Serving the Great Lakes Bay Region · based in Bay City, MI
Licensed and Insured · Free Estimates (501) 520-1783
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Home Remodeling in Bay City, MI

Home Remodeling · Bay City, MI

Kitchen, bathroom and basement remodels in older homes

Home remodeling in Bay City usually means working on an old house. About half the homes in town were built before 1940, and plenty still have their original layout. We remodel kitchens, bathrooms and basements, and we take on whole-home renovation when a house needs work everywhere. When a house needs more square footage, that is a home addition instead.

Contracting Pros is based in Bay City and works across the Great Lakes Bay Region. We are licensed and insured, and every estimate is free. One contractor runs the job from the tear-out through the framing and drywall to the finished room. Call or text (501) 520-1783.

What We Handle

  • Kitchen remodels, including new cabinets, countertops and layout changes
  • Bathroom remodeling, including full gut jobs down to the studs
  • Basement finishing and basement remodeling in older foundations
  • Whole-home renovation for houses that need work in every room
  • Interior tear-out of old kitchens, bathrooms and walls
  • Framing changes, including taking out or moving an interior wall
  • Drywall hanging, taping, finishing and repair
  • Siding and exterior repairs handled as part of a remodel

Free Home Remodeling Quote

Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.

Kitchen and bathroom remodeling in older homes

A pre-1940 house was built for a different way of living. Kitchens were small and shut off from the rest of the house, and most homes got one bathroom. A kitchen remodel or a bathroom remodel in that kind of house often means moving a wall.

The work runs in a set order. First comes the interior demolition, where the old cabinets, fixtures and flooring come out. Then the framing changes go in, and the trades run any wiring or plumbing that has to move. Drywall follows, and the finishes go on last.

Old houses hide things behind the plaster. Walls are rarely square, floors have settled, and past repairs turn up once a wall is open. We look at the house before we quote, and we tell you what we find.

Basement finishing starts with the water

Bay City sits on flat lake plain with heavy clay soil and a high water table. Water drains slowly here. In spring, melt and rain push groundwater against foundation walls, and a dry basement turns damp.

That changes the order of the work. If a basement takes on water, the water gets solved before any framing goes up. Finished walls and flooring over a wet foundation come apart, and you pay for the space twice.

Older homes here often have what people call a Michigan basement, with fieldstone or block walls and low headroom. Those spaces can still be finished, but the plan has to fit the ceiling height you have. If a bedroom is part of the basement remodeling, Michigan code typically calls for an egress opening in that room. We build that into the job.

What a remodeling contractor handles on a whole-home renovation

A whole-home renovation touches every room, so the order matters. We set the scope, price the work and lay the phases out in a sequence you can live with. Most families stay in the house while it happens.

Bay City typically requires a building permit to alter a structure. That covers framing changes plus the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside a remodel. Swapping cabinets, countertops, tile or carpet is typically listed as finish work that is exempt. We pull the permits for our work and set up the inspections.

If the house sits in the Center Avenue historic district, the rules add a step. The city says planned exterior work, repairs and additions may first need approval. That comes from the Historic District Commission or the Historic Preservation Officer. We work through it with you as the general contractor on your project.

Kitchen mid-remodel with new cabinets set, shims in place and a drill on the counter Basement being finished with new stud walls, ducting and a bare concrete floor

Ready to get started?

Free, no-obligation estimates across the Great Lakes Bay Region.

(501) 520-1783
How We Work

How a Job With Contracting Pros Runs

From the first call or text to the final walkthrough of the finished work, here is how it goes.

1

Call or text

Tell us what needs to come down and where the property sits. Call or text (501) 520-1783 and we will set a time to look.

2

Site visit and estimate

We look at the structure, the access and what sits around it. Then you get a free estimate for the demolition.

3

Permits and prep

Utilities get shut off and capped, and a MISS DIG 811 dig notice typically goes in. We pull the demolition permit and the historic district approval where Bay City calls for one. An asbestos survey and state notification get ordered when the rules cover the building.

4

The teardown

The structure comes down with our equipment, in pieces where the site is tight. Debris gets loaded out as the work goes.

5

Cleanup and walkthrough

The hole gets filled, compacted and topped with soil and seed. Then we go over the finished site with you before we leave.

FAQ

Home Remodeling Questions, Answered

Common questions about home remodeling across the Great Lakes Bay Region. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.

Call (501) 520-1783

What does a kitchen or bathroom remodel cost in Bay City?
Every house prices differently, so we quote after we see it. The size of the room and whether walls have to move both matter. So does rerouting plumbing or wiring, along with the materials you choose. Estimates are free, so call or text (501) 520-1783.
Can we live in the house during a remodel?
Most families do. We close off the work area, keep the dust inside it, and clean up at the end of the day. On a one-bathroom house we plan that phase around your schedule and keep the downtime short.
Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in Bay City?
Usually yes. Bay City typically requires a building permit to alter a structure. That takes in framing changes plus the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. We pull the permits for our work and set up the inspections.
Can you finish a basement that gets water?
Not until the water is handled. Framing and drywall over a foundation that leaks will fail, and you pay for the space twice. Once the water problem is solved, the basement finishing goes in over a dry floor and dry walls. We will tell you what we see down there before you spend anything.
What do you run into in a house built before 1940?
Plaster and lath walls, framing that is out of square, and floors that have settled. Wiring and plumbing were often added later and run in odd places. Past owners patched things, so what sits behind the wall is not always what you expect. We open a small area to look when we can before the quote.
Do you handle the whole remodel or just part of it?
The whole thing. We run the remodel start to finish, and we bring in and schedule the trades the job needs. If you only need one piece, like drywall repair or a framing change, we do that too. To get started, set up a free estimate or call or text (501) 520-1783.
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Work That Pairs With Home Remodeling

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Home Additions

We build room additions, second story additions, attached garages and sunrooms across the Great Lakes Bay Region. The new space ties into your existing foundation, roofline and finishes.

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Worker on a scaffold hanging a drywall sheet on a vaulted ceiling

Framing and Drywall

We frame walls and hang drywall for remodels, additions and finished basements. Drywall repair is part of it too, from water stains to cracked corners.

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Two carpenters working heavy timber beams on the deck of a house under construction

General Contracting

We run residential and commercial projects across the Great Lakes Bay Region as your general contractor. One point of contact covers the estimate, the permits, the trades and the schedule.

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Why Choose Contracting Pros

Built Tough. Built Right. Built to Work.

Licensed and insured

Contracting Pros is licensed and insured for the work we take on. The paperwork is available before a job starts.

Residential and commercial

We tear down houses, garages, barns and sheds for homeowners. We also handle small commercial buildings and interior demo for businesses.

Demolition through rebuild

One demolition contractor takes the structure down and puts the new one up. That keeps the schedule and the site under a single plan.

Free estimates across the region

Estimates are free anywhere in our working radius around Bay City. That covers the Great Lakes Bay Region and the counties around it.

Guides and Resources

Home Remodeling Guides

Free Estimates

Get In Touch With Contracting Pros

Tell us what needs to come down and where the property is. Call or text (501) 520-1783, or send the details through the form and we will get back to you.

Get a Free Quote

Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.