Home Remodeling Contractors in Olympia, WA
Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, ADUs and whole house projects for Olympia homeowners, with design, permits and construction handled by one licensed team.
- We draw the plans and submit them through Olympia's Online Permit Center.
- Your written, line by line price is settled before any demolition.
- One project manager answers your calls from design to final inspection.
By appointment. Limited start dates.
- Over 200 projects
- 4.9 on Google
- 20+ years building
- WA license VOLCABI792C6
Three things that shape home remodeling in Olympia, WA
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The Olympia rule
Budd Inlet, Capitol Lake and the bluffs
Land within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark of Budd Inlet, Capitol Lake, Chambers, Grass, Ken or Ward Lake, Black Lake Ditch or Percival Creek falls under Olympia's Shoreline Master Program. Separately, the critical areas code treats slopes of 40 percent or steeper with a vertical height of 10 feet or more as landslide hazard areas, and the city may restrict work within 300 feet of one.
What we doWe pull the shoreline and slope layers for your parcel before a plan is drawn.
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The Olympia rule
Downtown's 16 foot floor line
Downtown land below 16 feet (NAVD88) on the city's sea level rise map is a sea level rise flood damage area under OMC 16.80. There, new construction and any substantial improvement of a home must have its lowest floor, basement included, protected from flooding or elevated to 16 feet or higher.
What we doWe check the city's sea level rise map for your address before any drawings exist.
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The Olympia rule
Forty eight hours to finish an application
After an application goes in through the Online Permit Center, every requested submittal and the plan review fee must arrive within 48 hours, or the city cancels it. Applicants are asked to allow 48 to 72 hours for an email on the application's status, and an application left incomplete is cancelled after 30 days.
What we doWe prepare the drawings first and file everything through the portal together.
Knowing which of these touch your lot keeps the design honest and the start date realistic.
What homeowners say about working with us
Bar and the team at Volcano Builders did a great job! Professional service, great communication throughout the whole process, and everything was done with care and attention to detail. Highly recommend!
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!
Bar's team completely transformed my outdated Seattle bathroom with their exceptional work. Their communication was excellent, keeping me informed every step of the way. The quality of their workmanship exceeded my expectations, turning my old bathroom into what I wanted. I highly recommend Bar and his team for any remodeling project; they're professional, efficient, and produce outstanding results.
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.
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!
Overall, we had a great time with Volcano Builders. There were a few small delays, but they were clear in their communication and kept things moving. The last kitchen remodel turned out great, and the quality seems like it will last for a long time.
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 Olympia. 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 Olympia
Bathroom Remodeling
Primary and guest bathrooms, from tile and fixtures to new plumbing and waterproofing.
Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen remodels in Olympia, WA: cabinets, counters, lighting and layout changes, planned and built by one crew.
Basement Remodeling
Finished living space, a guest suite or a media room below the main floor.
Deck Building
New decks and full replacements, including railings and stairs.
ADU and DADU
Olympia keeps stock ADU plans already approved for code, from a 480 square foot studio up to a 1,000 square foot three bedroom rambler.
Home Additions
Extra bedrooms, bathrooms or living space, designed to match the existing house.
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.
How your Olympia 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 Olympia building permit.
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Build and hand over
One project manager runs the build through the final walkthrough.
Olympia remodeling guide: permits, shorelines, historic districts and ADUs
Applying for a permit in Olympia
Olympia's Permit Center, run by Community Planning and Development at City Hall, takes applications through the Online Permit Center or in person. The counter is open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Fridays.
The portal's Documents tab holds the submittal checklists, including a Residential Remodel Checklist and a Residential Deck Guide. Applications deemed complete on or after March 15, 2024 are reviewed under the 2021 building codes.
