh. Shoes off, floors covered, cleanup every evening. They checked with us before any change. Treated our home with real care."
- Dwight Harmon
