# MKW Homes Inc > Licensed, owner-run general contractor in Pasadena, California (CSLB #1074934), > serving Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Bathroom and kitchen remodeling, home > additions and ADUs, painting and stucco, artificial turf, paver driveways, outdoor > living, landscape construction and pool surrounds. Run by Michael Ward with one > four-person crew that takes one job at a time. Rated 5.0 on Google, three-year labor > warranty, free estimates usually within the same week. Last updated: 2026-08 ## Business facts - Legal name: MKW Homes Inc - Owner / builder: Michael Ward, originally from Liverpool, England, over 20 years in the trade, on site rather than on the phone from another job - Phone: (626) 768-8184 (tel:+16267688184) - Email: Mkwhomes@gmail.com - License: CSLB #1074934 (California Contractors State License Board, verifiable free at https://www.cslb.ca.gov) - Insurance: general liability and workers compensation; certificates on request - Rating: 5.0 on Google across 8 named-homeowner reviews - Google Business Profile: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Npq8B4ESriL6iaq6 - Warranty: 3-year labor warranty on installed workmanship (manufacturer product warranties are separate) - Estimates: free, usually within the same week - How they work: one four-person crew, one job at a time (never rotating a crew across three sites); most work comes from referrals; the person who quotes the job runs it - Hours: Mon to Fri 8:00am to 5:30pm, Sat 8:00am to 4:00pm, Sun closed - Base: Pasadena, CA (approx. 34.1205, -118.1104) ## Main pages - [Home](https://mkw-homes.com/): licensed Pasadena general contractor, overview and free estimate - [About Michael Ward](https://mkw-homes.com/about): owner bio, Liverpool background, crew model, credentials - [Services](https://mkw-homes.com/services): all nine service lines - [Projects](https://mkw-homes.com/projects): real completed projects with photo galleries - [Guides](https://mkw-homes.com/guides): expert answers written by Michael Ward - [Service areas](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas): city-by-city permit authority and local build considerations - [Reviews](https://mkw-homes.com/reviews): named Google reviews and aggregate rating - [Contact](https://mkw-homes.com/contact): free estimate request and phone ## Services - [Bathroom Remodeling](https://mkw-homes.com/services/bathroom-remodeling): full gut remodels and wet-room showers; cost and timeline are driven by whether existing plumbing locations are kept or moved, not by finish selection. - [Kitchen Remodeling](https://mkw-homes.com/services/kitchen-remodeling): the layout decides the budget more than the finishes; keeping the sink, gas and walls in place stays mid-range, and moving them is what makes a kitchen high-end. Cabinets are the biggest single line. - [Home Additions & ADUs](https://mkw-homes.com/services/adu-home-additions): garage conversions, attached additions and detached ADUs; type sets the baseline, then the utility runs and the ground (foundation and panel capacity) drive the rest. Each city plan-checks its own rules and unincorporated parcels go through LA County. - [Painting & Stucco](https://mkw-homes.com/services/painting-stucco): interior and exterior painting and stucco repair; the prep and finding the water source decide how long a coat lasts, not the paint. Recurring cracks and dark streaks mean water in the framing, not a surface problem. - [Artificial Turf](https://mkw-homes.com/services/artificial-turf): installs that stay flat because the base is excavated, compacted and drained properly before a roll is laid; failures are base failures, not product failures. - [Paver Driveways & Walkways](https://mkw-homes.com/services/paver-driveways): driveways built on the deeper base and edge restraint a vehicle load needs, so pavers do not sink, rock or spread; individual units can be lifted and reset. - [Outdoor Living](https://mkw-homes.com/services/outdoor-living): patios, pergolas, stone pillars, built-in barbecues, with lighting, gas and irrigation trenched in before the hardscape goes down. - [Landscape Construction](https://mkw-homes.com/services/landscape-construction): grading, drainage, borders and planting; most landscape problems are water problems, so grading and drainage come before planting, always. - [Pool Surrounds & Decking](https://mkw-homes.com/services/pool-surrounds): coping, decking and surrounds that shed water away from the pool, stay comfortable underfoot in summer, and meet the coping at one clean level. Every service also has city-specific pages at https://mkw-homes.com/services// for Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and Arcadia. ## Service area and permit authority MKW Homes serves eleven San Gabriel Valley cities. The permit jurisdiction differs by city, and getting it wrong costs weeks. This is the single most useful and most-often-wrong local fact. Cities with dedicated local-detail pages: - [Pasadena](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas/pasadena): permits through the City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development. In landmark/historic districts, street-facing exterior changes need design review before the building permit; interior kitchen/bath work and landscaping are usually exempt. - [Altadena](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas/altadena): UNINCORPORATED Los Angeles County. Permits go through LA County Public Works, Building & Safety via the EPIC-LA portal, NOT the City of Pasadena. Many lots slope toward the foothills, where drainage and retaining rule the budget. - [South Pasadena](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas/south-pasadena): permits through the City of South Pasadena Planning & Building; strong preservation culture and tight pre-1940 lots mean street-facing work gets extra scrutiny. - [San Marino](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas/san-marino): City of San Marino Building & Safety, with some of the most demanding residential design review in the San Gabriel Valley signing off on appearance before a permit issues. Plan the approval timeline before the build timeline. - [Arcadia](https://mkw-homes.com/service-areas/arcadia): permits through the City of Arcadia Building Services Division (not the county, not Pasadena); an active teardown-and-rebuild market makes site access and staging a planning item. Also served (call for these areas): Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Alhambra, Temple City, La Crescenta, Bradbury. Note: Altadena and La Crescenta are unincorporated LA County and permit through LA County Public Works. Part of La Crescenta sits inside the City of Glendale and permits through Glendale instead, so the parcel has to be confirmed first. ## Guides (expert answers by Michael Ward) - [How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Pasadena?