Home renovation in South City, St. Louis
South City homes are made of brick, and the brick is the easy part. What’s behind it is a hundred years of layered systems, layered owners, and layered taste. A whole-home renovation peels all that back and rebuilds with a single vision while keeping every piece of original character that makes a South City home worth renovating in the first place.
Why South City homeowners trust us with their home renovations
South City covers some of the most architecturally distinctive neighborhoods in St. Louis. The Hill, Holly Hills, Tower Grove South, Compton Heights, Shaw, Princeton Heights, St. Louis Hills, Bevo Mill, Dutchtown, and Lafayette Square each have their own street rhythm and their own dominant home style, but the through-line is brick. Two-story brick. Brick bungalows. Brick four-squares. Brick row houses. The construction quality of these homes is part of what’s kept them standing for 80, 100, sometimes 130 years. It’s also what makes them complicated to renovate well.
Renovating a South City home means working inside a building that wasn’t designed for modern life. The kitchens are small and at the back. The bathrooms are 5 by 8 if you’re lucky. There’s no primary suite. The basement is unconnected and damp. The electrical may still be knob and tube in places. The plumbing may still be galvanized. Every wall is plaster on lath, every floor is original oak, and somewhere behind the radiator, a previous owner’s attempt at “updating” is hidden, waiting to be found. The temptation is to gut it all. The right approach is more careful: keep what’s worth keeping, replace what’s hiding behind the walls, and design new spaces that feel like they always belonged.
Aleto Construction Group has been renovating South City homes for decades, including whole-home projects on The Hill, in Tower Grove, in Holly Hills, and across the South Side. As a design-build firm rooted in St. Louis since 1955, we know how these homes were built, what’s likely to be hiding behind the brick and plaster, and how to design renovations that respect the home’s architectural language while making it work for 2026.
What a whole-home renovation in South City, St. Louis, can include
Every project is scoped to the home and the homeowner. Here are the areas we address most often in South City whole-home renovations:
Layout opening and reflow
Removing walls between the front parlor, dining room, and kitchen to create a connected living space while preserving original archways, transitions, and proportions
Kitchen relocation and expansion
Moving the kitchen into a larger combined footprint, often by absorbing a back porch, butler’s pantry, or rear bedroom, with custom cabinetry that fits the home’s period
Primary suite creation in the attic
Building a full primary suite into the third floor or attic dormer, since most South City homes lack one, and tight lot lines make ground-floor expansion impractical
Bathroom expansion and addition
Enlarging cramped original bathrooms and adding new ones, often by reclaiming closet space, hallway depth, or an underused bedroom
Full systems replacement
Replacing knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, original radiators or boilers, and outdated insulation with modern systems while preserving plaster walls and original finishes wherever possible
Basement waterproofing and finishing
Addressing perimeter drainage, sump systems, and humidity, then finishing the basement as a livable space without trapping moisture in the original masonry
Original woodwork preservation and matching
Stripping, refinishing, and where necessary recreating original trim, doors, built-ins, fireplace mantels, and stained glass to match the home’s period
Tuckpointing and exterior masonry
Restoring brick exteriors with proper mortar matching, lintel repair, and tuckpointing, and rebuilding original front porches, side entries, and rear stoops to period standards
What a whole-home renovation looks like in South City St. Louis
South City homeowners renovate for reasons specific to historic urban brick architecture on tight lots. Here are the scenarios we see most often.
Modernizing without erasing
The fastest way to ruin a South City home is to renovate it like it’s a suburb. Ripping out original woodwork, drywalling over plaster, replacing leaded glass with vinyl, paving over the alley garden, every one of those choices destroys the value that made the home worth buying in the first place. The right South City whole-home renovation modernizes the kitchen, the baths, the systems, and the layout while keeping the original woodwork, the original hardwood, the original plaster archways, and the original fireplace tile. When it’s done well, you can’t tell what’s new and what’s original. That’s not by accident. It takes a design team that knows the period and a build team that has worked on these homes for years.
Going up because you can’t go out
South City lots are narrow, often 25 to 40 feet wide, with neighbors close on both sides and city setback rules that limit horizontal expansion. The space that exists above the second floor (attic, third floor, and dormer territory) is where most South City homes have room to grow. A full attic build-out can create a primary suite with a bedroom, a walk-in closet, and a spa bathroom in space that’s currently storing Christmas decorations. Dormer additions add headroom and natural light without requiring new foundation work. We’ve designed and built attic conversions throughout South City and know how to fit a code-compliant staircase, full bathroom plumbing, and HVAC into the existing volume of these homes.
