The kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most important spaces in any residence; it is the heart of a home. A kitchen is where a family spends the most time together—cooking, dining, socializing, and developing relationships. A well-designed kitchen should be warm, spacious, and welcoming and have an efficient layout. The state of a kitchen reflects the overall maintenance, condition, and ambiance of a home. A sleek countertop, well-designed and ample cupboards, and strategically placed appliances transform a kitchen into a space that is both comfortable and functional.
Our editorial team has put together a list of the best kitchen remodeling contractors working in Santa Barbara, California. These companies were selected for their expertise with multifamily projects, exposure in the media, their years in business, and their relevant awards.
Allen Construction
201 N Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Allen Construction started out as a small, homegrown firm in Santa Barbara in 1983. Under the leadership of its founder, Dennis Allen, the company has become one of the country’s elite builders in luxury custom home construction and remodeling. Today, the firm operates as an employee-owned business and serves the great Santa Barbara area. The firm is guided by the core values of relationship building, confidence, conscious learning, and a do-what-you-say attitude.
Upholding these values continues to win the firm major awards, including 2020’s Best of Santa Barbara Award, the 2020 Central Coast Green Building Council (CCGBC) Green Homes Honor Award, the Green Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, the Santa Barbara Beautiful Golden Leaf Award, the 2017 National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) National Historical Award, and the 2022 Best of Santa Barbara award. The firm has been ranked No. 19 by Remodeling 550 and its work has been featured in the Pacific Coast Business Times.
Inspired by a vision of sustainability, the company is an active participant in the region’s green building movement. In recent years, it has won multiple green building awards from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The firm’s portfolio is the result of nearly four decades of detail-oriented workmanship and close customer relationships.
In the featured project, the original space needed an update in functionality and interior design. The entire area was renovated with a new dining layout, cabinets, and finishes. The project team successfully transformed the old kitchen into a practical space that now features a mix of both classic and modern elements.
DD Ford Construction
303 Palm Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Renovation, custom remodels, finish carpentry, and maintenance work are all included in DD Ford Construction’s scope of services for the residential and commercial sectors. The firm serves the Santa Barbara area and provides a comprehensive approach to every project they take on, from conceptualization to construction to completion. The delivery method is a product of its over 40 years of multi-awarded practice. The same approach helped the firm earn the 2020 Residential Interior Over $300,000 Chrysalis National Award as well as land its rank among Remodeling Magazine’s 2019 Remodeling 550 listing. Other recognitions in historic renovation, remodeling, and residential construction provide a sense of the firm’s range as a residential general contractor.
An example of a project that exemplifies its quality as a builder was an interior remodeling project that won the 2022 Regional Chrysalis Award. The company was commissioned to transform a dilapidated structure into an ocean-front oasis. The design and build team set out to correct the flow of the interior floor plan, fix the exterior elevations, consider a new landscape plan, and ultimately rebuild the home from the inside out.
Projects General Construction, Inc
21 E Carrilo Street, Suite #190, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Female empowerment is the cornerstone of how Projects General Construction operates. As a female-owned and operated business, this contractor is a distinct entity in the construction industry. Serving Santa Barbara’s home remodeling needs since 2006, the contractor is known for its striking remodels and residential projects.
Recognizing the importance of representing a home, this firm gives full care and attention to every project. From the initial meeting, the team in Projects General Construction works closely with every client down to the minute details. This result is maximum efficiency and minimum disruption. One such project is the company’s kitchen and bath remodel in Santa Barbara. The black granite ties in beautifully with the concrete black and white tiles and the white shaker-style cabinetry and subway tile backsplash. A spot of color on the new Santa Barbara door lets a little of the outdoors in.
Projects General Construction has thrived in the industry thanks to projects like these. This year, the firm was honored with the Women in Construction Award. The Santa Barbara Contractor’s Association (SBCA) accredited firm was also featured in issues of Food and Home Magazine, the Santa Barbara News-Press, and Santa Barbara Magazine.
