Working with Bay Cities Construction

Bay Cities Construction is the strongest fit for homeowners taking on a full remodel or a structurally involved project who want one company managing the design, permits, and construction from start to finish. We handle the finish design, the permits, and the build, and we coordinate the electrical, plumbing, and structural engineering through our engineering partner, so you have a single point of contact instead of a stack of vendors to juggle.

You are a strong fit if you are planning:

• A kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home remodel
• A home addition or an ADU
• Seismic retrofitting or foundation work
• Balcony repair or waterproofing
• A project that involves structural work, water damage, or termite damage

We are not the right fit for:

• Single-fixture swaps
• Cabinet refacing
• Vanity-only installs
• Small handyman-scale tasks

For those smaller jobs, a handyman or a specialty installer will serve you better and faster. Every project we take on is a full remodel or a complete repair, which is what lets us hold one scope, one schedule, and one point of accountability from start to finish.

Yes. We remodel single rooms, like a complete bathroom or kitchen, and we run them through the same process we use on larger jobs. There is no dollar minimum on project size. What we do not take on is partial work, such as single-fixture swaps, cabinet refacing, or vanity-only installs, since every project we take on is a full remodel or a complete repair.

Beyond remodels, we also take on focused single projects such as:

• Balcony repair and waterproofing
• Foundation bolting and seismic retrofit
• Severe water damage restoration
• Termite damage repair

Start by requesting an estimate on our website. From there we set up a free Zoom call to learn about your project, your goals, and your budget. If it looks like a good fit, we book a free in-person visit to see the space and take measurements, then we scope the work and put together your pricing. You are never committed to building by taking the first step.

Request an Estimate →

The five steps are the same, and two things differ. A remodel includes a Design Agreement, where you select finishes and fixtures to your budget, because there are materials to choose. Structural work like balcony repair, waterproofing, foundation bolting, or seismic retrofit usually has no finishes to select, so there is no Design Agreement, and any selections that are needed are folded into the scope instead. Structural jobs also often begin with a Demo and Discovery to expose the true condition before the work is scoped. Everything else, the consultation, the scope, the schedule, the permits, and the weekly updates, works the same way.

Yes. Bay Cities Construction is a licensed general contractor in California, CSLB license number 842614.

Over 20 years. Bay Cities Construction has been building and remodeling across Los Angeles, the South Bay, and Orange County for more than two decades, with over 50 years of combined experience on the team.

Every project is priced to its own scope, so the cost depends on the size of the space, the finishes you choose, the structural work involved, and any conditions we uncover once demolition begins. Because we scope the full project before construction, the number you sign reflects the real work rather than a low estimate that climbs later.

The value comes from scoping the real project upfront so the price reflects the full condition of the work from the start. Many contractors bid on the visible work only, then raise the price after they open up walls, floors, or a balcony and find more. We define the entire scope in writing before construction, and where we can we check behind the surfaces with a limited demo, so the number you sign is built on what the project actually involves.

After that, the price only changes for one of these reasons:

• A genuine unforeseen condition, such as outdated plumbing, failing electrical, or wood rot that turns out worse than we could see
• A selection you decide to change after it was already scoped
• Work you decide to add that was not in the original scope

That kind of cost certainty, and the peace of mind that comes with it on a large project, is where the premium pays off.

For everything in the defined scope, yes. Once your design is finalized and the full scope is defined, we hold the project to that price, and the final bill matches the estimate because the work was spelled out before construction began.

Three situations can change the final number:

1. Hidden damage we could not fully see. Behind walls and under floors, we watch for signs of old or failing plumbing, bad electrical, or rotted framing. We use a limited Demo and Discovery during scoping to gauge how bad it is, though it is never fully certain until demolition is complete.
2. A change to something already scoped. If you decide to swap a fixture, a paint color, tile, or anything already selected in your Design Agreement, that adjustment becomes a change order.
3. An addition to the scope. If you decide to add work that was not in the original agreement, that new work is priced as a change order.

In every case, the change is documented and approved by you before any added cost, so nothing is billed without your sign-off.

We work hard to keep change orders to a minimum, and many projects have few or none, because we scope the entire project before construction and, where we can, use a limited Demo and Discovery to check the condition behind walls and floors before the price is set. The Demo and Discovery is a separate fee, and it exists to gauge the severity of hidden damage early. It cannot see through every wall, so some conditions only appear once demolition is underway.

When a change order is needed, it comes from one of these:

• Severe hidden damage uncovered during demo, such as rotted framing, bad electrical, or old plumbing
• A change you make to something already scoped in your Design Agreement
• Work you decide to add that was not in the original scope

Every change order runs through the Buildertrend client portal, where the added work, the cost, and your approval are all recorded before anything moves forward. Nothing proceeds without your sign-off. Because some conditions cannot be seen upfront, we typically build a contingency into the budget, and planning your own contingency is a smart part of any remodel.

Yes. The first consultation is a free Zoom call to talk through your project, your goals, and your budget. If that call goes well, we book a free in-person visit to see the space. Both the Zoom call and the in-person visit are free, with no obligation.

We run a five-step process, and every project moves through the same path, so you always know what comes next.

Balcony repair and seismic retrofit follow the same five steps, with one difference: there is no Design Agreement, since those projects usually have no finishes to select. Any finishes or selections that are needed are handled inside the scope instead. Across all five steps, we handle the design, the permits, and the construction, and coordinate any structural engineering through our engineering partner, so you have a single point of contact from the first meeting through the final walkthrough. The design phase can move in as little as three weeks.

Timelines run from the start of construction to the final walkthrough and vary by project type.

Your schedule is set during the calendar step once the full scope is defined, and a project can run longer if a hidden condition adds work or a material change puts us on a waiting list for an order.

