Kitchen remodeling
Bathroom remodeling
Home additions & ADU
Roofing
Windows & doors
Driveway & pavers
FenceFree written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable General Contractor Across Pajaro
If you’re looking for a General Contractor in Pajaro who understands Monterey County permitting and floodplain rules, you’re in the right place. We’re San Bruno Construction, and we’ve rebuilt homes here after the March 2023 levee failure, repaired decades-old wood-frame houses, and handled everything from kitchen remodels to full additions. Pajaro isn’t Watsonville. The permitting path is different, the flood rules are different, and the homes need different work. Call (866) 472-1908 for a free estimate from a contractor who already knows the drill.
Why San Bruno Construction Is Pajaro’s Preferred General Contractor Company
Pajaro homeowners call us because we don’t fumble through the county-plus-floodplain approval process. When the 2023 flood tore through town, we were already working in the Pajaro Valley and got to see firsthand what river water does to subfloors, drywall, and foundations. That experience shapes every quote we write here. Noel Carvalho, who leads our team, has built a practice around flood-resistant reconstruction: raised floors, flood vents, moisture-tolerant materials, and documentation that insurance adjusters accept without a fight.
We also bring options most general contractors in Pajaro can’t. Our access to 50+ vetted brands means you choose from real product lines, not whatever the contractor has sitting in a warehouse. KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinets, Cambria and Silestone countertops, Kohler and Toto plumbing fixtures, GAF and CertainTeed roofing. For ADU and prefab work, we build through Abodu, Dvele, and Mighty Buildings, a scope that almost no residential remodeler north of Salinas offers. One contractor, every phase – from countertops to rooflines to ADUs.
Styles & brands we work with
Construction Company in Pajaro
Construction Company work in Pajaro almost always starts with two questions: is this in Monterey County’s floodplain review zone, and what condition did the 2023 flood leave the structure in? A home addition in Pajaro runs $45,000 to $130,000, an ADU construction $90,000 to $220,000, and a garage conversion $30,000 to $80,000. Those numbers assume the scope clears Monterey County permitting and any required floodplain review. If the bid was written as if Pajaro were a Watsonville city permit job, the schedule and cost story collapses when the county review lands.
Flood-Repair Rebuilds and Additions
Many Pajaro homes off Porter Drive, San Juan Road, and Salinas Road still carry damage from the 2023 levee failure. We open walls, assess the sill plates and subfloor, and rebuild with materials that can take a damp winter. For additions, we coordinate the county inspector’s floodplain sign-off before framing closes, so the work doesn’t stall mid-project.
Prefab ADUs and Garage Conversions
Because Pajaro lots are small and many homes are older, an ADU often makes more sense than a ground-up addition. We install prefab units from Abodu, Dvele, and Mighty Buildings, managing the county permit path, the floodplain review, and the site work under one contract.
Remodeling Contractor in Pajaro
Remodeling Contractor work in Pajaro is about more than new cabinets and tile. The coastal fog, damp winters, and seasonal flooding risk mean moisture management has to happen before finish work does. A bathroom remodel in Pajaro runs $9,000 to $28,000. A kitchen remodel runs $14,000 to $45,000. Roof replacement, often the first line of defense against the moisture that feeds this town’s mold problems, runs $8,000 to $20,000. We quote the drainage and grade fixes alongside the finish work, because skipping them just buys mold behind fresh drywall.
Kitchen and Bath Renovations
Pajaro kitchens and bathrooms in older wood-frame homes usually need subfloor replacement before anything pretty goes in. We pull the county permits, replace what’s rotten, and then install the finishes you actually chose from our brand lineup, not a stock slab the contractor prefers.
Roof and Envelope Repairs
Roof leaks on Pajaro’s mid-century homes are often the first sign of bigger moisture problems. We work with GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning systems, and for window and door replacements we source from PGT, CGI, and ECO Window Systems. The point is to close the envelope before the next wet season.
