Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterConstruction Services in Kensington, CA
Most construction in Kensington comes down to one question: does the contractor understand hillside lots, unincorporated county permitting, and homes built before 1960? Ours does. We’re Barrett & Sons Construction, and we’ve worked on enough Kensington projects to know that a 1930s bungalow on a steep grade holds different surprises than a flatland house in El Cerrito. If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, a roof you can trust through fog season, or an ADU that actually gets permitted, call (877) 610-318 to talk through the job. You’ll get a straight answer about scope, timeline, and what the county will require.
Why Kensington Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews today. That means the person who shakes your hand at the estimate is the same family whose name is on the truck, and if something isn’t right, one call brings Tom back. We write it down: the 90-Day Done Right Promise is on every contract, not buried in fine print.
In neighborhoods like Kensington Park and the Arlington Avenue corridor, homeowners mention the same few things when they call us. They like that every price change shows up as a written change order before work happens, not after. They like that permits get pulled and inspections get signed on every eligible job, because they’ve dealt with contractors who said permits were optional. And they like that a live person answers the phone 24/7. No voicemail box, no out-of-state call center.
We’re not the cheapest bid in Kensington. We’re the one with a published name, a verifiable license number, and a face you’ll see at the hardware store on Saturday.
Construction Services We Offer in Kensington
Kitchen Remodeling
Kensington kitchens from the 1920s through the 1940s hide knob-and-tube wiring and the occasional sagging post-and-pier floor. We plan for what’s behind the drywall before we open it, and we install brands you can look up, like KraftMaid cabinetry and Cambria countertops.
Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Kensington.
Bathroom Remodeling
Hillside bathrooms in Kensington often sit on old redwood framing with moisture damage from decades of fog and trapped humidity. We handle rot repair, waterproofing done with Schluter systems, and fixtures from Grohe built to last.
Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Kensington.
Roofing
Kensington sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so a roof is more than weather protection. We install Class A roofing from GAF that meets WUI standards and handles the fog-driven moisture that eats cedar shake roofs on the upper hill streets.
Learn more about our Roofing in Kensington.
Windows & Doors
Many Kensington homes still have single-pane steel-sash windows from the 1930s. Replacing them means understanding how the new units frame into old redwood openings on hillside walls that have shifted over 80 years.
We install Andersen and Marvin products, measured and fitted for the actual opening, not a generic template.
Fence Installation
Fences on Kensington’s slope have to hold their line where the grade changes. We set posts in concrete below the frost line, engineer for lateral pressure on the downhill side, and use materials that stand up to year-round moisture.
Driveway & Pavers
Driveways in Kensington often climb at angles that test drainage and base prep. We install permeable paver systems from Belgard and Techo-Bloc where runoff is a concern, and we grade so water moves away from the foundation, not toward it.
Home Additions & ADU
Adding square footage on a Kensington hillside means grading approvals, foundation work, and county-reviewed geotechnical reports. We handle the full permit path through Contra Costa County, not just the framing.
Every scope, every allowance, every change arrives in writing before a nail moves.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Kensington
Our crews work throughout the 94530 zip code on a regular basis. We know the difference between a flat lot off Purdue Avenue and a steep one off Arlington Avenue or Rincon Road. Most Kensington projects get a site visit scheduled quickly, with scheduling coordinated from our Bay Area office and crews working locally.
- Kensington Park
- Arlington Avenue corridor
- Upper Kensington / near Wildcat Canyon
- Kensington Village area
- Homes along Colusa Avenue
Why Kensington’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
The hills above San Pablo Bay trap fog in ways the flatlands below never see. That means more rot in the redwood framing, more movement in post-and-pier foundations, and more drainage issues on sloped lots. Homes in Kensington were mostly built between the 1920s and 1950s, and almost all of them sit on or near the Hayward Fault trace. The cripple-wall foundations common to that era are highly vulnerable to seismic movement, so any substantial remodel or addition often means seismic retrofitting and engineered retaining walls.
