Frequently Asked Questions

Design-build remodeling brings design and construction together under one roof, so a single team manages your project from concept to completion. At NorthLight, that includes any necessary design, engineering, architectural work, permitting, construction, and finishing touches. Instead of coordinating a separate designer, architect, and contractor, you work with one dedicated NorthLight team that follows the same proven process on every project. Because the people designing your remodel also price and build it, the plan is checked against your budget during Pre-Construction, before any work begins. Learn more about NorthLight’s design-build remodeling.

NorthLight specializes in mid- to high-end design-build remodeling. That includes kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole-home remodels and space conversions, home additions, aging-in-place and specialty remodels, outdoor living spaces, and ADUs and DADUs. NorthLight also takes on small projects, such as kitchen or bathroom refreshes and repairs to existing issues, with the same care and attention to detail as larger remodels. You can explore each service on the Services page.

NorthLight Custom Builders serves homeowners throughout North King County, South Snohomish County, and the Eastside, providing design-build remodeling services across the greater Seattle-Everett area.

The first step is to contact NorthLight to schedule an introductory meeting about your project vision. In that meeting, the team learns about your wants and needs, explains how NorthLight’s process works, and provides an estimate to make sure NorthLight is the right fit for you and your budget. From there, every project follows the same framework: Develop → Design → Construct → Complete. Develop and Design take place during Pre-Construction, where your scope, layout, selections, and price are defined. Construct is the build itself, and Complete covers the final walkthrough and warranty. Our Process explains each stage in more detail.

Pre-Construction is the space-planning and budget-defining phase, where NorthLight gathers the information needed to give you an honest, accurate, fixed price. You work closely with a dedicated team from Sales, Design, and Project Development. In the Develop stage, the team looks at how you live, takes detailed measurements, holds onsite meetings, and solidifies the layout, including whether plumbing, electrical, or walls need to move. In the Design stage, NorthLight determines whether engineering, architectural input, or permits are needed, provides concept layouts, helps you choose finishes and fixtures, and gathers exact quotes from trade partners. Three budget checks along the way lead to a final project price and a signed Construction Agreement.

You need one because the Pre-Construction Services Agreement is what allows NorthLight to give you an accurate, fixed price, whether or not your project involves design work. Design is not its only purpose. The agreement gives NorthLight the time and resources to work through your project with you and produce a solid, complete, fixed-price Construction Agreement. That means confirming your layout, scope, selections, and trade-partner quotes before construction starts, instead of discovering gaps partway through the build. NorthLight dislikes surprises as much as homeowners do, and this step is how the team keeps them to a minimum.

Selections are the finishes and fixtures you choose for your remodel, such as flooring, light fixtures, faucets, cabinetry, and paint colors. Every kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, whole-home remodel, and addition involves them. For some homeowners, making selections is a fun part of the process; for others, it can feel overwhelming. Either way, NorthLight’s in-house design specialists help at every step, whether you want someone to bounce ideas off or would like the team to recommend fixtures, flooring, and features that are both functional and beautiful. Selections are made during Pre-Construction, before your final project price is set.

Choosing finishes before construction protects both your budget and your timeline. Flooring and finishes can have a significant effect on cost, so making selections early lets NorthLight price your project accurately and help you stay on budget. Your choices also change the work itself: a three-piece faucet affects the plumbing, a light fixture above or built into a mirror affects the wiring, and heated floors, a bidet, or plans for an electric vehicle may require electrical panel upgrades. Intricate tile work changes how the crew plans the build. Because manufacturer supply issues can affect deliveries, NorthLight aims to have your selections in its warehouse or on-site before they are needed.

A NorthLight kitchen remodel typically ranges from $150,000 to $500,000 or more. Where a project falls in that range depends mostly on scope. Moving plumbing, removing or relocating walls, adding windows or doors, and upgrading the electrical panel all add cost, and your cabinetry, countertop, and fixture selections have a significant effect as well. These figures are typical ranges, not quotes. Your actual price is defined during Pre-Construction, when NorthLight gathers exact trade-partner quotes and provides a fixed-price Construction Agreement before work begins. Learn more about kitchen remodeling with NorthLight.

