Design‑led home renovations in Vancouver
Little Star Renovations provides thoughtful, fixed‑price design‑build renovations for Vancouver homeowners who care about quality, clarity, and long‑term value.
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Renovations infused by your vision and story
Little Star Renovations helps Vancouver homeowners stay in the homes they love, with renovations tailored to match how they live. We listen first, then design a fixed‑price renovation plan that fits your space, your goals, and your budget.
Our team combines creative design, meticulous project management, and a fixed‑price model that removes guesswork. The heavy lifting happens up front in design, so construction runs smoother, decisions are easier, and you always know what you’re getting for your investment.
Renovation services for every part of your Vancouver home
Little Star Renovations specializes in design‑build renovations across Vancouver, from full home transformations, to structural additions, to highly detailed kitchen and bathroom remodels.
Full home design‑build renovations
Kitchen renovations
Bathroom renovations
Basement renovations
Home additions and structural alterations
Character house renovations
Condos, apartments, and lofts
Decks & outdoor living
Residential design services
General contracting / project management
Building permit submissions
Why Vancouver homeowners choose Little Star Renovations
When you’re comparing a home renovation contractor in Vancouver, the differences are often hidden in the process, not the pretty photos.
Here’s what sets us apart:
We don’t figure it out as we go; we design before we build. We also don’t want you to fall in love with a plan and then discover it’s wildly off-budget. We design with real costs in mind, aligning your wish list with your budget. This is made possible thanks to our cross-disciplinary team, collaborating together under one roof.
Let's face it, parting with a massive amount of your hard-earned money is the most difficult part of renovating, and that stress is only exacerbated when you don't know where the final price will land. Our fixed‑price model gives you a detailed scope of work and clear pricing before construction starts. You can see what’s included, where you can adjust features, and what the plan costs. Renovations still come with unknowns (sometimes walls keep secrets), so change orders can happen — but our goal is to uncover as much as possible during design, not mid‑construction. And when something does come up, we talk it through, price it clearly, and decide together before moving forward.
Payments are linked to defined stages of work, not vague timelines. You see progress, then pay. It keeps everyone accountable and gives you transparency. This is different from the industry-standard cost-plus model, where you’re paying every couple of weeks even if progress stalls. It gives you more control.
When budget and vision don’t match, we’d rather ask, “How can we make this work?” We rethink layouts, phases, and finishes to find smart compromises that still feel like you. This happens pre‑construction, so the hard conversations happen early — and the build tends to run a lot smoother.
From start to finish, you’ll have a dedicated project manager overseeing your renovation — handling the day‑to‑day details, coordination, and communication, so fewer things slip through the cracks. You’ll get regular updates and easy access to key information through our BuilderTrend portal, including a calendar view of the process. The schedule is a best estimate (renovations sometimes veer off course), but it still helps you see what’s coming. BuilderTrend also keeps finances, invoices, and change orders organized in one place, so it’s easier to stay in the loop.
Your goals shape the decisions — whether you’re settling in for the long haul or renovating with resale in mind. We take time to understand what matters most to you and adapt our process to fit. Some clients want family‑friendly, future‑proof plans; others are focused on making smart updates without overbuilding. Either way, we aim to earn your trust by doing what we said we’d do, communicating clearly, and being good people to have in your home.
If you’re looking for a Vancouver renovation company that values honesty, clarity, and design as much as you do, you’re in the right place.
My renovation is well underway and I can't say enough about how great it has been to work with Little Star. Patty and Pip have been a joy to work with on the design plans. They are knowledgeable, have fantastic ideas, and are incredibly patient as we went through many changes. The team has always been respectful of my budget and their advice on where to spend or save is invaluable. Sam and their entire team are very responsive to any issues and I always know where we're at in terms of construction. I highly recommend Little Star and their entire team.
