Whole House Remodel: Where to Start and How to Plan

A whole house remodel is fundamentally different from remodeling one room. The sequencing, contractor selection, and budget structure all change when work spans the entire home. Most homeowners who've done a whole house remodel will tell you the same thing: the planning phase determines whether the project runs smoothly or turns into a multi-year ordeal. This guide covers what to do before a single wall comes down.

Define "Whole House" for Your Project

The term "whole house remodel" covers a wide range — from cosmetic updates to every room to a structural gut renovation that touches plumbing, electrical, and framing throughout. Before doing anything else, define what scope you're actually undertaking:

• Cosmetic whole house: New flooring, paint, fixtures, and surfaces throughout — no structural or plumbing changes. Typically $40,000–$100,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home.
• Mid-range whole house: Kitchen and bathrooms rebuilt, new flooring throughout, HVAC updates. Typically $120,000–$250,000.
• Full gut renovation: Everything to the studs — new plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, and all finishes. Typically $200–$350+ per square foot for most of our projects.

These definitions matter because they determine contractor type and project timeline before you've had a single conversation with anyone.

Step 1: Assess Before You Plan

The first thing a good contractor does before quoting a whole house remodel is assess the existing conditions. Most Avondale homes were built in the 1990s and 2000s, with a smaller share of older homes around Old Town and Cashion, so this typically means evaluating:

• Plumbing: Older homes — built before 1980, about 12% of Avondale's housing per Census data — can still have galvanized steel supply lines that are corroded and undersized. In newer homes, the bigger issue is usually wear from very hard water: the city's well water averaged about 21 grains per gallon in its 2022 water quality report, and that scale builds up in valves, fixtures and water heaters. If pipes are being opened anyway, replacing worn lines and valves costs far less than doing it separately later.
• Electrical: Older homes often have 100-amp service (modern standard is 200-amp), aluminum wiring in some cases, and no arc-fault protection, and even 1990s and 2000s homes were built before today's arc-fault requirements reached most rooms. Avondale now enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code, so a whole house remodel is the right time to address this.
• Insulation: With about 111 days a year at 100°F or hotter (National Weather Service 1991–2020 normals for the area), insulation and air sealing matter here. R-values in older homes are typically far below current code minimums. Opening walls for a remodel creates an opportunity to upgrade.
• Subfloor and framing: Any moisture history, settling, or pest damage shows up when flooring is removed. Knowing this before budgeting prevents surprises mid-project.

We always recommend a pre-construction walkthrough before producing a detailed scope. Hidden conditions in a whole house remodel aren't rare — they're expected. A walkthrough converts unknowns into line items before you're committed.

Step 2: Establish the Right Sequence

The order of work in a whole house remodel isn't arbitrary — it's driven by what has to be done before what can be started. The correct general sequence:

Permits and Inspections in Avondale

A whole house remodel almost always needs a permit from the City of Avondale's Building Services Division. The city files remodels as residential “Alterations/Remodels,” with plumbing, electrical and mechanical work under “MPE,” and since January 1, 2026 it enforces the 2024 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code with local amendments. Rough plumbing, electrical, mechanical and framing are inspected before insulation; insulation is inspected before drywall; tiled showers get a pre-slope inspection and shower liner test; then come the finals. Inspections run Monday through Thursday, and each one has to happen before the work is covered. Two planning points matter on a long project: a City of Avondale permit expires if no inspection is approved within 180 days, and the city doesn't track HOA rules — check with your HOA before anything is submitted. See our Avondale permit guide for more.

Step 3: Plan Around Occupancy

Can you live in the home during a whole house remodel? The honest answer depends on scope. During demo and rough-in phases — when plumbing is disconnected, dust is everywhere, and there may be no functional kitchen — most homeowners need to be elsewhere. Budget for temporary housing in your project cost if the scope is a mid-range or full gut renovation. For a cosmetic whole house remodel done room by room, living in the home is often manageable with some coordination.

If you plan to vacate, price short-term rentals for the full length of the project before you sign — for a family, several months of temporary housing is a real line item, and it belongs in the project budget rather than coming out of the contingency.

Step 4: Single Contractor vs. Self-Managing Subs

For a whole house remodel, hiring a general contractor who manages all trades is almost always the right choice. Self-managing subcontractors — hiring a plumber, electrician, tile setter, and framer directly — saves 10–15% in GC markup but requires you to be the project manager: scheduling, coordinating inspections, resolving conflicts between trades, and problem-solving daily.

That coordination role is a full-time job during active construction. For most homeowners, the GC markup is worth every dollar. For homeowners who have construction experience and genuinely want that role, direct sub management is viable — but it should be a deliberate choice, not a default assumption.

Budget Framework for Whole House Remodels

A few typical numbers from our 2025–2026 pricing:

• Flooring (LVP throughout a 2,000 sq ft home): $18,000–$32,000 installed
• Kitchen remodel (mid-range, included in whole house): $35,000–$65,000
• Each full bathroom (included in whole house): $18,000–$35,000
• Plumbing repiping (galvanized to PEX throughout): $8,000–$18,000
• Electrical panel upgrade + whole house circuits: $6,000–$14,000
• GC management fee: Typically 15–20% of total project cost
• Contingency: 15–20% of total — non-negotiable on a whole house

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a whole house remodel take?

A cosmetic whole house remodel (no structural/plumbing/electrical changes) typically takes 3–5 months. A mid-range whole house remodel with kitchen and baths rebuilt runs 5–9 months. A full gut renovation runs 8–14 months. These timelines assume no major material delays, which has been the norm in 2025–2026 after supply chain disruptions largely resolved.

Should I remodel all at once or room by room?

All at once, if budget allows. Room-by-room whole house remodeling is significantly more expensive (multiple mobilizations, coordination complexity), harder to keep a consistent design through, and takes much longer total. The only case for phasing is when budget requires it — and even then, do the kitchen and bathrooms in phase one since they have the most structural interdependencies.

Do I need an architect or designer for a whole house remodel?

If you're making structural changes — moving walls, adding dormers, changing rooflines — an architect is required by code. For a cosmetic or mid-range whole house remodel without structural changes, an interior designer is optional but often valuable at this scale. A design-build contractor like Infinity can handle design at the whole house scale without a separate architectural firm when no structural engineering is required.

What's the ROI on a whole house remodel?

A whole house remodel typically returns 60–80% of its cost in increased market value immediately. The remaining return comes through years of use and reduced maintenance. A fully updated, move-in-ready home also competes better than an equivalently sized home that needs work — and in Avondale, where the median home was built in 2002, many homes are reaching the age where original finishes, fixtures and systems are due for replacement.