Areas Served
San Jose's Trusted Home Remodeling Contractor
As a leading contractor in San Jose, CA, we understand the unique challenges of local homes. Whether you’re struggling with outdated interiors, a lack of space, or want to enhance your home’s efficiency and value, our team of licensed experts is here to help.
San Jose Homes
Remodels Planned Around Your San Jose Home
San Jose covers Victorian and Craftsman houses, Eichler tracts and postwar ranch homes, and each needs a different plan. That’s why we:
- Check your property’s permit history and zoning on SJPermits.org before design starts.
- Confirm whether the house is on the Historic Resources Inventory, in a Conservation Area or in an Eichler district.
- Plan the scope, schedule and budget around the review path your project actually needs.
Cities Bordering San Jose We Also Serve
- Santa Clara – Known for its blend of historic charm and new tech development, we help homeowners update their homes while meeting HOA and zoning requirements.
- Sunnyvale – From Eichler-style homes to new builds, we provide remodeling tailored to the area’s mid-century and contemporary architecture.
- Los Gatos – In this scenic foothill town, we specialize in additions, bathroom remodels, and energy-efficient updates that preserve neighborhood character.
- Saratoga – Our team helps homeowners in this upscale residential community with whole-home renovations, design-build services, and more.
- Milpitas – We support families expanding their homes with ADUs, garage conversions, and smart upgrades in this growing East Bay suburb.
- Cupertino – Whether upgrading a 1960s ranch or building a custom home, our Cupertino remodeling services are designed for modern living in a competitive real estate market.
Expert Remodeling Services
Why Choose
Brother and Brother Builders
Choosing the right contractor can make all the difference in your remodeling or construction experience. Here’s why homeowners across San Jose and Silicon Valley continue to trust us:
- Licensed & Insured: We’re fully licensed (License #887389), bonded, and insured for all general contracting services.
- Award-Winning Workmanship: Recognized for our exceptional craftsmanship, we deliver results that consistently exceed expectations.
- Integrated Design & Build: We streamline the process by offering design and construction under one roof—no juggling multiple vendors.
- San Jose Local Experts: With deep roots in Santa Clara County, we’re familiar with local zoning laws, permit processes, and the regional architecture styles that define San Jose neighborhoods.
Kitchen, Bath, Addition and Design-Build Work in San Jose
Kitchen Remodeling
Our kitchen remodeling services in San Jose transform outdated kitchens into modern, functional spaces. We handle everything from kitchen design and custom kitchen cabinets to countertop replacement, backsplash installation, and cabinet refacing with style and precision.. We handle layout planning, custom cabinet installs, and sleek countertop upgrades with style and precision. Enhance your kitchen with expert design, quality craftsmanship, and seamless finishes.
Bathroom Remodeling
Our bathroom remodeling services offer comfort, function, and elegance. We manage bathroom design, shower remodels, tub to shower conversions, and vanity replacements to make every square foot efficient and stylish. Our bathroom remodeling services offer comfort, function, and elegance. We upgrade layouts, install custom vanities, replace tubs or showers, and add personalized design touches to make every square foot feel luxurious and efficient.
Book a Consultation
Room Additions, Garage Conversions and ADUs
Our room additions create seamless new spaces for growing families. Whether it’s a garage conversion, second-story addition, or detached ADU construction, we deliver compliant, high-quality expansions that increase comfort and value. that blend seamlessly with your existing structure. Whether it’s a garage conversion, ADU, or second-story addition, we build high-quality extensions that add value, space, and long-term comfort for growing families.
New Home Construction
Our new home construction services bring your dream home to life. From custom homes and green building options to modern home design, smart upgrades, and floor plan development, we handle it all. With our custom new construction services. We manage the entire process from architectural planning to energy-efficient upgrades to create a home that reflects your style, values, and future needs.
