Remodeling & ADU Contractor in El Segundo

El Segundo is a small city with its own building department, its own permit portal and an airport next door. IA Builders is a licensed California general contractor (CSLB #1124696) based in Culver City. We handle remodels, room additions and ADUs here and plan around El Segundo's own rules, which are different from those in Los Angeles to the north.

A small town with older homes

El Segundo grew up around the Standard Oil refinery, now run by Chevron, which opened in 1911, and the city incorporated in 1917. Its homes are in compact neighborhoods between the airport, the refinery and the business districts, with older houses on the same streets as newer rebuilds. In an older house, a remodel usually means more than new finishes: updating the electrical service, replacing old plumbing and bringing framing up to current code once the walls are open. We plan for that from the start so it doesn't stall the job halfway through.

Smoky Hollow, the older light-industrial district next to downtown, has its own specific plan, which allows residential use only in limited cases. Most home remodels and ADUs in town are in the residential neighborhoods.

Permits in El Segundo

Permits are issued by the Building and Safety Division of the city's Community Development Department, and the Planning Division reviews zoning. The city takes applications, plans, fee payments and inspection requests through its online E-Z Permit Hub, and plans and documents have to be submitted electronically. The city also asks contractors for a current El Segundo business license. If the work affects a sidewalk, alley or street, a separate Public Works permit is needed as well. We prepare the drawings, submit them, answer plan check comments and schedule the inspections.

El Segundo's Coastal Zone is mainly the shoreline west of Vista del Mar, so coastal development permits rarely come up for a home in the residential neighborhoods. We still check your parcel before design starts.

Airport noise and the LAX sound insulation program

El Segundo sits right next to LAX, so aircraft noise is part of life on many blocks. Los Angeles World Airports runs the LAX Residential Sound Insulation Program, which covers previously untreated homes in El Segundo and some Los Angeles neighborhoods near the airport. According to LAWA, a home generally has to:

• be inside the program's 2020 noise contour,
• have been built before October 1, 1998,
• be on residential or mixed-use zoning, and
• pass acoustical testing showing interior noise above the program's threshold.

The treatments, such as sound-rated doors and windows and ventilation, cost the homeowner nothing. Owners do pay for upgrades beyond what the program covers and for any required "pre-work."

Timing matters here. If you plan a whole-home remodel and your house may qualify, find out before you replace windows and doors on your own. We can plan the remodel so it works alongside the program instead of duplicating it.

ADUs in El Segundo

El Segundo regulates ADUs and junior ADUs in its zoning code and has updated those rules as state law changed. The city also has a Pre-Approved ADU Plan Program, run through the Housing Division's ADU and JADU resources. A pre-approved plan can save design and review time, but it doesn't cover everything: demolition, fire sprinkler, solar and encroachment permits are handled separately when they're needed. Whether a pre-approved plan or a custom design is the better choice depends on your lot, the utilities and how you'll use the unit. We help you weigh that before you commit to an ADU or junior ADU.

Common projects

Most El Segundo projects we discuss are kitchen remodels that open up older layouts, bathroom remodels, room additions for growing families and backyard ADUs. When you're ready to talk about yours, call (213) 816-6465 or use the form on this page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a building permit in El Segundo?

Through the city's E-Z Permit Hub. The Community Development Department takes applications, plans, fees and inspection requests there, and plans have to be submitted electronically. We handle the submittal for our projects.

Is my home eligible for free sound insulation from LAX?

It may be. Los Angeles World Airports' program covers previously untreated El Segundo homes inside its 2020 noise contour that were built before October 1, 1998 and pass acoustical testing. LAWA's program office confirms eligibility for a specific address.

Do I need a coastal permit to remodel in El Segundo?

Usually not. The city's Coastal Zone is mainly the shoreline west of Vista del Mar, away from the residential neighborhoods. We confirm this for your parcel.

Does El Segundo have pre-approved ADU plans?

Yes. The city runs a Pre-Approved ADU Plan Program. Separate permits, such as demolition, fire sprinklers or solar, may still be needed depending on the project.

Last reviewed October 2026