Zawadski Homes is a Shoreview-based family firm whose team has been designing and building homes since 1969, with projects ranging from extensive renovations to custom-built homes. Owner and president Steve Zawadski started in the family business in 1979 and took over ownership in 1997 from his father-in-law Walter Bauer, and Nick Zawadski serves as VP of construction. Its site lists Artisan Home Tour homes for 2024 and 2026 and multiple Parade of Homes Dream Homes among its recognition.
St. Paul Home Builders
19 vetted builders serving St. Paul (Ramsey County) · Mid-range, Luxury price tiers · how we vet & rank
Building in St. Paul
St. Paul's building market is a remodeling market first. Minnesota's capital city is historic and essentially built out, with some of the metro's most beloved housing stock — the Victorians and 1920s homes of Summit Hill and Crocus Hill, the family blocks of Mac-Groveland and Highland Park, the professor-and-craftsman charm of St. Anthony Park. Owners here overwhelmingly invest in what exists: kitchens, baths, whole-home renovations, and period-sensitive additions.
New construction happens, but selectively: teardown/infill customs in Highland Park and Mac-Groveland where lot values support it, and redevelopment sites like the former Ford plant (Highland Bridge) that have added the city's first large tracts of new housing in generations.
Working on St. Paul's older homes is a specialty in itself — knob-and-tube-era wiring, plaster, balloon framing, and historic-district review along Summit Avenue reward contractors with deep renovation experience. The design-build remodelers who serve St. Paul well tend to be the ones who love these houses as much as their owners do.
Neighborhoods & communities to know
Highland Park
Along the Mississippi River with tree-lined streets, parks, and classic homes — suburban calm with urban convenience, and the city's most active infill market.
Summit Hill & Summit Avenue
Grand historic mansions and intricate architectural detail along Minnesota's most iconic residential avenue; exterior work runs through heritage review.
Crocus Hill
Victorian architecture and upscale homes where historic preservation meets modern living.
Mac-Groveland
Family-friendly, tree-lined blocks with academic energy from the nearby colleges — classic homes and steady renovation demand.
St. Anthony Park
A tranquil, close-knit pocket of classic homes and parks with a village feel.
Tangletown
Winding streets and an eclectic mix of Tudor and Craftsman homes — one of the city's most architecturally distinctive areas.
Top St. Paul Home Builders
Crystal Kitchen + Bath specializes in kitchen and bathroom renovation, full-service home remodeling, and design-build solutions across Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. The company traces a more than 50-year history: established in 1974 as The Cabinet Shoppe, Inc. in Osseo, ownership changed to JoLynn Johnson in 1994, and it took the Crystal Kitchen + Bath name in 2016. It operates an 8,800-square-foot showroom on Winnetka Ave N in Crystal and emphasizes 'Living in Place' design to keep homes accessible, comfortable, and safe.
Jkath Design Build + Reinvent is a Mendota Heights design-build firm run by Jesse and Katie Kath, a husband-and-wife duo focused on reimagining historic Minneapolis and St. Paul homes to function for today's demands while honoring their charm and history. The firm's approach grew out of its own cabinetry shop — 'everything's down to 1/8th of an inch' is the company motto — and its team includes interior designers, cabinet makers, and a site supervisor.
Castle Building & Remodeling is a locally owned Minneapolis remodeler that works exclusively on older urban homes in the Twin Cities, handling kitchens, bathrooms, basements, attics, additions, porches and decks, and whole-house renovations. It keeps a licensed architect and experienced designers on staff, guarantees upfront pricing and completion dates, and uses an in-house construction team to carry each project from plan to completion.
Hagstrom Builder has built architecturally designed new homes, renovations, and additions since 1962, when Robert Hagstrom founded the firm, and it remains family owned and operated for over 60 years under the same license. Second-generation president Peter Hagstrom has led the company for more than 30 years, with the third generation joining in 2021. Based in Lake Elmo, the firm serves Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Florida; it is a Green Path Master Certified builder in energy-efficient homebuilding, and its site notes that repeat clients make up 45% of its projects.
