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DESIGN-BUILD IN ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN
Royal Oak Homes, Rebuilt Inside a Tight Lot
Designed, sourced & built under one roof.
A median lot of about 6,500 square feet, a 35-foot rear setback, and a hard 3,500 square foot cap on the house. Royal Oak is the most constrained community we build in, and the projects that succeed here are the ones that worked the zoning out before the floor plan.
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
The buildable box is smaller than the lot suggests.
Royal Oak's median home was built in 1950, and the housing runs from early twentieth-century bungalows and Craftsman houses through the 1940s to 70s buildout, with newer condos and lofts downtown. Vinsetta Boulevard and its storybook architecture is the signature street; Northwood, Brookwood, Vinsetta Park, Clifford Heights and a dozen more fill in around it.
The lots are genuinely small. That is why so much of the market here is teardown and rebuild and why a well-executed addition, done inside the rules, is often the better value.
Worth knowing about the ground as well: Royal Oak sits over the Red Run, a largely enclosed watercourse, and drainage on certain lots reflects that.
What we build in Royal Oak
Services
01 - Kitchens
Working within small original footprints, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$65,000 – $160,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Working within small original footprints, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $95,000+
03 - Additions
Rear and second-story additions planned against a 35-foot rear setback and a 3,500 square foot cap.
$190,000 – $350,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations of 1920s to 1950s houses on tight lots.
$250,000 – $600,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Royal Oak. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
building in Royal Oak
Remodeling a Royal Oak Home: What to Expect
01
Classic bungalows need a smart plan
Much of Royal Oak is bungalows, Tudors and colonials from the early and middle part of the last century. They have real charm, but the kitchens are small, many homes have only one full bath and the basements were built for storage, not living. 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.
02
Every square foot counts
On Royal Oak's tighter lots, the best remodels make better use of the space you already have. That can mean opening a kitchen to the dining room, adding a second bath, turning an attic into a primary suite or finishing the basement into real living space. We design around how your family actually uses the house.
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 Royal Oak. 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. Confirm current specifics with Royal Oak Building Inspection before relying on any of the above. Note the department's code consultation hours are 8:00 to 9:00am and 3:30 to 4:30pm.
where we work
Where We Work in Royal Oak
We build throughout Royal Oak and the surrounding communities: Birmingham, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Pleasant Ridge and Ferndale.
Vinsetta Park
Vinsetta Boulevard
Northwood
Brookwood
Clifford Heights
Catalpa Park
Forest Heights
Hillcrest Manor
Royal Oak Manor
Washington Heights
Starr Acres
Downtown Royal Oak
straight answer
Check the zoning before you fall in love with a plan.
Royal Oak's combination of a 35-foot rear setback, five-foot side yards, tiered lot coverage and a 3,500 square foot cap on the house means the buildable envelope is often much smaller than the lot implies. We would rather establish the box first and design inside it than draw something that has to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals to survive.
Sometimes the honest answer is that the space you want already exists in the house and is badly arranged, and reworking the existing plan gets you there without a variance and for less money. That conversation costs you nothing.
We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them. We're the right fit when a well-built older house deserves to be rebuilt properly inside its limits.
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
Royal Oak FAQ
How long does a kitchen or bathroom remodel take in Royal Oak?
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 Royal Oak?
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 add a second bathroom to my bungalow?
Often, yes. A second bath usually fits in the basement, an attic space or part of an existing bedroom or closet. We check plumbing routes and layout during design to find the option that works best in your home.
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 Royal Oak?
Any basement bedroom needs a legal exit, called egress. You also need moisture control and permitted electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. Older Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak?
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