Kitchen remodeling
Bathroom remodeling
Home additions & ADU
Roofing
Windows & doors
Driveway & pavers
FenceFree written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable General Contractor Across Hillsborough
Hiring a General Contractor in Hillsborough means managing large-lot estate work where design review, tree preservation, and slope stability shape every decision. San Mateo Construction brings the full General Contractor scope to 94010: from re-roofing and window replacement to kitchen remodels, ADUs, and full-house reconstruction. We know that Hillsborough projects move at the pace of planning sign-off and long-lead material orders, not framing speed. Call (855) 901-7266 for a free estimate and a written line-item proposal.
Why San Mateo Construction Is Hillsborough’s Preferred General Contractor Company
Hillsborough homeowners don’t hand over an estate remodel to someone who’s never sat through a design-review hearing or coordinated an arborist report. That’s the work we do routinely. Our Hillsborough clients appreciate that one licensed contractor manages the entire scope, from civil coordination and foundation work through cabinetry, countertops, and finish plumbing, under a single contract. Noel Carrington has built San Mateo Construction around that accountability. We show up to Hillsborough sites with the same crew leadership from estimate through final walkthrough, and our customers in 94010 often tell us the difference is that the person answering the phone understands what’s happening on their hillside lot. You’ll find that local knowledge in our schedule planning and in the brands we recommend, because we’re selecting materials for Hillsborough’s climate, not a generic spec sheet.
Styles & brands we work with
Remodeling Contractor in Hillsborough
A Remodeling Contractor in Hillsborough handles renovations that often involve structural changes, custom finishes, and coordination with the town’s design-review process. Unlike smaller homes elsewhere on the Peninsula, many Hillsborough remodels start with a structural assessment: load-bearing walls come out, rooflines shift, and foundations get reinforced. Kitchen remodels in Hillsborough typically run $14,000 – $45,000 depending on cabinet grade and appliance integration. Bathroom remodels run $9,000 – $28,000, with walk-in showers at $4,500 – $12,000. We manage the entire interior scope under one contract, so the demolition crew, electrician, plumber, and finish carpenters answer to us, not to you.
Kitchen Remodeling and Cabinetry
Hillsborough kitchens lean toward custom and semi-custom cabinetry, often with slab or paneled doors, integrated appliances, and Cambria or Caesarstone counters. We help you choose between premium brands like KraftMaid and Wellborn and then lock pricing in writing before ordering. The cabinet order is often the first long-lead item on the schedule, and we factor that into the construction sequence from day one.
Bathroom and Wet-Area Renovation
Hillsborough bathrooms frequently involve relocating plumbing, adding curbless showers, and installing wall-hung toilets. We use Schluter waterproofing systems on every tile and wet-area install, not as an upgrade but as the standard. Fixture packages range from Grohe and Toto on the premium end to Delta and American Standard for more value-driven budgets, all tied to a written allowance sheet before demolition starts.
Licensed General Contractor in Hillsborough
A Licensed General Contractor in Hillsborough is responsible for pulling permits, scheduling inspections, and making sure every trade works to the same set of drawings. On Hillsborough estates, that responsibility often extends to earthwork, retaining walls, and stormwater management before any framing begins. Home additions in Hillsborough range from $45,000 – $130,000, depending on square footage and hillside engineering. Garage conversions run $30,000 – $80,000, and ADU construction spans $90,000 – $220,000. We handle the civil, structural, and finish scope under one contract, which means you’re not coordinating a separate engineer, grading contractor, and finish carpenter. Hillsborough’s design-review and hillside/slope standards are part of how we plan, not an afterthought once work starts.
Whole-Home Renovation and Additions
When a Hillsborough homeowner takes a 1940s or 1960s custom house down to studs and rebuilds, the sequence matters more than the pace. We start with structural and drainage planning, then move into systems rough-in, then finishes. A multi-level addition on a steep lot often means cantilevered framing, specialty glazing, and retaining walls that require engineering sign-off before we order a single window.
ADU and Prefab Construction
Hillsborough’s large lots make ADUs a practical way to add living space without extending the main structure. We build both traditional site-built ADUs and prefab structures through partners like Abodu, Dvele, and Plant Prefab. The prefab route can cut months off the schedule, but both paths still need the same design-review approval, tree-preservation analysis, and site work. We manage all of it.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hillsborough
We maintain relationships with over 50 manufacturers so that a Hillsborough homeowner isn’t limited to whatever a single supplier happens to stock. That includes roofing from GAF and CertainTeed, windows and doors from PGT and Therma-Tru, and siding from James Hardie. We also specify specialty brands where the project calls for them, such as CGI impact-rated windows on exposed hillside elevations and Tamko shingles where a specific profile or color is required. Because we stock commonly needed parts and materials for our local Hillsborough jobs, the turnaround on warranty callbacks and punch-list items is quicker than a contractor running supply runs from outside the area.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon General Contractor Problems We See in Hillsborough Homes
- Design-review delays caught too late. A homeowner starts rough-in before Hillsborough planning sign-off, then discovers that an approved exterior finish or load-bearing element needs to change. The fix is architectural and engineering coordination up front, before any vertical work begins.
