Kerman sits about 15 miles west of Fresno where Highways 180 and 145 cross, roughly 30 minutes from our shop in light traffic. It began around 1891 as Collis, a water stop on a Southern Pacific line, took its current name in 1906 from investors William Kerckhoff and Jacob Mansar, and incorporated in 1946. Those two investors were drawn by water from the Enterprise Canal, fed by the Kings River, and marketed the land to Scandinavian and German settlers in the Midwest.

A city that grew from the 1980s on

The population was about 4,000 in 1980 and about 16,000 at the 2020 census, with the city adding about 1,400 residents in the 1980s, about 3,100 in the 1990s, and about 5,000 in the 2000s. Its median home dates to about 1993 in Census estimates, and the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s together produced about 62 percent of today’s housing. Only about a quarter of homes predate 1980, and about half are owner-occupied.

That growth pattern means most kitchens and bathrooms here date from those three decades and were built with the materials of their time, from oak cabinets to fiberglass tub surrounds. Few homes have the plaster and cast iron of a pre-war house, but many have reached the point where builder-grade finishes and fixtures are wearing out together.

What that means inside the house

1980s and 1990s homes

Nearly 4 in 10 homes come from these two decades. Look for oak cabinets, tile or laminate counters, cultured-marble vanity tops, fiberglass tub surrounds, and builder-grade fixtures nearing the end of their life. Cabinet boxes are often sound enough to keep or reface, and the bathrooms are often due for new showers and vanities. Kitchens from these years often have a single ceiling light and baths a basic fan, so lighting and ventilation are straightforward improvements.

2000s and newer homes

The 2000s added about a quarter of the housing, with more since 2010. These houses are entering their first full remodel cycle, with granite counters and maple or cherry cabinets in the kitchen and primary baths built around garden tubs and builder-grade shower pans. The roughly 14 percent built in 2010 or later usually need little beyond finish updates.

Older homes

The pre-1980 quarter of the housing is more likely to have closed kitchens, original tile baths, and tub and shower combinations. Pre-1978 homes also call for federal lead-safe work practices when painted surfaces are disturbed. About 6 percent predate 1950, and those can bring plaster walls, galvanized supply lines, and older wiring.

Permits from the City of Kerman

Within city limits, the Building Division of the Community Development Department, at 850 S Madera Avenue, is the permit office. It handles plan checks, permits, and inspections for remodels, and the city says major remodels generally call for plans drawn by a design professional. That’s worth knowing early if you’re considering a layout change.

The city also asks owners to contact the Building Division before starting construction or alterations, and the department’s office is open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Homes outside city limits fall under Fresno County, and we confirm what your project needs during the in-home consultation.

Thirty minutes west of our shop

From the shop on East Madison Avenue, the drive is about 30 minutes in light traffic. We’re open Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the estimator confirms coverage by ZIP code before you book. Kerman is part of our west Fresno County service area, along with Mendota and Firebaugh.

Starting your project

Choose a kitchen or a bathroom in the estimate selector; projects that include both run one room at a time. You’ll see a personalized planning range on screen, and if it fits, you can book a free in-home consultation. Expect measurements at that visit, plus a look at cabinet boxes, the shower floor, the electrical panel, and plumbing shut-offs, especially in pre-1980 homes.

In round numbers, kitchens start around $25,000, a typical kitchen remodel lands around $40,000, and larger kitchens run $50,000 to $60,000; bathrooms start around $15,000, a typical bathroom remodel lands around $25,000, and larger bathrooms run $30,000 to $40,000. Why the online number is a range is covered in our explainer on how our estimate works, and our remodeling process page shows what happens after the consultation.