Kitchen remodeling
Bathroom remodeling
Home additions & ADU
Roofing
Windows & doors
Driveway & pavers
FenceFree written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable General Contractor Across Hillsborough
Hiring a General Contractor in Hillsborough means finding someone who understands this town before they ever walk your driveway. We’re talking steep lots, mature oak canopies, design review, and homes built before modern wiring codes existed. A kitchen remodel here runs $14,000 – $45,000, and a full home addition lands between $45,000 and $130,000. Those numbers only hold if the contractor scopes the job correctly from day one. Call (833) 756-5936 to schedule a free estimate, and we’ll walk your property with the plan set in hand, not a generic checklist.
Why Iron Beam Contractors Is Hillsborough’s Preferred General Contractor Company
Iron Beam Contractors has built its Hillsborough reputation on a simple habit: we start every scope from the actual condition of the house, not from a template. We’ve worked estates near the Burlingame border, homes tucked behind redwood canopies off El Cerrito Avenue, and larger parcels where the driveway itself is a construction logistics problem. Homeowners in 94010 call us because we know the town’s design review process, we know when an arborist needs to get involved before the excavator does, and we know which surprises hiding inside a 1960s wall cavity actually change the price. That’s the difference between a contractor and a coordinator. Our clients see it in the written allowances we put in every contract and in the fact that a change order is priced and approved on paper before we touch anything.
Nolan Driscoll leads the team with a structural engineer’s instinct for load paths and a tradesperson’s respect for process. We don’t broker work to a rotating cast of disconnected subs. One accountable team handles the full scope, from demolition to final inspection. Hillsborough homeowners consistently tell us the single point of contact is why they chose us over the three-bid shuffle.
Styles & brands we work with
General Contractor Services in Hillsborough
General Contractor Services in Hillsborough span everything from kitchen and bath remodels to full tear-down rebuilds and ADU construction. The job involves coordinating design, permits, materials, and trades so the homeowner isn’t juggling five vendors on a street where staging is already tight. In Hillsborough, that coordination matters more than in denser towns, because most projects require planning commission review and strict hillside ordinance compliance before a permit is even issued. A bathroom remodel here runs $9,000 – $28,000; an ADU runs $90,000 – $220,000. Those are the ranges we see for legitimate, permitted work in 94010, and they assume a contractor who books allowances for what the walls actually contain.
Kitchen and Bath Scoping
We scope kitchens and baths from the studs out. That means checking the existing framing, wiring, and waterproofing before we commit to a number. On a 1960s estate off a narrow private lane near the Burlingame border, we opened a kitchen wall for an island install and found cloth-wrapped wiring and a load-bearing header undersized for the new span. Our tech flagged it during the rough-in inspection, priced the reframe and panel upgrade as a written change order, and we passed inspection sign-off before hanging a single KraftMaid cabinet.
Additions and ADUs
A room addition or ADU in Hillsborough triggers a full design review, often with an arborist’s report dictating the site plan. We manage that process with the town and the tree specialist, so the project doesn’t stall after cabinets are ordered. We’re also one of the few contractors in this market with direct ADU partnerships across Abodu, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, and Boxabl, which means we can offer a prefab path most remodelers can’t.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Construction Company in Hillsborough
Construction Company work in Hillsborough means managing the full envelope, the structure, and the site. We handle interior remodeling, exterior systems like roofing and siding, outdoor hardscape, and ADU or prefab installation under one agreement. That scope matters on Hillsborough lots, where the house, the retaining wall, the drainage, and the driveway all interact. Roof replacement here runs $8,000 – $20,000; cabinet installation runs $4,000 – $13,000. But the real number always comes back to what the existing structure reveals once we open it up.
Roofing and Exterior Envelope
Hillsborough’s damp, cool Peninsula winters and occasional atmospheric river storms put real stress on roofing and flashing. We install GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning systems, and we build for longevity, not just curb appeal. James Hardie siding and Schluter waterproofing are part of our standard specification conversation because moisture management on a shaded, tree-canopied lot is a long-term investment question, not a cosmetic one.
