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General Contractor for Kensington Remodels and Additions
Remodels, additions and ADUs, planned around neighbors’ views.
Kensington isn't a city. Its remodels go through Contra Costa County, under a district rule written to protect neighbors' views.
Kensington is unincorporated, so Contra Costa County issues the permits. Almost any project that expands a house’s footprint or height falls under the Kensington Combining District, which weighs what the addition does to the neighbors: their views, light, sunlight and privacy. Neighbors are notified, and a public hearing is required if the house would go over a floor-area threshold set by lot size, or if a neighbor asks for one within 34 days. The Kensington Municipal Advisory Council reviews applications and makes a recommendation to the county. ADUs and interior work that doesn’t change the outside of the house are exempt from this review.
Our Services
What Remodeling in Kensington Actually Involves
Three things we plan for on every Kensington job
Designing for the neighbors’ view
We look at how an addition sits from the houses around yours before the design is set, because that’s what the review weighs.
The floor-area line
We calculate your lot’s threshold early. Staying under it can mean approval without a hearing.
The sewer lateral
Kensington is in the Stege Sanitary District, part of the East Bay’s lateral program, so a remodel over $100,000 needs a current lateral certificate. If yours has lapsed, the line to the street gets tested.
How a Kensington Job Runs
Design-build means one team from the first walkthrough to the final inspection: design, engineering, permits and construction. When the neighbors get a say, it helps that the people drawing the addition can show exactly what it will look like and what it will cost.
The first visit is on site. We look at the house from the neighbors’ side as well as yours, check the panel and the sewer line, and work out your lot’s floor-area threshold. Then a preconstruction agreement covers design, engineering and the permit set, and ends with a detailed construction budget. If the project adds to the outside of the house, neighbors get notice and the Kensington Municipal Advisory Council reviews it before Contra Costa County issues the permit. During the build you get a weekly update, and we photograph every wall before it closes.
Our Work Near Kensington
El Cerrito Flats: a full gut remodel of a 1,170 sq ft house: new plumbing, heating, electrical and insulation, and PG&E bills down 84% over a year.
South Berkeley: a 160 sq ft office and guest space with R-40 walls, more than double the standard.
We’re based in Oakland, about 20 minutes away. Start with a free 15-minute call. If it’s a fit, we’ll walk the house with you, check your lot’s floor-area threshold, and give you a straight ballpark.