Design & Build
Our design-build process simplifies remodeling with a unified team. We handle everything from architectural services and 3D design tools to open-concept remodeling and walk-in closet design, ensuring faster timelines and flawless results. We provide architectural services, 3D renderings, and project management all under one roof. This cohesive process ensures faster timelines, accurate budgets, and beautiful, functional results.
San Jose Permits Start at SJPermits.org and the City Hall Permit Center
Permitted remodels inside San Jose city limits go through the City’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement department. In person, that means the Development Services Permit Center on the 1st floor of San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St., where projects that qualify for Over-the-Counter Service can be reviewed without an appointment (Source: City of San Jose, Over-the-Counter Service). Online, it means SJPermits.org, the City’s permit portal, where you can:
- Look up a property before you design anything: its zoning designation, permit history, plan review status and proposed projects.
- Use the Application Wizard to find the right permit process for your project.
- Apply for a permit, pay fees and schedule inspections once plans are ready.
- Check costs with the Building Permit Fee Schedule, the Permit Cost Estimate Worksheet and a beta fee estimator.
The permit history search is worth running on any older San Jose house, because it shows what earlier owners permitted before you plan changes to the same rooms. SJPermits.org also notes that the 2025 building codes took effect on January 1, 2026, so new plans are reviewed against them. Source: City of San Jose, SJPermits.org.
Which interior projects need a permit, how the City separates minor and major remodels, and how its preapproved ADU program works are covered in detail on our home remodeling and ADU construction pages.
Remodeling in San Jose's Historic Districts, Conservation Areas and Eichler Tracts
In some older San Jose neighborhoods the City adds historic design review to the building permit. Its Historic Resources Inventory lists nearly 4,000 properties, and several neighborhoods are mapped as districts:
| Area | City designation | Housing described by the City |
|---|---|---|
| Hensley, north of Downtown | City Landmark District | Built 1865 to 1930, mostly 1880 to 1900; the largest concentration of Victorian-era homes in the city |
| Naglee Park | Conservation Area | Subdivided in 1902; early 20th-century bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes, many architect-designed |
| Hanchett and Hester Park (Rose Garden area) | Conservation Area | About 1906 to 1935; Queen Anne, Craftsman bungalow, Spanish Mission Colonial Revival and Prairie |
| Palm Haven (Willow Glen) | Conservation Area | Homes from about 1910 through the 1940s, many architect-designed, on palm-lined streets planted around 1913 |
| North Willow Glen | Conservation Area | Small-lot houses built between 1885 and 1955 |
Sources: City of San Jose, Historic Districts and Conservation Areas; Historic Resources Inventory.
A house on the Inventory or in a Conservation Area needs a Single-Family House Permit, with the design following the City’s guide Your Old House; most projects get staff review without a hearing. In a City Landmark District you need a Historic Preservation (HP) Permit: window, door and trim changes, reroofing or a small rear addition can use a staff-level HP Permit Adjustment, while larger projects go to the Historic Landmarks Commission. Source: City of San Jose, Permits for Properties Listed on the Historic Resources Inventory.
Eichler neighborhoods. San Jose has five Eichler neighborhoods built from the 1950s to the 1960s: Morepark (1952-53), Fairglen (1957-59), Fairglen Additions (1959-61), Hudson (1961-63) and Fairhaven (1961-63). The City’s Eichler Neighborhood Objective Design Standards cover exterior changes that need a Single-Family House Permit and, per the City, currently apply only in the Fairglen Additions, a National Register district of 218 houses in Willow Glen. Sources: City of San Jose, Eichler Neighborhood Objective Design Standards; Wikipedia, Fairglen Additions.
Own an Eichler? Our Eichler remodeling guide covers the rules in San Jose and nearby cities, and our San Jose ADU guide covers backyard units.
What Shapes a Remodel in San Jose's Neighborhoods
Most San Jose neighborhoods are not historic districts, but each has a housing pattern that shapes a remodel:
- West San Jose. Our office is on Stevens Creek Boulevard in West San Jose, the area that also takes in Santana Row, Westfield Valley Fair and the Winchester Mystery House. Most homes here were built in the 1950s, so many are now more than 70 years old. Source: Wikipedia, West San Jose.
