WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA
Home Remodeling Contractor in
Whittier, CA
With more than 10 years of experience, ARD Remodeling takes on kitchens, bathrooms, floors and whole-home updates for homeowners in Whittier, California. The first step is a free estimate at your house, and the scope is written down before any work is scheduled. Whittier plans tend to hinge on three things: how old the house is, whether the address sits inside city limits, and what Planning staff say about changes to the outside. We ask about all three at the first visit, so the approvals are lined up before the drawings are.
- Free estimates
- Whittier and neighbors
- Scope in writing
- One crew, many trades
City permits
Start at the permit counter on Penn Street
The city's Building & Safety page says to visit the Community Development counter at 13230 Penn Street to find out whether a project needs a permit. It is open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We help with the paperwork and approvals your project calls for, and before you go or call we write down what to tell the counter.
One number for questions
The city gives (562) 567-9320 for permit questions and for inspection requests.
Some jobs are filed online
The city's list of online approvals includes re-roofs, residential electrical and plumbing, HVAC and window replacements. Other jobs go in person.
Planning reads the plans first
The city says Building & Safety plan review is preceded by an evaluation from the Planning Services Division, so exterior changes are raised early.
Historic review
Built before 1941? Ask about a Certificate of Appropriateness
Whittier's historic preservation pages describe vintage buildings as those constructed before 1941, and say the review is mandatory for them, for designated or eligible landmarks and for homes in a historic district. One city page words the cutoff as 1941 or earlier, so tell Planning the year your house was built. Interior work that does not change the outside is not subject to the application.
Windows, doors and siding
The city lists a comprehensive change-out of any of the three among the common projects that need the certificate.
The street side of the house
Alterations to a street-facing facade are on the same list, and so are additions of 500 square feet or more.
A public hearing
After staff review, the Historic Resources Commission hears the application, and its decisions can be appealed to the City Council.
PLACES TO BEGIN
Projects Whittier owners often start with
Most plans combine two or three of these.
Kitchen refresh
Cabinets, counters, lighting and a better working layout, with plumbing moved only where the plan needs it.
Hall or primary bathroom
New tile, a shower or tub update and a vanity. Our Whittier bathroom page covers the fixture rule and the city's online list.
Floors through the main rooms
One flooring material across connected rooms, laid once the dusty work is done.
Windows and doors
In a house built before 1941 these touch the historic review, so we check the year before anything is ordered.
Patio and outdoor living
The Projects section has a page for Patio & Fire Pit Installation in Whittier. It shows a paver patio, a circular stone fire pit filled with lava rock, wicker seating and low-voltage landscape lighting.
Whole-home refresh
Rooms that share walls, floors and plumbing are planned together, then finished in one sequence.
Older homes
What a house from the 1950s tells us before we open a wall
The city's 2014-2021 Housing Element, adopted in 2013, reports that about 63 percent of Whittier's homes were built in the 1950s or earlier and only about 11 percent since the 1970s. It adds that homes built before 1978 typically contain lead-based paint, and that older homes that are not well maintained are more likely to need substantial repairs. Those are 2013 figures, but they explain why the year of your house is our first question.
Year built comes first
It sets the order of everything else: lead, historic review, old plumbing fixtures.
Paint from before 1978
EPA's lead rule covers paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978, so the build year goes into the scope before demolition starts.
Repairs found on opening
If an opened wall shows a repair nobody could see, we tell you what it is and add it to the written scope before work continues.
THE BACK DOOR
A service porch that works as a laundry and mudroom
If your back porch already doubles as a laundry corner, it can become a room that earns its space. We plan storage, a deep sink, a place for shoes and a floor that handles wet boots as one design, and map the plumbing, venting and circuits before any wall is closed.
- A sink that works hardA deep utility sink for muddy boots, paint brushes and soaking.
- A floor that handles waterTile or sealed flooring that shrugs off wet shoes and spills.
- Light for the taskA ceiling fixture and a daylight window or glazed door, wired with the rest of the plan.
Jurisdiction
Is your Whittier address inside the city?
The city's Building & Safety FAQ addresses Whittier-addressed properties in the unincorporated area and sends their owners to Los Angeles County instead of City Hall. The facts below carry the county numbers it lists. We ask for your full street address at the first call so the right office is the one we plan around.
Send the street address
A mailing city is not a boundary. The address tells us which jurisdiction applies.
City Hall or the county
Inside the city, the Penn Street counter handles building permits. Outside it, the county's Building Division and Regional Planning do.
BRING TO THE FIRST VISIT
What helps at a Whittier estimate
Rough answers are fine.
- 1Your full street address, so we can tell whether it is inside the city
- 2The year the house was built, even a rough one
- 3Whether you know of any historic survey, district or landmark status
- 4Photos of each room you want to change, plus the street-facing side
- 5Anything you want to keep, such as a window, a floor or a built-in
- 6Older permit records, plans or repair invoices
A short list is fine. We fill in the rest together at the visit.