Castle construction of Santa Barbara
22 W Calle Laureles, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Known for its impressive network of material and furniture suppliers, Castle construction can tweak any home and room to bring the best out of any residential space. The firm has a knack for full-scale kitchen and bathroom remodels with fixtures expertly crafted by workers around Santa Barbara. Founder Jason Tapia has collaborated with local craftsmen since 1999, believing in the quality of their work.
Recognizing that each client and project is unique, Castle construction takes its clients to its local boutique-style showroom to help focus a concrete conversation about the customers’ vision. The showroom showcases a multitude of kitchen fixtures e curated with the firm’s business partner, Creative Kitchen Spaces. The firm also creates custom cabinets and provides basic carpentry with workers from Crystal Cabinet Works, Showplace Cabinetry, and Waypoint Living Spaces. It also provides houses with sleek countertops made out of granite, quartz, and marble sourced from Cambria and Caesarstone.
Giffin & Crane General Contractors LLC
800 N Milpas Street, Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Building with Giffin and Crane means adhering to a specific set of five steps during their planning stage—which the founders find minimizes surprises during the construction phase. The five-point steps include the Conceptual Estimate, the Preliminary Estimate in which the firm categorizes job aspects, the Scope of Work, the Agreement stage (also the start of construction), and the Project Completion.
Giffin and Crane, co-founded by Geoff Crane and Bruce Giffin, is a design-build and general contracting firm serving the neighborhoods of Carpinteria, Goleta, Mission Canyon, Montecito, and Santa Barbara. The firm offers custom home creation, general contracting, home additions, and renovation. The firm also offers its clients the option to “go green” and live in environmentally responsible homes.
The firm has worked on more than 3,000 projects, and many of its residential builds combine contemporary and Mediterranean design aesthetics. Their work has brought them several awards, including the Custom Home Pacesetter Award and the Santa Barbara Beautiful Award. They are members of the Santa Barbara Contracting Association, the Chamber of the Santa Barbara Region, AIA Santa Barbara, and the Home Builders Association.
Caldwell Construction
1005 E De La Guerra, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Caldwell Construction’s attention to detail stems from owner Sean Caldwell. He has years of experience in all aspects of the carpentry trade—everything from commercial construction to high-end residential building projects. He started in the industry at the age of 13, working summers for his father as an apprentice carpenter, then doing his formal training and indentureship in the Carpenter’s Union with further training at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He acquired the coveted Red Seal certification from the Canadian Government which is recognized worldwide.
Sean has now been a part of many projects in several countries, from 70-story buildings in Downtown Vancouver B.C., high-end residential remodels in Sydney, Australia, an LRT project in Puerto Rico, and multiple high-end residential projects around Santa Barbara County. Today, he leads Caldwell Construction in sprucing up homes all over the Santa Barbara country area, with projects currently from Arroyo Grande to Carpinteria.
Leonard Unander Associates, Inc.
1328 De La Vina Street, Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Leonard Unander Associates is a prolific, high-end residential builder in Santa Barbara. The firm, managed by a family of intergenerational builders since 1977, has overseen projects ranging from modern-styled homes to classic Santa Barbara Spanish estates and ranches.
The Unandar builders feel that their craftsmanship, smooth construction planning process, and attention to detail have allowed them to reach the level of prominence that they have today. The firm has won two Santa Barbara Beautiful Awards—usually given to public and private projects that enhance the community. One was for a project in the Single Family-Large Category, and then there was the Santa Barbara Beautiful Award in 2009.
The firm offers full-service residential project management to their clients, everything from pre-construction to post-completion, with green building options for waste and water management, as well as home maintenance services. Santa Ynez Valley, Food & Home, Pacific Houses, 100 Houses, Architectural Digest, Luxury Home, Montecito Journal, and SB Digs have all featured the firm’s work.
Holehouse Construction Company
818 Reddick Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Based in Santa Barbara, Holehouse Construction Company is a family-owned construction firm specializing in new homes, remodeling, and commercial construction. The firm was established in 1983 by John Holehouse and his father. With a long history of experience and competence spanning two generations, the firm has earned Santa Barbara’s trust by guaranteeing that every project will exceed the client’s initial expectations. The firm has been honored with several awards from various professional organizations, including spending four years as “Builder of the Year” as recognized by the Santa Barbara Contractor’s Association.