- Willow Glen. An independent town until San Jose annexed it in 1936, Willow Glen is made up mostly of custom and semi-custom homes in styles from Victorian, Craftsman and Tudor to Spanish Eclectic and Eichler. Source: Wikipedia, Willow Glen.
- Rose Garden. Original homes from the 1920s and 1930s borrow from English Cotswold, Norman and Tudor design, and several Victorians date from the 1860s and 1870s. Source: Wikipedia, Rose Garden.
- Almaden Valley. The 95120 ZIP code, including Almaden Country Club, Graystone, Almaden Meadows and Pfeiffer Ranch, near Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Source: Wikipedia, Almaden Valley.
- Cambrian. Most of Cambrian is inside San Jose, but a small part is an unincorporated county pocket, and part of it was annexed by Campbell in 2012. Confirm which agency issues permits for your address before you apply. Source: Wikipedia, Cambrian.
- Evergreen and Berryessa. Evergreen is in East San Jose with the Diablo Range to its east. Berryessa, in North San Jose on the Milpitas border, was a farming community known for its fruit orchards in the late 19th century. Sources: Wikipedia, Evergreen; Wikipedia, Berryessa.
Areas We Serve
Brother & Brother Builders
3109 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95117
Phone: (888) 412-2632
Business Hours: Mon-Fri: 8AM – 5PM
We serve all neighborhoods of San Jose, including Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Evergreen, and West San Jose, as well as surrounding areas like Santa Clara and Cupertino.
Yes. We have experience preserving architectural integrity while updating electrical, plumbing, and structural elements to meet modern codes for older San Jose homes.
Absolutely. We offer green building solutions like energy-efficient materials, sustainable layouts, and eco-friendly designs tailored to San Jose’s climate.
Yes. As a licensed contractor in San Jose, CA, we follow all local seismic safety and retrofit guidelines for home additions and structural remodels.
We handle the permitting process for you. Whether it’s for a garage conversion or second-story addition, we ensure full compliance with San Jose’s building department.
San Jose’s mild climate allows year-round remodeling, but spring and fall are ideal for smoother scheduling and material availability.
Enter your address in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory GIS map and click the property to see its classification. If it is a City Landmark or in a City Landmark District, exterior work generally needs a Historic Preservation Permit. If it is a Structure of Merit, Contributing or Identified Structure, or in a Conservation Area, a house project needs a Single-Family House Permit.
San Jose has five Eichler neighborhoods: Morepark, Fairglen, Fairglen Additions, Hudson and Fairhaven. The City has prepared Eichler Neighborhood Objective Design Standards for exterior changes that need a Single-Family House Permit. According to the City, they currently apply only to houses in the Fairglen Additions historic district in Willow Glen. Interior-only work is not covered by these standards.
Mostly, but not entirely. Most of Cambrian is within San Jose city limits, while a small area remains an unincorporated county pocket, and part of the former pocket was annexed by Campbell in 2012. Check your address on SJPermits.org’s property search before applying, since the agency that issues your permit depends on where the parcel sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
All Your Remodeling Questions Answered
Have questions about remodeling your home? We’ve got answers. From budgeting and timelines to permits and design choices, our FAQs cover the most common concerns. Learn what to expect, how to prepare, and how we make your remodel smooth, transparent, and stress-free.
Recent Posts
Resources & Tips
How to Choose the Best Home Remodeling Contractor for Your Project
Finding the right home remodeling contractor can make or break your project.
Design Build vs. General Contractor: How Each Approach Handles Your Remodel
Planning a home remodel raises one question almost immediately: who should you hire to get it done? Most homeowners assume the process...
ADU Cost California: How Much Does It Really Cost to Build an ADU?
If you’ve been thinking about building an ADU on your California property, your first question is probably: how much is this actually...