Whole-Home Remodeling
A whole-home remodel is closer to new construction than to any single-room project. Every discipline in the house is touched at once: the structure is opened and often reworked, the envelope is upgraded, the mechanical systems are re-run, and every finish surface is replaced. The projects that succeed are the ones that get sequenced correctly — decisions locked before they are needed, long-lead items ordered before demolition begins, trades handed off cleanly to the next crew, and the family's move-out and move-back tied to real milestones rather than to hope. Abricos LLC works whole-home remodels as a single coordinated contract so the homeowner talks to one team about scope, schedule and budget instead of stitching a project together across a dozen separate agreements.
What's included
- —Structural changes with engineering: header sizing, beam replacements, wall removals
- —Envelope upgrades: replacement windows, exterior doors, siding assemblies, roofing
- —Insulation and air-sealing strategy revisited at wall and attic assemblies
- —Mechanical, electrical and plumbing rework — often full replacements in older homes
- —Kitchens, primary and secondary baths, laundry and mudroom reconfigurations
- —Flooring, trim, cabinetry, tile, paint and interior finish work throughout
- —Coordination with the design team, structural engineer and specialty consultants
Planning considerations
- —Realistic scope, budget and schedule locked before demolition begins
- —Move-out logistics, rental timeline and mail/utility handling defined up front
- —Long-lead procurement: windows, cabinetry, stone, appliances, specialty tile
- —Sequenced permit strategy across structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical scopes
- —Contingency allowance sized to the age and unknowns of the existing home
Site-specific decisions
Whole-home projects are the right time to make climate-driven decisions on the envelope. Window U-factor and SHGC, wall and attic insulation, air-sealing detail, roof assembly and ventilation are chosen against the specific elevation and exposure — Front Range, foothills and mountain-adjacent locations behave differently in wind, snow and freeze-thaw. Getting these right during a gut remodel is far more cost-effective than trying to retrofit them later.
Jurisdictional requirements
Whole-home remodels involve stacked permits across structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical scopes, with sequential inspections. Denver, Littleton, Centennial, Lakewood, Highlands Ranch and Douglas County each administer these differently, and stamped engineering is almost always required. We handle the submittals and the inspection calendar as part of the contract — schedule risk from permit review is surfaced in the proposal, not absorbed silently mid-project.
Our process for this work
Site visit → design-team coordination and preliminary scope → structural review → detailed proposal and schedule → permits → move-out and site protection → demolition and structural work → rough-in and inspections → envelope and insulation → drywall → finishes room by room → final inspection and walkthrough → punch list.
What a home remodeling contractor is responsible for
On a multi-room or whole-house project, the general contractor is the party who holds the schedule, the permit and inspection sequence, and a single written scope the homeowner can hold someone to. That is the practical difference between hiring a remodeling contractor and hiring trades directly: one contract, one point of accountability, and one person answering for what happens when a wall opens and the condition behind it is not what the drawings assumed.
- —Written scope and allowances before demolition, with owner-selected finishes carried as named dollar amounts rather than vague sums.
- —Permits and inspections submitted and scheduled across the structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing scopes in the correct order.
- —Trade coordination. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and roofing work is performed by appropriately licensed contractors; structural and design decisions come from the engineer and designer on the project. We self-perform carpentry, framing and general construction scope.
- —Change orders in writing, priced individually and approved before the work happens.
- —Closeout. Final inspections, walkthrough and punch list, documented rather than assumed.
If the project is one room rather than the whole house, a kitchen or bathroom remodel is scoped the same way at smaller scale. The full sequence from first call to punch list is on our project process page, and a site visit starts with a project consultation.
When a whole-home remodel also gains square footage
A gut remodel reorganizes the space that already exists. Sometimes the floor plan simply cannot deliver what the household needs inside the current footprint — a primary suite with a real bathroom, a mudroom that works in ski season, a second-floor bedroom for a growing family.
When that is the case, the efficient move is to fold the extra floor area into the same mobilization rather than coming back later. Structural work, permits, mechanical rough-in and finishes are already open, so planning a room or second-story addition alongside the remodel usually costs less in total than treating it as a separate project two years on.
Deciding between reworking the footprint, finishing the lower level and building new area is its own question — our remodel versus home addition decision guide compares the six realistic options on disruption, zoning exposure, budget drivers and whether you can stay in the house.
Building for how the house will be used later
A gut remodel is the cheapest moment in a house's life to fix door widths, entry thresholds and bathroom clearances, because the walls, floors and permits are already open. Households planning to stay put usually want at least one no-step entry and one main-level bathroom that a walker can turn around in.
The practical measurements, cost drivers and permit path are covered in our article on accessibility remodeling in Colorado homes.
Trades coordinated on this scope
Specialty work that typically runs alongside whole-home remodeling, performed or coordinated with the appropriately licensed professional.
- —Windows & Exterior Doors
Window and door replacement with careful installation and flashing.
- —Landscaping & Site-Work Coordination
Site restoration, grading, hardscape and landscape scope coordinated around construction and outdoor-living projects.
Common questions
It depends on scope, budget and disruption tolerance. Phasing is easier on cash flow and lets the family remain in the house between phases, but it almost always costs more in total — trades demobilize and remobilize, finishes get rebuilt at seams, and utilities are re-torn-up for the next round. Single-mobilization gut remodels are more disruptive but usually more efficient. We discuss the trade-offs against the specific home before proposal.
Recent work on similar scope
Browse the full project gallery for more Colorado work.
Other work we do
Custom Home Construction
Ground-up residential builds coordinated from site work through final walkthrough.
Learn more about Custom Home ConstructionHome Additions
Structural additions, second-story additions, and bump-outs tied cleanly into the existing home.
Learn more about Home AdditionsKitchen Remodeling
Layout changes, cabinetry, counters, appliances and lighting — coordinated end to end.
Learn more about Kitchen RemodelingRelevant service areas for whole-home remodeling
These are the Denver-metro communities where this scope of work most closely matches our current travel and coordination pattern. Reach out about other addresses — coverage depends on site and scope.
Review our approach to general contractor serving Lakewood, including site conditions, jurisdictional review and neighborhood-specific planning.
Working outside these cities? See the full list of service areas or reach out to discuss your address.
