Home additions, kitchen remodels, and ADUs — built right.
A licensed Marin general contractor with 36 permitted projects on record — mostly kitchen remodels and home additions, plus ADUs, decks, and windows. BuildZoom score 103, in the top 10% of California licensed contractors.
Based in San Rafael, working across Marin County — Mill Valley, Kentfield, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Novato, and Belvedere.
What we build
Kitchen remodels
Full kitchen remodels — layout changes, cabinets, counters, plumbing, and electrical. Our most common job on the permit record.
Planning range: $500–$900 / sq ft
Home additions
Second stories, ground-floor additions, and reworked entries. Recent additions on record at $300,000–$415,000 in Kentfield.
Planning range: $350–$550 / sq ft
ADUs
Attached and detached accessory dwelling units — second-story ADUs, garage conversions, and new two-story units. Permits, plans, and build under one roof.
Planning range: $400–$600 / sq ft
Bathroom remodels
Full bathroom rebuilds — showers, tubs, tile, vanities, and the plumbing and electrical behind them.
Planning range: $600–$1,100 / sq ft
Decks & outdoor living
Decks, trellises, and outdoor spaces — including decks paired with ADU and addition work.
Planning range: $70–$120 / sq ft
Windows & whole-home remodels
Window replacements, main-floor remodels, and second units — the smaller jobs and the big ones, permitted and finished.
Priced after a site visit
Planning ranges come from 2026 Marin cost data, checked against Gary Giesen's own public permit record — recent additions at $300,000–$415,000, ADUs at $175,000–$415,000, typical permit around $35,000. Hillside lots, fire zones, and the age of the house move the number. Every real price comes after a site visit.
Project cost estimator
Pick a project, a size, and the condition of the home. The total is the sum of the line items — nothing hidden.
Floor area of the project. A typical kitchen is 150–250 sq ft; a typical addition is 400–800 sq ft.
Your planning estimate
$100,000–$180,000
Planning range, not a quote. Permits, hillside access, and the condition of the existing structure are priced after a visit. Try it: a 200 sq ft kitchen in good shape plans at $100,000–$180,000.
Kitchen vs. addition vs. ADU
| Project | Best for | What drives the cost | Planning range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | A kitchen that works the way you cook — new layout, cabinets, and appliances without moving. | Cabinets, counters, and appliances; moving plumbing or walls adds structural cost. | $500–$900 / sq ft |
| Home addition | Growing the house instead of moving — a second story, a new bedroom, or a reworked entry. | Foundation and framing, roof tie-in, and Marin hillside access. Permits take months. | $350–$550 / sq ft |
| ADU | Rental income, family housing, or a home office — a legal second unit on your lot. | Utilities, foundation, and Marin's ADU rules. Attached ADUs cost less than detached. | $400–$600 / sq ft |
The permit record is the honest resume here — see About Us for what 36 permitted projects actually looks like.
Recent permitted work
From public building-permit records (via BuildZoom). No reviews have been published for this business — the permit record is what we can show, and it is all real.
2nd-story ADU + deck & trellis
Kentfield, 2025 — $415,000 valuation. Permit issued.
Remodel & addition
Kentfield, 2023 — $300,000 valuation. Reworked entry, conversion, decks, storage.
ADU + pool decking
Belvedere, 2024 — permit final. ADU with pool decking, paper plans.
Kitchen addition
Larkspur, 2026 — permit final. Interior kitchen addition, window and slider work.
Main-floor remodel + 2nd unit
San Anselmo, 2025 — permit issued. Main floor remodel with an upstairs second unit.
New 2-story ADU
Novato, 2016 — $175,000 valuation. New accessory dwelling in a wildfire zone.
Guides: additions, ADUs & kitchen costs in Marin
Short summaries of the three guides we publish for Marin homeowners. Each will become its own full guide page when the blog is added.
How much does a home addition cost in Marin?
In 2026, Marin additions typically plan at $350–$550 per square foot. A 600 sq ft addition plans at $210,000–$330,000 before structural extras — and the permit record backs it up: recent Kentfield additions ran $300,000–$415,000. Hillside lots and fire-zone requirements push the number up; the permit alone takes months.
ADUs in Marin: what the permit record shows
ADUs are a real part of this business: a second-story ADU in Kentfield (2025, $415,000), an ADU with pool decking in Belvedere (2024), and a new two-story ADU in Novato (2016, $175,000). Planning range is $400–$600 per square foot. Attached ADUs cost less than detached; utilities and Marin's ADU rules set the timeline.
Kitchen remodel cost in Marin
A full Marin kitchen remodel typically plans at $500–$900 per square foot — a 200 sq ft kitchen at $100,000–$180,000. Cabinets, counters, and appliances are the cost drivers; moving plumbing or a wall adds structural cost. Kitchens are the most common job on this permit record, three in the last four years.
Frequently asked questions
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Gary W. Giesen General Contractor, Inc. holds California CSLB license #438822 for General Building, verified active, with a $15,000 bond and workers' compensation insurance. You can check the license any time with the Contractors State License Board.
How do I get a price?
Call (415) 999-0276 or send the contact form. We set up a site visit, look at the house and the scope, and give you a written price — not a guess from photos.
Do you handle permits?
Yes — permits are part of the job. The public record shows 36 permitted projects, from kitchen remodels to second-story ADUs. Permit timelines in Marin run months, and the schedule we give you accounts for that.
How long does a project take?
A kitchen remodel is typically 6–12 weeks of construction. An addition is usually 4–8 months. An ADU is typically 6–12 months including permits. The site visit sets the real schedule for your home.
Do you build ADUs?
Yes — attached and detached ADUs, including second-story units. The permit record shows ADU work in Kentfield, Belvedere, and Novato. Bring the lot and the goal; we will walk through what Marin's rules allow.
Where do you work?
Marin County — San Rafael, Mill Valley, Kentfield, Belvedere, Tiburon, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Novato, and Sausalito — plus San Francisco. The permit record shows work in all of those towns.
Request a consultation or call (415) 999-0276.