Fix Brothers is a licensed and insured general contractor working in Echo Park. The houses here are old, small and full of character, so most of our work is careful: kitchen and bathroom rebuilds in 1900s and 1920s bungalows, foundation and framing repairs, full renovations before a move, and ADUs or garage conversions on the back of narrow lots.
For the smaller list we send our in-house handyman crew: sticking doors, plaster cracks, old fixtures, water stains on the ceiling after the first real rain.
Echo Park is one of the oldest parts of the city, and the housing shows it. Craftsman bungalows, Victorians and 1920s duplexes sit on small, steep lots with stairs instead of driveways. Behind the finishes we routinely find knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines, unreinforced cripple walls and a foundation that was poured before anyone thought about seismic bolting. None of that is a reason to panic, but it is a reason to open the wall before quoting a number, which is exactly what we do during the estimate.
The hillside streets also decide how work gets done. Narrow roads, permit parking and long stair runs mean material goes up by hand, so demolition and delivery take longer than on a flat Valley lot and we plan for it. Part of the neighborhood, including Angelino Heights, sits in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, where exterior changes such as windows, porches, siding and roofing go through design review. Inside the house the rules are normal, so kitchens and baths can move ahead while the exterior package is reviewed.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, since Echo Park is part of the City of Los Angeles. Anything that moves plumbing, adds circuits, touches framing or adds square footage goes through plan check and inspections. If the property is in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, exterior changes get an extra design review step. We check the zoning for your address first and tell you which path your project is on.
Three things, in order of frequency: old wiring that has to be replaced rather than extended, galvanized plumbing that is almost closed by corrosion, and framing or subfloor damage near bathrooms where a shower pan leaked for years. We open an access point during the estimate where we can, so the written price reflects the house you actually have and not the best case.
Often yes. State law has made ADUs possible on lots that would never have allowed a second unit before, and a garage conversion is the usual starting point here because the structure already exists. The real limits are slope, access for materials, utility connections and setbacks. We look at those on site and tell you straight whether the lot works before you spend money on drawings.
Yes. Old houses generate a steady list: doors that no longer latch, plaster cracks, leaking angle stops, failing light fixtures, water stains after rain. Those get one fixed price for the whole list, and we try to close it in one trip. Anything that turns out to be structural or permit work gets quoted as a project with a fixed written price.
Planning a bigger project here? See our pages on kitchen remodeling in Echo Park and bathroom remodeling in Echo Park.
Thinking about an ADU? See our local page on ADUs and garage conversions in Echo Park.
Most-requested jobs in Echo Park: kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, whole-home renovation, ADU and garage conversion, drywall and plaster repair, electrical rewiring, plumbing replacement, water damage restoration, stairs and railing repair, interior and exterior painting, flooring, and window and door installation.