A NorthLight primary bathroom remodel typically ranges from $90,000 to $200,000 or more. The biggest cost drivers are the scope of changes and the systems involved. Moving a shower, tub, or vanity means relocating plumbing, and features such as heated floors or a bidet have their own electrical requirements. Intricate tile work and your fixture and finish selections also affect both cost and timeline. These figures are typical ranges, not quotes. Your final price is set during Pre-Construction through a fixed-price Construction Agreement. Learn more about bathroom remodeling with NorthLight.

A NorthLight whole-home remodel typically ranges from $400,000 to $2,000,000 or more. Because whole-home projects often combine several rooms, space conversions, and structural changes, scope has the largest effect on where a project lands. Removing or relocating walls, moving plumbing, adding windows or doors, and upgrading electrical systems all add cost, along with the selections made throughout the home. These figures are typical ranges, not quotes. Your actual price is defined during Pre-Construction and confirmed in a fixed-price Construction Agreement before construction begins. Learn more about whole-home remodeling with NorthLight.

The scope of changes is the biggest factor in what a remodel costs. Beyond scope, the most common cost drivers are moving plumbing from one area of a room to another, structural work such as removing or relocating walls, adding new windows or doors, and electrical upgrades, such as updating the panel to support heated floors, a bidet, or an electric vehicle. Your finish and fixture selections matter too. NorthLight provides an estimate at your first meeting, then runs three budget checks during Pre-Construction and uses exact trade-partner quotes to set a fixed price before construction begins.

Yes. NorthLight handles permitting and inspections for its clients, which takes a significant administrative burden off the homeowner. During Pre-Construction, the team determines whether your project needs permits, along with any engineering or architectural input. Permit applications are submitted once your Construction Agreement is approved, or earlier during Pre-Construction when that helps avoid delays to your construction start. Local zoning and building code considerations are reviewed early, and NorthLight’s team takes care of the paperwork needed to get your project approved by the local building department.

There is no standard timeline, because the length of a remodel depends on the scope of work, the design and selection process, and permitting. NorthLight’s Pre-Construction team plans scheduling as part of the design-build process, and settling the details before construction helps reduce surprises and delays. Once construction begins, your Project Manager and Lead Carpenter stay with the project from start to finish and keep you informed along the way.

NorthLight keeps you informed through your assigned project team and Buildertrend, NorthLight’s project software. When construction begins, you’ll have an introductory meeting with your Lead Carpenter, who oversees your project and is on the jobsite regularly. Throughout the build, your team provides regular updates and check-ins, so you know what is happening at every stage. In Buildertrend, you can follow the construction timeline as it progresses, receive updates as they happen, and ask questions as they come up. A plan and schedule are set at the start of construction, followed, and updated regularly.

NorthLight provides a 12-month workmanship warranty that begins after your project is complete. At completion, NorthLight conducts a final walkthrough with you to make sure everything meets both your standards and NorthLight’s. Then, 10 to 11 months after completion, NorthLight contacts you to take care of minor adjustments, such as tightening loose hinges and refreshing caulked or grouted joints as needed. The walkthrough and warranty follow-up make up the Complete stage of NorthLight’s Develop → Design → Construct → Complete process.

Yes. NorthLight designs and builds ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), which can be built as an addition to your existing home, and DADUs (Detached Accessory Dwelling Units), which are built as a separate structure on your property. Homeowners use them for family members, adult children moving back home, home office space, or a rental unit. NorthLight ADU and DADU projects typically range from $400,000 to $1,000,000 or more, depending on scope. Because zoning and building codes play a big role, NorthLight reviews local requirements early to help determine whether an ADU is the right fit for your property.

Yes. NorthLight offers aging-in-place remodeling to help homeowners live safely and comfortably in the homes they love for years to come. Common updates include zero-threshold showers, grab bars, non-slip flooring, wider doorways, adjusted counter heights, lever handles, and level floor transitions. The focus is on design-forward solutions that blend into your home’s style rather than looking clinical or institutional.

Yes. NorthLight brings the same care and attention to detail to small projects as it does to large remodels, including kitchen and bathroom refreshes and fixes for existing issues. A dedicated small-projects process sends a team member in a fully equipped NorthLight van to complete the work efficiently with minimal disruption. For small projects, NorthLight offers a Time & Materials contract, with a standard Fixed Price Agreement also available if preferred.