Whole-Home Renovation in PA & NJ

A whole-home renovation is a hundred small decisions stacked on a few big ones, and projects usually run late not because of the work itself but because of the gaps between trades. Underhill Lions LLC is a licensed general contractor with our own framing, drywall, finish carpentry, flooring and painting crew, so most of a renovation happens under one crew and one schedule. We are based in Northeast Philadelphia and work across the city, Bucks and Montgomery Counties and South Jersey.

One whole-house remodeling contractor, framing to finish

Every project starts with a walk-through and a written scope that lists each room, each trade and what "done" means. Plumbing and electrical go to licensed partners we work with on every job. They are scheduled inside our timeline, and their permits and inspections are part of the job, so you never coordinate a second contractor. During the work the crew arrives when we said, protects the floors and furniture that stay, and leaves the site clean every evening. At the end we walk the house together with a punch list and do not call it finished until the list is empty.

Renovating rowhomes, twins and split-levels

The housing stock in this region has its own habits. Rowhomes come with narrow stairs and old plaster. Twins often need a closed-up first floor opened into one living space. Split-levels from the seventies need straightening and updating more than they need new walls. We have opened, straightened and finished all of them.

On older houses, skim coating over sound plaster keeps the walls flat without a full tear-out, and framing gets straightened where walls and openings have drifted. When a wall comes open, what is behind it can change the plan: outdated wiring or old supply lines go to our licensed partners, and we talk it through with you before anything changes. You can see full rowhome renovations we have finished on the projects page.

Living at home while we work

Most clients stay in the house. We phase the work room by room, seal off the areas we are working in, and keep a working kitchen or bathroom available for as long as the scope allows. If every room is being gutted at once, it is easier to move out for a few weeks, and we tell you that up front rather than halfway through.

The finish work people notice

Level walls, straight corners and tight trim are what separate a renovation that looks finished from one that looks flipped. Our crew handles framing, insulation, drywall, skim coating, baseboards, casing and crown, closets and built-ins. Paint and flooring are our own trades too, so the finish is one crew's standard from the first stud to the last coat. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually the center of a full renovation, and we also take them on as separate jobs: see kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling.

Renovation timeline: choices made early keep the schedule

Material choices are one of the most common reasons a full renovation stalls. That is why design choices, materials and the permit check come before demolition in our process, not after it. Once the cabinets, tile, flooring, fixtures and paint are settled, the trades can be lined up behind each other instead of waiting on a decision.

What drives whole-home renovation cost

The scope decides the budget, not the square footage alone. The biggest drivers are:

• How deep the work goes: a cosmetic refresh versus taking rooms down to the studs.
• Walls that move or come out, and what that does to framing, wiring and plumbing.
• What the house hides once plaster comes off: old wiring, old pipes, uneven framing.
• How many kitchens and bathrooms are in the scope, since they carry the most trades.
• Finish selections: cabinets, tile, flooring, trim and fixtures.

After the walk-through you get a written scope broken down by room and trade, so every choice is visible before work starts.

Licensed, insured and local

Underhill Lions LLC is licensed and insured, PA HIC #PA203239. Alongside owner-occupied homes, we renovate multi-unit rentals and small commercial spaces, including turnovers between tenants.

Planning a renovation? Request a free estimate and we will walk the house with you and put the scope in writing.