- Tree preservation treated as an afterthought. Arborist reports and slope-stability engineering often come back with requirements that force foundation and retaining-wall changes. When that happens late, it creates change orders and wasted mobilization costs.
- Long-lead specialty items ordered without fixed pricing. Architectural glass, custom millwork, and designer tile can carry 12 to 16-week lead times. If the scope and allowances aren’t locked in writing before ordering, client selections and price changes derail the entire schedule.
- Drainage and stormwater rules ignored during planning. Hillsborough’s rainy winters punish poor grading. A project that doesn’t account for subsurface drainage and surface runoff often needs corrective work after the first wet season, adding cost that a proper civil scope would have prevented.
Pricing for General Contractor in Hillsborough, CA
What follows are line-item ranges for the work we price most often in Hillsborough. These are not bids, but they’ll give you a realistic band before we walk the site.
| Project Type | Typical Hillsborough Range |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Cabinet Installation | $4,000 – $13,000 |
| Countertop Installation | $2,000 – $6,500 |
What moves the number on a Hillsborough job? Slope and access. A kitchen remodel on a flat, easy-access lot is a different project than the same kitchen on a downslope with material staging constraints. Engineering for retaining walls, foundation piers, or drainage systems adds cost before finishes are even specified. Custom cabinetry and architectural glass extend lead times and budgets, but we lock those costs in writing at contract signing so the number doesn’t drift after demolition. That’s why our proposal includes a fixed scope with written allowances for every finish category, and why change orders, when they arise, come with a line-item price before we proceed. Call (855) 901-7266 to schedule a free estimate.
Key Takeaways:
- Hillsborough design review and hillside standards drive the construction sequence more than framing speed.
- Tree preservation and stormwater rules often require arborist and civil engineering before vertical work begins.
- Long-lead specialty items like architectural windows and custom millwork must be locked with written allowances early.
- One licensed contractor manages the full exterior-to-interior scope under a single contract.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hillsborough
We work throughout the upper Peninsula, including Hillsborough, Burlingame, Millbrae, Highlands-Baywood Park, and San Mateo. If your property falls outside 94010 but within a few miles of our Burlingame and San Mateo job sites, we’re still a practical choice. The same fixed-scope estimating and written allowance process applies everywhere we work.
Serving Hillsborough, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hillsborough area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About General Contractor in Hillsborough
Design review in Hillsborough typically adds weeks, not months, if you plan for it from the start. The process means your architectural drawings, landscape plan, and exterior material selections need to be complete before the town will sign off, so we front-load that work and schedule demolition and rough-in only after planning approval. This prevents costly redesigns of load-bearing elements and exterior finishes later.
Yes. We build our construction schedules around lead times, not the other way around. Custom cabinetry, architectural windows, and specialty glass can run 12 to 16 weeks from order to delivery, so we lock those selections and allowances in writing early, release the purchase orders, and sequence the rest of the trade stack to match delivery dates. Call (855) 901-7266 and we’ll walk you through a typical Hillsborough schedule.
Start with a site assessment that includes arborist input and slope-stability review. On most Hillsborough hillside lots, the arborist and civil engineer set the construction sequence, because preserving mature oaks and redwoods and managing stormwater often dictate foundation placement and drainage design. We coordinate that work before any demolition or framing begins, then bring the architectural and interior scope into phase after the site constraints are resolved.
We write fixed-scope contracts with line-item allowances for every finish category, from cabinetry to plumbing fixtures to tile. When a client changes a selection, the allowance adjusts, and we confirm the new price in writing before ordering. If a site condition requires a change, such as unknown underground rock or a drainage conflict, we bring you a written price for that specific scope before proceeding, never after the fact.
Yes, and on most Hillsborough estates that coordination is essential. We work directly with your architect or designer through drawings, submittals, and finish schedules, flagging lead times and constructability issues before they become field problems. Our role is to keep the entire team on one schedule, with one contractor accountable for every trade. Call (855) 901-7266 for a free estimate on your project.
Written by Noel Carrington, Owner at San Mateo Construction, serving Hillsborough and the upper Peninsula with fixed-scope general contracting.