Laguna Beach Homes
Home Builder in Laguna Beach, CA for Hillside and Coastal Homes
Hardey Builds is a home builder in Laguna Beach, CA for custom homes and remodels on steep coastal lots, finished by hand from design review to the final walkthrough. Call (562) 257-8121 to begin.
Custom Home Builder in Laguna Beach, CA for Steep and Narrow Lots
Few towns ask more of a building site. The land rises fast from the shoreline into the San Joaquin Hills, so many lots are steep, narrow and reached by winding streets. As a custom home builder in Laguna Beach, we plan access, grading and foundations before the design is final, because the slope often decides what can be built.
Our custom home projects are composed around the owner's life and the view, with large window bays, warm wood, natural stone and tile set by hand to suit the hillside setting. For an existing house, our home remodeling and kitchen remodeling work can open rooms to the ocean light while respecting the scale of the street.
Since 2005
Design Review
Laguna Beach Design Review and Coastal Permits
Laguna Beach reviews most residential projects closely. The Design Review Board looks at each one case by case, and the city's guidelines say that meeting the maximum height or size standards does not give an automatic right to build to them. Neighbors' views, the scale of the street and the natural landform all carry weight.
The city has issued its own coastal development permits since the state approved its coastal plan in 1993, and design review and the coastal permit are usually processed together. A zoning plan check comes next, and the building division will not start its plan review until zoning approval and the 14 day design review appeal period are complete.
That sequence is why a home builder in Laguna Beach, CA has to plan the schedule around hearings, not just construction. Our permit assistance prepares the plans, tracks each step and keeps you informed as the review moves along.
Hillsides and Fire
Coastal Home Renovation in Laguna Beach Hillside Neighborhoods
Hillside neighborhoods carry their own risks. The Bluebird Canyon slides of 1978 and 2005 damaged homes on slopes of layered siltstone and sandstone, and steep cliffs still shift after heavy rain. A coastal home renovation in Laguna Beach on a sloped lot may call for a soils report and structural calculations before plans are approved.
Fire is the other concern. The city reports that about 85 percent of Laguna Beach lies in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the 1993 fire destroyed or damaged 441 homes. Fuel modification standards apply to new construction and major remodels in those areas, which shapes landscaping, materials and the space around the house.
Neighborhoods differ, too. Top of the World sits near Temple Hill, the highest point in town at 1,007 feet, where wind and views shape the design. A remodel in each place starts from a different set of conditions.
Home Remodeling in Laguna Beach Cottages and Older Homes
Not every Laguna Beach project is a new house on a hill. Downtown and South Laguna still hold American Craftsman bungalows from the early 1900s, and a city survey in 1980 and 1981 classified 706 homes and structures as historically significant. Owners of these houses often want more light, a larger kitchen or a better bath without losing the character that drew them there.
Home remodeling in Laguna Beach for an older cottage starts with what the house already has: original wood, low rooflines and small rooms close to the street. We keep the parts worth saving, update wiring and plumbing behind the walls, and add space where the lot and the design review allow it.
Mike Hardey began as a master tile craftsman in 2005, and that discipline suits these homes. Careful trim, tile and cabinetry let new rooms sit quietly beside the old ones.
Coastal and Inland Towns Near Laguna Beach We Serve
Pacific Coast Highway links Laguna Beach to Newport Beach to the northwest, and State Route 133 runs inland through Laguna Canyon. Only a few roads enter or leave town, and we know them well, which helps when deliveries and crews have to reach a hillside site on time.
Those few roads exist partly by design. The Laguna Greenbelt, started by local conservationists in 1968, protects a wide ring of wildland around the city, which keeps Laguna Beach separate from its neighbors. As a home builder in Laguna Beach, CA, we also serve the towns on the other side of that green ring.
Laguna Beach Home Building Questions
Monday to Sunday, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
(562) 257-8121Does a Laguna Beach remodel need Design Review Board approval?
Many do, depending on the scope and location of the work. The Design Review Board reviews residential projects case by case, weighing views, scale and landform. Some smaller work may be handled by staff instead. Hardey Builds checks what your project triggers early, then plans the design and the schedule around any hearing the city requires.
Who issues coastal development permits in Laguna Beach?
The City of Laguna Beach issues its own coastal development permits, as it has since the state approved its coastal plan in 1993. The coastal permit is usually processed together with design review. Some city decisions can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission, so we plan for the appeal period before scheduling construction.
How does the fire zone affect building a home in Laguna Beach?
The city reports that most of Laguna Beach lies in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. New homes and major remodels in fuel modification areas must meet the fire department's standards for vegetation and clearance around the house. We plan materials and landscaping with those rules in mind, so the design passes review the first time.
Will a hillside lot in Laguna Beach need a soils report?
Often, yes. Steep lots in Laguna Beach can sit on layered rock that has slid in the past, as Bluebird Canyon showed in 1978 and 2005. The building division may require geotechnical and structural calculations with the plans. A soils report early in design shows what foundation the lot needs and helps avoid costly changes later.
Start on the Coast
Plan Your Laguna Beach Home With Hardey Builds
A Laguna Beach home takes patience before the first shovel, and a builder who respects the hillside, the view and the neighbors. We take calls every day, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, to talk through your lot and arrange a private consultation, or see the other communities on our service areas list.