General Contractor in Oakland, CA
Whole-home renovations, ADUs, kitchens, and additions across Oakland, built by one licensed team that self-performs every trade. From the Craftsman homes of Rockridge and Temescal to the hillside properties of Montclair and the Oakland Hills, we handle design, permits, and construction under a single contract.
Building and remodeling across Oakland
Oakland’s housing is some of the most characterful in the Bay Area — Craftsman bungalows and Victorians in the flats, mid-century and custom homes climbing into the hills. That range is exactly why building here rewards a builder who can handle both a period-home renovation and a hillside, fire-zone project. Rhino Builders has built across the East Bay since 1989, and we self-perform every trade, so the hardest parts of an Oakland project are never subcontracted away. These are the four projects Oakland homeowners ask about most.
ADU Construction
Oakland is one of the strongest ADU markets in California, and its deep lots and existing garages suit detached units, garage conversions, and junior ADUs alike — for rental income, family, or a studio. We handle the site assessment, city permits, and construction, sized to what your lot and setbacks allow under current California ADU law.
Whole-Home Renovation
Oakland’s Craftsman and Victorian homes are full of character and, often, century-old systems. A whole-home renovation strips the house back and rebuilds every system — structural, electrical, plumbing — while preserving the period detail that makes it worth keeping. We sequence the entire job under one contract so the work moves in order, not in fits and starts.
Kitchen Remodeling
The compartmentalized kitchens in Oakland’s older homes are a top remodel request. We open them to the living space, bring wiring and plumbing up to code, and rebuild with finishes that respect the home’s era — whether that’s a Rockridge bungalow or a Montclair contemporary — all self-performed, so demo, rough-in, and finish flow as one schedule.
Home Additions
Adding a primary suite, expanding a kitchen, or building up lets Oakland homeowners gain space without leaving a neighborhood they love. Every addition ties into the existing structure, so we confirm what the framing and foundation can carry first — then build an addition that reads as original to a home with real architectural character.
Built for Oakland’s homes and hills
Oakland spans an enormous range — the Craftsman flats of Rockridge, Temescal, and the Dimond; the classic homes around Grand Lake and Glenview; and the hillside neighborhoods of Montclair and the Oakland Hills. Each calls for a different approach: period-sensitive renovation and system upgrades in the flats, and grading, drainage, and hillside foundations up above. It’s the full spectrum of residential construction, and it’s work we do across the East Bay.
Much of the Oakland hills sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, a legacy of the 1991 firestorm, which governs exterior materials, vents, and defensible-space clearances on hillside builds. We spec ignition-resistant assemblies from the first drawing rather than retrofitting after a plan-check correction. As an incorporated city, Oakland runs its own building and planning process, and we prepare a complete package so the review moves as cleanly as Oakland permitting allows.
One licensed team, from first walk to final sign-off
Licensed since 1989
California general contractor CSLB #580756 — 37 years building across the East Bay, hills included.
We self-perform every trade
Our own 30-person crew handles every phase, which keeps older-home and hillside projects on schedule.
Oakland hills & flats
From Craftsman remodels in the flats to fire-zone builds in the hills, we know the range of Oakland construction.
Oakland construction questions
Yes. We prepare and submit the complete package to the City of Oakland’s building and planning process, coordinate any reviews, and manage the project through final inspection. Oakland permitting can be involved, which is exactly why a complete first submission matters.
Yes — hillside building is core work for us. We engineer the foundation to the soils report, design drainage to the city’s standards, and plan construction access before groundbreaking on steep Montclair and Oakland Hills sites.
It changes materials and clearances, not whether you can build. Much of the hills is a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so we spec ignition-resistant siding, roofing, and vents and design defensible space in from the start.
Yes. We renovate period homes across Rockridge, Temescal, and the Oakland flats, upgrading century-old systems while preserving the architectural detail that makes them worth keeping.
Very likely. Oakland is a leading ADU market, and most single-family lots qualify for at least one ADU, with many able to add a JADU. We confirm what your lot and setbacks allow during a free site assessment.
Planning a build or remodel in Oakland?
3685 Mount Diablo Blvd #161, Lafayette, CA 94549 · CSLB #580756