One studio. One contract. One project manager. Sketch to last switch plate.
Whole-home remodels are the hardest projects in residential construction , and the easiest to mismanage. We do them under one roof: in-house design, in-house construction management, optional smart-home integration. You don’t assemble five vendors. You hire us.
Get a whole-home consultation → • See sample renderings ↓
CSLB #[CSLB Number , pending owner verification] · Bonded · Insured · LADBS-permitted · Smart-home certified · Fixed-price contracts
When a whole-home is the right project
You should be looking at whole-home , not piecemeal , when:
- You bought a house with “good bones” but every surface is dated
- A major life change (kids out, kids in, job change, divorce, new partner) means the layout no longer fits
- You’re combining a remodel with a structural change (second story, addition, full layout reconfiguration)
- You’ve remodeled in pieces over 10 years and the rooms don’t talk to each other
- You’re thinking about selling in 3 to 7 years and want maximum resale impact, not patchwork
If any of these are true, doing the project in one phase is 15 to 25% cheaper than doing it in three phases over five years (one mobilization, one design effort, one permit cycle, one trade rotation, no rework).
How an ACE whole-home actually works
Phase 1 , Discovery (Weeks 1 to 2)
Designer + project manager + (often) the principal come to your home. We listen. We measure. We talk about how you actually live, who’s in the house, what the rooms are for now and what they need to become. We write a discovery brief.
Phase 2 , Schematic Design (Weeks 3 to 6)
Floor plans. Massing. Three or four directions to choose from. We don’t try to “wow” you with one direction , we show you the options so you can react. You pick. We refine.
Phase 3 , Design Development (Weeks 6 to 12)
3D renderings of every space. Material boards. Fixture selections. Smart-home spec if relevant. Budget alignment as we go , no big reveal at the end.
Phase 4 , Permits & Construction Documents (Weeks 12 to 18)
Full CDs, structural engineering, Title 24, MEP coordination. LADBS submittal. Plan check. Permit issued.
Phase 5 , Build (Months 5 to 12+ depending on scope)
Demo. Structural work first. MEP rough. Insulation. Drywall. Finishes by trade rotation. Punch list. Final inspection. CO.
You see the schedule on Day 1. You see the contract on Day 1. You see the renderings before any sledgehammer hits anything.
What we do exceptionally well
Open-plan reconfigurations
The 80s and 90s walled-off floor plan is the most common LA whole-home brief. We’ve done dozens. We know what’s bearing wall, what’s not, when a beam works versus when a structural ridge is needed.
Indoor-outdoor integration
Folding glass walls (LaCantina, Western Window Systems, Fleetwood). Pocketing slider doors. Covered patios that become extensions of the kitchen and living room. The LA fantasy that actually works year-round.
Mid-century restoration
Honor Eichler, Neutra, Lautner, and the era’s architects. Don’t bulldoze the original , restore it correctly while modernizing what needs modernizing (insulation, glazing, MEP, kitchen, bath).
Spanish Revival refresh
LA’s signature architectural language. Plaster walls, terra-cotta, hand-glazed tile, exposed beams, casita layouts. We know how to work with the architecture, not against it.
Smart-home integration
Lutron lighting, Ketra tunable-white, motorized shades, Sonos / Crestron audio, security, climate. Optional , most clients use Lutron RA3 or HomeWorks. We’ll tell you the honest cost and benefit.
Hillside / Historic / Coastal
Bel Air, Hollywood Hills, Mt. Washington , hillside ordinance navigation. HPOZ neighborhoods (Hancock Park, Greater Wilshire) , exterior design review. Pacific Palisades coastal zone , Coastal Development Permit pathway. We’ve done all of it.
What’s in a fixed-price ACE whole-home contract
- Full architectural set
- Structural engineering
- Title 24 / energy compliance
- MEP coordination drawings
- LADBS permits and plan check management
- Demolition and disposal
- All trades coordinated by your dedicated PM
- Every material, fixture, and appliance specified
- Smart-home cabling and programming if included
- Landscape integration to existing yard interface
- Daily progress visibility (ACE Live)
- Punch-list policy: zero items remain at final payment
- One-year workmanship warranty + two-year mechanical
What we don’t do
- We don’t do TV-style 8-week whole-home remodels. They’re a lie.
- We don’t take fixed-price contracts on projects where pre-existing conditions are unknown unless we’ve opened walls in discovery , when there’s real risk, we propose a hybrid (fixed for known scope + line-item allowances for opened-up unknowns, all signed in advance).
- We don’t take whole-home projects under $400K , the design effort is too thin to deliver our standard.
Working with your architect or designer
Many of our David & Sara clients already have an architect or interior designer they trust. We work cleanly with both.
- We bid against your CDs and execute exactly to spec
- We coordinate FF&E delivery and installation with your designer’s schedule
- We don’t argue with finish selections , we execute them
- We don’t try to “value-engineer” your designer’s vision unless you ask us to
- We carry the LA-permit and code-compliance burden for the whole team
If you don’t have a designer or architect, we have an in-house design team that runs the whole project from sketch to last switch plate.
Real LA whole-home projects
FAQ
How long does a whole-home remodel take?
Plan for 12 to 24 months from contract to keys. Design + permits: 4 to 6 months. Construction: 8 to 18 months depending on scope, hillside complexity, and whether structural changes are involved. We give you a dated timeline in your contract.
Can I live in the house during the remodel?
Almost never recommended for a true whole-home. Phased remodels can sometimes be lived in (top floor while bottom is renovated, etc.) but quality and timeline both suffer. Most clients rent for the build phase or relocate to a guest house. We help you plan this.
What if costs go up during the project?
Under a fixed-price contract, we eat overruns we caused. Pre-disclosed unknowns (e.g., “if foundation requires additional shoring, allowance is $X”) are itemized upfront and signed. Client-driven changes go through signed change orders with their own price.
How do you compare to [other LA design-build firm]?
We don’t sell against competitors. What we’ll tell you: ask any whole-home contractor for their last three project budgets versus actuals, the punch-list resolution time at final payment, and three references from the last 12 months. Then talk to those references. Real data beats brochures.
Do you do new construction (ground-up)?
Generally no , we focus on remodel, addition, ADU. We can refer you to ground-up specialists. Hillside lot redevelopments where most of the existing house is preserved fall in our wheelhouse.
How does smart-home integration work?
We design at the architectural drawing stage so cabling is in the walls before drywall closes. Lutron RA3 or HomeWorks systems are most common. Optional but planned-for from Day 1 , adding it later is 3 to 5x more expensive.
Will I have a single point of contact?
Yes. One named project manager from contract to keys. Direct phone. Working hours posted. They run weekly site walks with you (in person or virtual) and coordinate every trade. You don’t manage anyone.
Get a whole-home consultation → • Call (310) 596-5266
Real Whole-Home Remodel projects in LA
Photographed as built. Permitted with LADBS. Built on a fixed-price contract.