Inspections are booked through the same portal. Requests for a next day inspection close at 5 p.m., and most inspections happen between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Water, slopes and flooding
Olympia's shoreline program covers Budd Inlet, Capitol Lake, Chambers Lake, Grass Lake, Ken Lake, Ward Lake, Black Lake Ditch and Percival Creek, with shorelands reaching 200 feet from the ordinary high water mark. Inside that area, critical area review is folded into the shoreline permit or exemption.
Away from the water, OMC 18.32 also counts slopes of 15 percent or more as landslide hazard areas when they combine silt and clay layers with springs or seeping groundwater from November to February. Seismic hazard areas cover ground at risk of settlement, soil liquefaction or lateral spreading.
Downtown adds a third layer: below 16 feet NAVD88, OMC 16.80 requires a substantially improved home to have its lowest floor elevated or floodproofed to that height.
Older houses and historic districts
Olympia has a deep stock of older houses. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey puts the median year built at 1982, with about 12 percent of homes built in 1939 or earlier and nearly half built before 1980. Just over half are detached single-family houses.
A house on the Olympia Heritage Register or inside a historic district is reviewed before remodeling under OMC 18.12.090, by the Heritage Commission, its review committee or joint design review, and the building official does not issue the permit until that review is complete. Ordinary repair, maintenance and painting are exempt.
ADUs and backyard cottages
Up to two accessory dwelling units are allowed per residential lot in Olympia under OMC 18.04.060, attached, inside the house or detached. Each may have up to 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus a covered porch or patio of up to 120 square feet that stays open.
The city's ADU handout sets a 24 foot height limit for a detached unit, measured at mid-gable, and says a parking space is allowed but not required. An existing detached garage or other legal structure can be converted even where it breaks today's setback or lot coverage rules, and six stock plans, from a 480 square foot studio to a 1,000 square foot rambler, are already approved.
Permits: City of Olympia Permit Center and Online Permit Center, September 2026. Shorelines, critical areas and sea level rise: Olympia Municipal Code 18.20, 18.32 and 16.80. Historic review: OMC 18.12.090. ADU rules: OMC 18.04.060 and the city ADU handout. Housing stock: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates.
Olympia remodeling questions, answered
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Olympia, WA?
In most cases, yes. The city lists building alterations or repairs, electrical work and furnace, hot water or gas appliance work among the jobs that need a permit, and the Online Permit Center's Residential Remodel Checklist spells out what the submittal must include. Even work that needs no permit still has to meet code.
How do I compare remodeling contractors in Olympia, WA?
Check first that the contractor holds an active Washington registration with the Department of Labor and Industries. Then ask who draws the plans and who files and tracks the application in the Online Permit Center. Our registration is VOLCABI792C6, and you get a written, itemized price before work begins.
How many ADUs can go on an Olympia lot?
Two, in any mix of attached, internal or detached. Each can have up to 1,000 square feet of gross floor area under OMC 18.04.060, a detached unit can reach 24 feet at mid-gable, and no extra parking space is required. Six city approved stock plans can shorten the design stage.
My home is near Capitol Lake or Budd Inlet. What changes?
The shoreline program may apply. Lots within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark fall under it, the bluffs along the water may be mapped as landslide hazard areas, and low downtown ground carries the 16 foot floor rule in OMC 16.80. We check those layers for your lot before design.
Is there extra review for a house in an Olympia historic district?
Yes. Remodeling a house on the Olympia Heritage Register or inside a historic district goes through Heritage Commission or joint design review under OMC 18.12.090, and the permit waits for it. Ordinary repair, maintenance and painting are exempt.
What does a kitchen remodel in Olympia, WA cost?
Scope decides it: moving plumbing, gas lines or walls costs more than refreshing the existing layout, and a house built before 1980 may need electrical or plumbing updates once it is opened. You receive a written, itemized price before any work starts. Typical ranges by project type are in our Remodeling Pricing Guide.
Olympia neighborhoods we serve
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Downtown
- Eastside
- South Capitol
- Bigelow Highlands
- Wildwood
Nearby cities
Book your Olympia 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.