General Contractor in Olympia, WA
Olympia is the south end of our range, and we're honest about what that means.
- Licensed, bonded, insured (#PACIFWC905PQ)
- Free line-item estimates
- One lead, start to finish
Serving Seattle, the Eastside, Everett to Olympia
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Takes about a minute. Photos optional.
Pacific West is a Seattle general contractor, and Olympia is a long drive for a crew, so the projects we take there are ones worth planning around: whole-house renovations of older homes, larger remodels, and more and more often, turning one house into two units. We group the work so a crew is on site for full days rather than driving down for an hour.
Olympia jobs worth the drive
- Kitchens, usually as part of a larger renovation. See how we handle kitchen remodels.
- Bathrooms, including adding a bathroom when a house is split into two units. See how we handle bathroom remodels.
- Seismic retrofits for older homes for older wood-frame houses on crawl spaces.
Older Olympia neighborhoods
The South Capitol, Eastside and Westside neighborhoods have many early- to mid-1900s houses with plaster walls, original trim and small kitchens. Parts of the South Capitol neighborhood are a historic district, where exterior changes can need review before a permit. Inside these houses, we plan for the wiring, plumbing and framing issues older homes usually have, and list them as separate lines in the estimate.
Beyond the historic core, much of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater is ramblers and split-levels from the 1950s through the 1970s, plus newer subdivisions. Those houses usually need the same set of updates at once: windows, an electrical panel, flooring, paint and a bathroom or two, which is the kind of multi-room project that makes sense to schedule from Seattle.
The region also remembers the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, which was centered near Olympia. Older houses that sit unbolted on their foundations are good candidates for a retrofit while other work is going on.
Rather talk it through first? Call (206) 860-6901
Splitting a house into two units
Some homeowners want to divide a large house into two independent living spaces, for family or rental income. That usually means a second kitchen, another bathroom, laundry, separate entries and a fire-rated separation between the units, plus a permit and a check of zoning and utilities. Washington's 2023 housing laws opened this up on more lots, and each city writes its own rules, so we look at feasibility before any design.
Repairs before a sale
Sellers often need a set of items fixed before listing, like rooms repainted, flooring replaced or the list from an inspection report. We take those on when they fit the schedule, and we can usually group several small items into one visit so the drive makes sense for both of us.
Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater or Thurston County?
Each city runs its own permits. Olympia's come from the city's Permit Center in Community Planning and Development, and Lacey and Tumwater have their own permit offices. Unincorporated areas go through Thurston County. We check your parcel and file with the right one.
Farther north, see work we do in Tacoma and work we do in Kitsap Peninsula. Everything else: all our service areas.
Questions we hear
Do you work in Olympia?
Yes, for projects large enough to plan around the drive. Send your address and a description and we'll tell you straight.
Can you divide our house into two units?
Often. It depends on zoning, utilities and fire separation between the units. We check feasibility before any design.
Do you do repairs before a home sale?
When the schedule allows, yes, from paint and flooring to items on an inspection report.
My house is in Tumwater. Is the permit from Olympia?
No. Tumwater and Lacey run their own permit offices, and Thurston County covers unincorporated areas.
Do you remodel older homes in the South Capitol neighborhood?
Yes. Exterior changes in the historic district may need review, which we plan into the schedule.
Tell us what you're planning
Tell us what you're planning. We'll set up a free walk-through and send an estimate with every cost listed, so you decide what's in.
- No obligation
- Takes about a minute
- Photos optional