Older homes need a contractor who looks behind the walls
Long Beach is full of older homes worth saving: Spanish Colonial Revival houses in the Wrigley Historic District, early-1900s homes in Bluff Park, and Streamline Moderne curves. These houses were built well, but decades of weather, water and termites take a toll, and the most important damage is usually the part you can't see.
A lot of our restoration work starts with one visible problem and turns out to be bigger underneath. On a 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival home in Wrigley, a failed roof deck membrane had let water in and caused wood rot. We repaired the rot, then reframed and waterproofed the area. On a 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival home, severe termite damage meant reframing structural walls. Fixing the cause, not just the symptom, is what keeps the problem from coming back.
What historic repair and restoration includes
- Wood rot and termite repair: removing damaged wood, reframing structural walls, and repairing water-damaged subfloor and framing.
- Roofs: clay tile re-roofing, like the new clay tile roof we installed on a 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival home in the Wrigley Historic District, and repairs where a roof failure has let water in.
- Exteriors: stucco, brick, roofing and painting, as in our multi-trade restoration of a 1911 Bluff Park home.
- Original details: restoring original wood windows, repairing plaster and drywall, and repainting interior and exterior trim, as we did on a 1929 Tudor home in Santa Ana's Wilshire Square.
- Systems and structure: full repipes, rewiring and structural renovation, as on a 1938 Streamline Moderne home in Long Beach, plus additions like mini-split HVAC.
How we approach an older home
Bryce brings a background most contractors don't have. A Mechanical Engineering degree led to years at Kiewit, one of the largest general contractors in the world, building bridges and industrial processing plants. Engineering roles at a large-diameter pipe manufacturer followed. On an older house, that means understanding the structure and the cause of the damage first, then deciding with you what to repair, what to restore and what to replace.
Every project starts with a free consultation at your home, with no pressure and no obligation. You then get a detailed written estimate covering scope of work, materials, timeline and total cost, so everything is in writing before we start. During the work you get regular progress updates, and we manage the permits, subcontractors and inspections. We finish with a final walkthrough and take care of any punch-list items.
Our pricing is honest and transparent: no surprises, no hidden fees, and no change orders you didn't approve. We answer our phones, show up when we say we will, and finish what we start.
Where we've worked
Our restoration projects include homes in Long Beach's Wrigley Historic District and Bluff Park, a 1936 cottage in San Pedro, and a 1929 Tudor in Santa Ana's Wilshire Square, in homes built from 1911 through the late 1930s. We're a family-owned company based in Long Beach with 15 years of construction experience, serving Los Angeles County and Orange County. You can see more in our full portfolio.
