Transform Your Entire Home
A whole home renovation is the most comprehensive remodeling project a homeowner can undertake. Instead of updating one room at a time, you address everything at once: layout, structure, systems, surfaces, and finishes. The result is a home that functions, looks, and feels like new construction, built around your specific needs and preferences, on a lot and in a neighborhood you already know and love.
NW General Contractor specializes in whole home renovations throughout Everett and Snohomish County. We have extensive experience working with the housing stock common to this area, including mid-century ramblers, split-levels, craftsman bungalows, and 1990s production homes. We understand the construction methods, materials, and systems found in these homes, and we know how to bring them up to modern standards efficiently.
Why Renovate Instead of Move?
With home prices in Snohomish County remaining elevated and mortgage rates significantly higher than the sub-3% rates many current homeowners locked in, moving has become an expensive proposition. Consider the true costs:
- Real estate commissions: 5–6% of your home's sale price
- Closing costs on both transactions: 2–5% of purchase price
- Moving costs: $3,000–$10,000 depending on distance and volume
- Higher mortgage rate: Refinancing from a 3% rate to a 6.5% rate on a $500,000 mortgage adds roughly $1,000 per month
- Compromise: A new house rarely checks every box. You trade one set of compromises for another.
A whole home renovation lets you keep your current lot, neighborhood, school district, and mortgage rate while transforming the house into exactly what you want. For many Everett homeowners, the math strongly favors renovating.
What a Whole Home Renovation Includes
Every whole home renovation is scoped to the homeowner's specific needs and the condition of the existing house. Here are the major categories of work we typically address:
Structural Changes and Layout Redesign
Many older homes in Snohomish County have compartmentalized floor plans with small, closed-off rooms that do not match how families live today. Opening up the main living area by removing walls between the kitchen, dining room, and living room is one of the most impactful changes in a renovation. This requires identifying load-bearing walls, engineering replacement beams, and ensuring the structural modifications meet code. We work with licensed structural engineers to design safe, properly supported open layouts.
Electrical Panel and Wiring Upgrades
Homes built before 1990 often have 100-amp or even 60-amp electrical panels, which are inadequate for modern electrical demands. Today's homes need capacity for high-draw kitchen appliances, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, home offices, and entertainment systems. We typically upgrade to a 200-amp panel and rewire circuits throughout the home to handle current and future loads safely.
Older homes may also have outdated wiring types, including aluminum wiring (common in the 1960s and 70s) or knob-and-tube wiring (in pre-1940 homes). Both present safety concerns and should be addressed during a renovation. We replace outdated wiring with modern copper Romex and bring all circuits up to current NEC standards, including AFCI and GFCI protection where required.
Plumbing System Upgrades
Homes built before the 1980s in Snohomish County may have galvanized steel supply lines, which corrode from the inside and restrict water flow over time. We replace galvanized piping with PEX or copper supply lines, update drain lines where needed, and ensure water heater capacity and location meet the needs of the updated floor plan. If the home's sewer connection uses older materials (orangeburg, clay, or cast iron), we evaluate and replace as necessary.
Insulation and Energy Efficiency
Many older Everett homes are poorly insulated by modern standards. Original insulation in walls, attics, and crawl spaces may be insufficient, deteriorated, or non-existent. A whole home renovation is the ideal opportunity to bring insulation up to current Washington state energy code requirements:
- Attic insulation: R-49 to R-60 (blown-in fiberglass or cellulose)
- Wall insulation: R-21 (batts or blown-in for 2x6 walls) or R-13 (for existing 2x4 walls with exterior rigid foam)
- Crawl space: R-30 under floors, or sealed and conditioned crawl space
- Windows: Replacement with double or triple-pane, low-E, argon-filled units
Improving insulation reduces heating and cooling costs, eliminates drafts, and makes the home significantly more comfortable year-round. Many of our clients report 30–50% reductions in heating costs after a comprehensive insulation upgrade.
Windows and Siding
Original single-pane windows in older homes are a major source of heat loss, condensation, and noise. Replacing them with modern energy-efficient windows improves comfort, reduces energy costs, and updates the home's appearance. We install vinyl, fiberglass, or wood-clad windows depending on style and budget preferences.
Siding replacement or restoration is often part of a whole home renovation, particularly for homes with wood siding that has deteriorated over the decades. Options include fiber cement (HardiePlank), engineered wood (LP SmartSide), vinyl, and cedar. We help you choose a siding material that matches the architectural style of your home and provides long-term durability in the PNW climate.
HVAC System Replacement
Older forced-air furnaces are often oversized, inefficient, and nearing the end of their lifespan. A whole home renovation is the right time to replace the HVAC system with a properly sized, high-efficiency unit. Options include:
- High-efficiency gas furnace with central air conditioning
- Heat pump system (ducted or ductless mini-split)
- Hybrid systems (heat pump with gas furnace backup)
Heat pumps are increasingly popular in the Pacific Northwest because they provide both heating and cooling efficiently, and they qualify for federal and state energy incentives. Ductwork should also be evaluated and replaced or sealed as needed to ensure efficient air distribution.
Kitchen, Bathrooms, and Interior Finish
A whole home renovation includes the complete remodeling of the kitchen and all bathrooms, along with new flooring, paint, trim, doors, and lighting throughout the house. Because these rooms are being renovated as part of a larger project, we can coordinate layouts and material selections to create a cohesive design throughout the entire home rather than the patchwork effect that comes from updating rooms individually over time.
Snohomish County's Aging Housing Stock
A significant portion of the housing stock in Snohomish County was built between 1950 and 1990. These homes are now 35 to 75 years old, and many are reaching the age where major systems need attention. Roofs, siding, windows, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems all have finite lifespans, and homes from this era were built to standards that are significantly below what is required and expected today.
Rather than addressing these systems individually over many years, a whole home renovation allows you to update everything at once, ensuring all systems are coordinated, up to code, and designed to work together. The result is a home that performs like new construction at a fraction of the cost of building from scratch.
Our Whole Home Renovation Process
- Initial Consultation & Assessment — We walk through the entire home, identify structural, mechanical, and cosmetic issues, and discuss your goals and budget. This visit is free and typically takes 1 to 2 hours.
- Design & Scope Development — We work with you (and an architect if needed) to finalize the floor plan, material selections, and a detailed scope of work. You receive a comprehensive, itemized estimate.
- Permitting — We submit all required permits and manage the plan review process. Whole home renovations typically require building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits.
- Demolition & Discovery — Selective demolition reveals the condition of hidden components: framing, wiring, plumbing, insulation, and structural elements. We document any unexpected conditions and discuss them with you before proceeding.
- Structural & Systems — Framing modifications, structural upgrades, electrical rewiring, plumbing replacement, HVAC installation, and insulation.
- Close-In & Finish — Drywall, cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring, paint, trim, fixtures, and all finish work.
- Exterior (if applicable) — Siding, windows, roofing, and exterior paint or stain.
- Final Inspections & Walkthrough — All final inspections are passed, and we conduct a detailed walkthrough with you to address any remaining items.
Timeline and Costs
Whole home renovations in Everett typically take 3 to 8 months of construction, depending on scope. Costs generally range from $100 to $250 per square foot. For a 1,500-square-foot home, that means a total project cost between $150,000 and $375,000. We provide a detailed budget breakdown at the outset and track costs throughout the project to avoid surprises.