Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable General Contractor Across Irvine
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, bathroom renovation, or whole-home update in Irvine, the first question is almost always the same: what will it actually cost, and what approvals stand between you and demolition? A kitchen remodel in Irvine typically runs $14,000 – $45,000, a bathroom remodel $9,000 – $28,000, and a home addition $45,000 – $130,000. Those numbers assume the job clears Irvine’s HOA architectural review where required and passes Title 24 energy compliance at inspection. Sawyer Remodeling has been running residential construction since 2005, and Luca Romano leads every project here with a simple rule: the price goes in writing before any tool comes off the truck. Call (254) 272-5876 to get your free estimate scheduled.
Why Sawyer Remodeling Is Irvine’s Preferred General Contractor Company
Irvine homeowners don’t need a contractor who figures out the city’s approval process on their dime. They need a crew that already knows the difference between a Northwood HOA submittal and a Woodbridge architectural review, and who schedules around Irvine’s permit inspection sequencing instead of acting surprised by it. That’s the work we do every week.
Our reputation in Irvine is built on the Relay Visibility Guarantee, which every project operates under. You get a live arrival time before we show up, photo updates before and after each phase, and a written price before work begins. No phone tag, no vanishing acts between rough-in and punch list. Luca Romano set that standard and Irvine customers hold us to it.
We answer the phone. Actually answer it, with a live person, 24/7. When you call about a permit question in University Park or a change order on an ADU conversion near Turtle Rock, you talk to someone who can get you answers, not a voicemail loop.
Styles & brands we work with
Licensed General Contractor in Irvine
A Licensed General Contractor in Irvine handles the full scope of a residential project: pulling permits, scheduling inspections, coordinating subs, and standing behind the finished work. Homeowners typically bring us in when the job touches structure, electrical, plumbing, or an HOA-visible exterior, which in Irvine covers most kitchen and bath remodels. Expect to pay $14,000 – $45,000 for a full kitchen, $9,000 – $28,000 for a bathroom, and $45,000 – $130,000 for an addition, depending on scope and material allowances.
Permit and approval sequencing
Irvine requires building permits for structural changes, and many villages add an HOA architectural submittal on top of that. We handle both. The permit is pulled first, the HOA documentation goes in parallel, and demo doesn’t start until both clear. Skipping that order is how homeowners end up tearing out unapproved work at their own cost.
Change orders written, not spoken
When we find aluminum branch wiring behind drywall in a 1978 Woodbridge home, or a vent stack that has to move, we price it as a written change order before touching anything. You approve the number first. No invoice surprises later. That’s not a policy we advertise, it’s just how Luca runs the job from day one.
Residential General Contractor in Irvine
A Residential General Contractor in Irvine focuses on single-family homes, condos, and townhomes, which makes up nearly all of Irvine’s housing stock. The work ranges from a $9,000 small kitchen update in Westpark to a $130,000 home addition in Shady Canyon. Most Irvine projects we take on are interior reconfigurations, not structural repairs, because the city’s building inventory was largely built after 1970 and the bones are usually solid.
Whole-home and room additions
When a family in Northwood needs a fourth bedroom or a Great Park homeowner wants an ADU, the project starts with load calculations, Title 24 documentation, and a permit set that Irvine’s plan check will actually approve. We pull the permits, we schedule the inspections, and we pass them. Every time.
Kitchens, baths, and hardscape scope
A bathroom remodel in Irvine can run from a $5,000 small-bath refresh to a $28,000 full gut with a walk-in shower. A kitchen island alone runs $3,000 – $10,000. We write allowances for materials like Cambria countertops and Wellborn cabinetry into the scope before work starts, so the number on your invoice is the number you approved.
Trusted Brands We Service in Irvine
Irvine homeowners pick from proven material partners, not mystery suppliers. That means countertops from Cambria, Silestone, and Caesarstone; fixtures from Kohler, Moen, and Grohe; cabinetry from Wellborn and KraftMaid; and exteriors from GAF and James Hardie. We carry and order for Irvine jobs specifically, and because we know the local supplier lead times, we can tell you on day one whether a Cambria slab will land in week three or week five. That’s the difference between a schedule and a guess. For larger prefab and panelized work, we’ve also coordinated with builders like Abodu and Mighty Buildings where the scope calls for it. Call us at (254) 272-5876 and we’ll walk you through what works for your Irvine home.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon General Contractor Problems We See in Irvine Homes
- Unapproved HOA work in Woodbridge and Northwood. Homeowners skip the architectural submittal, demo starts, and the committee forces a revert. We file the paperwork first and demo second, every time.