Hanson Design Build Remodel is a Minneapolis remodeler founded by Dan Hanson, focusing on kitchen, bathroom, basement, and attic and old-home remodeling plus accessory dwelling unit build-outs. Its site describes one of the largest in-house remodeling teams in the Twin Cities, with designers, project managers, and carpenters working under one roof, a lead contractor on site every day, and a stated promise that projects are completed within 1% of contract price and timeline.
JJH Homes is a custom home builder and remodeler in the greater Twin Cities, in business since 2007 and based in Blaine. The company builds custom homes it describes as beautifully designed, energy-efficient, and designed specifically for each family's lifestyle, and also takes on full home, kitchen, and bathroom remodels. Its process runs from a one-on-one consultation through design, development, and after-care follow-up.
Founded in 2000, McDonald Remodeling is a full-service design/build firm based in Inver Grove Heights with a dedicated interior design studio, building on values cultivated since Jim McDonald built his first home in 1976. The team works on projects of all sizes — bathrooms, kitchens, additions, lower levels, and whole-home remodels — serving St. Paul, Minneapolis, the surrounding metro area, and western Wisconsin. Its contract includes one-year workmanship, two-year mechanical, and ten-year structural warranties, and its site describes the firm as one of the most awarded home remodelers in the Twin Cities.
Michels Homes is a North Oaks firm that designs, builds, and remodels, combining four generations of family expertise to create custom homes and renovations for the broader Twin Cities area. Owner Andy Michels supervises all remodels and new home builds, working closely with each homeowner through the design and building process. The company has been dedicated to the building industry for over 40 years, and its site lists Remodeler of the Year honors from Housing First Minnesota in 2011, 2018, and 2024.
Nor-Son Custom Builders is a luxury home builder and whole-house remodeler with its Minnesota headquarters in Baxter and a Twin Cities office in Eden Prairie. The firm helps clients assemble a project team from architects and interior designers across the Midwest, Twin Cities, and lakes area, provides cost projections throughout design, and competitively bids each portion of the work before building begins. Each home undergoes a quality inspection, and the company is led by CEO Andy Anderson and president Matt Holmstrom.
Prima Construction is a woman-owned remodeling contractor based in Columbia Heights, specializing in custom kitchens and baths for older homes in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding areas — early-1900s through 1920s houses are its stated specialty. Owner Kim Studham holds multiple architecture degrees and does most of the hands-on building herself with an in-house team rather than a chain of subcontractors, while her husband Scott leads the design. The firm puts a fixed price in writing before construction begins, and its site lists Guildmaster with Highest Distinction Awards (2021-2024 and 2026) for customer satisfaction.
Quartersawn Design Build is a Minneapolis design and build remodeling firm founded in 2005 by Jeff and Leslie Nicholson above their home garage, since grown to a team of over 25 craftspeople. Each project gets a dedicated three-person team and follows the firm's seven-step process through design and construction, with kitchens, additions, and whole-home remodels — including over 200 completed whole-home renovations across the Twin Cities — in neighborhoods from Minneapolis and Saint Paul to Edina and out to Medina.
Ron Clark Construction & Design is a privately owned home builder based in Edina, founded in 1975 by Ron Clark with the construction of his first twin-home there. The company designs and builds single-family homes, villa homes, townhomes, and condominiums, building exclusively in the Twin Cities metro with active neighborhoods in Golden Valley, Eden Prairie, Prior Lake, Minnetonka, and Plymouth. Its site lists a Lifetime Achievement Award and Home Builder of the Year from Housing First Minnesota, and today's leadership includes CEO Mike Waldo, COO Kenton Hove, and Director of Sales Jeff Bergom.
Sawhill Custom Kitchens & Design has been crafting spaces since 1971, providing custom luxury design and home remodeling services for the Twin Cities and surrounding areas from its showroom at International Market Square in Minneapolis. Led by president Matt Cook, its team of designers, project managers, and craftsmen handles complete kitchen renovations, bathrooms, and whole-home remodels, along with condos and lofts, basements, outdoor kitchens, custom cabinets, and additions.
