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Design-build in Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale Homes, Made Bigger Without Moving.
Designed, sourced & built under one roof.
The average Ferndale house is about 1,150 square feet on a 5,200 square foot lot, and most were built in the 1920s and 30s. That is a lot of good bungalows holding families who need more room. The city's zoning is more workable than it used to be, and its tree rules are the strictest in the area.
4.9 star
Over 100 reviews
5 year
Warranty on our workmanship
2014
Founded, and building here since
100%
In-house design, source & build
Local design-build
Small houses, narrow lots, and more room in them than people think.
Ferndale's median home dates to 1940, with most stock from the 1920s through the 1940s, Craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revival, Colonial and Queen Anne, wood frame and brick, on lots that are typically 35 to 40 feet wide. It is the smallest average house of any community we work in.
That is exactly why the design work matters more here than almost anywhere. On a narrow lot with a nonconforming side setback, the difference between a project that works and one that stalls is usually a detail in the zoning code rather than anything about the house.
The city rewrote its zoning code in December 2024, and the new version is meaningfully more permissive on height than the old one — which matters a great deal if you are thinking about a second story.
What we build in Ferndale
Services
01 - Kitchens
Reworking small bungalow kitchens with new custom cabinetry, built to the same standard as any project we do.
$50,000 – $110,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Working in tight original footprints, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $70,000+
03 - Additions
Rear additions and second stories on narrow lots, designed around side setbacks and fire-rating requirements.
$150,000 – $260,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations of 1920s and 30s houses that were built well and are simply too small.
$185,000 – $425,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Ferndale. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
building in Ferndale
Remodeling a Ferndale Home: What to Expect
01
Small homes, big potential
Most Ferndale homes are bungalows and story and a half homes from the early and middle part of the last century, on compact lots. When we open walls we often find plaster, old wiring and galvanized pipe. We plan for this during design so it doesn't turn into a surprise halfway through the job, and we keep the character that drew you to the house.
02
Smart layouts beat more square feet
In a Ferndale home, a few inches matter. Moving a doorway, opening the kitchen to the dining room, rethinking storage or turning the upper half story into a real primary suite can change how the whole house lives. We design around how your family actually uses each room.
03
Interior work still needs permits
Moving plumbing, adding a bath, rewiring a kitchen or finishing a basement means building and trade permits through the City of Ferndale. We pull every permit and schedule every inspection for you.
04
Design comes first, and your home stays livable
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.
05
One team from start to finish
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, and Ferndale adopted a new zoning code in December 2024 that supersedes schedules still published on third-party sites. Confirm current specifics with the City of Ferndale or Community and Economic Development before relying on any of the above.
where we work
Where We Work in Ferndale
We build throughout Ferndale and the surrounding communities — Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods and Berkley.
Southwest Ferndale
Northwest Ferndale
East Ferndale
Woodward Heights
Woodland Park
Wilson Park
Oakridge
Downtown Ferndale
Iron Ridge District
Nine Mile and Woodward
straight answer
The zoning question comes before the design question.
On a 35-foot-wide Ferndale lot with a house already sitting on a nonconforming side setback, whether you can build up is a code question with a specific answer — and the answer changed when the city rewrote its zoning in December 2024. We find that answer before drawing anything.
We would also rather tell you early when an addition is not the right move. Sometimes a bungalow's problem is arrangement rather than square footage, and reworking the existing plan gets you what you want for considerably less.
We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them, so our smallest Ferndale kitchens start around $45,000. If a cosmetic refresh is what the house needs, a specialist will serve you better and cost you far less.
4.8 stars
Average customer review
2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
Old Woodward
Our office, in Birmingham
100%
In-house design, source & build
Good to know
Ferndale FAQ
How long does a kitchen or bathroom remodel take in Ferndale?
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 where we open walls or change the layout takes longer.
Do I need a permit to remodel in Ferndale?
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.
Can you make a small kitchen work better?
Yes. Custom cabinetry built to the inch, taller uppers, smarter corner storage and a better appliance layout can make a small Ferndale kitchen feel much larger. Opening it to the dining room, when the structure allows, helps even more.
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 Ferndale?
Any basement bedroom needs a legal exit, called egress. You also need moisture control and permitted electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. Older Ferndale basements often have low ceilings, old plumbing or walls that need work before finishing, and we check all of this 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 Ferndale?
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