Design-Build in Royal Oak, MI
Reschka Design Build serves Royal Oak homeowners with high-end main-floor remodels and custom home construction. From the 1920s bungalows near Vinsetta Boulevard to the brick colonials along Campbell Road and the newer builds south of 14 Mile, we bring design-build expertise to a community where architectural character and walkable city living intersect.
Why Royal Oak Homeowners Choose Design-Build
Royal Oak is one of southeastern Michigan's most sought-after communities for a reason — walkable downtown dining and retail, mature tree-lined streets, and a housing stock with genuine architectural character. The bungalows, Cape Cods, and brick colonials built between the 1920s and 1950s give Royal Oak its identity. They also give homeowners its most common remodeling challenge: floor plans built for a different era.
The typical Royal Oak bungalow has a small, enclosed kitchen at the back of the house, separated from the dining room by a wall and a swinging door. The living room is in the front, the dining room is in the middle, and the kitchen is tucked behind everything. For homeowners who want to cook while their family is in the living room — or host a dinner party without disappearing into a back room — this layout doesn't work. Opening it up is the project.
But opening up a 1930s bungalow is not the same as opening up a 1990s colonial. The walls in these homes are almost always plaster over wood lath. The framing is old-growth dimensional lumber that doesn't match modern sizing. The wiring may be original knob-and-tube or early Romex that needs updating. And the wall between the kitchen and dining room is often load-bearing, requiring careful engineering analysis, temporary support during construction, and a new beam system to carry the load once the wall is removed.
This is structural, technical work — and it's where a design-build firm provides the most value. We coordinate the architectural design, structural engineering, trade scheduling, and construction execution under one contract. Royal Oak homeowners don't need to hire an architect, then find an engineer, then bid the project to contractors. We handle all of it as one integrated team.
Royal Oak's lot sizes also shape what's possible. Most residential parcels are 50 to 60 feet wide, and the homes sit relatively close to the lot lines. Additions are feasible but require careful attention to the city's setback requirements and, in some cases, zoning variance approval. We evaluate these constraints during pre-construction before committing to a design direction that can't be built.
What We Build in Royal Oak
Reschka Design Build brings the same single-contract design-build approach to Royal Oak that we use across Oakland County — one team, one schedule, one accountability structure from design through construction.
Main-Floor Remodels — Starting at $120K
Kitchen-centered main-floor transformations where layout, flow, and structural integration matter. We open walls, improve circulation between kitchen and living areas, and manage the full scope from design through construction under one contract.
Custom Home Building — Starting at $700K
We build custom homes in Royal Oak and throughout Oakland County — on vacant lots, teardown sites, and select infill properties. Every custom home project starts with design-build planning that aligns architecture, budget, and site constraints before permitting begins.
OUR WORK NEAR ROYAL OAK
The projects below represent the type of character-home remodel work we deliver throughout Oakland County — thoughtful treatment of older construction, structural wall openings, and high-end finishes integrated into homes with architectural history.
What Royal Oak Clients Say
Hear from homeowners we've served in and around Royal Oak.
"I love how my new kitchen turned out. It's both elegant and functional, and the island is perfect for family gatherings. The entire process was smooth, and the attention to detail made all the difference."
Remodeling Investment in Royal Oak
| Service | Starting Investment |
|---|---|
| Main-Floor Remodel | $120K+ |
| Custom Home | $700K+ |
| Large Addition | $175K+ |
Royal Oak's older housing stock — plaster walls, original wiring, dimensional lumber framing, and compact lot sizes — can increase labor scope compared to newer construction. Homes from the 1920s through 1940s frequently reveal hidden conditions during demolition that must be addressed. Our pre-construction process includes thorough site investigation to identify these factors before construction pricing is finalized.
Building in Royal Oak: What You Should Know
Royal Oak operates its own Building Department through City Hall on Troy Street. The department processes residential permit applications on a rolling basis, and plan review for remodel scopes typically runs two to three weeks. Structural modifications — beam installations, load-bearing wall removals, and foundation work — require engineered drawings as part of the permit package.
Royal Oak's compact lot sizes mean that additions often require zoning variance approval for setback encroachments. The city's Zoning Board of Appeals meets regularly to hear variance requests, and the process typically adds four to six weeks to the pre-construction timeline. We evaluate setback constraints during the design phase and only pursue variance applications when the case is strong and the addition is well-designed relative to the neighborhood context.
The city does not have a formal historic district overlay across its residential neighborhoods, but Royal Oak's architectural character is well-established and the community has strong opinions about maintaining it. While there is no regulatory barrier to modernizing a bungalow's interior, exterior changes that dramatically alter the street-facing appearance of a home may face neighborhood scrutiny. We design with that context in mind. We handle the full permit and inspection coordination process as part of our pre-construction services.
Frequently Asked Questions — Royal Oak
How much does a main-floor remodel cost in Royal Oak, MI?
Main-floor remodels in Royal Oak typically start at $120,000 and reach $200,000 to $300,000 for projects involving structural wall openings, layout changes, and high-end finishes. Royal Oak's older housing stock — plaster walls, original wiring, and load-bearing wall conditions common in 1920s-1940s homes — can add scope that is identified and budgeted during pre-construction.
Can you open up the floor plan in a Royal Oak bungalow?
Yes — this is one of our most common project types. Opening the kitchen to the dining and living areas in a Royal Oak bungalow typically involves removing a load-bearing wall, installing a new beam system, and coordinating electrical and plumbing rerouting. The plaster walls and old-growth framing in these homes require experienced handling. We assess the structural conditions during pre-construction and design the beam work before any demolition begins.
Do you need a permit for a kitchen remodel in Royal Oak?
Yes, if the work involves structural changes, electrical upgrades, plumbing modifications, or HVAC work. The City of Royal Oak Building Department processes residential permits with typical plan review of two to three weeks. We handle the entire permit process as part of our pre-construction services.
Can you build an addition on a Royal Oak lot?
In many cases, yes — but Royal Oak's compact lot sizes (typically 50 to 60 feet wide) mean setback requirements must be carefully evaluated. Some additions require zoning variance approval, which adds four to six weeks to the pre-construction timeline. We evaluate feasibility during the design phase and only pursue additions that have a realistic path to approval.
How long does a remodel take in Royal Oak?
Most kitchen-centered main-floor remodels in Royal Oak run 12 to 20 weeks of active construction, following a pre-construction phase of 8 to 14 weeks. Older homes may require additional demolition investigation time. Total duration from initial consultation to completion is typically 6 to 9 months.
Serving Royal Oak from Troy
Our Troy office is approximately 15 minutes from Royal Oak, making site visits, design consultations, and project management coordination convenient throughout your build. We maintain active projects across Oakland County simultaneously, so Royal Oak homeowners benefit from the same team and trade relationships as every other community we serve.
Planning a Project in Royal Oak?
Tell us about your home and what you're hoping to accomplish. We'll determine whether it's a fit and outline what working together would look like.