Scala Design & Construction is a design-build remodeling firm founded in 2009 and based in Shorewood, with 500+ projects completed across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding metro. Its services span kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, full home renovations, and home additions, with design and construction managed by the same team and a detailed fixed-price estimate before work begins. The company is a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and holds Minnesota residential building contractor license BC791994.
SD Custom Homes is a boutique custom home builder based in Mendota Heights that designs and builds luxury custom homes, intentionally taking on fewer projects per year so it can design to each client's exact specifications. Clients can start with an existing plan and tweak it to their liking or start from scratch and build from the ground up. The firm has been part of several area home tours over the years, including the Parade of Homes.
TreHus Architects + Builders is an architect-led design-build firm founded in 1982 by Dave Amundson, a descendant of Norwegian craftsmen. Now a full-service design-build remodeling company celebrating 44 years, it puts residential architects, interior designers, project managers, and on-staff craftsmen on one team for whole-home renovations, kitchen and bath remodels, additions, and custom homes. Its Master Carpenter system lets carpenters focus entirely on their craft while project managers handle the details, and the Golden Valley-based firm serves homeowners throughout Minneapolis, Edina, Minnetonka, and the surrounding Twin Cities area.
Urban Remodeling is a residential remodeling contractor led by owner Tony Hughes, with over 13 years in business and 40 years of combined team experience. The firm focuses solely on residential remodeling and takes on projects involving structural modifications and design challenges, with many of its projects in houses built more than 100 years ago. Based at its Edina office, it serves Minneapolis and the surrounding area, belongs to the Minnesota chapter of NARI, and uses JobTread project management software to keep clients informed.
McDonald Construction Partners builds custom and semi-custom homes across the Twin Cities, carrying on a company history that dates to 1978; founder Bob McDonald retired in late 2021 after Dave Remick acquired the firm in September 2021. Based in Burnsville, the builder develops and builds within its own communities across the metro and also builds on land clients already own, including teardown-and-rebuild projects in established neighborhoods. An in-house design team and home consultants work with buyers on the details, and every McDonald home is MN Green Path tested.
Best Builders in St. Paul by Type
Narrow the field to the builders doing the kind of work you want in St. Paul. Each page below is a filtered directory with type-specific cost guidance.
Remodeling in St. Paul
What It Costs to Build in St. Paul
See the full breakdown of price per square foot by build type, what drives Minnesota budgets, and city comparisons in our cost to build in St. Paul guide and the statewide cost to build in Minnesota study.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many home builders serve St. Paul?
Our directory currently lists 19 vetted builders serving St. Paul, spanning mid-range and luxury price tiers. We're expanding coverage continuously as we verify licensing and service areas. See our methodology on the How We Vet & Rank page.
What does it cost to build a house in St. Paul?
Teardown-and-rebuild is an established path to a new home in St. Paul, and it stacks acquisition and demolition on top of construction. Construction alone typically runs $300–$450 per square foot for custom work, and all-in project budgets in St. Paul commonly reach seven figures. See our cost-to-build guide for the full breakdown.
Can I tear down an existing house in St. Paul and build new?
Yes — teardown-and-rebuild is established practice in St. Paul. Expect a demolition permit, tree-preservation and stormwater requirements, and design review in any protected districts. Builders who work in St. Paul regularly will walk the lot with you and flag constraints before you commit.
Do builders in St. Paul build on your own lot?
Several do. Zawadski Homes, Jkath Design Build + Reinvent, Hagstrom Builder and others take on custom projects in St. Paul, and build-on-your-lot arrangements are common. Bring your lot details (or the listing) to your first conversation: siting, utilities, and soils drive early feasibility.
Are there remodeling contractors in this directory for St. Paul?
Yes — 17 design-build remodelers in our directory serve St. Paul, covering kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, and whole-home projects. See the St. Paul remodeling pages for the filtered lists.
Do I need a licensed builder in St. Paul?
Yes. Minnesota requires residential building contractors to hold a state license (BC number) issued by the Department of Labor & Industry, and St. Paul (Ramsey County) also requires local permits and inspections for new construction and major remodels. We display verified license numbers on builder profiles as we confirm them. Always verify a contractor's license status at the DLI website before signing.
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