- Bids with no written allowances. The first Cambria or Wellborn selection blows the budget because the contractor never wrote the allowance number down. Our scopes have allowances in writing from day one.
- Title 24 failures on kitchen and bath remodels. Irvine inspectors check energy compliance on lighting, ventilation, and water-heater-adjacent work. A permit without that documentation stalls at sign-off, and we’ve seen it happen on jobs other contractors started.
- Aluminum branch wiring in 1960s and 70s builds. Homes from that era in Irvine can have aluminum wiring behind the drywall, especially in original-construction kitchens. We catch it during demo and price the fix before touching the panel.
Pricing for General Contractor in Irvine, CA
Here’s what we charge in Irvine, written plainly. These are the ranges Luca quotes from, and they hold unless the scope changes in writing:
| Project | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Small Kitchen Remodel | $9,000 – $20,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Cabinet Installation | $4,000 – $13,000 |
| Countertop Installation | $2,000 – $6,500 |
| Backsplash Installation | $800 – $2,500 |
| Kitchen Island Installation | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 – $80,000 |
What moves a kitchen from $14,000 to $45,000? Cabinet grade, countertop material, whether you move plumbing or leave the sink where it is, and whether the HOA and Title 24 reviews add time. Every estimate is free, and we put the number in writing before any work starts. Call (254) 272-5876 to schedule yours.
We Also Serve Cities Near Irvine
Our crews work throughout Irvine and the surrounding area. If you’re in Tustin, Santa Ana, Orange, or Villa Park, the same written-price standard applies. You can learn more about our General Contractor services, or Irvine coverage. Scheduling is coordinated through our Los Angeles office, and crews dispatch to Irvine directly.
Serving Irvine, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Irvine 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 General Contractor in Irvine
Yes, in most cases. Even a cosmetic kitchen remodel in Irvine requires a building permit if you’re touching electrical, plumbing, or ventilation, and Title 24 energy compliance applies to lighting and mechanical updates. If you’re only replacing cabinet fronts and counters with no rough-in changes, you may not need one, but we confirm that with the city before you sign anything. Call (254) 272-5876 and we’ll check your specific scope against Irvine’s current permit requirements.
It adds roughly two to six weeks, depending on the village. Woodbridge and Northwood review committees meet on set schedules, and exterior-visible changes like window replacement or a room addition need their sign-off before the city will issue certain permits. We prepare the submittal package, file it in parallel with the permit application, and demo doesn’t start until both clear. That’s how you avoid a forced revert on unapproved work. Call us and we’ll give you a real calendar for your specific village, not a generic estimate.
The three biggest cost drivers are cabinet grade, countertop material, and whether plumbing or electrical rough-in moves. A $14,000 kitchen uses stock or semi-custom cabinets and a standard countertop, with the sink staying put. A $45,000 kitchen means Wellborn or KraftMaid cabinetry, a Cambria or Caesarstone slab island, and new rough-in for a relocated sink or a dedicated appliance circuit. Change orders are written and approved before any extra work starts, so the number you sign is the number you pay. For an exact quote on your Irvine kitchen, call (254) 272-5876.
A standard bathroom remodel in Irvine runs four to seven weeks from signed contract to final punch list, assuming no HOA review is required. A full gut with a walk-in shower and new rough-in pushes toward the seven-week end. If your Irvine HOA needs an architectural submittal, add two to six weeks on the front end. We give you a written schedule at contract signing with the inspection dates blocked in, and photo updates as each phase closes. Call us at (254) 272-5876 for a calendar specific to your project.
A garage conversion to an ADU in Irvine runs $30,000 – $80,000 for the conversion itself, with a full detached ADU at $90,000 – $220,000. The project requires a building permit, Title 24 energy documentation, and in most villages an HOA submittal because the exterior elevation changes. Plan on six to ten months from first drawing to certificate of occupancy, depending on plan check and inspection sequencing. Luca walks every Irvine ADU client through the permit calendar before you sign, so there’s no surprise mid-project. Call (254) 272-5876 to start the conversation.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner at Sawyer Remodeling, serving Irvine since 2005.
