Magnolia Remodeling & Construction
Magnolia is one of Seattle's most coveted and serene neighborhoods — a leafy bluff jutting into Puget Sound with sweeping water and Olympic views. The remodels here are premium and view-driven, but the ground under them demands respect: much of Magnolia sits on slide-prone bluff soils that make foundation and drainage work non-negotiable.
Building in Magnolia: the housing stock, the projects, the site notes
Magnolia's housing leans upscale and varied: gracious 1920s–1940s homes in the village core, sprawling mid-century view houses along the bluff and Magnolia Boulevard, and a steady supply of high-end newer builds and tear-down rebuilds. Owners here invest in their homes for the long haul, and the briefs reflect it — chef's kitchens, spa-grade primary suites, walls of glass aimed at the Sound, and additions that expand the view rather than just the square footage.
But the defining technical reality of Magnolia is the bluff. The west and south edges of the neighborhood sit on steep slopes and known landslide-prone soils — Magnolia has a documented slide history — which means any project near the edge has to take geology seriously. We treat bluff-adjacent work as a structural and geotechnical problem first and a finishes problem second: slope-aware foundations, deep or pinned footings where warranted, careful surface and subsurface drainage to keep water out of the soil, and retaining systems engineered, not guessed. On the most sensitive lots, environmentally-critical-area review through SDCI comes into play, and we plan for it from day one.
That's also why drainage is a recurring Magnolia rescue job. Decades-old downspout, footing-drain and grading systems that send water toward a bluff are a genuine hazard, and we're often called to re-engineer them — regrading, tightlining roof water away from the slope, and adding subsurface drainage — as part of a remodel or on their own. Getting the water right protects both the house and the hillside it sits on.
Above the dirt, our Magnolia work is genuine high-end craftsmanship: precise millwork, premium materials, large-format glazing detailed to stay watertight in a marine-exposed setting, and additions massed to preserve view and character. Older village homes get lead-safe (EPA RRP) handling and, frequently, a seismic retrofit folded in while we're in the structure. We run the full SDCI permit set — including any critical-areas and geotechnical review the bluff requires — so a premium Magnolia project is as sound below grade as it is beautiful above it.
Design-build services for Magnolia homes
Design, permitting and craftsmanship under one accountable roof.
Honest Seattle budget ranges
Construction is custom, but you deserve real numbers up front. These are typical Seattle ranges; your fixed bid comes after a free in-home consult in Magnolia.
| Project | Typical Seattle range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom remodel | $25,000 – $60,000 |
| Kitchen remodel | $45,000 – $120,000 |
| Home addition | from $95,000 |
| Whole-home remodel | from $120,000 |
| DADU / backyard cottage | $250,000 – $450,000 |
| Seismic retrofit | $5,000 – $15,000 |
Prices in USD. Every Magnolia project gets a written, fixed-scope estimate after a free in-home consultation. Financing available.
Your Magnolia questions, answered
My Magnolia home is near the bluff — is it safe to remodel or add on?
It can be, but it has to be engineered for the geology. Magnolia's bluff has slide-prone soils and a documented slide history, so we treat edge-of-bluff work as a geotechnical and structural problem first — slope-aware foundations, drainage and retaining — and handle any SDCI critical-areas review before design is locked.
Why do you put so much emphasis on drainage in Magnolia?
Because water in the soil is what moves a bluff. Old downspout, footing-drain and grading systems that send roof and surface water toward the slope are a real hazard. We regrade, tightline water away from the bluff and add subsurface drainage to protect both the house and the hillside.
Do you do true high-end remodels in Magnolia?
Yes — premium kitchens, spa primary suites, large-format glazing and view-expanding additions are the core of our Magnolia work. We pair that finish-level craftsmanship with the serious foundation, drainage and seismic engineering the bluff setting requires.
We also build near Magnolia
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