Home remodeling in Paradise, CA
Remodels, repairs and finish work on the ridge, for rebuilt homes and for older houses that came through the 2018 fire. Every exterior choice is made with the wildfire code in mind.
Two kinds of Paradise house
Since the Camp Fire in November 2018, most houses in Paradise fall into one of two groups, and they need different things.
Rebuilt homes are newer and built to current code, but many were finished on a tight budget and a tight timeline. Owners now want the pieces they skipped: a covered patio or deck, an upgraded kitchen, better flooring, built-ins, a finished garage, landscaping that actually fits the lot.
Homes that survived the fire are older and often carry deferred maintenance from the years after it. Common issues are smoke odor held in attic insulation and ductwork, roofs and gutters near the end of their life, original windows and attic vents that don't meet today's standards, and kitchens and baths that were never updated. Replacing affected insulation and drywall can be part of a remodel scope; specialized smoke testing and cleaning is its own trade.
Building to the wildfire code
Paradise enforces California's wildland-urban interface standards, Chapter 7A of the Building Code and Section R337 of the Residential Code, along with its own municipal code. They change how exterior work is built and what it costs, so we write them into the scope from the start.
- Attic, soffit, gable and under-floor vents must be listed ember- and flame-resistant vents or use fine noncombustible mesh
- Windows need multi-pane glass with at least one tempered pane, or another approved assembly
- Deck walking surfaces within 10 feet of the house must be ignition-resistant, fire-retardant treated or noncombustible
- Gutters must be noncombustible and designed to keep leaves out
- Siding has to be an approved material from foundation to roof; paint and coatings don't count as protection
If you are replacing windows, a deck or vents on an older home, the new work has to meet these rules even when the rest of the house doesn't.
Permits and septic
Building permits inside town limits go through the Town of Paradise, and rebuild and building permits are handled through the Town's Building Resiliency Center. Paradise has no town sewer system, so houses run on septic, and a project that adds a bedroom or bathroom can bring a septic review into the permit. We look at that during the walkthrough, before the scope is priced.
Common Paradise projects
- Decks and covered patios built with ignition-resistant materials
- Vent, window and door replacements on pre-fire homes
- Kitchen and bathroom remodels in rebuilt and older homes
- Flooring, trim and interior paint
- Attic insulation replacement
- Exterior paint, stucco repair and landscaping
How a Paradise job runs
Paradise is just up the Skyway from our base in Chico. The job runs the same four steps as every project: walkthrough, written scope with a fixed price and materials listed, the build with dust walls and floor protection and a swept site every day, and a final walkthrough with a punch list. Tyler is the person you talk to from the first visit to the last.
Questions people ask
Does my remodel have to meet the wildfire code?
Interior work like a kitchen or bathroom generally doesn't change much under the wildfire rules. Exterior work does: new windows, vents, decks, siding, gutters and roofing are built to Chapter 7A and the Town's standards. We tell you at the walkthrough which parts of your project are affected and what that means for materials.
My house survived the fire but still smells of smoke. Can you help?
We can remove and replace the materials that hold odor, like attic insulation and damaged drywall, as part of a remodel scope, and coordinate with a specialty cleaning company for testing and duct cleaning. Tell us what you are noticing and where, and we'll look at it during the walkthrough.
Who pulls the permits in Paradise?
We do. Inside town limits the permit comes from the Town of Paradise. If your house is outside town limits on the ridge, it falls under Butte County instead, and we confirm that before the scope is written.
What we do
- Kitchen remodeling
- Bathroom remodeling
- Flooring installation
- Interior & exterior painting
- Roofing
- Attic insulation
- Stucco repair
- Trim & baseboard
- Deck building & repair
Nearby areas
Start a project
Tell us about the job, add a couple of photos if you have them, and we will reach out within one business day to set up a walkthrough. You get a written scope and a fixed price before anything is scheduled.