We just recently completed our second floor deck extension project. The Little Star team were great to work with from beginning to end. The start of the project had to be delayed by 3 months due to an unexpected personal health matter, but Jobie and his team were very understanding, supportive, and caring throughout. Sam, our project manager, was always in communication and the quality of their work including the sub-trades they used was high. The whole family loves the finished deck and we’re grateful to the entire Little Star team.
We hired Little Star in Fall 2018 to undertake a full bathroom, living room, and kitchen renovation of our 1980's vintage townhome in North Van. This was our first foray into home renovations and our emotions ran the gamut: excited, scared, unsure what to expect! From our first meeting with Jobie, we knew we were making the right choice. We felt respected, listened to, and genuine excitement for the vision we had for our space. Early on, Pip and Patty helped us turn our vision into a detailed concept and design that worked with our budget. The collaborative and personal approach to this process was great. Once things got underway, our project had its usual share of ups-and-downs that we learned come with every renovation. Throughout, our project manager, Sam, was very professional and did an excellent job keeping things moving. He was extremely responsive and did a great job keeping us appraised of the work and what we could expect week-to-week. The finished product has lived up to our expectations – and more! We love our new airy, clean and bright kitchen, bathroom and living room. We wouldn’t hesitate to hire Jobie and his team again.
Our renovation process: from concept to creation
Renovating is disruptive. It can feel like a second full‑time job — and sometimes it just kind of sucks. Our process is built to reduce stress, surprises, and decision fatigue, and to keep you feeling looked after along the way.
Still have questions?
We visit your home (or connect virtually), listen to your story, and talk through goals, budget, and timeline. We’ll also be honest about what’s realistic in the current Vancouver renovation market.
Before any plans are finalized, we dig in with a thorough "discovery" phase. This means site visits where our team pokes around, opens up access panels, and investigates the existing conditions of your home — looking for those potential gotchas that could turn into surprise costs later. Our goal is to uncover as much as possible up front, so you can make confident decisions and reduce costly change orders down the road. With a clearer picture of your space, our design team develops floor plans, layouts, and material selections tailored to your vision and how you live. Meanwhile, we’re pricing options and value-engineering from the outset, making sure your wish list and budget stay aligned every step of the way.
Once the design is dialed in, we create a detailed, line‑by‑line scope of work and a fixed price. You'll be able to see where exactly you can revise your decisions to massage the final price. You’ll know exactly what’s included, what’s excluded, and where you have room to flex. This detailed scope also allows our sub-trades to quote more accurately, and reduce buffer/contingency costs.
We coordinate trades, inspections, and schedules, handling the day‑to‑day details. You stay informed through regular check‑ins and the BuilderTrend portal, without having to manage the process yourself. (Also: we know it’s your home. We’re respectful, tidy, and friendly — including with pets.)
We walk the project with you, create a list of any final touch‑ups, and stand behind our workmanship and manufacturer warranties. We also check in after you’ve lived in the space — because long‑term relationships matter more than quick handoffs.
The result: a home renovation experience that feels organized, predictable, and respectful of your time & budget.
See what’s possible
From full home renovation projects in East Vancouver to kitchen and bathroom remodels in North Vancouver and condo makeovers downtown, we’ve helped homeowners transform almost every type of space.
A small team with big ideas – and 20+ years of experience
Little Star Renovations started as a one‑person operation with a tour van, some bandmates as tradespeople, and a lot of trial and error. Founder Jobie Mallett grew up in a creative home — with an architect‑inventor father and a painter mother — and brought that same blend of creativity and grit into the renovation world.
Early on, Jobie saw the same story play out over and over: a homeowner and contractor start out excited, then budget drifts, expectations split, and by the end the homeowner just wants the contractor out of their home. Usually it comes down to misunderstanding — between what’s imagined, what’s priced, and what actually gets built.
That’s what pushed Little Star from back‑of‑the‑napkin ideas to a full in‑house design team and a process built around clarity: design before build, fixed‑price agreements, detailed scopes of work, and milestone payments tied to progress. The goal isn’t to “win the job”, it’s to earn a client for life, do right by their home, and be the kind of contractor you’d be happy to run into on the street.
