Full House Renovation in Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Project At-A-Glance
- Location: Laguna Hills, CA 92653
- Project type: Complete residential renovation
- Size: Approximately 8,000 square feet
- Layout: 5 bedrooms (4 + primary suite), 6 bathrooms, home office, home theater
- Duration: 4 months, completed July 2026
- Construction cost: $625,000
- Scope: Design coordination, engineering plans, permits, demolition, framing, Level 5 drywall, custom cabinetry, kitchen and bathroom renovations, LVP flooring, interior painting, and roughly 30 replacement windows
The Project: One Home, Rebuilt Around How the Owners Live
Most of our recent renovation projects start with one room. This one started with all of them.
The owners of this Laguna Hills home wanted a full transformation, not a patch job. The house had good bones and a great floor plan hiding under dated finishes. Our job was to bring every room up to the same standard, so the kitchen, the bathrooms, the bedrooms, and the shared spaces all feel like one house instead of a series of remodels done years apart.
Papaya Construction Group ran the project from concept through city sign-off. We coordinated the interior design direction, prepared the engineering and construction plans, pulled the permits, and managed every trade on site. The owners had one team and one point of contact for the entire build.
What This Whole House Remodel Included
The scope covered nearly every interior surface and system in the home.
- Design and space planning for the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, office, and theater room
- Engineering plans, structural calculations, and city permitting
- Demolition and site preparation, with protection for everything staying in place
- Interior framing and structural modifications per the approved plans
- Level 5 drywall finish throughout the renovated areas
- Custom wood cabinetry built for the kitchen, bathrooms, office, and built-ins
- Complete kitchen renovation with Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and backsplash
- Luxury vinyl plank flooring with new baseboards and trim
- Interior painting, walls, ceilings, doors, and trim
- About 30 replacement windows with new flashing and weatherproofing
- Six fully renovated bathrooms
- Electrical and plumbing modifications to match the new layouts
A Kitchen Built Around Taj Mahal Quartzite
The kitchen is the centerpiece of the renovation, and the same team behind our kitchen remodeling in Orange County built it. We demolished the old one down to the framing, then rebuilt it around a long waterfall island in Taj Mahal quartzite. The same stone runs up the backsplash, so the work zone reads as one continuous surface.
The cabinetry is custom wood, fabricated to the approved drawings and fitted to the appliances rather than the other way around. Soft-close hinges and drawer systems were installed where the design called for them. Our team handled the field measurements, the stone templating, and the fabrication coordination, then tied in the plumbing and electrical for the new layout. New lighting finishes the space.
The Green Library Office: Custom Cabinetry Floor to Ceiling
Ask anyone who has seen this house which room they remember. It is this one.
The dedicated home office got a full wall of arched built-in shelving, lower cabinets, and a coffered ceiling, all finished in a deep green. Every filler, panel, and finished end was fabricated to match. The room now works as a library, an office, and honestly the best-looking Zoom background in Laguna Hills.
The same custom cabinetry program runs through the rest of the house. Bathroom vanities, storage cabinetry, and the theater room built-ins all came from the approved design package, so profiles and finishes stay consistent from room to room.
Level 5 Drywall and a Paint Job to Match
Smooth walls are where high-end interiors are won or lost. We took the renovated areas to a Level 5 drywall finish, which means skim-coating the entire surface after taping and sanding. Under raking light from those big windows, there is nowhere for a wavy wall to hide.
Painting followed the same standard. Surfaces were patched, sanded, caulked, and primed where the substrate needed it, then finished with two coats of premium interior paint on walls, ceilings, doors, and trim.
New Floors Underfoot, About 30 New Windows All Around
Wide-plank luxury vinyl plank flooring now runs through the main living areas and bedrooms. LVP took the place of the old mixed flooring for a practical reason. It handles an 8,000 square foot household, kids, and sandy Orange County summers without the maintenance of hardwood. New baseboards and transitions finish every room.
We also removed and replaced roughly 30 windows across the home. Each opening was prepped, flashed, and sealed before the new unit went in, and each window was inspected and tested at the end. The difference shows up in the light. It also shows up on the utility bill.
Living and Family Spaces
Six Bathrooms, Renovated to Their Own Designs
All six bathrooms were rebuilt according to their individual designs, from powder room to primary bath, by our bathroom remodeling team in Orange County. Depending on the room, that meant new framing, plumbing and electrical modifications, waterproofing, tile, custom wood vanities, and stone surfaces to match the kitchen program.
The primary bath is the standout. A freestanding tub sits under a wall of divided-light windows, with a mosaic tile floor and an arched shelf niche. It reads like a boutique hotel, and it is ten steps from the bed.
A Home Theater and Office Built Into the Plan
Two rooms in the plan were set aside for how the family actually spends its evenings. The theater room got framing modifications, Level 5 walls, lighting and low-voltage coordination for the equipment, and custom built-ins. The home office got the full library treatment described above, plus work surfaces and storage laid out on the approved design.
Four Months, One Team, City-Approved Plans
A whole house remodel at this scale succeeds or fails on management. Our team prepared the full plan package, from demolition plans and interior elevations to electrical, lighting, and plumbing plans, and coordinated the structural engineering where the layout changed. Everything was submitted to the city and built to the approved documents.
Construction ran about four months on a budget of $625,000. For context, whole house remodels in Orange County typically run between $250,000 and $1,500,000 depending on size, structural work, and finish level. We closed the project the way we always do, with punch-list corrections, testing of the installed systems, final inspection coordination, and a walkthrough with the owner. It is the same process we followed on this roof replacement and full backyard transformation in Southern California.
Full House Renovation Questions, Answered
How long does a full house renovation take?
This 8,000 square foot renovation took four months of construction, plus the design and permitting phase before it. Smaller homes often run faster. The biggest schedule factors are structural changes, city review times, and how early finish materials get selected.
How much does a whole house remodel cost in Laguna Hills?
It depends on size, structural work, and finish level, so treat any flat number with suspicion. Whole house remodels in Orange County typically run between $250,000 and $1,500,000. This 8,000 square foot project came in at $625,000. The honest way to price yours is a walkthrough and a written scope, which is what our free consultation is for.
Do I need permits for a renovation like this?
Yes. Structural changes, window replacement, and plumbing or electrical modifications all require permits in Laguna Hills. We prepare the plan package, submit it to the city, and coordinate inspections through final sign-off, so the work is documented and legal when you sell.
What is a Level 5 drywall finish and is it worth it?
Level 5 is the highest finish level in the Gypsum Association’s GA-214 standard. After normal taping and sanding, the whole wall gets a thin skim coat, so light hits one uniform surface. In rooms with large windows or dark paint colors it is absolutely worth it. This home has both.
Can I live in my house during a whole home renovation?
For a project touching every room, moving out is usually the better call. It keeps the family out of the dust and lets crews work faster, which shortens the schedule. For smaller phased remodels we can often keep part of the home livable and seal off the work areas.
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Planning a Whole House Remodel in Orange County?
Papaya Construction Group is a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor based in Irvine (CSLB #1139140). We handle design coordination, permits, and construction under one roof, from ADU construction in Orange County to full house renovations like this one. One accountable team from the first meeting to the final walkthrough.
Call (949) 400-0032 or book a free consultation below. Tell us what your home could be. We will tell you what it takes to get there.