Service area · Old Town Scottsdale
Kitchen Remodeling in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ
Historic Old Town follows the original town plat, and its streets hold mid-century ranch houses, condos and a downtown that keeps changing around them. This page covers what a kitchen remodel looks like here; call (747) 244-3289 to talk it through.
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01Good to know
What kind of homes will a kitchen remodel run into in Old Town?
Historic Old Town corresponds to the original town plat, running roughly from Indian School Road on the north to Second Street on the south, Brown Avenue on the east and Scottsdale Road to the west (City of Scottsdale Old Town design guidelines (opens in a new tab)), with downtown addresses using ZIP 85251. The housing mix is unusual: small mid-century ranch houses, condos and lofts, and newer multifamily buildings a few blocks apart. The 85251 ZIP code covers about 7.2 square miles, 40,780 residents and 26,458 housing units, with a median year built of 1979, 6,207 detached and 2,855 attached single units, 9,316 units in buildings of 50 or more, and renters slightly outnumbering owners at 11,334 to 10,684 (ZIP 85251 census profile (opens in a new tab)). Nearby on East Main Street, Hotel Valley Ho was built in 1956 and is on the Scottsdale Historic Register (Scottsdale Historic Register (opens in a new tab)).
02Permits
Does historic recognition stop a kitchen remodel in Old Town?
No, because the rules look at the outside of the house. Scottsdale's Historic Preservation Program, established by City Council in 1997, works through the Historic Property Ordinance, which requires the Historic Preservation Commission to review and approve exterior alterations and demolition for buildings on the Scottsdale Historic Register. Interiors stay with the owner: the city states that owners can buy, sell, rent and modify the interiors as needed, with the guidance focused on maintaining exterior appearance (Historic Preservation Program (opens in a new tab)). One point worth clearing up: Historic Old Town is not a formally designated historic district, though it holds one of the highest concentrations of individually designated historic buildings in the community (Old Town design guidelines (opens in a new tab)). The city's residential construction guide directs owners to their title report and HOA, noting that CC&Rs are a civil contract the city does not enforce (City of Scottsdale residential construction process (opens in a new tab)).
03Permits
Which historic districts sit near Old Town, and what do they require?
Scottsdale has 4 historic districts, and 2 of them are easy to reach from Old Town. Villa Monterey Units 1 to 7, east and west of Miller Road around Chaparral Road, covers 758 homes and 13 common tracts on about 115 acres, built from 1961 to 1969 by architect Ralph Haver and Associates with Butler Homes, and designated on June 7, 2011. Village Grove 1 to 6 runs between Oak Street and Almeria Road, from 66th Place to 69th Street: 255 single-family homes on about 72 acres, built 1957 to 1959, listed on the National Register in May 2010. Town and Country Scottsdale and Sands North Townhouses complete the set (Scottsdale Historic Register (opens in a new tab)). Changing the exterior of a historic property starts with a Pre-Application Request, and the Historic Preservation Office and Commission review the work and provide certificates for approval (Historic Preservation Program (opens in a new tab)).
04Layout
How do the older layouts shape kitchen work?
Postwar Scottsdale houses were built compact, and the kitchen shows it first. The Town and Country Scottsdale houses are low-scale Ralph Haver designs built in 1959 and 1960 with brick or ornamental block bases, and a December 2020 Historic Preservation Commission report on one of them shows how closely the visible details get weighed: the guidelines call for replacement windows to keep the original mullion spacing and proportion (Historic Preservation Commission report 88-HP-2020 (opens in a new tab)). In a kitchen, that means planning at the inch: appliance widths, clearance for a drawer pulling past a corner, where a refrigerator door lands when it opens, and storage that uses height when there is little width to spare. Call (747) 244-3289 if you want to talk through what your room can hold.
05Permits
What does the permit and review process look like for these kitchens?
Inside the house, most kitchen work in Scottsdale is simple on the permit side: millwork such as cabinets and countertops, interior paint, flooring and trim are generally exempt, while a single trade job in plumbing, electric, mechanical or demo may need a Minimum Permit, and a project that adds or relocates those systems needs one with plan review. Miss the first inspection window of 180 days and the permit expires (City of Scottsdale home improvement guide (opens in a new tab)). Old Town adds steps that newer neighborhoods do not have. If a plan touches a visible exterior, a window or a roofline, historic preservation review comes before the building permit and runs on its own calendar. Then there is the HOA and the title report, which the city points owners to for restrictions it does not enforce. Expect a few more stops than a newer neighborhood.
064 questions
Questions people ask
Still have a question?
Call and describe the kitchen. Calls are answered day and night.
Call (747) 244-328901Can I remodel the kitchen in a historic Old Town house?
Yes. Historic recognition protects the exterior, and interiors can be modified as needed. If the house sits on the Scottsdale Historic Register, any exterior change goes through the preservation process first. Check the title report and HOA rules too, since private restrictions can add steps the city does not enforce.
02Do condos in Old Town need HOA approval for kitchen work?
Often, especially for anything touching shared plumbing, venting or the building exterior. Condo work also runs on shared shutoffs and work hour rules, so give the building manager early notice. Say it is a condo when you call.
03What is the Historic Residential Exterior Rehabilitation Program?
It funds exterior rehabilitation only, for homes inside the 4 historic districts, and reimburses up to 50% of the project cost, with a $5,000 maximum, for selected projects (City of Scottsdale (opens in a new tab)). Selected owners dedicate a conservation easement. A kitchen remodel inside the house is not what the program covers.
04Will a kitchen remodel in Old Town need a permit?
Cabinets, counters, paint and flooring generally do not need one. Moving plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems does. In a historic district, exterior work also needs preservation approval before the building permit is issued.
07Keep reading
Related
- Kitchen cabinets in Old Town Scottsdale: cabinet choices that fit small mid-century rooms.
- Kitchen countertops in Old Town Scottsdale: surfaces and backsplashes for compact kitchens.
- Service areas: the full list of communities served.
- Cost guide: what the work runs.
- Kitchen storage solutions: making a small footprint work harder.
- Kitchen layout remodels: reworking a compact plan.