In many cases, yes. For a lot of remodels we can sequence the work and set up the site so you keep living in the home, and we plan around the spaces you use day to day. For a whole-home remodel or major structural work, staying on site may not be practical or safe, and we will tell you that upfront during scoping so you can plan.

Yes. We use Buildertrend, a client portal where you can follow your project's schedule, budget, selections, and photo and video updates throughout construction. You have a clear view of where the project stands at any point, without waiting for a phone call to get an update. It is also where change orders are handled, so any added work, its cost, and your approval are all recorded in one place.

You get a phone call update every week, and progress is logged in the Buildertrend portal twice a week, so you can check the schedule, the budget, and photos any time. Alex Rodriguez, our founder, is your point of contact throughout construction, so you work directly with the person running your project rather than chasing a rotating set of subcontractors.

During the build, you can count on:

• A phone call update every week
• Progress logged in Buildertrend twice a week
• Alex as your single point of contact
• Photo and video updates you can check any time

Yes. We process the permits and represent you at Building and Safety in every city we serve, so you do not have to take time off to stand in line at city hall. Permitting is handled as part of the project, alongside design and construction.

We do not take on projects where the homeowner wants to pull permits themselves as an owner-builder. When you pull an owner-builder permit, the city treats you as the contractor, which means the liability, the code responsibility, and the inspection oversight shift onto you rather than a licensed builder. We keep that responsibility on our side, because it is part of what protects you and the project.

We back our work with a workmanship warranty, and the length depends on the type of project.

The warranty covers workmanship.

We serve Los Angeles, the South Bay, and Orange County, with offices in Torrance and Newport Beach.

If your city is not listed, reach out, since we may still serve your area.

For a kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home remodel, the first steps are free, and the paid steps come before construction.

The Design Agreement is where you lock your finishes and your budget together before you commit to building. When a remodel needs structural or architectural plans, those are prepared by our engineering partner and paid directly to that firm.

For a kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home remodel, yes. The Design Agreement is where you choose your finishes and fixtures to fit your budget, and it is what lets us price your project accurately instead of guessing. Without those selections locked in, the scope and the price would be estimates that shift the moment you start picking materials. For structural work like balcony repair or seismic retrofit there is no Design Agreement, since those projects usually have no finishes to choose.

The Design Agreement is the step where you make your selections, your tile, cabinets, countertops, fixtures, paint, and finishes, to fit your budget. The scope is the full written definition of all the work in your project, priced on the selections you made. The Design Agreement is where you decide what goes in, and the scope is the complete plan and price built around those decisions. Once the scope is set, that is the number we hold the project to.

For a remodel, the design phase is the Design Agreement, where you select finishes and fixtures to your budget, since those choices drive both the look and the cost. For structural work like balcony repair, waterproofing, foundation bolting, or seismic retrofit, there usually are no finishes to select, so there is no separate design phase, and any selections that are needed are folded into the scope. Structural projects lean on the Demo and Discovery, which exposes the real condition, more than on finish selection.

For most remodels, yes. We include a design phase, the Design Agreement, where you select your finishes and fixtures to fit your budget with our team, covering choices like tile, countertops, cabinets, lighting, and plumbing fixtures. Because those selections are made with the people who will build the project, they are matched to the construction scope and the budget from the start.

Working with a separate interior designer instead of your builder can create a few gaps:

• Finishes get specified without a construction budget attached, so selections come back over budget and have to be reworked
• Details get lost in the handoff between the designer and the crew who build
• Changes the designer makes after pricing turn into change orders on the build

Keeping design and construction under one roof avoids those handoffs, because the person helping you choose is working from the same budget and scope as the people building your project.

We install windows and doors, both as part of a remodel and as a standalone upgrade, and new units can lower your energy costs and improve curb appeal. We do not handle energy rebate applications, so any available rebates are something you would look into on your own. Title 24 energy-code requirements apply to new construction and additions, not to replacing windows or doors in an existing home.

Yes. We build home additions and handle the seismic and foundation work they involve, and we manage the permits and construction from start to finish. The structural engineering and plans for an addition are prepared by our engineering partner, so the engineering is coordinated for you rather than something you have to source and manage separately.

Yes. We combine structural work like foundation bolting and seismic retrofitting with remodeling in a single project, so the structural upgrade and the finished space are handled together. That removes the common headache of hiring a structural specialist and a remodeler separately, then coordinating the two yourself, with one crew waiting on the other and each company pointing at the other when something goes wrong. With us, it is one scope, one schedule, one team.

Balcony repair and waterproofing is a core service for us, and coastal waterproofing for balconies and other exterior surfaces is one of the areas we specialize in. When waterproofing is part of a larger project, having the same team handle it keeps the scope, the schedule, and the accountability in one place, so there is no gap between a separate waterproofing crew and the rest of the build where a leak can slip through later. For balcony waterproofing specifically, we confirm the condition under the surface with a Demo and Discovery before the repair scope and the price are set.

Yes. We build accessory dwelling units, including new-build ADUs, handling the design, the permits, and the construction, and coordinating the structural engineering through our engineering partner. A recent example is a brand-new two-story ADU of roughly 1,500 square feet with a two-car garage.

A Demo and Discovery is a paid diagnostic where we open up a section, most often a balcony, to expose the true condition underneath before we scope the repair. It is a separate fee because it is hands-on work that shows us how far the damage really goes, so the repair is priced on facts instead of guesses. For balconies it runs $1,000 per balcony for 1 to 9 balconies, and $800 per balcony when you have 10 or more. It cannot see through every wall, so some conditions still appear once full demolition begins, which is why a contingency matters.

When a balcony or addition needs structural or architectural plans, those are prepared by our engineering partner and paid directly to that firm, averaging about $10,000 for a balcony and $12,000 for an addition.