Home Remodeling in Seattle
Seattle is home base for Pacific West, and remodeling here is mostly about older houses.
Seattle kitchens, baths and more- 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.
A large share of the city's homes were built before the Second World War, and almost every one has been remodeled at least once already, sometimes well and sometimes not. The rest of the city's housing is a mix of war-era and mid-century houses, older brick apartment buildings turned condo, and the townhouses that have filled many blocks in the last fifteen years. Each brings its own surprises, and a good remodel plans for them up front.
Seattle kitchens, baths and more
- Kitchens: New counters on existing cabinets, refacing, opening walls, full remodels. See kitchens in older Seattle houses.
- Bathrooms: Tub-to-shower conversions, condo baths and older-house bathrooms. See Seattle bathrooms, from condos to Craftsmans.
- Interior work in older Seattle homes: plaster and drywall, trim, floors, tile and paint.
- Adding space with an addition or ADU: rooms, second stories and backyard cottages.
The houses we work on
Craftsman bungalows and foursquares
from the early 1900s, common in Wallingford, Ballard, Ravenna, Beacon Hill and West Seattle. Plaster walls, old wiring and kitchens that were never meant to be open.
Tudors and brick houses
from the 1920s and 30s, with arched doorways and original tile that's worth keeping when it can be saved.
War-era and mid-century houses
in neighborhoods like Wedgwood, Lake City and Magnolia, which often have a basement waiting to become living space.
Condos and townhomes
from older brick buildings on Capitol Hill to the newer townhouses in Ballard and Fremont, where HOA rules and shared walls shape the job.
Rather talk it through first? Call (206) 860-6901
What a Seattle remodel usually runs into
Opening walls in an old Seattle house often turns up knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized water lines, undersized beams or framing cut by an earlier owner. Steep lots and slide-prone slopes are mapped by the city as Environmentally Critical Areas, which adds review time for exterior and structural work. We plan for all of it in the estimate instead of finding it halfway through.
Permits in Seattle
Building and electrical permits in Seattle come from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). Plumbing and gas permits come from Public Health - Seattle & King County. A dumpster or materials on the street need a street use permit from SDOT. Cosmetic work like paint, flooring, and cabinets or counters in the same spot usually doesn't need a permit. Moving walls, plumbing or wiring does. We file and meet the inspectors.
Seattle neighborhoods
Each of these pages covers that neighborhood's houses, what people there ask us for most, and anything local that changes the job:
- Remodeling in Ballard
- Remodeling in Capitol Hill
- Remodeling in Fremont
- Remodeling in Magnolia
- Remodeling in Queen Anne
- Remodeling in West Seattle
Outside the city, see other cities we cover.
Questions, answered
Do you work on old houses?
Yes. Older houses are a big part of remodeling in Seattle. We look for the usual problems, like old wiring, galvanized pipes and patched framing, on the walk-through and list the likely fixes separately in the estimate.
Who issues permits in Seattle?
SDCI handles building and electrical permits. Public Health - Seattle & King County handles plumbing and gas. Street use permits for dumpsters come from SDOT. We take care of the filing.
My house is on a steep slope. Does that change anything?
It can. Lots in the city's Environmentally Critical Areas get extra review for structural and exterior work. Interior remodels are usually unaffected. We check your parcel before we plan the job.
Can you remodel a Seattle condo or townhome?
Yes. We work with the HOA on approval, work hours, protection of common areas and water shut-offs.
Can you open up the main floor of an older house?
Usually. If the wall carries load, it gets an engineered beam and a permit from SDCI. We check what runs inside the wall before we price it.
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