Custom home planning resource · Los Angeles County and the South Bay
Planning a custom home in Pasadena
Two Pasadena questions come early for a new house: is the lot in a Hillside Development overlay, and could the work affect a historic resource? Each adds its own review.
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
Check for a Hillside Development (HD) overlay
Example case: a January 2026 City record approved one new single-family residence in an RS-4-HD (Hillside Development Overlay) district through a Hillside Development Permit. It shows the review type for that lot only; ask Planning whether your parcel carries an HD overlay and which permit applies.
Official resource: Hillside Development Permit #7134 findings (Jan 2026)One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked
02
Know the 2017 hillside amendments exist
Ordinance 7310 (2017) amended hillside overlay standards, including new rules on basements and the size of accessory structures and revised view protection. Later changes may exist, so confirm the current Zoning Code with Planning.
Official resource: Ordinance 7310 · Hillside Overlay standards (2017)Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated
03
Ask whether a Certificate of Appropriateness applies
Outside the Central District, a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for projects that may affect the significance of a historic resource; the Historic Preservation Commission or the Planning Director reviews it. Ask Design & Historic Preservation staff what type of resource, if any, your property is.
Official resource: Certificate of Appropriateness packet (5/22/2026)City-wide guidance · 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
Pasadena is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County.
City of Pasadena — Planning & Community Development (including Design & Historic Preservation).
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
Is the lot in a Hillside Development overlay?
If so, a Hillside Development Permit is its own application. The City's submittal checklist (revision 1/3/22) is meant to be reviewed with a Permit Center planner, and incomplete applications are returned.
source: Certificate of Appropriateness packet (5/22/2026)Question 2
Which hillside rules apply today?
The 2017 ordinance amended the hillside rules, but it is one dated amendment; ask Planning for the current code text rather than relying on it alone.
source: Ordinance 7310 · Hillside Overlay standards (2017)Question 3
What does a recent case show — and not show?
The January 2026 findings for one Hillside Development Permit show how findings are written for that parcel. They are not a citywide rule or a prediction for yours.
source: Hillside Development Permit #7134 findings (Jan 2026)
Finding the current official checklist
Ask the Permit Center for the current Hillside Development Permit checklist and, separately, whether historic preservation review applies to the existing house.
Owner evidence to gather first
- Topographic survey and slope analysis
- Age and history of the existing house
- Neighboring houses for size comparison, if Planning requests it
Pasadena evidence: what each document can support
| Document | Use it for |
|---|---|
| HDP submittal checklist (rev. 1/3/22) | Assembling the application with a planner; confirm it is the current revision |
| Ordinance 7310 (2017) | Knowing that hillside rules were amended; not as today's full text |
| Jan 2026 findings for one HDP | Seeing how findings are written; never as a rule for another lot |
Local issues and the budget lines they touch
| Local issue | Budget line it affects |
|---|---|
| Hillside Development Permit | Survey, slope studies and hearing preparation |
| Possible historic resource | Historic assessment before demolition decisions |
No dollar amounts or local premiums are implied.
Hypothetical: owners of a 1920s house on a slope above the Arroyo want a replacement home. They first ask whether the house is a historic resource, because that answer decides whether replacement is even the right brief before any hillside drawings start.
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
- Which hillside framework applies today, not in a past case?
- A single past Hillside Development Permit decision does not set today's rule. Ask Planning for the current framework and whether amendments are pending before massing is fixed.
What shapes the budget here
- Hillside Development Permit studies (views, grading, massing)
- Historic research and design refinement where a resource is involved
- Tree protection plans by a certified arborist where conditions require them
These items affect cost; none is a price. See how to build a realistic budget: Custom home budget guide
Parcel questions to answer first
- Does the zoning include an HD (Hillside Development) overlay?
- Is the existing house designated, a district contributor or found eligible in a survey?
- Are protected trees on or near the site?
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: Buying land to build · Lot utility due diligence · Choosing a custom-home builder · 2025 Energy Code for new homes
Official sources
Each source shows what it covers and whether its passage was checked in our review.
- Hillside Development Permit #7134 findings (Jan 2026)
Example case only: one approved project, not a rule or outcome for other lots.
One example case, not a rule for every lot · Passage checked - Ordinance 7310 · Hillside Overlay standards (2017)
Adopted amendment (2017); read with the current Zoning Code.
Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated - Certificate of Appropriateness packet (5/22/2026)
When a Certificate is required and who reviews it.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked - Pasadena · Hillside Development Permit submittal checklist (rev. 1/3/22)
City checklist to review with a Permit Center planner; incomplete applications are returned.
Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
4 of 4 official source passages checked (latest October 13, 2026).
Page content last updated:
Nearby places worth comparing
- Custom home planning in Altadena — Nearby unincorporated area with County review
- Custom home planning in South Pasadena — Separate city with its own design review
- Custom home planning in San Marino — Separate city with design-review findings
Guides that use this place as an example
- Hillside lot due diligence — Hillside framework vs past cases