Remodeling in Tucson, Answered

Whole-home remodeling in Tucson typically runs $125 to $250 per square foot depending on scope, with a cosmetic refresh lower at $60 to $110. On a 2,000 square foot home, a standard whole-home remodel lands around $250,000 to $370,000.

Single rooms price differently: kitchens $28,000 to $175,000 and bathrooms $18,000 to $120,000. Full detail on the cost guide.

Almost always because they are quoting different scopes. The cheapest quote often excludes permits, assumes the plumbing stays put, assumes the panel is adequate, carries low allowances for tile and fixtures, and omits painting afterwards.

Compare line by line rather than comparing totals, and ask what each allowance assumes per item.

For kitchens and bathrooms, moving plumbing. Tucson homes are slab-on-grade, so relocating a sink, toilet or shower drain means saw-cutting concrete: $3,500 to $12,000 before any visible work.

See why moving a sink costs so much.

10 to 15 percent for a house under about thirty years old, and 15 to 20 percent for anything older or where the scope opens walls, floors or the slab.

Discovery is normal once walls come open. A budget with no contingency is simply a budget that will be exceeded.

Purely cosmetic work generally does not: paint, flooring, tile, cabinets and countertops, as long as plumbing and electrical are untouched. Anything that adds or moves a fixture, runs new electrical, changes HVAC or alters structure does.

Most full kitchen, bathroom and whole-home remodels end up permitted.

It depends on your address, and the metro spans six authorities: City of Tucson PDSD, Pima County Development Services, the towns of Oro Valley, Marana and Sahuarita, and the City of South Tucson.

Catalina Foothills, Tanque Verde, Vail and most of Flowing Wells are county, not city, despite Tucson mailing addresses. See the permits guide.

In the City of Tucson, generally yes. Arizona's HB 2720 requires cities above 75,000 people to permit accessory dwelling units by right, up to 1,000 square feet, with no owner-occupancy requirement and no additional parking.

Short-term rental of an ADU is not permitted in Tucson, and HOA covenants can still restrict them. See the casita law guide.

For exterior work in a master-planned community, almost certainly. Architectural review is separate from the building permit and typically adds four to twelve weeks.

We submit to both in parallel so they overlap rather than run end to end.

Yes, licensed and insured in Arizona for all the work we perform. Arizona requires a Registrar of Contractors licence for essentially any work over $1,000 including materials.

You can verify any contractor's licence, including ours, at roc.az.gov.

Call (520) 548-2125 or use the contact form. We come out, walk the space, and follow up with a written, itemised estimate with the allowances spelled out.

It is free and carries no obligation.

Yes, all of it. Design and selections happen before pricing is finalised, which is what makes a number hold. For additions, casitas and custom builds we coordinate the structural, civil and geotechnical engineering and prepare the permit set.

We also handle HOA architectural review submissions where they apply.

Yes, and sometimes we recommend it. The important part is sequencing phases so no phase requires undoing work completed earlier.

The classic mistake is finishes first and systems later, which means opening walls you already paid to close.