Remodeling in Riverview
Riverview is a compact Downriver community of 1950s and 60s brick ranches and split levels on level lots, most with full basements, original one-car attached garages, and kitchens that have never been opened up.
Request a walkthrough →What We Find Behind Riverview Walls
Built quickly and consistently in the postwar boom. Once we have worked one street, the next house holds very few surprises.
1950s Brick Ranches
Three bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a kitchen closed off from the dining room. Solid brick and hardwood under the carpet.
1960s Split Levels
Half-flights and a lower level that is part basement, part living space. Good candidates for a real family room.
Full Basements
Poured walls with reasonable headroom. Water history matters more than the walls do Downriver.
One-Car Attached Garages
Undersized by modern standards and often converted. Reverting or finishing one properly is common work here.
What Riverview Houses Have in Common
Downriver soil and water table drive the basement conversation. Everything else about these houses is predictable.
High Water Table
Downriver basements take water in heavy rain. We verify the sump, backflow, and drain tile before any framing goes in.
100 Amp Panels
Standard and often full. A kitchen or finished basement means a 200 amp upgrade, priced up front rather than discovered later.
Cast Iron Waste Stacks
Sixty-year-old stacks crack at the hub. When a bath opens up we look at the whole stack, not just the fixture.
Closed-Off Kitchens
Almost always removable, almost always structural. We price the beam flush and dropped so you can choose.
Half Baths That Need to Be Full
The one-and-a-half bath ranch is the standard layout. Expanding the half bath usually works with stack access.
Original Windows and Insulation
Single-pane aluminum and thin wall insulation. Worth addressing while walls are already open.
We Pull the Permit, You Do Not
Riverview reviews plans before issuing, and building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical are separate trade permits. We pull all of them under our builder license and meet the inspector on site.
- →Zoning setbacks and lot coverage confirmed before design
- →Drawings prepared for Riverview review
- →All trade permits pulled by us
- →Inspections sequenced so trades never idle
- →Final approvals handed to you at closeout
Requirements change. We confirm current Riverview code and zoning with the building department on every project before we price it.
Where We Work in Riverview
Across the city from Fort Street east to the river, and south toward the Trenton line.
Services for Riverview Homes
Kitchen Remodeling
Opening the kitchen to the dining room, with the beam engineered and priced flush or dropped.
See the service →Basement Remodeling
Basements finished only after the water history, sump, and backflow are verified.
See the service →Bathroom Remodeling
Expanding the half bath to a full, or gutting the original bath down to studs.
See the service →Wall Removal
Ranch and split-level walls that carry more load than they appear to.
See the service →Home Additions
Rear additions and primary suites planned against setbacks on a 60 by 110 lot.
See the service →Whole House Renovations
Sixty-year-old houses where wiring, plumbing, insulation, and layout change at once.
See the service →Riverview Homeowners Ask Us This
Anything not answered here, call Tim directly at 313.236.0985.
Can my Riverview basement be finished?
Often, after we check the water history, the sump, and the backflow valve. We will not frame over a problem.
Can the kitchen wall come out?
Almost always, with a beam. Flush or dropped is a cost decision, and we price both.
Is my 100 amp panel enough?
Usually not for a modern kitchen or finished basement. The load calculation happens during pricing.
Can my half bath become a full bath?
Usually, with stack access and proper venting. We confirm at the walkthrough.
My garage was converted. Can it be fixed?
Yes. Most older conversions were never insulated or permitted. We bring it up properly or take it back to a garage.
Do you work Downriver regularly?
Yes. Riverview, Trenton, Wyandotte, Woodhaven, and Southgate are steady work for us, and the crews know these houses.
Full service area across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, Downriver, and Monroe County.
Let Us Walk the House With You
Tim walks the house, tells you what the work actually involves, and gives you a real price range. No deposit, no sales visit.