Coastal · Los Angeles County
Malibu rewards patience and punishes optimism. We front-load geology, septic and fuel modification because those three decide whether a project exists. Plan review here runs through City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, with LA County Fire, with strict fuel modification review on access and life safety. Typical experience is 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Custom single-family on large, sloped or bluff parcels, many with septic rather than sewer. On the commercial side, limited commercial, mostly small retail and restaurant along PCH with heavy coastal scrutiny. Those two facts explain most of what is easy and most of what is expensive here.
Consultant fees for geology, biology and wastewater usually exceed city permit fees. We put the local fee picture into the first budget, because a number that ignores school, sewer and utility charges is not a budget, it is an advertisement.
We work throughout Malibu ZIP codes 90265 and 90263, including Point Dume, Malibu Park, Carbon Beach, Serra Retreat. Two addresses in the same ZIP can still sit under different overlays, so we review the parcel rather than the postcode.
Point Dume · Malibu Park · Carbon Beach · Serra Retreat
Residential
ADU Design & Permitting for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Residential
Garage Conversions for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Residential
Additions & Remodels for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Commercial
Tenant Improvements for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Commercial
Restaurant, Retail & Hospitality for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Residential
Permitting & Plan Check for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Commercial
Construction Management for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
Commercial
Design-Build for Malibu owners, reviewed by City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety, typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence.
City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety. Fire review runs through LA County Fire, with strict fuel modification review. Malibu rewards patience and punishes optimism. We front-load geology, septic and fuel modification because those three decide whether a project exists.
Typically 12 months or more from application to permit is normal once coastal, geology and wastewater run in sequence. The variable is correction cycles, not intake speed, which is why we spend the extra week making the first submittal complete.
Most commonly: Local Coastal Program and Coastal Development Permits; Onsite wastewater treatment system review; Fuel modification and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone standards; Geology and coastal hazard review on bluff and beach parcels. Which ones touch your parcel is an address question, and we answer it during feasibility.
Consultant fees for geology, biology and wastewater usually exceed city permit fees. We put those numbers into the first budget rather than presenting them as a later surprise.
Yes, across Los Angeles and Orange County from offices in Santa Monica and Fullerton. Nearby markets we cover include Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles, Marina del Rey.
Send the address, including the ZIP code, and what you want to build. We come back with what the City of Malibu Environmental Sustainability and Building Safety route looks like, a realistic budget range and a schedule.
