Auburn Hills caps residential buildings at two stories and twenty-five feet — ten feet lower than Rochester Hills or Shelby. If you are thinking about a second story here, the height limit is the first conversation, not the last.
4.9 star
Over 100 Reviews
5 year
Warranty on our workmanship
2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
100%
In-house design, source & build
Auburn Hills incorporated in 1983 from the former Pontiac Township, but the settlement goes back to about 1821. The housing reflects both: a genuine pre-war core around Auburn Heights and the Village of Auburn, a substantial 1950s wave, then heavy 1970s and 80s suburban build-out and newer neo-traditional infill at Forester Square and The Preserve at Bald Mountain.
It is a more mixed market than its neighbors, with a large rental population around the corporate and university corridors, and owner-occupied work concentrated in specific subdivisions rather than spread evenly across the city.
For remodeling, the defining fact is the height cap. Two stories and twenty-five feet is low, and it makes a second-story addition or a steep-roofed great room a genuinely different proposition here than in Rochester Hills.
01 - Kitchens
Custom cabinetry and layout work across a range from postwar ranches to 2000s colonials.
$55,000 – $130,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Primary suites and hall baths, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $85,000+
03 - Additions
Ground-floor additions planned around a 25-foot height cap and a 30 percent coverage limit.
$110,000 – $320,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations of well-built homes across several eras.
$220,000 – $600,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Auburn Hills. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
Much of Auburn Hills was built in subdivisions and condo communities from the 1970s on. These homes rarely hide plaster or old pipe. More often they have builder grade kitchens, dated baths and basements that were never finished. We see real value in reworking layouts that were designed for how people lived thirty years ago.
Many Auburn Hills homeowners live in a condo or an HOA community. Those associations often need to approve work, set contractor hours or require proof of insurance before we start. We collect what your association needs and build it into the schedule.
Moving plumbing, adding a bath, rewiring a kitchen or finishing a basement means building and trade permits through the City of Auburn Hills. We pull every permit and schedule every inspection for you.
Every project starts with one to three months of design development, so layout, cabinetry, finishes and pricing are settled before demolition. During construction we protect your floors, seal the work area for dust, run negative air, clean up every day and send you a written update every week.
Every trade except plumbing, electrical and HVAC is Maxwell's own crew, and our licensed partners handle those three. Your designer and project manager stay with you from the first sketch to the final walkthrough, and the work is backed by a five year workmanship warranty.
Requirements change. Confirm current specifics with Auburn Hills Community Development before relying on any of the above. Tree and woodland exemptions for occupied single-family lots in particular should be confirmed per parcel.
We build throughout Auburn Hills and the surrounding communities — Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills and Troy.
Twenty-five feet is a low cap. On a house with an existing steep roof, a second story or a vaulted addition can run out of height before it runs out of budget, and the answer is either a redesign or a trip to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The other early check is nonconformity. If part of your house already sits inside a setback, Auburn Hills will not let you extend that wall line, which rules out the simplest version of a great many additions.
Both are ten-minute checks at the survey stage. We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them; we're the right fit when the house deserves a proper renovation within the rules that apply to it.
4.8 stars
Average customer review
2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
Old Woodward
Our office, in Birmingham
100%
In-house design, source & build
How long does a kitchen or bathroom remodel take in Auburn Hills?
Most projects take 14 to 16 weeks of construction after one to three months of design. A single bathroom often takes less time. A kitchen with a new layout takes longer.
Do I need a permit to remodel in Auburn Hills?
Yes, if the work touches plumbing, electrical, mechanical or structure. Cosmetic updates may not need one. We handle every permit and inspection as part of the project.
I live in a condo. Can you still remodel my kitchen or bath?
Yes. Most associations allow interior remodeling with approval. We prepare the scope, insurance certificates and schedule your association asks for, and we work within their rules on hours, parking and common areas.
Can we live in the house while you remodel?
Usually, yes. We seal off the work area, control dust and clean up daily. For a kitchen remodel we help you set up a temporary kitchen so daily life keeps going.
What does it take to finish a basement in Auburn Hills?
Any basement bedroom needs a legal exit, called egress. You also need moisture control and permitted electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. Many newer Auburn Hills basements are good candidates because the walls and floors are in solid shape, and we confirm that during design.
Do you provide interior design and cabinetry?
Yes. Our design team handles layout, finishes, lighting and fixtures, and we build with Dura Supreme cabinetry in the framed Crestwood and frameless Bria lines. You work with one team from design through installation.
Planning a renovation in Auburn Hills?
Book a consultation