One Team for Design and Construction in Burlingame
Burlingame rewards homes that are built with intention. Walk the streets of Easton Addition or Burlingame Park and you read the city's history in its facades, the turn-of-the-century Craftsman bungalows, the period Tudors, the Spanish and Mediterranean revivals, the stately Victorians, and the mid-century houses tucked into the hills. New Key Construction is a design-build firm that brings interior design and construction under one roof, so a renovation or addition in Burlingame respects that character instead of fighting it. One team carries your project from first sketch through final punch list, with priced options up front and photoreal 3D renderings produced before a single permit is pulled.
That single-team structure is the difference between a project that drifts and one that lands. When designers and builders share the same table, the drawings are buildable, the budget is real, and the trades are sequenced before demolition begins. You are not refereeing between an architect, a separate contractor, and a designer who never speak. You have one accountable partner and white-glove project management keeping you informed at every milestone.
Built for Burlingame's Lots, Streets, and Review Process
Burlingame is an incorporated city, which means your permits and approvals run through the City of Burlingame's Building and Planning Divisions, not San Mateo County. That distinction matters. A second-story addition, a change to your home's exterior appearance, or a substantial remodel can trigger a design review application with the Planning Department, where setbacks, massing, garage placement, and the existing rhythm of your block are all weighed. We design with those rules in hand from the start, so your project moves through the counter at City Hall instead of stalling in correction cycles.
The city's older neighborhoods bring their own realities. Lots in Easton Addition and the Avenues are often deep and tree-lined, with mature canopy and tight side yards that constrain where mass can go and how a foundation gets cut. Burlingame Park carries stronger expectations around preserving period character. Homes near the bay sit on different soils than those in Burlingame Hills, which shapes foundation and drainage strategy. Construction valuation drives permit fees here, and alterations that exceed half the value of the existing structure require a full building permit. We account for all of it in the number we give you.
Priced Options and 3D Renderings Before Permits
Most Burlingame homeowners we meet have been burned by a vague estimate that ballooned mid-project. Our process is built to remove that risk. Before any permit application, we develop your design in full and present photoreal 3D renderings, so you see the finished kitchen, primary suite, or whole-home renovation as it will actually look, materials, light, proportions, and cabinetry in place. You make decisions with your eyes, not your imagination.
Alongside the renderings come priced options up front. Where there is a fork, a marble countertop versus a quartz or a structural opening versus a preserved wall, we lay out the cost of each path so you choose with full information. By the time we submit to the City of Burlingame, the design is resolved, the scope is fixed, and the budget is set. Change orders become the rare exception. That is what white-glove project management means in practice: fewer surprises, tighter schedules, and a single point of contact who owns the outcome.
We handle the full range of general contracting for Burlingame homes, from kitchen and bath remodels to first and second-story additions, structural reconfigurations, and gut renovations that bring a vintage house up to how families live today. Whether you are opening up a closed Craftsman floor plan or restoring period detail in a Burlingame Park Tudor, the same disciplined process applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need design review for a remodel or addition in Burlingame?
It depends on the scope. Interior remodels that do not change your home's exterior or add habitable square footage usually proceed as a residential alteration permit. Second-story additions and projects that alter the exterior appearance often require a design review application through the City of Burlingame Planning Department, where setbacks, massing, and neighborhood context are evaluated. We assess this at the start and design to the applicable standard.
Does Burlingame issue permits, or does San Mateo County?
Burlingame is an incorporated city, so residential building permits are issued by the City of Burlingame's Building Division, not the county. You apply through the city's permitting portal rather than San Mateo County. We manage that submittal for you as part of the project.
How does design-build save me money versus hiring separately?
With one team handling design and construction, the drawings are priced and pressure-tested for buildability before you commit. There is no gap between a designer's vision and a contractor's bid, which is where most budget overruns and change orders originate. You approve priced options up front, so the figure you sign holds through construction.
Can I see my Burlingame project before construction starts?
Yes. We produce photoreal 3D renderings of your finished space before any permit is pulled, so you can evaluate materials, proportions, and light and make decisions with confidence. Refining the design on screen is far less expensive than changing it mid-build.
What types of homes do you work on in Burlingame?
We work across Burlingame's housing stock, from Craftsman bungalows and period Tudors in Easton Addition and Burlingame Park to Spanish revivals, Victorians, and mid-century homes in the hills. Our process adapts to each home's era, lot, and the city's review expectations for that block.
If you are planning a renovation or addition in Burlingame, let's talk. We will walk your home, listen to how you want to live in it, and show you a clear path with priced options and renderings before you commit to construction. Reach out to New Key Construction to start your Burlingame project with one team that owns it from design through done.
