Tucked between Seattle and Tacoma, the city of Auburn offers beautiful scenery, outdoor activities, and a community feel. Residents are often commuters, making the trek to a bigger city by freeway or train, which means that they need their homes to be refuges, comfortable spaces that welcome them back at the end of a long day.
If you’re an Auburn homeowner wondering how to transform your current house into your dream home, this guide to home remodeling in Auburn, WA covers everything from popular remodeling projects and costs to permits, design trends, and choosing the right remodeler.
Why Do Homeowners Remodel Their Auburn Homes?
Many Auburn homes were built more than forty years ago, and they could use an update. Some great reasons to consider remodeling your Auburn, Washington home include
Opening up a closed floor plan for easier entertaining
Making your kitchen larger to support the way your family uses it
Updating cabinets and refreshing dated finishes
Turning the primary bathroom into a spa-like retreat
Making necessary repairs as homes age and combat high humidity and moisture
Making modifications to support aging-in-place in the future
Adding ADUs to increase property value and flexibility
What Are the Most Popular Types of Home Remodels in Auburn?
Kitchens, bathrooms, and whole-home remodels are among the most popular home remodeling projects in Auburn, Washington. Many homes are older, with rambler ranches dating from around the ‘60’s to ‘80s, and they are due for updates and improvements.
Sometimes the homes are more modern, like the new traditional and contemporary homes found in planned communities like Edgeview and Lakeland Hills. Homeowners want their homes to feel more personal, like they were specifically designed for the families they hold.
Many Auburn residents want to create a luxury home that meets their needs, offers flexible spaces, and is stylish and beautiful. Custom home remodeling in Auburn gives homeowners the opportunity to design a home they love.
How Much Does a Home Remodel Cost in Auburn?
The cost of remodeling a home in Auburn depends on the size of the project, the home's existing condition, the complexity of the design, and the materials selected. For homeowners considering a substantial whole-home renovation, a general planning range is $200,000–$470,000 or more, depending on the scope of work.
Several factors can influence the overall investment:
Project scope: Remodeling multiple rooms or an entire home involves different costs than renovating a single space.
Structural changes: Removing walls, changing floor plans, or modifying load-bearing structures may require additional engineering and construction.
Existing conditions: Older homes may need electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or other system updates as part of the renovation.
Materials and finishes: Cabinetry, countertops, flooring, fixtures, and custom design elements all influence the final investment.
Permits and engineering: Depending on the project, structural modifications and system upgrades may require professional engineering, permits, and inspections.
At Massey Remodel + Design, we believe understanding your investment should be part of the planning process—not something left until construction begins.
Our design-build process brings design development, material selections, trade input, and detailed preconstruction planning together before the construction agreement is finalized. Once the scope and selections are sufficiently developed, we prepare a fixed-price construction proposal based on the agreed-upon work.
This approach helps homeowners make informed decisions about their investment and understand the planned scope before construction begins. Learn more about why fixed-price contracts matter in remodeling.
Permits and Regulations You Should Know in Auburn
When you’re starting an Auburn home remodel—whether a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, or most other types—you will need the proper permitting. Permits are required if your remodel involves
changing the structure
adding or removing walls
replacing windows
changing the electrical, plumbing, or HVAC systems
adding a deck
Because Auburn spans both King and Pierce counties, and some properties with an Auburn address may fall outside the city limits, homeowners should confirm which jurisdiction handles permits for their property. The City of Auburn's Permits and Inspections page can help you. If you use Massey Remodel + Design, we handle pulling all required permits and managing any required inspections (and we also perform our own inspections to ensure your build meets our high standards). Read more about our process here.
How Do I Choose the Right Remodeler in Auburn?
Choosing who to trust with your home can be hard. It’s a place you love, and it has the potential to become the place you’ve always dreamed of. Don’t rush into the decision of which home remodeler to use. Instead:
Read reviews and client testimonials
See if they are part of the BBB
Look into whether or not they have won awards and what those were
Ask for referrals to speak to past clients
Talk to the designers
Look at their portfolio to see what their work looks like
Ask questions
Make sure you feel comfortable and understood
Discuss how they handle the budget, change orders, and communication throughout the process
We believe that a design-build approach is the best option for an Auburn, Washington home remodel. Read this post to learn why.
Remodeling Timeline: How Long Will My Auburn Remodel Take?
Outside of the budget question, how much time we’re looking at is one of the most asked questions. And for good reason! You’ve been waiting and dreaming of your new Auburn home, and you’re ready to see it in real life.
A typical Auburn home remodel can take between three and six months, depending on the project’s scope of work, and your remodeler will be able to give you a much more accurate idea of how long it will take.
Design Trends in Auburn Homes
Auburn homeowners crave flexibility and functionality that also looks beautiful and feels luxurious. We love the design trends we’re seeing, and we love that they’ll look great for years to come. For Auburn homeowners, they give the opportunity to create a home that feels current while still complementing the PNW setting.
Earthy, Warm Colors
Stark white and Millennial Gray are giving way to softer hues. Homeowners in Auburn are embracing the warm colors of the Pacific Northwest, bringing the beauty of the outdoors into their homes. Popular colors include
Sage green
Deep blues
Clay tones
Creamy whites
Warm taupes
When combined with warm wood colors, these shades make Auburn homes shine.
Flexible Spaces
Rooms that can be converted to do double-duty are important to busy Auburn homeowners. Many remodels include spaces built to adapt to a family’s changing needs (like a home office that can become a workout room, or a primary suite that can be easily updated to support aging-in-place).
While open floor plans are still popular, many homeowners want more defined spaces that still feel open and connected.
High-Performance, Beautiful Kitchens
Busy families need kitchens that support their lives. Auburn homeowners want smart technology, updated appliances, custom cabinets, and durable-yet-stunning countertops. The kitchen needs to be functional and inviting, with places to sit and linger.
Back kitchens, like sculleries, butler’s pantries, and prep kitchens, are becoming more popular as a way to keep the main kitchen presentable for entertaining while still having a hardworking space behind a closed door.
Common Mistakes Auburn Homeowners Make When Remodeling
Remodeling your home is a big deal, and it’s natural to be a little nervous. We’re here to help you along the way, so you can avoid some common mistakes like:
Prioritizing trendy over timeless. Your designer will help you by learning your style and taste, and incorporating it in a way that will stand the test of time. It’s best to incorporate trends you love in areas that you can more easily change later (paint and wallpaper, drawer pulls, art, etc.), and go for more enduring choices in permanent spaces (flooring, countertops, etc.).
Starting construction without a complete design plan. We believe design comes first, allowing you to make changes, identify potential problems, and think creatively before the hammers start swinging. This saves time, money, and headaches.
Not talking frankly about your budget. Having an honest conversation about your budget and expectations at the beginning of your project is important. Your Auburn remodeler needs an accurate picture so he can create a home remodel that meets your needs.
How to Get Started on Your Auburn Remodel
Whether it’s a bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel, or whole-home remodel, we’ve got you covered. Our award-winning team has served Pierce and King counties for over fifteen years. We are dedicated to giving you the best service, experience, and result possible. Contact us today and let’s talk about your dreams for your Auburn, Washington home.