Kensington is also unincorporated Contra Costa County. Every permit, inspection, and grading approval flows through the County Building Department in Martinez. Contractors who assume they can walk a permit through Berkeley or El Cerrito find out quickly they’re at the wrong counter. Hillside grading or foundation work frequently requires a county-reviewed geotechnical report before a permit is even issued. We plan around that from day one, so the timeline we give you reflects what the county will actually require, not what we hope they’ll overlook.
Add in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation that covers nearly all of Kensington, and the picture gets clearer. New construction and substantial remodels must meet WUI standards: ember-resistant venting, Class A roofing, ignition-resistant siding. Those requirements apply here in ways they don’t uniformly apply in El Cerrito or Richmond. If you want a roof that passes inspection and survives both fog season and fire season, the spec matters.
Pricing for Construction in Kensington
Honest numbers, because you asked. A kitchen remodel in Kensington typically falls between $45,000 and $95,000 depending on scope, structural surprises, and finish level. Bathrooms run $22,000 to $45,000. A new roof in the Kensington hills, built to WUI standards with Class A materials, usually lands between $14,000 and $30,000 depending on pitch, layers, and access. ADUs and additions are bigger conversations, often $250,000 and up once grading, geotech, and county fees are accounted for.
We write the allowance down. If the price changes, it changes on paper before it changes on the site. And Kensington homeowners get a few standing offers: $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, and no trip charge inside the county. Seniors and veterans get 10% off, always.
Service Area - Cities Near Kensington
We also serve homeowners in nearby El Cerrito, Albany, Richmond, and Berkeley. If you’re just over the Kensington border, the same crew and the same written guarantee apply.
Serving Kensington, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kensington 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 Construction in Kensington
Yes. Kensington is unincorporated Contra Costa County, so all permits, inspections, and grading approvals go through the County Building Department in Martinez, not a city hall. Hillside grading or foundation work frequently requires a county-reviewed geotechnical report before a permit is issued. We pull permits and sign inspections on every eligible job, and we schedule around the county’s timeline from the start. Call (877) 610-318 for a free estimate that accounts for county requirements.
Most Kensington kitchen remodels run between $45,000 and $95,000, with the final number driven by whether we’re opening walls on a 1930s bungalow with knob-and-tube wiring or working in a newer addition. The allowance on paper is the allowance you pay. Call (877) 610-318 and we’ll walk the space and give you a written line-item quote.
In most cases on hillside lots, yes. Contra Costa County’s Department of Conservation and Development typically requires a geotech report before approving grading or foundation work on sloped sites. We coordinate the report, the permit, and the inspection so you don’t have to chase the county yourself. Estimates are free; call (877) 610-318.
Quite possibly. Kensington’s pre-war homes often sit on original post-and-pier or cripple-wall foundations that are vulnerable on sloped ground near the Hayward Fault trace. If we’re doing a substantial remodel or addition, expect to discuss retrofitting. We’ll tell you up front what’s actually required versus what can wait.
Not without your signature. Every scope, every allowance, every price change arrives as a written change order before work happens. No surprise invoices at the end, because an allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Call (877) 610-318 to schedule a free estimate.
Yes. Kensington homeowners 65 and older, and all veterans, receive a permanent 10% discount on every project. It’s a standing offer, not a seasonal promotion. Mention it when you call (877) 610-318.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Kensington since 1998.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local construction pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Kensington Customers Say
"His sons run the crews and they were in our house for four months. Not once did I feel I had to be home to keep an eye on things."
- Camila Fuentes"Beautiful work and honest pricing throughout. The project ran about three weeks past the estimate waiting on the cabinets, which was the supplier rather than him, though the delay was still real."
- Genevieve Ashcombe"Full kitchen down to the studs. He found the previous owner had done the wiring himself and it was genuinely dangerous, showed me, and put it right properly rather than boxing it back in."
- Augustus Nwachukwu