Blog
Straight talk on building and remodeling on the Peninsula: budgets, process, permits, and the decisions that matter.
By Ehoud Amos · June 13, 2026
In Atherton, the months before the first shovel often decide the project. The permitting runs through several agencies at once, and the ones outside the town building department are the ones that quietly stall a job.
Read article →By West · June 13, 2026
Understand new custom home construction costs on the Peninsula, from land prep and permits to finish level, scope control, and contingencies.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 12, 2026
Atherton lets you build a fairly large detached ADU. But the line near 800 square feet is where the setback rules change, and that line often matters more to the finished yard than the extra rooms do.
Read article →By West · June 12, 2026
How does custom home building work? Learn the real process, from feasibility and design through permits, pricing, construction, and final delivery.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 11, 2026
The hard parts of a Hillsborough ADU usually are not the rooms. They are whether you owe solar, whether the street can deliver enough water to fight a fire, and whether your electrical service can carry one more building.
Read article →By West · June 11, 2026
How long does it take to build a custom house? Most projects take 14-24 months, depending on design, permits, site work, scope, and finish level.
Read article →By West · June 10, 2026
Learn the key steps to building a custom house, from site selection and design to permits, budgeting, construction, and final walkthroughs.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 9, 2026
A detached ADU in Hillsborough cannot go up a second story, so the whole game is finding height, light, and air inside a single-story envelope without tripping the limit at framing.
Read article →By West · June 9, 2026
Custom home builder vs general contractor: learn the real differences in scope, risk, cost control, and who to hire for your home project.
Read article →By West · June 8, 2026
How much does it cost to build a new custom home? Learn what drives pricing, where budgets shift, and how to plan with fewer surprises.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
In Atherton, a protected oak can decide where your house can go. Here is how the heritage tree rules shape a project, and how to design around them instead of fighting them.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
In Hillsborough, a detached ADU has to look like it belongs to the main house. Here is what the design review really expects, and where homeowners get tripped up.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
Los Altos requires new detached ADUs to be all-electric. Here is what that means for your design, your systems, and the wiring you need to get right the first time.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
A major remodel runs on deliveries, dumpsters, and trade trucks. In Menlo Park, the parking rules quietly shape all of it. Here is how to keep a project moving and the neighbors happy.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
Eichlers are wonderful and unforgiving. Here is how to modernize comfort and systems in a Palo Alto Eichler while keeping the post-and-beam soul intact.
Read article →By Ehoud Amos · June 8, 2026
On many Woodside properties, the septic system quietly decides what your remodel can be. Here is how adding a bedroom or bath triggers county review, and why it pays to know early.
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