High-End Home Renovation in Charleston, SC

Two renovations, two ways of running the job

Ridgeville: in phases, with the family at home

The owners stayed in place for the whole first phase, so the work was sequenced room by room. It started with the baths and the floors. In the primary bath, the plumbing was moved, the substrate fully waterproofed and the tub surround rebuilt in stacked sage tile with a marble mosaic niche.

In the living areas, the old flooring came up and solid red oak went down, milled to width, blind-nailed and finished on site so the kitchen, dining room and family room read as one floor.

Where tile meets wood, custom hardwood saddles replace metal trim. The kitchen waits for a later phase. The cypress cathedral ceiling in our Downtown project, and what that kind of ceiling asks of the roof above it, is covered in our article on cathedral ceilings.

Downtown Charleston: everything at once

The Downtown Charleston renovation went the other way: a modest cottage rebuilt in one push, with new cladding, a new kitchen and baths, engineered hardwood throughout and a separate dwelling above a rear extension. The details of older-house work, from review boards to lead paint, are on our historic renovation page.

Who a whole-house renovation suits

• Owners who love their address and want more from the house itself: layout, light, systems, finishes.
• Families who cannot move out and need the work split into phases they can live around.
• Houses whose wiring, plumbing or HVAC are due at the same time as the kitchen and baths, where one coordinated job costs less disruption than four separate ones.
• Owners planning ahead for later years; our article on remodeling a home for aging in place covers what to build in now.

How a phased renovation is planned and run

The order is set by trades, not by rooms. Work that opens walls and floors, moves plumbing or needs inspections goes first; paint and trim go last. At Ridgeville that meant baths and floors in phase one, kitchen later.

1. Consultation: at the house, complimentary and in confidence.
2. Proposal: itemized scope, disclosed allowances, and a schedule that shows each phase and what part of the house is closed off during it.
3. Construction: one foreman accountable on site, weekly progress reports with photos, daily communication while you live in the house.
4. Handover of each phase: walk-through and punch list before the crew moves on.

In an occupied home, site cleanliness and discretion are part of the job, not extras. For the full sequence, read how long a whole-house renovation takes, phase by phase. When you are ready, ask us to sketch the phases for your house.

All at once, in phases, or one room at a time

If the job is mainly one room, our pages on kitchens and bathrooms go deeper. If the house needs more square footage, see home additions.

Permits, flood rules and the one-year count

Start with the address: City of Charleston, Town of Mount Pleasant, the island towns and unincorporated Charleston County each issue their own permits. The city's Permit Center asks applicants to confirm on its GIS map that a property is inside city limits (City of Charleston, Permit Center).

Inside the city, an alteration without floor plan changes needs the permit application and photos of existing conditions; a non-structural plan change adds existing, demolition and proposed plans; a structural change adds stamped engineering drawings. Electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing each get their own sub-permit and rough and final inspections (city alteration guidance, February 2026).

For phased work in a flood zone, the phases add up.

In zones AE and VE the city counts improvement costs over a one-year period, using the cost on the new permit plus permits issued in the last year. If the total reaches 50% of the building's market value, the house must meet current flood design (City of Charleston, Floodplain Development).

That is why phase dates and scopes belong in the plan from day one, not decided one at a time.

What sets the cost of a whole-house renovation

We do not quote prices on the website; they change, and they depend on your house. These are the factors that move the number:

• How much of the house is opened: finishes only, or framing, wiring and plumbing behind them.
• Phasing: each phase adds setup, protection and cleanup.
• Structural changes that need an engineer and added inspections.
• Flood status, and whether the one-year total approaches the 50% threshold.
• Allowances for flooring, cabinetry, stone, tile and fixtures, each listed in the proposal.

Our proposals are itemized with no hidden lines, and change orders are documented before the work. Request a proposal for your renovation.

Our own crews, one foreman

Every person on the job is a trained, insured member of the Domus Built team; we do not hand the work to subcontracted crews. We are licensed in South Carolina and insured for general liability and workers' compensation, and we work with your architect or interior designer or recommend one.

Not the right fit

• Quick cosmetic refreshes or single repairs. Our renovation work begins at substantial kitchen and bath remodels.
• Jobs that must start next week. We accept a limited number of projects each year so each one gets the team's attention.

Questions homeowners ask us

Can we live in the house while it is renovated?

Often, if the work is phased. The Ridgeville owners stayed home through phase one. Whether it works for you depends on how many bathrooms stay usable, how the kitchen is handled and how much dust a given phase creates.

In what order should a renovation be done?

Structure and systems first, then wet areas and floors, then cabinetry, then paint and trim. Our phase-by-phase renovation timeline walks through each step.

What is the "30% rule" in remodeling?

It is a budgeting rule of thumb you may read online, not a code requirement. The percentage that carries legal weight here is the 50% flood-zone threshold described above.

How long does a whole-home renovation take?

It depends on how much of the house is opened, how the work is phased and the permit and inspection calendar; we agree the schedule with you at the consultation and report against it every week.

Book a consultation about your renovation.