Drive through plenty of Denver metro neighborhoods, like Hyland Greens, Northpark or Westminster Hills, and you'll see a lot of houses from the 80s and 90s. They were built well. The lots are established, the trees are grown in, and the location is hard to beat. The insides, though? Some of them still look a lot like 1992.
Good news: those are some of the best houses to remodel.
Why older Denver metro homes are worth updating
The bones are good. The dated parts are exactly the parts a remodel replaces: kitchens, baths, flooring and paint. You keep the neighborhood and the yard you already love and lose the oak cabinets. In a lot of cases an older house is more worth updating than a newer one.
Start with the room that bugs you most
Seriously. That's usually the right first project.
The kitchen. This is the giveaway in a lot of 30-year-old homes: oak cabinets, a tight layout, and a peninsula where an island wants to be. Opening up a closed-off 90s kitchen is one of the most common projects we see, and it's some of the most satisfying work we do. Wall changes are structural, so we scope them properly, permit them, and finish with cabinetry and counters that fit the new layout.
Kitchen work includes cabinetry and counters, backsplash tile, lighting and electrical, flooring, paint, and finish carpentry. Most kitchen remodels run $25,000 to $85,000 and up. Cabinetry and counters drive most of that spread.
The bathroom. Dated tile, a tired vanity, a tub nobody uses. We do full bath remodels and smart updates: tile showers, new vanities and counters, freestanding and soaker tubs, waterproof tile or LVP flooring, with the plumbing and electrical behind the walls done to code. Typical bathroom remodels run $15,000 to $40,000 and up depending on scope and finish level.
Floors, paint and trim. Sometimes the house doesn't need a big remodel. New flooring, fresh paint, drywall repair and finish carpentry can make a whole house feel newer. We handle interior and exterior remodeling, including siding, and quote that per project.
The basement. Plenty of 80s and 90s homes around the metro have a basement that never got finished. Whether it's a 1988 basement or a newer one waiting its turn, we take it from studs to inspection. If you want a bedroom down there, plan for an egress window as part of the job. See the basement finishing page on SawDog.net for how that whole process works.
The backyard. Older homes often have an old deck or a fence that's seen too many winters. We do decks, pergolas, fences, concrete and landscaping, and doing the backyard as one project means one schedule and one crew.
Permits, wherever you are
Every city in the metro runs its own building permits, whether you're in Denver, Arvada, Thornton or Lakewood. We file and manage that paperwork with your city on every permitted project, so you don't have to.
What to expect working with us
Every project starts with a free walkthrough and a written, itemized estimate, before any commitment. You get straight communication, a written scope, and a 2-year workmanship warranty. We're insured with $1M in liability coverage, hold an A+ rating with the BBB, and our permit history is public record.
Saw Dog Construction is based in Westminster, CO, and covers the Denver metro, including Denver, Arvada, Thornton, Northglenn, Broomfield, Lakewood, Aurora and Commerce City.
Pick a room and call
Call or text (720) 290-4077, or send the form on SawDog.net. Tell us which city you're in and which room drives you nuts. We'll come take a look.