Working with historic district guidelines
Several South City neighborhoods are local or National Register historic districts, including Holly Hills, Compton Heights, Lafayette Square, Soulard, Shaw, and portions of The Hill. Renovations that affect the exterior of homes in these districts typically require review through the City of St. Louis Cultural Resources Office, with specific guidelines on windows, siding, masonry, roofing, additions, and front-elevation changes. Working within these guidelines isn’t an obstacle, it’s part of why these neighborhoods have held their value and character for a century. We handle the full review process, design exterior changes that meet the guidelines from the start, and keep the project moving while the approvals work through the city.
Replacing what’s hidden before it fails
The most expensive renovation is the one you do twice. Many South City homes have been updated cosmetically over the years without ever addressing the systems running through the walls. Knob-and-tube wiring that was acceptable in 1962 is a fire risk and an insurance problem in 2026. Galvanized plumbing reduces flow and rusts from the inside out. Original cast iron drains are probably fine until they aren’t. A whole-home renovation is the right time to open the walls, replace the systems that need replacing, and close the walls back up over modern infrastructure. Doing it during a renovation costs less than doing it as an emergency later, and it protects the cosmetic work you’re investing in now.
What our clients are saying…
“Aleto made our dream home come true and they made the four months renovation period smooth, pleasant, and seamless. Mike was a dream contractor – he kept in communication with us every single day. We received daily updates and he responded immediately to any and all messages we sent him. They hired the best workers, they worked with the best companies, and we could not be happier with our finished project. We recommend Aleto 100%.”
Mary – Houzz Review
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a whole-home renovation cost in South City, St. Louis?
Costs vary widely with the scope and the home’s existing condition. South City whole-home renovations typically run from the low six figures for focused projects with modest systems work, into the high six figures and beyond for full gut renovations that include attic build-outs, complete electrical and plumbing replacement, structural work, and period-appropriate custom finishes. The age and condition of the home matters more here than in newer construction, and we provide a detailed estimate with a clear scope before construction begins.
How long does a whole-home renovation take in South City?
Most South City whole-home renovations take five to nine months for construction. Older urban homes consistently produce more discoveries inside the walls than newer suburban homes (original framing inconsistencies, hidden plumbing routes, prior owner repairs that need to be undone) and the schedule reflects that. Projects involving historic district review or attic conversions tend toward the longer end.
Will a renovation void the historic character of our South City home?
Only if it’s done badly. A well-designed South City renovation preserves and often enhances the home’s historic character. Original trim is stripped and refinished or carefully matched. Hardwood floors are repaired and refinished. Plaster walls are repaired rather than replaced where possible. Original windows are restored when feasible, or replaced with period-appropriate alternatives where needed. The goal is a renovation that looks intentional and respectful, not one that strips the home of what made it special.
Do South City renovations always need historic district approval?
Not always. It depends on the specific neighborhood and the scope of work. Several South City neighborhoods (Holly Hills, Lafayette Square, Soulard, Compton Heights, Shaw, parts of The Hill) are designated historic districts with exterior review requirements. Others have no such requirements. Interior work generally doesn’t trigger historic review regardless of location. We confirm the home’s status during design, identify what does and doesn’t require review, and handle the full process for any approvals needed.
What’s hiding in our walls, and how do we plan for it?
Honestly, you don’t fully know until the walls come down. Common discoveries in South City homes include knob-and-tube wiring still in use, galvanized supply lines, asbestos in older boiler insulation or floor tile mastic, lead paint, and previous-owner repairs done without permits. A pre-construction investigation, including selective demolition, infrared scans, and inspection of accessible chases, helps us anticipate the most likely surprises. We also include a contingency in the project budget for genuinely unforeseen conditions, so discoveries don’t derail the scope or schedule.
More Home Renovation services in South City, St. Louis
Looking at a specific room or scope? Explore our other services available in South City St. Louis:
Kitchen renovation
We rethink how your kitchen flows, functions, and feels from layout to custom storage and premium appliances.
Learn more →
Bathroom renovation
Convert dated bathrooms into spa-like retreats with custom tile, modern fixtures, and intelligent layouts.
Learn more →
Additions & dormers
Room additions, second stories, dormers, and sunrooms that look like they’ve always been there.
Learn more →
Ready to transform your South City home?
A whole-home renovation starts with a conversation about what’s working, what isn’t, and what your home could become. Tell us what you’re thinking, and we’ll take it from there.
A UNIQUE PARTNER FOR YOUR UNIQUE VISION
For new construction, renovation, simple repurposing, or grand reimagining, Aleto brings decades of experience and creativity to every project, large or small. You have something special in mind, and we have a knack for helping you bring your vision to life with all the quality, personality, and professionalism it deserves.
We’re a family-owned company with creativity in our DNA. Curious? Get to know us a little better.
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