Home Remodeling Contractors in Kirkland, WA
Basement remodeling, room additions, kitchens, bathrooms and ADUs for Kirkland homes, planned around the city's shoreline and slope rules.
- We check shoreline and critical area maps for your lot before drawing a plan.
- Permit drawings prepared and filed with Kirkland for you.
- Your price arrives in writing, line by line, before any demolition.
By appointment. Limited start dates.
- Over 200 projects
- 4.9 on Google
- 20+ years building
- WA license VOLCABI792C6
What a Kirkland remodel has to clear first
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The Kirkland rule
Lake Washington shoreline
Any house within 200 feet of Lake Washington falls under Kirkland's Shoreline Master Program, and so do the wetlands tied to Juanita Bay and Yarrow Bay. Expanding a house or a deck there is reviewed against Kirkland Zoning Code Chapter 83, not only the building code.
What we doWe check the shoreline map for your lot before drawing a plan.
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The Kirkland rule
Landslide and liquefaction zones
Work inside a geologically hazardous area needs a separate critical area permit under Chapter 85. That includes slopes prone to landslides and soils that can liquefy in an earthquake, and a lot within 125 feet of a stream or 300 feet of a wetland should be assessed by a qualified professional.
What we doWe check the critical area maps for your lot before drawing a plan.
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The Kirkland rule
Four review tracks
Kirkland sorts permits into over the counter, Express, Fast Track and Regular review. A house addition up to half the existing floor area can qualify for Fast Track, about two weeks, unless the lot sits near a regulated slope, soft soils, a wetland or a stream.
What we doWe prepare and file your permit drawings and schedule around the city's published review times.
Knowing which of these applies to your lot decides the schedule, so we look it up before design starts.
What homeowners say about working with us
Volcano Builders did a great job on our master bathroom. The tile work and finishing touches were great. Even though they weren't the cheapest quote we got, you can tell they care about quality.
I had a great time with Volcano Builders.The team was professional and on time, and the kitchen turned out just how we wanted it.
Volcano did a master bath remodel for us. The project was completed efficiently and on time. All of their workman were courteous and hard working. When we had a couple of material delivery delays they kindly adjusted their schedules. Their pricing was fine and the terms of the contract were fulfilled. We highly recommend Volcano Building.
Volcano builders did a phenomenal job on my bathroom remodel. They exceeded my expectations on many levels. Their designer helped me pick out all the tile and bathroom accessories to make sure everything matched in style. Communication was great and response time very fast whenever I had questions for them. They estimated the project would take 5-6 weeks but finished in 4 weeks! Excellent job! Loooooove my new bathroom! Including pics of the Before… and the After!
I just got my bathroom redone by Volcano, and Wow im in love With the final look! Bar was very communicative. Its feel like he was there with me every step of my way, making sure i was kept in the loop. His team was super friendly and professional. They made tge tge process smooth. My new bathroom is everything i hoped for and more. Thank you Volcano!
Had a great experience working with Volcano Builders on remodeling bathroom and flooring in my condo! Bar and his team were very professional from estimates to timely completion of the job! Highly recommend!
Homeowners on camera
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Mark
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Yoshio Inoue
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Stephanie
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Linda, Part 1
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Clinton & Joan
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Mr. Will
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Teresa
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Linda, Part 2
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Michelle
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Sarah & Robert
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Clifford Harris
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Rebecca
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Mrs. Sergeant
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Paul & Burley
I'm Bar, founder of Volcano Builders. I have been building for 20+ years, and our main office is in Bellevue, a short drive from Kirkland. Most remodeling problems start before any work does: a vague price, a missed permit step, nobody answering the phone. So every project we take on gets a written, itemized price before work starts, a design and permit plan built around your city's rules, and one project manager you can actually reach.
Bar UngerFounder, Volcano Builders
Licensed, bonded and insured · CC VOLCABI792C6 · UBI 604-700-955
Remodeling services in Kirkland
Bathroom Remodeling
Primary and guest bathrooms, from tile and fixtures to new plumbing and waterproofing.
Kitchen Remodeling
Layouts, cabinets, counters and lighting, designed and built by one team.
Basement Remodeling
Basement remodeling in Kirkland: a finished lower level, a media room or a guest suite with its own bath.
Deck Building
New decks and full replacements, including railings and stairs.
ADU and DADU
Kirkland allows two ADUs with a house, attached or detached, each up to 1,200 square feet.
Home Additions
Room additions for Kirkland houses, from a single bedroom to a second story, designed to match what is there.
Whole Home Renovation
Several rooms or the whole house, planned and built as one project.
Siding
Siding repair, replacement and installation, with the barrier and flashing behind it done first.
Window Replacement
Replacement windows measured, ordered and installed, sized for egress, safety glass and energy rules.
Foundation Repair
Crack repair, drainage, basement waterproofing and seismic retrofits, engineered where the city requires it.
After water or mold damage: Water Damage Restoration in Kirkland and Mold Remediation in Kirkland.
