ADU Company in Irvine, CA
Kitchen remodeling in Irvine usually costs between $35,000 and $85,000 depending on cabinet grade, layout changes, and whether you’re updating a 1970s tract home or a newer Great Park property. The biggest variable in this city is housing age: most Irvine kitchens live inside 1960s-1990s master-planned homes with original plumbing rough-ins, and an HOA often has a say in what happens behind your walls. We’re Cottage ADU Builders, and we’ve handled Irvine kitchen remodels since 2012 as part of our residential square-footage focus. Call (866) 808-7312 when you’re ready to talk numbers.
Why Irvine Homes Are Different
Irvine is a master-planned city where nearly every single-family home sits in an HOA. That changes how a kitchen remodel works here. Before we touch a wall, most projects need architectural-review sign-off from the association, and that review often has opinions about window changes, exterior venting, and even which direction a range hood can exhaust. The City of Irvine runs its own permit process, but the HOA step is the one that surprises homeowners who’ve remodeled elsewhere. Woodbridge, Northwood, Turtle Rock, and Great Park all have slightly different review committees, timelines, and rulebooks, so the first thing we do is figure out which association governs your street.
The housing stock itself is another variable. A 1970s tract home in Irvine often has a compact galley kitchen, load-bearing interior walls, and original cast-iron drain lines that may be near the end of their service life. A 1990s Northwood home typically has more square footage but builder-grade cabinets that soften and swell over time. The warm, dry Irvine climate is kind to wood framing but hard on cabinet finishes near south-facing windows. When you combine older plumbing, HOA review, and sun exposure, you get a city where kitchen remodels need more planning upfront than the average Orange County project.
Our Main Irvine Services
Most Irvine homeowners call us about two things: adding a permitted ADU to their existing lot, or updating a bathroom in an aging tract home. Here’s how each one typically goes.
ADU Builders in Irvine
Irvine’s HOA environment makes ADU planning here a different animal than in unincorporated Orange County. The city’s standard ADU plan program helps with plan check, but the real bottleneck is almost always the association’s architectural review, especially for detached or two-story units that could alter rooflines and setbacks. That’s why garage conversions are the most popular ADU style in Irvine: they preserve the footprint and fly under the HOA radar more easily. The tradeoff is structural work on original 1960s-80s garage slabs and ceiling joists, which often need upgrades for habitable occupancy. We work with prefab manufacturers like Plant Prefab and Boxabl when a detached unit fits, and handle the interior finishes so you don’t need a second contractor. ADU Builders in Irvine
Bathroom Remodeling in Irvine
Bathrooms in Irvine’s older tract homes tend to fail in predictable ways: failing shower pans, original tile grout that wicks moisture, and exhaust fans that vent into the attic rather than outside. The dry climate hides slow leaks longer than a humid climate would, which means by the time homeowners see water damage, the subfloor or studs already need attention. We handle everything from a simple tub-to-shower conversion to a full gut-and-rebuild with proper waterproofing and code-compliant ventilation. Because many Irvine homes share wet walls with an adjacent hall bath or kitchen, we always check what’s on the other side before we open anything up. Bathroom Remodeling in Irvine
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.
Kitchen Remodeling in Irvine
Kitchen remodeling in Irvine means working with HOA design rules, 1960s-1990s plumbing, and floor plans that were never meant for a modern cook. Whether you’re in a compact University Park galley or a larger Great Park kitchen with an island, the goal is the same: more usable space, better storage, and finishes that hold up to both daily use and Irvine’s sunny exposure. We handle full kitchen remodels under our Kitchen Remodeling scope, from the first HOA submission to the final punch-list walkthrough.
Cabinet Replacement and Layout Changes
Signs you need it
Doors that no longer close square, shelves sagging under normal weight, or a layout that makes two cooks bump elbows every night.
What it costs in Irvine
In Irvine, cabinet replacement with a modest layout change typically runs $20,000 to $45,000 depending on cabinet line and whether walls move.
How we do it
We open the walls only where needed, re-route plumbing and electrical for the new layout, install the cabinet package, then build out the counters and backsplash.
Countertops, Backsplash, and Finishes
Signs you need it
Laminate peeling at the seams, tile grout that stains no matter how often you scrub it, or a room that simply feels dated every time you walk in.
What it costs in Irvine
Countertops, backsplash, and finish upgrades in Irvine typically fall between $8,000 and $20,000 depending on material grade and square footage.
How we do it
After the base cabinets are set, we template the counters, cut and install the slab or tile, then finish with a sealed backsplash and matched trim.