Holehouse Construction Company values clear communication, consistency, and creativity and provides a unique remodeling experience for every client. The firm ensures quality service through a dedicated team of experts who are focused on addressing the client’s needs for every project. Over 39 years later, the firm has a positive reputation throughout the region. The firm consistently stays true to its goal of prioritizing building relationships, pursuing excellence, and implementing sustainable building practices as a member of Built Green Santa Barbara.
Jack ‘N Tool Box, Inc.
520 Laguna Street, #B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Jack ‘N Tool Box is a licensed, full-service building contractor serving Santa Barbara and the Tri-Counties. Although it started by providing maintenance and repair services in 1987, it has steadily grown into a powerhouse of construction services. Today, the award-winning company performs all facets of residential and commercial building construction.
The contractor specializes in the traditional style of construction, as you can see in its Foothill Remodel project. The large two-story farmhouse in Santa Barbara features a large, open porch and pointed roofs. It also uses traditional wood in both interiors and exteriors.
Jack ‘N Tool Box maintains a wide range of professional memberships that include the Santa Barbara Contractor’s Association (SBCA), the Association of Construction Inspectors, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, and the Santa Barbara Better Business Bureau. It also holds the Builder’s Choice Award for Townhomes.
Litchfield Builders
1187 Coast Village Road, Suite #757, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Reputable, award-winning, and tenaciously committed to its craft, Litchfield Builders is exceptional in every way. The firm has provided quality construction services to Connecticut for over two decades, delivering its expertise with equal parts warm courtesy and cold-eyed practicality. Litchfield has won multiple awards for home remodeling and renovation.
One of the firm’s striking projects is this traditional-style kitchen that features pops of blue in the furniture and fixtures, including the island cabinets and dining chairs. Litchfield put together a seamless design that complements the subtle blue hints of color.
Apart from residential construction services, Litchfield Builders also works on commercial projects. Past projects include renovations and additions for libraries, colleges, and restaurants. Litchfield Builders has also appeared in publications such as Business New Haven and Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in America.
R.J. Spann
232 Cottage Grove Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
R.J. Spann is defined by its close collaboration with all of its clients and its eagerness to explore the new opportunities for craftsmanship each new project brings. The firm has carefully developed its work process during its 39 years of service within the city and continues to perfect its general construction services. The firm is staffed by a team of dedicated professionals that brings a tremendous knowledge base to every project. R.J. Spann’s mission is to shape homes based on the unique needs of its clients while staying on schedule and within budget.
This kitchen renovation is a product of the firm’s excellent value and functionality additions, space adjustments, and style enhancement abilities. The cabinetry, countertops, and island were redesigned for a more functional arrangement with enough lighting to make the area more practical and appealing. The space was transformed into an elegant and cozy kitchen with wooden accents, a marble backsplash, and exposed wooden beams, all coming together to frame the stunning bay window.
McKean Construction
533 Olive Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
There are a number of reasons why McKean Construction’s stunning custom home builds and remodels have caught the eye of esteemed architecture magazines and organizations. For more than 20 years, McKean has offered quality residential construction, addition, and renovation projects to Santa Barbara county. The company also boasts an eclectic array of building styles that help homes stand out. And while it can create homes in any style, the firm specializes in Cape Cod, Victorian, Spanish, and contemporary abodes. Many of the homes they’ve worked on have been featured in Design LA, Dwell Magazine, Residential Design Magazine, and The Architect Tours of 2012 of Santa Barbara.
Founder Aaron McKean relies on his 35 years of experience in the industry as he continues to the team to new heights. Aaron has also developed a network of local subcontractors and vendors who continue to work with him to this day. A well-respected member of the industry, Aaron has served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Barbara Contractors Association. The firm also works closely with Built Green Santa Barbara, a non-profit organization that aims to introduce environment-friendly architecture to the community.