How your Kirkland remodel works
Three steps, one team, and a written price before anyone picks up a tool.
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Consultation
We visit your home, walk the space and talk through your goals and budget.
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Design and permits
We design the project, price it in writing and handle the City of Kirkland building permit.
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Build and hand over
One project manager runs the build through the final walkthrough.
Kirkland home remodeling guide: permits, lakes, basements and ADUs
How permits work in Kirkland
Every Kirkland permit is filed online through MyBuildingPermit.com, and the Development Services Center at City Hall has self-service computers and permit technicians for help during business hours.
The city lists interior remodels, moving or removing walls, drywall work, garage conversions and decks more than 30 inches above grade among the projects that need a permit. Exemptions that apply elsewhere do not apply on lots with flood hazard, wetland, steep slope or shoreline areas.
Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work inside a single family house is usually issued over the counter within a day. Express review, about a week, covers a one story addition of 500 square feet or less with no heated space. Anything that does not fit a faster track goes to Regular review, and the city says its published times are targets that vary with workload.
Lakes, streams and slopes
Kirkland's Shoreline Master Program reaches 200 feet inland from Lake Washington's ordinary high water mark. The current program was approved by the Washington Department of Ecology in September 2020, and its setbacks vary by stretch of shoreline depending on existing construction and lot depth.
Inland, two chapters apply. Chapter 90 covers wetlands, streams, minor lakes and flood areas, with protected places such as Juanita Bay Park and the Yarrow Bay Wetlands. Chapter 85 covers land prone to landslides, severe erosion or liquefaction in an earthquake.
For a basement dig, a foundation or an addition, those overlays can mean a geotechnical report before design is final, so we pull them for your parcel at the first visit.
Basements and additions in Kirkland houses
The Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey puts the median year built for Kirkland homes at 1986, with the 1970s the single largest decade at about a quarter of all homes. Roughly half of the city's homes are detached single family houses.
When a basement remodel or an addition creates new heated space, Kirkland's single family checklist asks for structural drawings and energy code compliance on the plans, and an addition over 500 square feet of heated space also needs whole house ventilation details. We prepare that set as part of the design.
ADUs and DADUs
Kirkland permits two accessory dwelling units with a single family house, both attached, both detached or one of each, each up to 1,200 square feet. They follow the same setbacks, lot coverage and floor area rules as the main house. Lots in the Residential-L shoreline environment are limited to one ADU, and a detached unit there must sit landward of the house.
No off-street parking is required within half a mile of a major transit stop. A detached ADU can also be placed on its own unit lot through a unit lot subdivision.
The city also offers pre-approved ADU plans, including The Schooner by Fivedot Architects and Cedar Cottage and Sedge Cottage by Cast Architecture.
Sources: City of Kirkland Development Services (Apply for a Development Permit, Do You Need a Permit, Permit Review Times), Planning and Building (Critical Area Regulations, Shoreline Master Program, ADU Regulations and ADU Toolkit), all read September 2026. Housing age: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, tables B25034, B25035 and B25024.
Questions about remodeling in Kirkland
Do you do basement remodeling in Kirkland?
Yes. We design and build basement remodels in Kirkland, from finishing a bare lower floor to adding a bedroom and bathroom. Kirkland requires a permit for interior remodels and drywall work, so we prepare the drawings and file them through MyBuildingPermit.com.
How fast can a room addition in Kirkland get a permit?
A single family addition of no more than half the existing floor area can qualify for Fast Track review, which the city targets at about two weeks. Lots near a regulated slope, soft soils, a wetland or a stream may not qualify, and larger additions go to Regular review.
My house is near Lake Washington. What changes?
If the house is within 200 feet of the lake, Kirkland's shoreline rules apply on top of the building permit. New or expanded structures, including decks, are checked against the shoreline setbacks in Chapter 83, and some work needs a shoreline exemption or permit before construction.
How do I know if my Kirkland lot has a critical area?
The city's GIS maps give a first answer, and we check them for your parcel before design. A lot within 125 feet of a stream or 300 feet of a wetland needs a professional assessment, and work in a landslide or liquefaction area needs a critical area permit.
How many ADUs can I build on my Kirkland lot?
Two on most single family lots, attached or detached, each up to 1,200 square feet. Lots in the Residential-L shoreline environment are limited to one. Starting from one of the city's pre-approved ADU plans can shorten design.
What does a home remodel in Kirkland cost?
It depends mostly on scope: whether plumbing and walls move, whether the work adds heated space, and what the lot requires in shoreline or geotechnical review. You get a written, itemized price before work begins. Typical ranges by project type are in our Remodeling Pricing Guide.
Kirkland neighborhoods we serve
- Finn Hill
- Juanita
- Kingsgate
- Totem Lake
- North Rose Hill
- South Rose Hill
- Bridle Trails
- Highlands
- Market
- Norkirk
- Moss Bay
- Everest
- Central Houghton
- Lakeview
Nearby cities
Book your Kirkland consultation
Four quick steps. Tell us about your project and we’ll reach out to discuss it and see if we’re the right fit.