Remodeling & ADU Contractor in Marina del Rey

Marina del Rey is one name covering two different jurisdictions. The harbor and the land around it are unincorporated Los Angeles County, while many of the single-family homes with a Marina del Rey mailing address are actually in the City of Los Angeles. The rules, the permit office and even who owns the land change depending on which side of the line you are on. IA Builders is based in nearby Culver City, and the first thing we do on any Marina del Rey project is figure out which one applies.

Step one: county or city?

The 90292 ZIP code covers the unincorporated marina plus parts of the City of Los Angeles, so a mailing address alone doesn't tell you much. Roughly:

• The marina itself (the harbor, the apartment and condo towers along Admiralty Way, Via Marina and the basins) is unincorporated county territory. The County owns the land there and leases it out under long-term ground leases; most residential buildings sit on these leaseholds.
• The Marina Peninsula and Silver Strand, the beach strip west of the harbor and the area along Ballona Lagoon, are in the City of Los Angeles. Both are planning subareas of the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan.
• Other nearby neighborhoods that sometimes use a Marina del Rey address, including parts of Venice and Del Rey, are also in the City of Los Angeles.

We confirm jurisdiction from the parcel record before any design work. If the city's ZIMAS map shows your parcel, LADBS is your building department; if not, it is most likely the County.

Building in the unincorporated marina

On county land, building permits come from LA County Public Works Building and Safety, and land use is governed by the county's Marina del Rey Local Coastal Program, managed through LA County Regional Planning's coastal program. Because the County is also the landowner, there is another layer: the Department of Beaches and Harbors' Design Control Board must approve exterior modifications to any Marina del Rey parcel before work starts, from renovations and repainting to new development.

For a condo or apartment owner in the marina, the practical result is that most projects are interior ones. A kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel inside a unit is usually governed by the building's association or the leaseholder's rules plus a county building permit for plumbing, electrical or structural work. Anything that touches the exterior, a balcony or shared systems usually needs approvals from the building owner or association first, and possibly the Design Control Board. The marina opened in the 1960s, and in buildings from its early decades, older wiring, plumbing and layouts are common reasons to remodel.

Building in the City of LA side

For the Marina Peninsula, Silver Strand and other city neighborhoods, building permits come from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), with zoning and coastal review by Los Angeles City Planning. These areas are in the Coastal Zone and under the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan, which has its own standards for things like height, density and setbacks, and a separate review step from City Planning for many projects. Lots next to Ballona Lagoon have additional standards. Exterior work, additions and new units may need a Coastal Development Permit or a coastal exemption, and some areas near the shore fall under the Coastal Commission's own permit jurisdiction.

Homes on the peninsula sit on narrow beach lots, so a room addition or second story is shaped as much by coastal and specific plan limits as by the lot itself. A home remodel that keeps the existing footprint is often the simplest path, and the salt air makes corrosion-resistant materials and good detailing at windows and doors worth planning for.

ADUs in Marina del Rey

On the city side, single-family lots can qualify for an ADU or junior ADU under state and city law, but in the Coastal Zone the unit generally still goes through coastal review, and the Venice specific plan applies. On the county side, ADUs on leased marina parcels are a question for the leaseholder and the County as landowner, not just a zoning question, and coastal permits apply there too. We look at the parcel, the lease or HOA documents and the coastal rules together before recommending a design.

If you are planning a project with a Marina del Rey address, call (213) 816-6465 or use the form on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Marina del Rey part of the City of Los Angeles?

The marina itself is not. It is an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. But the Marina Peninsula, Silver Strand and some other homes with Marina del Rey addresses are inside the City of Los Angeles.

Who issues building permits in Marina del Rey?

LA County Public Works Building and Safety for the unincorporated marina, and LADBS for addresses in the City of Los Angeles. We confirm which one applies to your address first.

What is the Design Control Board?

It is a County board, run through the Department of Beaches and Harbors, that reviews exterior changes to Marina del Rey parcels on county land. Its approval comes before work starts, separately from building permits.

Do I need a coastal permit to remodel?

Interior remodels often don't. Additions, new units and many exterior changes in the Coastal Zone do need a Coastal Development Permit or an exemption, on both the county and city sides. We check this for each project.

Last reviewed October 2026