“Lior is very personable and has many decades of construction experience. We appreciated his sincere evaluation of our project.”
Ann AnterasianHouzz · April 2019
Bathroom remodeling · Pasadena, CA
Pasadena Bathroom Remodeling
for Historic Homes
Craftsman and Spanish-revival bathrooms carry systems older than their tile. We renew them properly — city permits, sensitive design, and modern waterproofing under period character. CSLB #972213.
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CSLB LicensedLicense #972213
5.0 on Houzz17 verified reviews
Family-OwnedLicensed since 2010
24-Hour ResponseFree in-home estimate
Pasadena PermitsHPOZ aware · in-house
Why Hillstar
Why Pasadena's Old Houses Choose Hillstar
The house may be a century old; the bathroom behind its walls shouldn't be. Our work honors the first while fixing the second.
Pasadena's Own Permit Desk
The city's Building & Safety Division — not LADBS — reviews and inspects here, and our submittals go straight to it.
Landmark-District Literate
In Bungalow Heaven, Madison Heights, and the other districts, exterior changes carry design review. Interior remodels usually don't — we confirm your address first.
Century-Old Systems Renewed
Knob-and-tube survivals, galvanized service, and 60A panels get replaced with the remodel, not discovered after it.
Character-Respecting Design
Period-appropriate profiles and finishes over thoroughly modern plumbing, wiring, and membranes.
Documented Pricing
Itemized quotes with old-house contingencies stated plainly, and written change orders.
One Restoration-Minded Crew
Design through final inspection with people who like old houses.
Our process
How We Remodel a Pasadena Bathroom
Four steps tuned to older construction.
1
Understand the House
We measure the room and read the house's era — walls, stack, wiring, and what the district status means for your scope.
2
Design & City Filing
Selections and drawings completed, then the permit package goes to Pasadena Building & Safety with corrections handled by us.
3
Careful Demolition & Rebuild
Plaster-aware demo, renewed plumbing and circuits, membrane waterproofing, and tile set to last.
4
Final Walkthrough
Punch list closed and a written workmanship warranty behind the finished room.
Local conditions
Permits, Properties & What's Specific to Pasadena
Pasadena bathroom remodels are usually old-house remodels — early-1900s craftsman, 1920s Spanish, mid-century revival. Behind the tile, the systems that need to come out are often older than the wall they're attached to.
Permit jurisdiction
City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development — Building & Safety Division — issues every Pasadena bathroom permit. LADBS does not. Like-for-like replacements in place often stay permit-free; moving fixtures, opening structure, adding circuits, or venting new exhaust takes the project into the city's plan check. Interior bathroom work generally clears Pasadena's design-review framework, which is triggered by exterior changes.
Properties & what tends to surface mid-build
Pre-1970 Pasadena housing often has plaster lath walls, original galvanized water service, and pre-1986 copper plumbing that may carry lead solder at the joints. Original cast-iron drain stacks and venting through the roof are typical, and partial replumb at demo is often required on a real bathroom rebuild. Original electrical panels are commonly 60A or 100A on the older homes — heated-floor or steam-shower loads frequently push toward a 200A panel upgrade.
Code triggers for a serious rebuild
The rebuild standard is current code, period house or not: scald-protected valving, GFCI receptacles within the vanity zone, exhaust run through to the exterior, and an unbroken membrane behind every tiled surface. Curbless entries in old floor framing get structural verification first. Title 24 enters where the scope qualifies — window and envelope work included.
Design examples
Bathroom Design Examples
Examples of bathroom styles and layouts.
Reviews
Homeowners on Working With Hillstar
Verified Houzz reviews from Hillstar Construction clients.
“Lior is a fantastic general contractor. He has tremendous work ethic and strong attention to detail.”
J. GlaserHouzz · June 2017
“Hillstar's crew was courteous, prompt, and worked hard to make every detail exactly what we wanted.”
Hillstar ClientHouzz · Verified
5.0 · 17 verified reviews on Houzz
FAQ
Pasadena Bathroom Remodel — FAQ
City permits, landmark districts, old-house systems, and how we keep century homes dry and current.
Who reviews bathroom permits in Pasadena?
The City of Pasadena's Building & Safety Division inside Planning & Community Development — Pasadena runs its own desks, separate from Los Angeles. We file there directly and manage plan check through the final inspection.
We're in a Landmark District. Can we still remodel?
Yes. District review is triggered by exterior changes — a fully interior bathroom remodel in Bungalow Heaven or Madison Heights typically proceeds on the standard permit. If your scope moves a window or a visible vent, we prepare the design-review materials as part of the package.
What old-house conditions should we plan for?
On pre-1940s homes: plaster-and-lath walls, galvanized water service, cast-iron stacks, and sometimes knob-and-tube remnants feeding the bathroom circuit. A proper remodel replaces what the era left in the walls — scoped at design and priced in the quote.
Can a modern shower live in a period bathroom?
Beautifully. The visible design can stay true to the house — hex tile, period profiles, classic fixtures — while the assembly underneath is entirely current: membrane waterproofing, pre-sloped pan, anti-scald valve, and proper exhaust.
What will it cost?
Old-house bathrooms vary too much for honest ballparks; what you'll get is an itemized written quote after the visit, with the era's contingencies visible as their own lines and every change approved in writing before it's built.
Also serving Pasadena
Nearby bathroom-remodel neighborhoods
Give Your Pasadena Bathroom Its Next Century
A free in-home consultation — house-era assessment, design direction, and a written number.