Planning a custom home in Manhattan Beach

1. 01

   Check the coastal zone

   The City states all projects within its Coastal Zone must obtain a coastal permit unless exempted or excluded.

   Official resource: Manhattan Beach · Planning permits and handouts

   Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Confirm the current content directly with the agency

2. 02

   Ask which coastal-program version applies

   The City publishes its Local Coastal Program regulations. Ask Planning whether any amendments are pending and which version applies on your application date.

   Official resource: Manhattan Beach · Coastal Zone Regulations

   Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked October 13, 2026

3. 03

   Use the single-family plan check checklist

   Building & Safety publishes submittal requirements for single-family dwellings, submitted through the City's online portal.

   Official resource: Manhattan Beach · Plan check and forms

   City-wide guidance · Confirm the current content directly with the agency

Each step links to the official page it comes from. Requirements differ by parcel; confirm with the agency.

Manhattan Beach is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County.

City of Manhattan Beach — Community Development (Planning and Building & Safety).

• Permit authority guide: Manhattan Beach permits
• Remodeling and ADU page for this city

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.

1. Question 1

   Is the lot inside the City's Coastal Zone?

   The City's coastal permit page points to its interactive map for this check (read October 13, 2026). Inside the zone, a coastal permit is needed unless exempted or excluded.

   source: Manhattan Beach · Coastal Zone Regulations

2. Question 2

   Which version of the Local Coastal Program applies on the application date?

   The page records Council-adopted LCP amendments in April and December 2025, including to residential districts and coastal permit procedures. Ask Planning whether each is in effect for your application.

   source: Manhattan Beach · Coastal Zone Regulations

3. Question 3

   What does plan check expect for a new single-family dwelling?

   On compact lots, the checklist items for the site plan and existing-structure removal shape the drawing set from the start.

   source: Manhattan Beach · Plan check and forms

• Coastal-zone roles and exceptions →
• Remodel or replace the existing house →
• Temporary works as their own line →

• Construction staging and parking management on narrow lots
• Demolition, including air-quality notifications
• Height certification and survey work

These items affect cost; none is a price. See how to build a realistic budget: Custom home budget guide

• Comparing square-foot figures
• Asking for grading, utilities and walls as separate lines
• Open the budget worksheet
• Base dates and escalation for a later start

• Is the lot inside the City's coastal zone, and is the project exempt or excluded?
• How will staging and parking work during construction?
• What does the survey show about grades for height measurement?

• 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: Buying land to build · Lot utility due diligence · Choosing a custom-home builder · 2025 Energy Code for new homes · Coastal-zone new-home planning

Each source shows what it covers and whether its passage was checked in our review.

• Manhattan Beach · Plan check and forms

  Single-family plan check requirements and forms (construction management parking plan, height certification).

  City-wide guidance · Confirm the current content directly with the agency
• Manhattan Beach · Planning permits and handouts

  Coastal permit instructions; coastal-zone projects need a permit unless exempt or excluded.

  Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Confirm the current content directly with the agency
• Manhattan Beach · Coastal Zone Regulations

  Local Coastal Program regulations.

  Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked October 13, 2026

1 of 3 official source passages checked (latest October 13, 2026); 2 could not be opened and should be confirmed with the agency.

Page content last updated: October 11, 2026

All local planning resources