Custom home planning resource · Los Angeles County and the South Bay
Planning a custom home in Malibu
Public Malibu Planning Commission reports show how individual new single-family homes are reviewed as Coastal Development Permits. The two examples cited here include onsite wastewater systems, and one shows how variance requests send a project to a hearing.
KB Remodeling takes new-home inquiries from owners planning here. Share the lot and the project; KB reviews scope, licensing and location for each inquiry before suggesting a next step.
Planning sequence
01
Expect a Coastal Development Permit
The two 2026 Planning Commission reports cited below each review a new single-family residence as a Coastal Development Permit under the Local Coastal Program. They are examples; ask Planning which permit path applies to your parcel.
Official resource: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 25-034 (Aug 2026)One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked
02
Know what moves a project to a hearing
Example case: an October 2026 report states the project would have qualified for an administrative CDP, but its two variance requests (grading above the non-exempt limit and structures on steep slopes) required a public hearing under the Local Implementation Plan.
Official resource: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 24-026 (Oct 2026)One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked
03
Plan for onsite wastewater
Both example projects include a new onsite wastewater treatment system. Confirm early whether your lot has sewer service or needs one.
Official resource: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 25-034 (Aug 2026)One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked
Each step links to the official page it comes from. Requirements differ by parcel; confirm with the agency.
Who reviews a new home here
Malibu is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County.
City of Malibu — Community Development (Planning and Building Safety), under the City's certified Local Coastal Program.
Local planning journey
Which planning question to resolve first here, and why it shapes the brief. Each answer comes from the cited City page or stays a question for staff.
Question 1
Which coastal development permit path applies, and is the lot in the appealable area?
Malibu reviews new homes under its certified Local Coastal Program. Whether an administrative CDP or a hearing applies changes the schedule and the evidence to prepare.
source: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 25-034 (Aug 2026)Question 2
Will the design need variances for grading or steep slopes?
In one October 2026 example, variance requests moved a project to a hearing. Test the design against site constraints before committing to massing.
source: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 24-026 (Oct 2026)Question 3
Is sewer available, or is an onsite wastewater system needed?
An onsite system takes site area and its own design and approval; it constrains where the house can sit.
source: Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 25-034 (Aug 2026)
Finding the current official checklist
Use the City's applications, forms and fees index to find the current application for your permit path; the Planning Commission reports listed here are examples, not a checklist.
Local issues and the budget lines they touch
| Local issue | Budget line it affects |
|---|---|
| Onsite wastewater | System design, approval and installation |
| Hearing path | Hearing preparation and added design time |
| Slope and grading | Geology, grading and retaining walls |
No dollar amounts or local premiums are implied.
Hypothetical: an owner buys a sloped canyon lot off Malibu Canyon Road without sewer. The first consultant meeting is about the onsite wastewater location and grading quantities, because both decide whether the design can stay administrative.
Before a 2027 design or build decision here
Local points to confirm with the authority at filing. Broader sequencing lives in the readiness guide. Readiness by stage
- Is this a rebuild or a new home under the City's coastal review?
- The review path differs, and rebuild-specific provisions can change over time. Ask the City which path and provisions apply at filing before design commits.
What shapes the budget here
- Onsite wastewater design and approval
- Geology, grading and retaining walls on sloped lots
- Hearing preparation where variances or extra reviews are requested
These items affect cost; none is a price. See how to build a realistic budget: Custom home budget guide
Parcel questions to answer first
- Is the parcel in the appealable coastal zone?
- Will the design need site plan review or a variance for height, slope or grading?
- Is sewer available, or will an onsite system be needed?
Gather before a first conversation
- Address or APN and recent site photos
- Survey, title report and prior permits if available
- Architect drawings, or a written list of rooms and priorities
- Target timing and how you plan to finance construction
Related guides: Rebuilding after a wildfire · Buying land to build · Lot utility due diligence · Choosing a custom-home builder · 2025 Energy Code for new homes · Hillside lot due diligence · Coastal-zone new-home planning
Official sources
Each source shows what it covers and whether its passage was checked in our review.
- Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 25-034 (Aug 2026)
Example case only: one new residence with an onsite wastewater system in the appealable coastal zone.
One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked - Malibu Planning Commission report · CDP No. 24-026 (Oct 2026)
Example case only: why this project's variances required a hearing instead of an administrative CDP.
One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked - Malibu · Applications, forms and fees
City application index.
Lookup tool or portal · Passage checked
3 of 3 official source passages checked (latest October 11, 2026).
Page content last updated:
Nearby places worth comparing
- Custom home planning in Santa Monica — Coastal city with a different review path
- Custom home planning in Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades is City of LA, not Malibu
Guides that use this place as an example
- Coastal-zone new-home planning — City coastal program
- Rebuilding after a wildfire — Rebuild under coastal review