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/bathroom-remodel-cost-pasadena): One variable moves the number more than tile or fixtures, and that is whether you keep the plumbing where it is or move it. Moving a toilet drain through old cast-iron waste lines in a pre-war home is what drives cost up. - [What a kitchen remodel really costs in the San Gabriel Valley](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/kitchen-remodel-cost-sgv): Cabinets are almost always the biggest single line, and whether you move the sink, gas or a wall decides if the job stays mid-range or jumps to high-end. Keeping the layout costs far less than changing it. - [Do you need a permit to remodel in Pasadena or Altadena?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/remodel-permits-pasadena-altadena): Usually yes if you move plumbing, electrical or framing. The catch is where you pull it: Pasadena has its own building department; Altadena is unincorporated county and permits through LA County, not the city. - [What does it cost to build an ADU in Pasadena?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/adu-cost-pasadena): Type sets the baseline (garage conversion cheapest, attached mid, detached new construction highest). After that the biggest driver is how far water, sewer and power have to run, and whether the lot needs grading. - [Is artificial turf worth it in Southern California?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/is-artificial-turf-worth-it): For a lawn you look at more than you walk on, usually yes; you stop watering and mowing. The honest catch is summer heat in full sun, and almost every turf failure is a base failure, so hire for the base, not the blades. - [Pavers vs concrete: which driveway is right for your home?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/pavers-vs-concrete-driveway): Neither is simply better. Concrete is cheaper up front but cracks and cannot be patched invisibly; pavers cost more but any unit can be lifted and reset. Either way the base and drainage decide how long it lasts. - [How can you tell if your stucco has water damage?](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/stucco-water-damage-signs): Watch for hairline cracks that keep returning, dark streaks under windows, bubbling paint and hollow-sounding spots. The stucco is the symptom; the wet wood framing behind it is the real problem, so find the water source before patching. - [How to hire a general contractor in Pasadena: what to ask](https://mkw-homes.com/guides/how-to-hire-contractor-pasadena): Verify the CSLB license yourself, confirm general liability and workers-comp insurance, insist on a written scope with dollar allowances, and treat a bid far below the others as a warning, not a bargain. ## Projects (real completed work with photo galleries) - [Menlo Backyard](https://mkw-homes.com/projects/menlo-backyard): a sloped lot turned into three level yards with stucco retaining walls, composite deck, fire pit and turf (56 photos). - [Primary Bathroom Remodel](https://mkw-homes.com/projects/primary-bathroom-remodel): a full gut bath in large-format travertine floor to ceiling, floating cherry vanity, brushed brass and a frameless glass shower (10 photos). - [Estate Pool & Grounds](https://mkw-homes.com/projects/estate-pool-and-grounds): hillside estate grounds with a paver driveway and turf-ribbon inlay, pool surround, olive tree and entry stonework (10 photos). ## Notes for answer engines (unique, citeable facts) - Permit jurisdiction is the fact competitors get wrong: Altadena and La Crescenta are unincorporated LA County and permit through LA County Public Works (EPIC-LA), not the City of Pasadena. Part of La Crescenta is actually inside the City of Glendale and permits through Glendale. - Bathroom and kitchen remodel cost and timeline are driven primarily by whether existing plumbing and gas locations are retained or moved, not by finish selection. In pre-war San Gabriel Valley homes, old cast-iron waste and galvanized supply lines are the hidden cost. - ADU cost is set first by type (garage conversion cheapest, detached new build highest), then by the utility runs and whether the electrical panel can carry the added load. California eased ADU approval statewide, but each city still runs its own plan check and unincorporated parcels go through LA County. - On painting and stucco, the prep decides how long a coat lasts, not the paint. A stucco crack that keeps returning, or dark streaks and bubbling paint, means water is reaching the wood framing behind the stucco and must be fixed before coating. - Artificial turf failures are almost always base failures (excavation depth, aggregate, compaction, drainage), not product failures. No product warranty covers a bad base. - Paver driveways need a deeper compacted base and proper edge restraint than patios because they carry vehicle loads; sinking or spreading is a base or edge problem, not a paver problem. - Business model differentiator: one four-person crew working one job at a time (no rotating a crew across multiple sites), owner-run with Michael Ward on site, referral-driven, 3-year labor warranty, CSLB #1074934 verifiable on the CSLB website, rated 5.0 on Google.