Santa Rosa General Contractor
We are based in Santa Rosa — not serving it from somewhere else. Philip Howard has built here since 2000, through the ordinary years and through the rebuild after 2017.
Quick Answer
Howard Construction Inc. is a family-owned general contractor headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, licensed by the CSLB as a Class B general building contractor, license #836369, and building continuously since 2000.
We build custom homes, additions, ADUs, kitchen and bathroom remodels, decks, pools and post-fire reconstruction across Santa Rosa and greater Sonoma County. Philip Howard, the owner, is personally on every job site. Free written estimates. Call (707) 578-6565.
What does it mean that we are actually based in Santa Rosa?
A great many contractors list Santa Rosa as a service area. Fewer are headquartered here. The difference shows up in ways that matter on a live job:
- We know the plan checkers at the City of Santa Rosa and how their corrections tend to read. Submitting a set that anticipates the comments saves a full review cycle — two to six weeks.
- Our subcontractors are local. When a framer or an electrician is twenty minutes away rather than ninety, a half-day problem stays a half-day problem.
- We know the soil. Expansive clay across the Santa Rosa plain, decomposed granite up in Fountaingrove, and the drainage behaviour of Rincon and Bennett Valley in a wet winter.
- Phil is on site. Not a project manager rotating between fifteen jobs — the owner, whose license is on the permit.
Verify us before you call. Go to cslb.ca.gov and search license 836369. Confirm it is active, Class B, bonded, and that the name matches. Do that for every contractor you are considering — it takes two minutes and it is the single most useful check available to you.
Do you do fire rebuilds in Santa Rosa?
Yes. The Tubbs Fire in October 2017 destroyed thousands of Santa Rosa homes, concentrated in Coffey Park and Fountaingrove, and we have worked through that reconstruction.
One of our Google reviews is from a client who lost their home in Tubbs and rebuilt with us. That work taught things a brochure cannot:
- Insurance timelines drive everything. Scope, documentation and draw schedules have to line up with what the carrier will release and when.
- Rebuilds are not like new construction on a clean lot. There is foundation assessment, debris and soil considerations, and utility infrastructure that may have been damaged.
- Current code applies. A house built in 1978 is rebuilt to 2026 standards: fire sprinklers, Title 24 energy compliance, and in Fountaingrove and other WUI zones, full Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction.
- People are exhausted. Homeowners rebuilding after a fire have already made hundreds of decisions under stress. The job of the builder is to reduce that load, not add to it.
Which parts of Santa Rosa do you build in?
All of it. But the building conditions differ meaningfully by neighborhood, and that shapes both cost and design:
| Area | What we plan around |
|---|---|
| Fountaingrove | Hillside lots, WUI fire zone requiring Chapter 7A, engineered foundations, extensive post-Tubbs rebuild activity |
| Coffey Park | Flat, tract-built, largely rebuilt post-2017; additions and ADUs now common on these lots |
| Rincon Valley | Mixed grade, expansive clay, drainage attention on the valley floor |
| Bennett Valley | Larger parcels, rural edges, septic and well on some properties |
| Oakmont | 55+ community with HOA architectural review; accessibility work common |
| McDonald Ave & historic districts | Design review, period-appropriate exterior detailing, older framing and wiring |
| Larkfield-Wikiup & Mark West | Unincorporated — Permit Sonoma jurisdiction, not the City; septic common |
| Junior College & West End | 1920s–1940s housing stock: knob-and-tube, undersized panels, raised foundations |
City limits matter more than your mailing address. Larkfield-Wikiup, parts of Mark West and much of Bennett Valley carry a Santa Rosa mailing address but sit in unincorporated Sonoma County, which means Permit Sonoma reviews your project under a different fee schedule and timeline. We confirm your jurisdiction on the first visit.
What do you build in Santa Rosa?
| Service | Typical 2026 range | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Custom homes | $400–$850/sq ft | Custom home building → |
| Home additions | $350–$700/sq ft | Full cost guide → |
| Kitchen remodels | $45,000–$180,000 | Kitchen remodeling in Santa Rosa → |
| ADUs | $180,000–$420,000 | Full cost guide → |
| Garage conversions | $120,000–$220,000 | Full cost guide → |
| Decks & pergolas | $45–$110/sq ft | Full cost guide → |
| Swimming pools | $65,000–$220,000 | Full cost guide → |
| Fire rebuilds | Insurance-scoped | Full reconstruction to current code |
How does permitting work in Santa Rosa?
The City of Santa Rosa handles building permits inside city limits. Plan review typically runs 3 to 8 weeks, with at least one correction cycle normal on anything beyond simple work.
Since 2017 the department has processed an extraordinary volume of rebuild work, which has made them efficient but also busy. A complete, well-prepared submittal moves noticeably faster than an incomplete one — and incomplete submittals, not hostile reviewers, are what cause nearly every delay we see.
We handle submittal, corrections, engineering coordination, inspections and final sign-off. You do not visit the counter. For a fuller treatment of what needs a permit and what it costs, see our Sonoma & Napa County permit guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best general contractor in Santa Rosa?
There is no single objective answer, and any contractor claiming to be the best should be treated with caution. What you can verify is concrete: check the CSLB license at cslb.ca.gov for active status and the correct classification, confirm workers' compensation and liability insurance, read reviews on Google and Houzz, and ask for local references on projects of similar scope. Howard Construction Inc. is a Class B licensed general contractor, CSLB #836369, family-owned and based in Santa Rosa since 2000.
How much does a general contractor charge in Santa Rosa?
In 2026, custom home construction in Santa Rosa runs $400 to $850 per square foot, home additions $350 to $700 per square foot, and full kitchen remodels $45,000 to $180,000. General contractors typically build overhead and profit into the contract price rather than charging a separate percentage, and reputable contractors provide free written line-item estimates before any commitment.
Do I need a licensed contractor in Santa Rosa?
California requires a licensed contractor for any project where labor and materials total $500 or more. Hiring an unlicensed contractor exposes you to liability if a worker is injured on your property, can void homeowner's insurance claims, and leaves you with limited recourse for defective work. Verify any license free at cslb.ca.gov before signing anything.
Do you rebuild homes lost in the Santa Rosa fires?
Yes. Howard Construction has worked on reconstruction following the 2017 Tubbs Fire, including in the Coffey Park and Fountaingrove areas. Fire rebuilds involve insurance scope coordination, foundation assessment, and rebuilding to current code, which means fire sprinklers, Title 24 energy compliance, and Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction in WUI-designated areas such as Fountaingrove.
Is my Santa Rosa address inside city limits or in the county?
Many properties with a Santa Rosa mailing address sit in unincorporated Sonoma County, including much of Larkfield-Wikiup, parts of Mark West, and areas of Bennett Valley. This matters because the City of Santa Rosa and Permit Sonoma are separate agencies with different fee schedules, review timelines and requirements. We confirm your jurisdiction during the first site visit.
How long does a building permit take in Santa Rosa?
Plan review at the City of Santa Rosa typically takes 3 to 8 weeks, with at least one correction cycle normal on additions and new construction, adding another 2 to 6 weeks. Simple permits such as water heater replacement or a re-roof move considerably faster. Incomplete submittals are the most common cause of extended timelines.
Related
Building in Santa Rosa?
Phil will walk your property, talk through what is realistic, and give you a written line-item estimate. Free, no obligation, and you will be talking to the owner — not a salesperson.
Get Your Free Estimate →