Hardscape and Site Work
Sloped lots and mature tree roots make hardscape on Hillsborough properties a structural exercise. Belgard and Unilock paver systems handle freeze-thaw and root movement better than poured slabs, and we design drainage into every patio and driveway scope. The goal is a backyard that holds up through ten Peninsula winters, not one that looks good for one summer.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hillsborough
We maintain direct access to 50+ vetted material brands, so Hillsborough clients never have to source cabinets, countertops, or roofing from a big-box aisle. That includes KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinetry, Cambria and Silestone countertops, GAF and CertainTeed roofing, and Kohler, Toto, and Grohe plumbing fixtures. It also means we can order with confidence, stage deliveries on tight private lanes, and stand behind the warranty because we specified the product, not a stranger on a marketplace listing. Built on real brands, real standards.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon General Contractor Problems We See in Hillsborough Homes
- Cloth-wrapped wiring in pre-1980 estates. Once a wall is open for a kitchen or bath remodel, code requires upgrading the affected circuits. A contractor who quoted off plans with no allowance will hand you a surprise invoice; we write the allowance into the contract before demolition starts.
- Undersized load-bearing framing. Many Hillsborough homes from the 1950s and 1960s used headers that don’t meet current span tables for open-concept layouts. Our inspector verifies the span during rough-in and prices any reframe as a written change order.
- Failed waterproofing on hillside retaining walls and showers. Expansive clay soils and seasonal groundwater push water into foundation walls and tiled showers. We specify Schluter systems and drainage details that match the actual soil conditions on your lot.
- Tree-protection delays after cabinets are ordered. Ordering Cambria tops or KraftMaid cabinets before the arborist report settles the site plan is a costly mistake. We sequence procurement behind the town’s design review and tree ordinance, so nothing sits in a warehouse while the schedule slips.
Pricing for General Contractor in Hillsborough, CA
Here are the market ranges we see for permitted work in Hillsborough. These assume a licensed contractor, design review compliance, and allowances for the structural or electrical surprises common in older estates.
| Project | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Roof Replacement | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Cabinet Installation | $4,000 – $13,000 |
What changes these numbers in Hillsborough specifically is the age of the home and the site conditions. A kitchen in a 1980s rebuild with updated wiring lands closer to the low end. A kitchen in a 1940s original with cloth wiring, an undersized header, and a tree-protection plan requiring engineered piers lands at the top. We write allowances into every contract and never change a price without a signed change order. Call (833) 756-5936 for a free, line-item estimate, and we’ll tell you exactly what your house is going to require.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hillsborough
Iron Beam Contractors serves Hillsborough and the surrounding Peninsula communities, including Burlingame, Millbrae, Highlands-Baywood Park, and San Mateo. Our crews know these streets, the permit offices, and the soil conditions, so you get a contractor who understands the terrain, not one learning it on your dime.
Serving Hillsborough, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hillsborough area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About General Contractor in Hillsborough
Because Hillsborough’s housing stock includes many custom estates built between the 1920s and 1980s, and the building codes have changed dramatically since then. When we open a wall, we often find cloth-wrapped wiring, undersized framing, or failed waterproofing that must be brought to current code before the planned work can proceed. A legitimate quote changes because the actual scope changed, not because the contractor padded the number. We handle this by writing allowances into every contract and requiring a signed change order before any added work begins. Call (833) 756-5936 if you’ve received a quote without allowances, and we’ll tell you what a real contract in 94010 should include.
Yes, and it can affect it before we even file for a building permit. Hillsborough’s tree-protection ordinance often requires an arborist’s report and a site plan that preserves mature oaks and redwoods, and that site plan can dictate where the addition goes, where the staging area sits, and where the driveway can be widened. We start with the plan set and the arborist, not the punch list, so your cabinets aren’t sitting in a warehouse while the tree review clears. The smart move is to book the arborist consultation before you finalize any material order.
We manage it directly. Nearly every Hillsborough project clears design review before a building permit is issued, and many also require planning commission approval. That means the paperwork, the plan set, and the neighbor notification all happen before construction starts. We prepare the drawings, coordinate with the town, and sequence procurement so the schedule matches the approval timeline. One contractor, every phase, from blueprint to backyard.
Three things, at minimum: allowances for structural and electrical surprises, a written change order process, and the named material brands. If the contract doesn’t specify KraftMaid versus an unnamed cabinet line, or doesn’t state how a reframe gets priced, you’re carrying all the risk. We write the allowances in, name the brands, and never touch an added scope without your signature on a priced change order. That’s the standard for a contractor, not a coordinator.
Yes. We handle full tear-down rebuilds and ADU construction across 94010, including prefab ADU systems from Abodu, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, and Boxabl. Tear-down rebuilds here run $90,000 to $220,000 and up depending on the new structure, while a garage conversion typically lands between $30,000 and $80,000. We manage the design review, the arborist, the permit, and the build under one contract, with one point of contact. Call (833) 756-5936 to talk through your lot and what the town will require.
Written by Nolan Driscoll, Owner at Iron Beam Contractors, serving Hillsborough and the Peninsula since day one.