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Our home base. We've opened walls on more Pacifica homes than we can count — 1950s ranch houses, hillside splits, and coastal builds.
CSLB #1041528 — Family-Owned, Pacifica-Based
Whole Home Renovation on the Peninsula.
Rebuilding the home you already own. From foundation to finishes in one contract — because the land is worth it and so is staying.
Whole Home Renovation
What a Whole Home Renovation Actually Means on the Peninsula
Based in Pacifica, we build room additions and second-story additions throughout the Peninsula.
A whole home renovation touches every major system in a house — structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation, windows, walls, floors, and finishes. It’s not a kitchen remodel with a bathroom refresh. It’s a top-to-bottom rebuild of everything inside the shell, and often the shell itself. When walls open up, every decision cascades: new plumbing routes require new framing paths, new electrical panels require new service drops, and new insulation requires updated Title 24 calculations.
On the San Francisco Peninsula, the housing stock makes this especially relevant. The median home in most Peninsula cities was built in the 1950s or 1960s. In Pacifica specifically, 27% of homes date to the 1950s. These houses were built to the codes of their era — galvanized plumbing, 60-amp electrical, no insulation, single-pane windows, and foundations that predate modern seismic standards. A whole home renovation isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about bringing a 70-year-old house into the current century.
What's Behind the Walls
What We Find When We Open Up a Peninsula Home
These conditions aren't reasons not to renovate. They're reasons to renovate with a contractor who knows what to expect.
Galvanized Steel Plumbing
Standard in post-war construction. After 50–70 years, corrodes from inside. We replace entire supply system with copper or PEX.
Outdated Electrical
Knob-and-tube in pre-1950s, early Romex/aluminum in 1950s–60s. 60–100 amp panels. Modern homes need 200-amp service.
Minimal or No Insulation
Many Peninsula homes have none. With walls open, most cost-effective time to insulate. Title 24 requires it.
Single-Pane Windows
Original aluminum-frame single-pane. Almost no thermal or acoustic insulation. Replace with dual-pane, low-E.
Asbestos-Containing Materials
Popcorn ceiling, vinyl floor tiles, pipe insulation, duct tape, joint compound. Testing required before demo.
Foundation & Seismic Concerns
Unreinforced foundations, unbraced cripple walls, gravity-only connections. Modern code may require addressing all of this.
Comprehensive Scope
What's Included in a Whole Home Renovation
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Structural Assessment & Repairs
Foundation evaluation, framing reinforcement, shear walls, hold-downs, anchor bolts.
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Seismic Retrofitting
Mudsill bolting, cripple wall bracing, shear panels, metal connectors.
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Complete MEP Replacement
New supply lines, drain lines, electrical panel, HVAC system — designed for renovated layout.
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Insulation & Energy
Batt, blown-in, or spray foam. Title 24 compliance. Duct sealing, air sealing.
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Layout Modifications
Open kitchen to living, add primary suite, convert rooms. Structural engineering for load-bearing walls.
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Windows & Exterior
Single-pane to dual-pane. Siding repair/replacement. Roofing evaluation.
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Interior Finishes
Drywall, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tile, fixtures, lighting, paint — goes in last.
Investment
What It Costs — and Why Peninsula Costs Are Different
$200–$500+ per square foot
For a typical 1,200–1,800 SF Peninsula home: $250,000–$750,000+
Our Process
From Assessment to Certificate of Occupancy
One team handles everything — assessment, design, permitting, and construction under one contract.
Structural Assessment
Evaluate foundation, framing, roof, major systems. Identify what's behind the walls before setting a budget.
Design
Plans that work with existing structure. Engineer engaged when walls moving. Layout optimized for how you'll actually use the space.
Permitting
Submit and manage plan check. Touches structure, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy.
Demolition & Discovery
Finishes removed. Contingency budget addresses what's found. Asbestos abatement if testing confirms presence.
Structural & Systems
Foundation, framing, shear walls, seismic. Then plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation. Inspected before walls close.
Finishes & Completion
Drywall, flooring, tile, cabinets, countertops, fixtures. Final inspections. Certificate of occupancy.
Moderate renovations: 4–8 months. Full gut with structural work: 8–14 months.
Why ACI
Why Peninsula Homeowners Choose ACI for Whole Home Renovations
We start with the structure, not the finishes
Most companies pick countertops before checking the foundation. We reverse that.
We do the heavy work ourselves
Foundation, framing, shear walls, seismic retrofitting — our crew directly.
One team, one contract, one timeline
Design-build from assessment through move-in.
We know these houses
Opened walls of hundreds of 1950s–60s homes. Galvanized plumbing, knob-and-tube, asbestos, aluminum wiring — we know where it is.
Honest scoping, honest budgets
We'd rather lose a project to honest numbers than win it with a lowball estimate.
Licensed & Insured
CSLB License #1041528 (General Building, Class B)
Service Area
Serving the San Francisco Peninsula
Based in Pacifica, ACI performs whole home renovations throughout the Peninsula.
- 📍South San Francisco
Post-war housing stock with growing renovation demand driven by biotech employment and rising property values.
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Victorians, Edwardians, and mid-century homes. Complex permitting, but enormous potential when renovated correctly.
- 📍San Bruno & San Mateo
Suburban lots with 1950s–60s construction. Full-gut renovations that transform outdated floor plans into modern family homes.
- 📍Daly City
Dense Westlake-era housing. Small lots, shared walls, and homes that benefit enormously from a complete systems upgrade.
- 📍Burlingame, Millbrae & More
Plus Brisbane, Colma, Half Moon Bay, and the Coastside. Contact us to discuss your whole home renovation project.