Remodeling & ADU Contractor in Santa Monica

Santa Monica is its own city with its own Building and Safety Division, its own planning rules and a Coastal Zone that covers the neighborhoods closest to the beach. IA Builders handles remodels, additions and ADUs here with those local steps built into the schedule from the first conversation.

Permits in Santa Monica

Building permits in Santa Monica are issued by the city, not by Los Angeles or the county, and plans are submitted electronically. The city sorts residential work into a few paths:

• Express permits. For single-family homes, the city allows some work to be permitted without full plan review, including kitchen and bathroom remodels, window and door changeouts, electrical panel upgrades, re-roofs and non-structural remodels.
• Appointment plan check. Some smaller one-story additions to single-family homes can be reviewed at a scheduled appointment instead of going through full formal review.
• Formal plan check. Larger additions, new homes and certain remodels in geologic hazard or hillside areas go through full plan check, with Public Works checklists submitted alongside the building plans.

Knowing which path a project falls into is one of the first things we sort out, because it affects both design and timing. A straightforward bathroom remodel can often move far faster than an addition of similar cost.

The Coastal Zone

Santa Monica's Coastal Zone runs from the shoreline inland, generally to around 4th Street north of Pico Boulevard and to Lincoln Boulevard south of Pico. If your property is inside that line, a Coastal Development Permit or waiver from the California Coastal Commission may be needed before the city issues a building permit, including for some ADUs. Ocean Park and the blocks nearest the beach are where this comes up most. We check the parcel first so a coastal review doesn't surprise you halfway through plan check.

ADUs in Santa Monica

The city treats ADUs and junior ADUs as ministerial projects: no design review and no public hearing, only a building permit. Santa Monica also states that it does not collect development fees for building ADUs or JADUs, and it publishes separate ADU guides for lots with a single-unit home and lots with multiple units. For new detached ADUs, the city's pre-approved plan bulletin notes that solar panels are required and that the ADU and its solar system each need their own permit. If you are considering a backyard ADU or garage conversion, we can tell you early whether the Coastal Zone or your lot layout changes the picture.

Older homes and historic districts

Santa Monica has a long record of preservation. The Third Street Neighborhood Historic District in Ocean Park, the city's first historic district, contains homes built between the 1870s and 1930, and the city has other designated districts and individual landmarks. If your house is a designated landmark or in a historic district, exterior changes go through the city's landmarks review, handled by staff or the Landmarks Commission depending on scope, so we plan the design around that review. Outside of designated areas, many homes in North of Montana, Sunset Park and Ocean Park are older houses where a remodel usually means updating plumbing, electrical and framing along with the finishes.

Planning a project

Most Santa Monica projects we discuss are kitchen remodels, bathroom updates, second-story or rear additions and ADUs on single-family lots. When you are ready to talk through yours, call (213) 816-6465 or use the form on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Is my Santa Monica home in the Coastal Zone?

If it is west of roughly 4th Street north of Pico, or west of Lincoln Boulevard south of Pico, it may be. The city's maps confirm the exact boundary for your parcel, and we check this before design starts.

Can I get a kitchen or bathroom remodel permitted quickly?

Often. Santa Monica's Express Permit process covers many kitchen and bathroom remodels on single-family homes without full plan review, as long as the work fits the city's criteria.

Does Santa Monica charge development fees for ADUs?

The city states that no development fees are collected for building ADUs or JADUs. Building permit and plan check costs still apply, and a coastal permit may be needed in the Coastal Zone.

What if my house is in a historic district?

Exterior work on designated landmarks and in historic districts goes through the city's landmarks review, by staff or the Landmarks Commission depending on scope. Interior remodels are usually simpler, but we confirm the requirements for your property first.

Last reviewed October 2026