Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterConstruction Services in Santa Monica, CA
You pack a lot of living into 8.3 square miles between the ocean and the 405. That means the houses here work hard, and when something needs to be built or rebuilt, you want a contractor who knows the difference between what flies in 90402 and what needs a Coastal Commission sign-off near Main Street. Barrett & Sons Construction runs crews throughout Santa Monica, from the Craftsman bungalows north of Montana to the 1950s complexes along Pico. Call (877) 610-1318 and you’ll get a live person, not a call center. We’ll talk through your project the way a neighbor would, because in this town, half our work comes from someone hearing about us at the farmers market on Arizona.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Why Santa Monica Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Tom Barrett put his name on the truck in 1998 because he wanted the work to have a face. Twenty-nine years later, his sons run the crews. When you hire us, you won’t get a project manager who hands your job to a different subcontractor every week. You get the Barrett name, the Barrett phone number, and a written 90-Day Done Right Promise on every contract. If something isn’t right, one call brings Tom back. That’s not a marketing line; it’s printed on the paperwork.
We’ve handled Kitchen Remodeling in Santa Monica in Sunset Park, rebuilt roofs near Ocean Park, and replaced windows throughout Mid-City. In neighborhoods like Wilshire-Montana and the Pico District, homeowners tend to ask the same thing: will you actually be the one doing the work? Yes. Tom or one of his sons is on-site most days. The crews are background-checked, uniformed, and carry the Barrett name on their shirts. No strangers, no subcontracted mystery labor.
Construction Services We Offer in Santa Monica
Kitchen Remodeling
We’ve rebuilt kitchens in 1920s Spanish Colonials north of Montana and in compact 1950s condos south of Wilshire. We install KraftMaid and Cambria, among other name brands, and every allowance is written down before demolition starts. Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Santa Monica.
Bathroom Remodeling
Santa Monica’s older homes often have bathrooms that were added on decades ago, with plumbing that predates modern code. We use Schluter waterproofing systems and Grohe fixtures, and we never hide a price change from you. Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Santa Monica.
Roofing
The salt air off the Pacific is hard on roofing nails, flashing, and underlayment. We install GAF roofing systems engineered for coastal wind loads, and we’ll show you the permit before we start. Learn more about our Roofing in Santa Monica.
Windows & Doors
Fogged glass, warped frames, and windows that whistle when the marine layer rolls in are common complaints here. We install Andersen and Marvin, and we handle the measurements, the order, and the installation. Learn more about our Windows & Doors in Santa Monica.
Fence Installation
Property lines in Santa Monica are tight, and the city has specific height and setback rules for fences. We pull the permit, we check the survey, and we build it so your neighbor has nothing to complain about. Learn more about our Fence Installation in Santa Monica.
Driveway & Pavers
Older concrete driveways in Santa Monica crack from decades of salt, moisture, and shifting clay. We pour new concrete or install Belgard and Techo-Bloc pavers, with drainage planned before we ever break ground. Learn more about our Driveway & Pavers work in Santa Monica.
Home Additions & ADU
A second-story addition off Ocean Avenue won’t move forward without a serious coastal review. We’ve navigated the city’s planning process and the Coastal Commission, and we’ll walk you through it in plain language. Learn more about our Home Additions & ADU services in Santa Monica.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Santa Monica
We’re not running crews from an hour away and hoping your job is on the route. We work here, we know the streets, and we can usually have someone at your door within a couple of days for an estimate.
- North of Montana
- Sunset Park
- Ocean Park
- Wilshire-Montana
- Pico District
Why Santa Monica’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Santa Monica is a city where two forces work against buildings at once: the ocean and the planning department. The persistent marine layer and salt-laden air accelerate corrosion of exposed steel fasteners, anchor bolts, flashing, and rebar embedded in concrete. Older buildings here develop spalling and what engineers call concrete cancer at rates inland contractors rarely encounter. A contractor who works mostly in West LA or Culver City simply hasn’t seen the same volume of salt-damaged concrete and corroded structural steel that we repair on a regular basis in Santa Monica.
Then there’s the permitting layer. Santa Monica is an independent municipality with its own building department, and much of the city falls inside the California Coastal Commission’s coastal zone. That means most significant construction projects require a Coastal Development Permit on top of city permits. A routine second-story addition near Ocean Avenue or along a street close to Palisades Park can trigger a full coastal review, while the same project two miles inland sails through on a standard city permit. Add in the city’s early mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit ordinance, and you end up with a construction environment where the contractor’s knowledge of local process is as valuable as his hammer. If you’re planning structural work, or an ADU, or anything that touches an exterior wall, you need someone who has already been through the city’s planning counter more than once. We have.
Pricing for Construction in Santa Monica
Here are honest starting ranges for typical projects in Santa Monica. Every job gets a written line-item estimate before you sign, and any change arrives as a written change order before work proceeds. You’ll never get a surprise invoice at the end.
- Bathroom remodel: $18,000 - $38,000
- Kitchen remodel: $35,000 - $85,000
- Roof replacement: $12,000 - $28,000
- Window replacement (whole house): $9,000 - $22,000
- Fence installation: $2,500 - $9,000
- Driveway replacement: $5,000 - $14,000
- ADU / addition: $140,000 - $350,000+
Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate. We also offer $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, and no trip charge inside the county. Seniors and veterans save 10% on every job, permanently.
Service Area - Cities Near Santa Monica
We work throughout Santa Monica and the surrounding Westside. Browse our service pages for Venice, Century City, Culver City, and Beverly Hills to see how we approach construction across the region.
Serving Santa Monica, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica
A kitchen remodel in Santa Monica typically runs $35,000 to $85,000, depending on whether you’re keeping the existing footprint or moving walls. Coastal-zone projects near Ocean Park or north of Montana often add permitting complexity that affects the timeline more than the price. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote, and we’ll put every allowance in writing before you commit.
If your property sits in the coastal zone, which includes much of Santa Monica, a significant remodel, addition, or exterior alteration may require a Coastal Development Permit in addition to the city building permit. A contractor with local experience can tell you early whether your project triggers a coastal review, and can handle the paperwork for you. We’ve been through the process enough times to know which projects qualify for categorical exclusions and which ones need the full review.
Not without your signature. If the scope changes, you get a written change order with a new price before any additional work begins. That’s been our rule since 1998, and it’s written into every contract. No surprises, no verbal agreements, no “we’ll figure it out later.”
A Bathroom Remodel in Santa Monica typically takes 3 to 5 weeks, a kitchen 6 to 10 weeks, and an ADU 6 to 12 months depending on coastal review and city inspections. Santa Monica’s permitting process tends to add time compared to neighboring cities, which is why we start the paperwork early and keep you updated on where your permits stand.
Yes, on every eligible job. Permits get pulled and inspections get signed. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, and that’s exactly why I like him. If a contractor tells you permits are optional in Santa Monica, walk away and call us instead.
If you’re planning construction in Santa Monica, call Barrett & Sons Construction at (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look it up before you sign anything. Then give us a call and let’s talk about your project face to face.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Santa Monica and the Westside 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 Santa Monica Customers Say
"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"He pulled every permit and had every inspection signed off. The last contractor we used told us permits were optional and I have been paying for that ever since."
- Redmond Cavanaugh