What Kitchen Remodeling Costs in Irvine
| Item | Typical range in Irvine |
|---|---|
| Full kitchen remodel (mid-grade) | $35,000 – $60,000 |
| Cabinet replacement with layout change | $20,000 – $45,000 |
| Countertops, backsplash, and finishes | $8,000 – $20,000 |
Two things push kitchen prices up in Irvine faster than anywhere else nearby: HOA-mandated exterior venting reroutes and the structural changes older tract homes need when a load-bearing wall comes out. We quote a fixed price before work starts, and that number doesn’t move unless you change the scope.
How long does a kitchen remodel take in Irvine?
Most Irvine kitchen remodels take 8 to 12 weeks from demo to final cleanup. HOA review can add 2 to 4 weeks before work starts. Call (866) 808-7312 for a timeline based on your specific scope.
Will my Irvine HOA need to approve the kitchen remodel?
If you’re changing windows, exterior vents, or plumbing that affects a shared wall, yes. Interior-only work without exterior changes usually skips HOA review. We handle the submission for you. Call (866) 808-7312 for exact guidance on your association.
Brands We Service in Irvine
We work with the brands you’ve already been researching. For Irvine ADU projects, that includes Boxabl and Plant Prefab for detached units, Tuff Shed for permitted studio shells, and James Hardie fiber-cement siding on exterior applications where the HOA allows it. Parts and finish samples for all of these are available locally, and our our brands page shows the full portfolio.
Pricing for ADU Company in Irvine, CA
| Service | Typical range in Irvine |
|---|---|
| Full kitchen remodel (mid-grade) | $35,000 – $60,000 |
| Cabinet replacement with layout change | $20,000 – $45,000 |
| Countertops, backsplash, and finishes | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Bathroom remodel (full gut) | $25,000 – $45,000 |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | $12,000 – $22,000 |
| ADU garage conversion (permitted) | $120,000 – $200,000 |
| Detached prefab ADU (1-bedroom) | $250,000 – $400,000 |
In Irvine, the two biggest price drivers are HOA compliance work and the structural upgrades older garage slabs need before they can become living space. Every quote we give is a written, line-item price with no change orders unless you add scope.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Irvine
We work throughout Irvine, and the housing stock changes enough from village to village that we plan differently for each one. Here are a few we know well:
- Woodbridge: 1970s-80s homes with compact kitchens and HOA rules that favor interior-only remodels.
- Northwood: 1980s-90s tract homes, larger kitchens, more room for layout changes.
- Turtle Rock: older custom homes with varied floor plans, often needing structural work before a remodel.
- Great Park: newer construction, but builder-grade finishes that age out faster than homeowners expect.
- University Park: classic Irvine tract homes, original 1960s-70s plumbing and electrical.
We typically schedule estimates across Irvine within a few business days, and we group our visits by village so we’re not crisscrossing the city all week.
Service Area – Cities Near Irvine
Our Irvine work regularly takes us into the surrounding communities, and we keep the same fixed-price, line-item quoting approach in every ZIP. That includes Tustin, CA, where older homes often need sewer-line work before a kitchen remodel, Aliso Viejo, CA, with its newer planned communities, Santa Ana, CA, where housing stock spans a century of styles, and North Tustin, CA, with larger lots and custom homes.
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 ADU Company in Irvine
We usually schedule estimates within 2 to 3 business days for Irvine homeowners. If you’re in the middle of an HOA review and need numbers fast, call (866) 808-7312 and we’ll work you in sooner.
Yes. We prepare the drawings, material lists, and any exterior-change documentation your association requires, then submit on your behalf. HOA review timelines vary by village, so we map that into the schedule before we ever order materials.
We do. Our service area covers Irvine plus the surrounding Orange County cities, including Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Santa Ana, and North Tustin. The same fixed-price quoting and residential-only focus applies everywhere we work.
Call (866) 808-7312 to schedule your free estimate for kitchen remodeling, bathroom work, or an ADU in Irvine. Cottage ADU Builders has served Irvine since 2012.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local adu 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 Irvine Customers Say
"Unit came out great and the tenant is happy. The timeline ran long, largely because of how slow the city was on plan check, though a couple of the delays were scheduling on their end."
— Shane Miller"Garage conversion to a one bedroom unit. He handled the plans, the city submittal, and every round of corrections. Took six months from first meeting to final inspection and he never once made the permit process my problem."
— Amanda Walsh"The kitchenette layout he suggested made better use of the space than the one on our original sketch."
— Lucia Flores