This is an independent city with its own building department, planning division, and coastal program. Permits go through the City of Santa Monica not LADBS. California’s 2025 Building Standards Code applies to all submittals received from January 1, 2026 onward. The permit process is fully paperless all applications and documents go through the City’s Electronic Plan Review System. A contractor unfamiliar with this system submits in the wrong format, gets sent back to the starting line, and costs the homeowner weeks they did not budget for.
How Permitting Works Here
All permits run through the City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Division and Building and Safety Division. The City uses a paperless Electronic Plan Review System all applications and supporting documents must be uploaded digitally before any counter visit. Standard residential plan check is currently running beyond standard estimated timeframes. Projects with structural modifications, grading, or coastal zone implications take longer. Coastal zone properties generally west of Lincoln Boulevard may require a Coastal Development Permit under the certified Local Coastal Program. We identify coastal zone status at the initial site visit and file both applications simultaneously.
Certain project types require review by the City’s Architectural Review Board before building permits are issued. We identify ARB applicability early and factor the review timeline into your project schedule. Santa Monica also requires a Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan for qualifying projects, submitted to Public Works Resource Recovery and Recycling before permits are issued. We prepare this documentation as part of the standard permit package.
What We Build
Full Home Renovation
Complete interior renovations across all Santa Monica neighborhoods — from compact Ocean Park bungalows to estate-scale North of Montana properties on La Mesa Drive and Georgina Avenue. Structural modifications, updated electrical to 2025 California energy code, plumbing reconfiguration, and finish work under one contract. Santa Monica homes range from 1920s Craftsman bungalows to contemporary rebuilds. We design for the specific home and its architectural character.
Kitchen Remodeling
A properly designed kitchen here connects to the outdoor living environment. The California lifestyle and the buyers who pay a premium for these properties expects that connection. We design layouts that open toward the rear yard, integrate indoor-outdoor transitions, and use materials suited to coastal humidity where applicable. North of Montana properties at the $4.8 million median demand kitchens that match the surrounding market standard.
Bathroom Remodeling
Curbless showers, freestanding soaking tubs, radiant floor heating, and double vanity layouts built to match the quality level the property commands. Sunset Park bungalows being renovated for resale get bathrooms that suit the neighborhood’s upward trajectory. North of Montana estates get finishes appropriate to the estate standard. We design to the specific property, not a one-size template.
ADU and Garage Conversions
California’s AB 2221 made ADU construction highly practical for Santa Monica homeowners. Proximity to the beach, Third Street Promenade, and downtown Santa Monica makes rental demand from ADUs consistent and strong. We handle design, Santa Monica permitting, and full construction. Coastal zone properties may require a Coastal Development Permit in addition to standard permits.
Outdoor Living and Landscape Integration
Most general contractors working in Santa Monica build the interior and leave the outdoor environment to a separate company hired later. We design indoor and outdoor spaces as a single composition from the first meeting. Covered patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, and planting are developed alongside the interior scope — not as a separate project. In Santa Monica, where the outdoor season never truly ends, this matters more than in most markets.
The Neighborhoods We Know
North of Montana
The city's most prestigious residential area. Properties on numbered streets between 4th and 26th carry lots averaging 8,971 square feet. North of San Vicente, lots reach 15,000 to 60,000 square feet. La Mesa Drive's Moreton Bay fig canopy is a defining street feature. Renovation scope here includes full gut renovations, outdoor kitchen and pool additions, and estate garden projects. These homes carry the outdoor footprint for full resort-scale environments.
Wilshire Montana
Between Montana Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. A mix of single-family homes and condominiums. Renovation scope ranges from compact condo remodels to mid-size single-family updates. Walkability to Montana Avenue boutiques and access to Palisades Park define the quality of life here. Permit process runs through Santa Monica Building and Safety on all projects.
Sunset Park
Tree-lined streets, family-focused character, and proximity to Santa Monica College. Many original homes were built in the 1940s for Douglas Aircraft workers — compact, one-story structures that have been steadily renovated and in many cases rebuilt to larger footprints. This neighborhood has been in a sustained renovation cycle for over two decades. Every project we complete here responds to that upward trajectory.
Ocean Park
Beach-adjacent, Main Street-centered, with a relaxed artistic character. Beach proximity means salt-resistant materials are required on exterior work exposed to marine air. The mix of bungalows, small multifamily, and contemporary builds creates a diverse renovation brief each property responds to its own architecture and lot conditions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this city use LADBS for permits?
What is the coastal zone and how does it affect my project?
What is the C&D Waste Management Plan requirement?
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