Petaluma General Contractor
Petaluma has some of the oldest housing stock in Sonoma County and some of the newest. What your project needs depends heavily on which side of town you are on.
Quick Answer
Howard Construction Inc. is a family-owned Class B general contractor serving Petaluma, California, CSLB license #836369, based in Santa Rosa and building across Sonoma County since 2000.
We build custom homes, additions, ADUs, kitchen and bathroom remodels and decks throughout Petaluma. Owner Philip Howard is on every job site. Free written estimates: (707) 578-6565.
What building in Petaluma actually involves
Petaluma is really two building environments in one city, and the difference matters more than any other single factor in your budget.
| Area | What we plan around |
|---|---|
| West Side & historic downtown | Victorian, Queen Anne and Craftsman homes, many pre-1920. Knob-and-tube wiring, ungrounded circuits, undersized panels, raised foundations with failing cripple walls, and lath-and-plaster rather than drywall. |
| Historic District | Exterior changes go through design review. Window replacement, siding and porch alterations need period-appropriate detailing, which affects both cost and lead times. |
| East Side | Largely 1970s–2000s tract housing. Straightforward framing, but frequently 100-amp service and original single-pane windows due for replacement. |
| River corridor & Denman Flat | Mapped floodplain in places, bringing elevation requirements and flood-resistant construction standards. |
| Penngrove & rural edges | Unincorporated — Permit Sonoma reviews these, not the City. Well and septic common. |
Seismic retrofit is worth raising early on a west-side home. Pre-1940 houses on raised foundations commonly have unbolted sill plates and unbraced cripple walls. If we already have the crawlspace open for other work, adding bolting and bracing is dramatically cheaper than doing it as a standalone job later — and it affects both insurability and resale.
Who issues your permit in Petaluma?
The City of Petaluma handles building permits inside city limits, with review typically running 4 to 9 weeks and at least one correction cycle normal on anything structural.
Properties in Penngrove and the surrounding countryside are unincorporated and go through Permit Sonoma instead, on a different fee schedule and timeline, often with septic and fire-access review layered on. A Petaluma mailing address does not settle the question.
Additional reviews that catch people out here: historic design review downtown, floodplain review near the river, and Environmental Health if you are adding a bedroom on septic. Full detail in our Sonoma & Napa County permit guide.
What we build in Petaluma
| Service | 2026 range | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Custom homes | $400–$850/sq ft | Custom home building → |
| Home additions | $350–$700/sq ft | Read → |
| Kitchen remodels | $45,000–$180,000 | Read → |
| ADUs | $180,000–$420,000 | Read → |
| Garage conversions | $120,000–$220,000 | Read → |
| Decks & pergolas | $45–$110/sq ft | Read → |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a good general contractor in Petaluma?
Verify candidates rather than relying on a ranked list: check the CSLB licence at cslb.ca.gov for active status and Class B classification, confirm general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and call local references on projects of similar scope. Howard Construction Inc. is a family-owned Class B general contractor, CSLB #836369, serving Petaluma and greater Sonoma County since 2000.
Do I need design review to remodel a Victorian in Petaluma?
If the property sits within Petaluma's historic district, exterior alterations generally require design review, including window replacement, siding changes and porch modifications. Interior work usually does not. Design review adds time to the permit process and often requires period-appropriate materials, both of which should be built into the budget from the start.
Is my Petaluma address in the city or in unincorporated county?
Penngrove and much of the surrounding countryside carry Petaluma-area mailing addresses but are unincorporated Sonoma County, reviewed by Permit Sonoma rather than the City of Petaluma. The two agencies have different fee schedules, timelines and requirements, and rural parcels often add septic and fire-access review. We confirm jurisdiction on the first site visit.
What does it cost to remodel an older Petaluma home?
A kitchen remodel runs $45,000 to $180,000 and a full-home remodel considerably more, but on pre-1940 west-side homes budget an additional 15 to 25 percent contingency. Knob-and-tube wiring, ungrounded circuits, failing cripple walls and dry rot are common and cannot be priced accurately until walls are opened.
Related
Building or remodeling in Petaluma?
Phil will walk your property, tell you what an older home is likely to be hiding, and give you a written line-item estimate. Free, and no obligation.
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