Design and engineering for Malibu
We are ten minutes away in Agoura Hills, and we design, engineer and permit residential projects across Los Angeles County.
Who issues building permits in Malibu?
Residential projects in Malibu are permitted by City of Malibu — Planning and Building Safety. That means a Coastal Development Permit is generally required in addition to the building permit, and because Malibu has a certified Local Coastal Program the permit is issued by the city rather than the Coastal Commission. Much of the city is also mapped in a very high fire hazard severity zone.
What shapes a design here
These are the conditions that change a Malibu project before the first sketch. Confirm current requirements against the agency — rules change.
- A Coastal Development Permit is required in addition to, not instead of, the building permit.
- Development is defined broadly, so grading, demolition and removing major vegetation all count.
- Some approvals remain appealable to the Coastal Commission depending on where the parcel sits.
Our work in Malibu
Services in Malibu
Accessory dwelling units
California removed most of the discretion that used to stop ADUs.
Home design
Most of what determines whether a house works is settled early, on a site plan, before anyone has drawn a kitchen.
Structural engineering
In seismic California the lateral system is not a detail added at the end — it decides where walls can go and how big an opening can be.
Civil engineering
On a flat lot the civil scope is small.
Additions & remodels
Every remodel has a point where continuing to keep the old structure costs more than replacing it.
Nearby
Thinking about a project in Malibu?
Send us the address. We come back with the zoning position for that parcel, the permit path for this jurisdiction, and a fixed fee for the first phase.