WHAT WE REMODEL
Remodeling Services in Whittier
Service overviewKitchen RemodelingBeautiful kitchens that bring together thoughtful design, quality materials and expert craftsmanship.See the service 
WhittierBathroom Remodeling in WhittierCustom showers, vanities, tile, lighting and improved layouts for a bathroom that looks beautiful and works better.Open the Whittier page 
Service overviewFlooring & TileStylish, durable, and professionally installed flooring and tile for every room in your home.See the service 
Service overviewWhole-Home RenovationsDesign, construction and finishing details brought together into one carefully coordinated project.See the service 
Service overviewLiving Room RemodelingFlooring, ceilings, lighting, built-ins and open-concept layouts that make the room you use most feel finished.See the service 
Service overviewWindows & DoorsEnergy-efficient windows, sliding patio doors and modern entry doors with a clean finished look.See the service
A QUICK PHOTO WILL DO
Not sure how your house is classed?
Send the address, the year if you know it and a few photos. We will tell you which city step to check first.
HOW IT WORKS
How a project in Whittier runs
Step 1
Walk the house
We look at each room, take measurements and ask how you use the space.
Step 2
Write the scope
Finishes and the extent of the work are agreed and put on paper.
Step 3
Check address and age
We confirm whether the address is in the city, whether the house counts as vintage and which approvals apply. We help with the paperwork and approvals the project calls for.
Step 4
Build, then walk through
Trades are sequenced within the hours the city allows, and we review the finished rooms with you.
Good to know
Before you start in Whittier
Every point below comes from the source shown on its card, with the date we last checked it. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects your project directly with the source.
- Official source
The Community Development counter
The Building & Safety page tells owners who want to know whether a project needs a permit to visit the Community Development public counter at 13230 Penn Street, Whittier, CA 90602, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Phone: (562) 567-9320, also the number for inspection requests. Its list of approvals available online includes re-roofs, residential electrical, residential plumbing, HVAC, window replacements, sewer laterals, foundation retrofits and bathroom remodels that are like for like.
City of Whittier, Building & Safety Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Planning first, then plan check
The page describes the City's Online Permit Portal for plan check and for scheduling inspections, which can also be requested at (562) 567-9320. It says Building & Safety plan review is preceded by evaluation by the Planning Services Division, that Planning accepts online submittals only for a defined list of application types and that other types are submitted in person as complete, folded plan sets during counter hours. As of January 1, 2026, the City adopted the 2025 California Building Standards Code.
City of Whittier, Plan Check, Permits, and Inspections Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Certificate of Appropriateness
The process covers alterations to a historic resource or a vintage building, described as constructed before 1941. The page says compliance is mandatory for vintage properties, for eligible and designated historic landmarks and for properties in a historic district, and that no permit is issued for work on them until the certificate is approved. Common projects that need it include a comprehensive change-out of windows, doors or siding, alterations to a street-facing facade and additions of 500 square feet or more; smaller additions need it only if visible from a public street.
City of Whittier, Certificate of Appropriateness (General) Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
An older housing stock
The Housing Element for 2014-2021, adopted in December 2013, describes a predominantly older housing stock, with only 11 percent of units built since the 1970s and 63 percent built in the 1950s or earlier. It says homes built before 1978 typically contain lead-based paint and that homes 50 or more years old, unless well maintained, are more likely to need substantial repairs or renovation to meet current building codes. The figures belong to the previous planning cycle.
- Official source
Unincorporated addresses and older roofs
The FAQ addresses Whittier-addressed properties in the unincorporated area and refers them to Los Angeles County: the County Building Division at (562) 946-1390 and the Department of Regional Planning at (213) 974-6411. It also says all roofs in the city must meet a Class A rating and that for re-roofs on structures built before 1941, planning approval of the architecture, finish materials and colors is required.
City of Whittier, Building & Safety, Frequently Asked Questions Checked 2026-10-30
FAQ
Remodeling questions in Whittier
Direct answers to what homeowners ask us most. If your question is not here, call or send a request.
- Whittier
- Permits
- Clear scope
Do you work in every part of Whittier?
Whittier is on our service-area list, with La Habra, Downey, Norwalk and other cities close by. Send your address with the request and we will confirm the visit, and whether the address is inside the city.
What does the city mean by a vintage house?
The city's historic pages define vintage buildings as those constructed before 1941 that are not designated landmarks. One page words it as 1941 or earlier, so give Planning your exact build year if your house is near the line.
Does an interior remodel need the Certificate of Appropriateness?
The city says interior work that does not change the exterior is not subject to the application. Windows, doors, siding and street-facing changes are exterior work and are on the city's list.
Where do I ask the city whether my project needs a permit?
At the Community Development public counter on Penn Street, or by phone at (562) 567-9320. The hours are in the facts above. We help with the paperwork and approvals your project calls for.
My mail says Whittier. Is my house in the city?
Not always. The city's FAQ addresses Whittier-addressed properties in the unincorporated area and refers them to Los Angeles County. Send us the address and we will check which office applies.
Is there a Whittier project I can look at?
The Projects section has a page for Patio & Fire Pit Installation in Whittier, with a paver patio, a circular stone fire pit filled with lava rock, wicker seating and low-voltage landscape lighting. It is one example, and every house gets its own plan.
Service area
Also serving near Whittier
We work across Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Call or send a request and we will confirm your address.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Planning a remodel in Whittier?
Tell us about your home and your plans. We will confirm the details and set up your free estimate.