Editorial
Renovation reporting and opinion: the decisions, tradeoffs, and market shifts behind better-built homes.
17 stories
Why Two LA County ADU Quotes Differ
You have three quotes for the same ADU, but the prices are thousands of dollars apart. This guide breaks down where that money goes and what to ask before you sign.
Aug 31, 2026 · 14 min read
Reading a Bay Area Remodel Bid
Three bids for the same project can have a spread wider than the cost of the cabinets. This guide breaks down where the money goes and the questions to ask before you sign.
Aug 29, 2026 · 7 min read
SoCal Home Remodel Costly Mistakes
Three bids for the same project can have a spread wider than the cost of a new kitchen. The reason is rarely the contractor's profit margin.
Aug 29, 2026 · 16 min read
California Home Remodel Contractor Checklist
You have remodel bids in hand, but the numbers are far apart and the details are confusing. This guide covers the critical questions to ask before you choose a contractor for your California home.
Aug 29, 2026 · 7 min read
How Bay Area Tech Executives Are Remodeling Their Homes for the Next Decade
The most useful ideas have little to do with luxury. Here are five decisions Bay Area homeowners can apply to a kitchen, addition or whole-home remodel.
Aug 23, 2026 · 7 min read
5 Costly Backyard Remodel Mistakes California Homeowners Should Avoid
Pavers, turf and pergolas may be the first things homeowners notice. But the decisions that determine whether a California backyard actually works happen before any material is selected.
Aug 19, 2026 · 6 min read
Home Renovation Demand Report: H1 2026 - What 216 Homeowners Asked For
65% of California kitchen renovation requests in H1 2026 were for kitchens over 20 years old, per Renology data from 216 homeowner requests.
Jul 3, 2026 · 6-min read
Why Wood Decks Rot Fast in SoCal
70% of wood decks in SoCal rot within 5 years. The climate, the silent rot, the WUI fire risk, the money trap, and the 2026 standard that's replacing wood for good.
May 20, 2026 · 9 min read
Why Atherton ADUs Differ from the Bay Area
Why an ADU inside the Town of Atherton is not a California streamlined ADU project with a higher zip code, and what to look for in a builder who has actually been through three rounds of Architectural Review Board.
May 17, 2026 · 12 min read
Cherry Hills Basements: Denver Builds Down
Why a basement finish inside the Village's 1-acre lots is not a Denver basement finish with a higher zip code, and what to look for in a contractor who has actually opened up the wall on one.
May 17, 2026 · 12 min read
Brentwood Roof: TN Insurer Timing
Why a Brentwood, TN roof replacement is no longer a contractor decision. How Tennessee carriers, hail-belt math, and ACV-only policies now drive the timing.
May 17, 2026 · 11-min read
Paradise Valley Bath: Desert Modernism
How Paradise Valley, AZ bath design holds the line between desert modernism and old Arizona heritage. Materials, light, and what national designers get wrong.
May 17, 2026 · 11-min read
Highland Park TX: A Town-Run Permit Office
Highland Park, TX (75205, 75219) plays by its own permit rules. What a 1948 Beverly Drive bath teardown reveals about HP remodel reality.
May 17, 2026 · 11-min read
Seattle Homeowners Are Quietly Switching to a New Type of Contractor: Here's Why
It started quietly. A different way to scope, price, and pay for a remodel, built around certainty instead of estimates and change orders.
May 10, 2026 · 6 min read
LA Homeowners Are Quietly Switching to a New Type of Contractor: Here's Why
It started quietly. A different way to scope, price, and pay for a remodel, built around certainty instead of estimates and change orders.
May 10, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Make a Risk-Free Remodel in the Seattle Area
A new method is replacing the old game of estimates, change orders, and crossed fingers. A small group of Seattle contractors is already building this way.
May 10, 2026 · 9 min read
Home Renovation Contract: Lock Design and Price
What a home renovation contract should lock before demolition: a full 3D design, a line-by-line fixed price, and payments tied to milestones you can verify.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read