Home / service area / Rochester Hills
Design-build in Rochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills Homes, Built Into the Grade They Sit On
Designed, sourced & built under one roof.
Rochester Hills has 340 feet of elevation change across it, thirty individually designated historic properties scattered parcel by parcel, and a tree ordinance whose exemption turns on whether your lot is over an acre. It rewards a builder who checks the address before quoting.
4.9★
Over 100 reviews
5 year
Warranty on our workmanship
2014
Founded, and building here since
100%
In-house design, source & build
Local design-build
Thirty historic districts, and you cannot tell which house is in one.
Avon Township organized in 1835 and became the City of Rochester Hills in 1984. The stock reflects that arc: 1920s bungalows and mid-century ranches in Brooklands to the south, scattered nineteenth-century Greek Revival farmhouses around Stoney Creek and Winkler Mill, then a very large 1980s wave and continued 1990s and 2000s build-out in the north through Great Oaks, Stony Creek Ridge and Butler Ridge.
The terrain is genuinely hilly, from 690 feet in the southeast to 1,032 in the northwest. Walkouts, daylight basements and retaining walls are routine here in a way they are not on flatter ground.
The city's historic designations are parcel-level rather than neighbourhood-wide, which means an address two doors from yours can be regulated while yours is not.
What We Build in Rochester Hills
Services
01 - Kitchens
Custom cabinetry and layout work, from Brooklands bungalows to 1990s colonials.
$75,000 – $210,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Primary suites and guest baths, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $135,000+
03 - Additions
Additions on sloping sites, where grading, retaining and the tree ordinance all come into play.
$185,000 – $580,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations across a range from 1920s bungalows to 2000s estates.
$375,000 – $1,100,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Rochester Hills. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
Building in Rochester Hills
What Building Here Actually Involves
01
Thirty single historic districts, designated parcel by parcel
Rochester Hills adopted its historic preservation ordinance in 1979 and now maintains thirty individual-property historic districts, plus area districts at Winkler Mill Pond and Stony Creek Village. Because designation is parcel-level, you cannot tell from the street whether an address is regulated. We check it against the city’s historic districts map before quoting exterior work.
02
The tree exemption turns on one acre, and it is counterintuitive
On occupied single-family parcels under one acre, no private tree permit is required. On parcels of one acre or more, the exemption only covers structures accessory to existing buildings so a house addition on a large lot loses the exemption and needs a permit. Regulated trees start at 6 inches DBH; specimen trees at 24 inches require replacement at 50 percent of DBH. Right-of-way trees are never exempt and carry their own permit.
03
Lot coverage counts every building on the property
Coverage is measured as the gross footprint of all buildings: house, detached garage, shed and pool house together, against 25 percent in RE, R-1 and R-2, or 30 percent in R-3 and R-4. This is the most common trap on a project that pairs an addition with a new outbuilding.
04
Ten feet decides whether a structure is detached
A structure within 10 feet of the main building, or connected by a breezeway of 70 square feet or more, is treated as attached and must meet main-building setbacks. A detached garage placed slightly too close gets reclassified and fails the side or rear yard.
05
The grade drives the engineering
Engineering reviews drainage, wetlands, steep slopes, watercourses and floodplain. Slopes over 33 percent require retaining walls with construction details and possible engineer certification, a 25-foot natural features setback from wetland limits must be shown with protective fencing, and work within 10 feet of a regulated wetland needs a wetlands use permit. Homes over 3,500 square feet require sealed architectural drawings, and trade permits can only be pulled after the building permit issues.
Requirements change. Confirm current specifics with the Rochester Hills Building Department, Planning and Economic Developmen, or Forestry before relying on any of the above.
where we work
Where We Work in Rochester Hills
We build throughout Rochester Hills and the surrounding communities: Rochester, Oakland Township, Troy and Auburn Hills.
Great Oaks
Stony Creek Ridge
Clear Creek
Butler Ridge
Fairview Farms
Brooklands
Yorktowne Commons
Parklane
Cumberland Hills
The Ravines
Winkler Mill Pond
straight answer
Two checks before anything else
Is the address one of the thirty designated historic properties, and is the lot over an acre? The first decides whether exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. The second decides whether a house addition needs a tree permit, which is counterintuitive, the larger lot is the one that loses the exemption.
After that it is usually the grade. With 340 feet of relief across the city, retaining walls, drainage and final grade sign-off are a real part of the scope on sloping sites rather than an afterthought.
We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them. We're the right fit when the house deserves new cabinetry, proper millwork, and a builder who reads the site before the elevations.
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
Rochester Hills FAQ
Is my house historic?
Possibly, and you would not know from the neighbourhood. Rochester Hills has thirty individually designated historic districts, meaning single properties, plus area districts at Winkler Mill Pond and Stony Creek Village. We check the address against the city's map before quoting any exterior work.
Do I need a tree permit?
It depends on lot size, and the rule runs the opposite way to most people's expectations. Under an acre, an occupied single-family lot needs no private tree permit. At an acre or more, the exemption only covers accessory structures, so a house addition needs one. Right-of-way trees always need a separate permit.
Does my shed count against lot coverage?
Yes. Coverage counts the footprint of every building on the property together, against 25 or 30 percent depending on district. Pairing an addition with a new detached garage is where projects most often run over.
At least 10 feet, or it is treated as attached and has to meet main-building setbacks. A breezeway of 70 square feet or more has the same effect.
My lot slopes. Does that change the project?
Often. Slopes over 33 percent require engineered retaining walls, and drainage and final grade are separately reviewed and inspected. On a walkout or daylight basement site this belongs in the budget from the start.
Are you licensed and insured in Michigan?
Yes, licensed Michigan residential builder, Lic. 2102213502, fully insured, with our office on Old Woodward in Birmingham.
Planning a renovation in Rochester Hills?