Oak cabinets that have darkened around the handles, a tile counter with cracked grout at the sink, a hall bath where the fiberglass tub has lost its shine. Those are typical of the 1970s through 2000s houses that make up most of Parlier. Parlier is about 35 minutes from the All American Renovations shop in southeast Fresno and falls inside our east Fresno County service area.

A farm town built around a family store

The Parlier family arrived from Springfield, Illinois, in 1876, and their general store, trading post and post office became the center of town. The name traces to the family’s French ancestry, DeParlier. Wheat gave way to grapes, raisins and tree fruit, and better irrigation and the Santa Fe railroad helped the town become a hub for surrounding farms before it incorporated in 1921.

The city covers about 2.4 square miles, roughly 5.5 miles east-northeast of Selma, and Census estimates put its population at about 14,500. It has also updated its zoning to require larger minimum lots in single-family districts, aiming for higher-end housing as it grows.

Most homes date from 1970 to 2009

Census figures put the median home in town at around 1989. Building peaked in the 2000s, at about 22 percent of homes, followed by the 1990s at about 19 percent, the 1970s at about 18 percent and the 1980s at about 15 percent. Just 14 percent or so of homes predate 1960. Occupied homes in the city number about 3,600, by Census estimates.

Only about 44 percent of homes are owner-occupied, so more households rent than own. If you own a rental, durable finishes and simple layouts tend to hold up between tenants; if you live in the house, storage and how the room works day to day may matter more.

What those decades mean for kitchens and baths

A 1970s house often has a closed kitchen with soffits and original tile baths, and for any built before 1978, the EPA’s lead-safe rule applies when painted surfaces are disturbed. Oak cabinets, tile or laminate counters, cultured-marble vanities and fiberglass tub surrounds arrived with the 1980s and 1990s. The 2000s houses tend to have granite, maple cabinets and builder-grade shower pans and valves that are reaching replacement age. With roughly 41 percent of homes built in the 1990s and 2000s, a lot of kitchens and baths in town are on their first full remodel, which usually means replacing builder-grade pieces rather than untangling decades of patchwork.

The city’s water is on the soft side: its 2023 water quality report put average hardness at 53 parts per million from wells inside city limits, so mineral scale on fixtures is less of a concern than in harder-water towns. Our guide to what changes a remodel price explains how conditions like these affect a range.

Who issues permits in town

In town, the City of Parlier Community Development Department handles planning, housing and building, including building permits and inspections, from City Hall. The department posts its forms, fee schedules and construction guidelines on the city’s website, which is a good place to see what a submittal involves. Permit needs for a specific project get settled during the in-home consultation. Addresses outside city limits go through Fresno County, which our Fresno County permit guide covers.

Travel from our Fresno shop

Expect about 22 miles and roughly 35 minutes between our shop on E Madison Ave and your door. Coverage is checked by ZIP code in the estimator, and once your planning range is on screen, you can choose an open consultation time. We keep office hours Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Neighboring Reedley and Sanger, along with Orange Cove, are part of the same east Fresno County service area.

Estimator, range, consultation

Choose the kitchen estimator or the bathroom estimator, answer questions about size, scope, layout, plumbing and electrical needs and finish level, and you’ll see a personalized planning range. Each room is estimated separately, and the range is a planning tool rather than a quote.

A useful frame for kitchens: about $25,000 is where most projects start, about $40,000 is a typical kitchen remodel, and $50,000 to $60,000 covers layout changes and premium selections. For bathrooms: about $15,000 to start, about $25,000 for a typical remodel, and $30,000 to $40,000 for primary suites and layout changes. Measurements, existing conditions, permits and selections are confirmed at the free in-home consultation, where anything structural goes to engineering and wiring or plumbing beyond fixture swaps goes to licensed trades.