Trusted Brands We Service in Pajaro
We don’t push a single brand on Pajaro homeowners. Our lineup includes ES Windows, ECO Window Systems, and Mr-Glass for glazing and impact-rated openings, plus major lines across every renovation category. For Pajaro specifically, we keep common replacement parts locally accessible, so a broken window or door component doesn’t sit waiting on a backorder from the East Coast while damp air moves through the gap. Fast turnaround matters here because moisture doesn’t wait.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon General Contractor Problems We See in Pajaro Homes
- Flood-damaged subfloors hidden under new flooring: A home may look fine after a quick patch, but the subfloor and sill plates are still spongy. We find this constantly in homes rebuilt in a hurry after the 2023 flood, and it’s why we photograph every stage before closing walls.
- Mold behind drywall from coastal damp and poor drainage: Pajaro’s flat valley floor and fog mean water doesn’t always drain away from foundations. We address grade and drainage before rehanging drywall, otherwise the mold comes back.
- Permits pulled through the wrong jurisdiction: Pajaro is unincorporated, so work must route through Monterey County, not Watsonville’s city building department. A bid written around the wrong agency won’t hold up, and the homeowner gets stuck holding the delays.
- Rebuilds that ignore flood-resistant construction rules: Rebuilding to pre-2023 condition, without raised floors or flood vents, leaves the home just as vulnerable next high-water season – and can complicate an insurance claim when the next event happens.
Pricing for General Contractor in Pajaro, CA
Here’s what honest pricing looks like for Pajaro work. These ranges reflect the Monterey County permit path, floodplain review when it applies, and the reality of working on older homes near the river.
| Project | Typical Cost in Pajaro |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 – $80,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Roof Replacement | $8,000 – $20,000 |
What moves the number: the condition of the subfloor and framing after the flood, whether the scope triggers floodplain review, and which product lines you choose. We provide written line-item quotes and fixed pricing, no change orders. Call (866) 472-1908 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Pajaro
Our General Contractor services extend beyond Pajaro into the surrounding Pajaro Valley communities. If you’re a homeowner in Pajaro, Las Lomas, Watsonville, Amesti, or Corralitos, we can run the same county-aware, floodplain-smart process for your project. The permitting rules shift depending on which side of the county line you’re on, and we know both sides.
Serving Pajaro, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Pajaro area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About General Contractor in Pajaro
Monterey County issues the building permits for Pajaro, because Pajaro is an unincorporated community. Unlike Watsonville, which has its own city building department under Santa Cruz County, Pajaro’s permits route through the county’s Resource Management Agency. If the work falls in the FEMA-designated floodplain – which much of Pajaro does – there’s an additional floodplain and levee-related review before walls can close. Call (866) 472-1908 and we’ll tell you which reviews your specific scope will need.
Yes, if the structure sits in the FEMA-designated floodplain, the work must meet Monterey County’s flood-resistant construction standards. That generally means raised floor elevations, flood vents in foundation walls, and materials rated for intermittent water contact. Rebuilding to pre-2023 condition without those features leaves the home noncompliant and just as vulnerable next high-water season. We include flood-compliance work in our quotes from day one.
Documented code compliance is what makes a flood insurance claim hold up. When an adjuster sees a permit-and-inspection trail showing that flood-resistant construction methods were used and that every phase passed Monterey County review, the claim moves faster and pays out more reliably. Without that paper trail, the insurer may deny or reduce the claim, arguing the work wasn’t done to code. That documentation is built into how we run Pajaro jobs.
A compliant Pajaro quote should include line items for the Monterey County permit fees, floodplain review coordination, flood-resistant construction methods like raised floors and vents, drainage and grade work before finish materials, and photographic documentation of every stage. A cheap bid often prices the job as if it were a standard city permit, skips the flood-compliance items, and leaves the homeowner to absorb the schedule blowup and the insurance risk later. Call (866) 472-1908 and we’ll walk you through what a real Pajaro line item looks like.
Because Pajaro sits on the flat valley floor near the Pajaro River mouth and the coast, so it gets fog, damp winters, and seasonal flooding risk from the river and Watsonville-area sloughs. Those conditions feed moisture intrusion into the older wood-frame homes that make up most of the town’s housing stock. You can’t put new drywall over a damp frame and expect the mold not to return. We address the moisture source first, then the finishes.
Written by Noel Carvalho, Owner at San Bruno Construction, serving Pajaro since 2023.