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California Multifamily Remodeling.

Multifamily remodels across LA — common areas, in-place unit upgrades, full vacant-unit turns. We coordinate around occupied tenants and work with the LADBS multifamily permit track.

Bay Area multifamily — SF, Oakland, Berkeley. Tenant protection, rent stabilization, and noise-window restrictions all factor into the schedule before any tool comes out.

Los Angeles

$80 – $300 / sqft per unit

Cosmetic unit refresh bottom; full down-to-studs top.

Timeline — 3–9 months per building depending on scope.

Los Angeles Multifamily Remodeling →

San Francisco Bay Area

$110 – $400 / sqft per unit

SF rent-control + tenant protection adds scope and time.

Timeline — 5–14 months per building including tenant coordination.

San Francisco Bay Area Multifamily Remodeling →

Scope — what we deliver.

  • Scope walk + tenant coordination plan
  • Plans + permits
  • Common-area + unit work
  • MEP upgrades
  • Final inspection + handover

Permits look different in LA vs the Bay.

Los Angeles — permit notes

  • LADBS multifamily permit track.
  • Tenant Habitability Plan often required.
  • Soft-story retrofit triggered on many wood-frame 5+ unit buildings.
  • Sound separation upgrades on Type V construction.

Bay Area — permit notes

  • City permit + rent-board coordination.
  • SF Soft-Story Program mandatory for 5+ unit wood-frame.
  • Tenant Just Cause + relocation requirements.
  • Sound + fire separation strict.

How we think about multifamily remodeling.

Commercial TI lives or dies on schedule. Every day past handover is rent collected at zero or paid at full. We sequence to the closing date, not the construction-comfort date. That means stocked materials before demo starts, off-hours utility cuts, and weekend inspections where the city allows.

ADA + Title 24 non-residential compliance are where most landlords get blindsided. A $40K painting + flooring scope can trigger $120K of bathroom + parking ADA upgrades under the 20% rule. We pull the disabled-access checklist before signing any TI contract — every time.

The schedule, written out.

  1. Week 0

    LOI to lease execution

    Test-fit + cost certainty for tenant + landlord negotiation.

  2. Week 1–4

    Design + permit set

    Architectural, MEP, ADA, structural where needed; building department intake.

  3. Week 4–10

    Plan check + procurement

    City review, long-lead orders (electrical gear, HVAC RTUs).

  4. Week 10–14

    Demo + rough

    Demo, framing, MEP rough, fire-sprinkler relocation, ceiling grid.

  5. Week 14–18

    Finish + close-out

    Drywall, paint, flooring, fixtures, signage, final inspections, CofO.

Materials & assemblies.

ComponentDefault specWhy
CeilingsAcoustic tile (NRC ≥ 0.70) on 15/16" grid, or open-plenum painted black with acoustic cloudsOpen plenum saves vertical but doubles paint cost.
FlooringLVT (10 mil+ wear layer), polished concrete, or carpet tileLVT is the workhorse — 15-year warranty, swappable.
LightingLED 2x4 troffers + dimmable controls + occupancy sensors (T-24)T-24 controls are no longer optional on commercial.
HVACRooftop unit (RTU) sized per ASHRAE 62.1, demand-controlled ventilationDCV pays back via reduced makeup air during low occupancy.
RestroomsADA-compliant fixtures, grab bars at correct heights, accessible route, signageEvery fixture must hit exact heights — the inspector measures.

Hidden costs we flag up front.

Line itemRangeWhen it hits
ADA path-of-travel upgrades (20% rule)$15K–$120KTI cost triggers proportional accessibility upgrades
Fire-sprinkler reconfiguration$6K–$40Knew walls cross existing sprinkler heads
Electrical gear lead time20–40 wk leadnew switchgear or large transformer
Title 24 lighting controls$3K–$18Kold fluorescent retrofit triggers full controls upgrade

cheaper alternatives

What we'd consider — and what we wouldn't.

  • As-is leasing (no TI)

    Cheaper for landlord but extends vacancy and lowers achievable rent.

  • Build-to-suit with allowance + overage

    Best alignment when tenant credit + lease term support amortization.

pitfalls — takeover-job patterns

Mistakes to avoid.

  • Signing a TI contract before the ADA path-of-travel cost is known
  • Ordering electrical gear after permit — 30+ week lead times now standard, kills the schedule
  • Demoing before fire-sprinkler shop drawings are approved — re-pipe ends up rushed
  • Assuming the existing CofO covers the new use — change of occupancy almost always triggers new compliance

Multifamily Remodeling — Los Angeles.

Multifamily Remodeling — Bay Area.

In short.

Can you do an LA multifamily remodel with tenants in place?
Yes — common area + unit-by-unit turn. Tenant coordination plan and Habitability Plan handle the schedule.
Multifamily remodel cost per unit in LA?
$30K–$80K for cosmetic refresh; $120K–$250K full down-to-studs per unit.
What's required to remodel an occupied SF apartment?
Rent-board notice, Just Cause compliance, noise-window restrictions. We file before work starts.
Bay Area multifamily cost?
$45K–$100K cosmetic; $150K–$300K full unit. SF tops the band.

More we build.

Got a multifamily remodeling project in mind?

Send us the address. We'll pull local zoning, setbacks, and multifamily remodeling feasibility before you spend on drawings.

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