Custom home planning resource · Los Angeles County and the South Bay
Planning a custom home in Rancho Palos Verdes
In Rancho Palos Verdes the first question is whether the parcel lies inside the landslide regulation area. Since September 18, 2025, City code permanently prohibits new residential construction, including additions, inside the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex boundary only; replacement, restoration and repair within the existing footprint can be sought through a Landslide Exception Permit. This is not a city-wide ban.
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 the parcel against the landslide area first
The restriction applies only within the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex boundary, which was expanded in 2025 to take in eight additional properties; for a parcel crossed by the line, only the portion inside is regulated. Parcels outside the boundary follow the City's ordinary rules. Check the City's boundary map before any design or land purchase.
Official resource: Rancho Palos Verdes · Landslide Area Development RegulationsApplies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated
02
Inside the area: understand what the ordinance allows
Ordinance No. 692 repealed the former moratorium chapter and replaced it with Chapter 15.20 regulations. Inside the area, new homes and additions are prohibited, while replacing, restoring or repairing development within its existing footprint may be allowed through a Landslide Exception Permit.
Official resource: Ordinance No. 692 (Chapter 15.20)Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated
03
Exclusion requests are strict
Owners may apply to exclude a parcel from the regulation area under Section 15.20.100; the City describes strict submittal criteria and findings, including a safety threshold. Treat this as a geotechnical project of its own.
Official resource: Rancho Palos Verdes · Landslide Area Development RegulationsApplies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated
Each step links to the official page it comes from. Requirements differ by parcel; confirm with the agency.
Who reviews a new home here
Rancho Palos Verdes is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County.
City of Rancho Palos Verdes — Community Development.
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 parcel inside the landslide regulation area?
This is a screening question for the City, not an engineering determination. The City's ordinance (effective September 18, 2025) governs construction inside the Greater Portuguese Bend area.
source: Ordinance No. 692 (Chapter 15.20)Question 2
If inside, what does the ordinance allow?
Read the ordinance text with the City before any design work; do not infer eligibility from a map.
source: Ordinance No. 692 (Chapter 15.20)Question 3
Outside the area, what geology review applies?
Being outside the regulation area does not mean a site needs no geology work; ask the City what its review requires for the parcel.
Finding the current official checklist
Start from the City's Landslide Area Development Regulations page and the adopted ordinance; ask Planning which current application and geology submittal list applies to your parcel.
Owner evidence to gather first
- City confirmation of the parcel's status, in writing
- Any existing geotechnical reports on the parcel
- Records of past permits and ground movement repairs
Screening questions before design (not a safety finding)
| What you know | What to ask the City |
|---|---|
| Parcel appears inside the landslide area | Confirm the boundary and read what the ordinance allows |
| Parcel appears outside | Which geology and soils reports review requires |
| Unsure where the boundary falls | Ask Planning to confirm before buying or designing |
Source: Rancho Palos Verdes · Landslide Area Development Regulations
Local issues and the budget lines they touch
| Local issue | Budget line it affects |
|---|---|
| Geology and soils review | Geotechnical investigation and reports |
| Foundation design for site conditions | Engineering, determined by the geotechnical findings |
No dollar amounts or local premiums are implied.
Hypothetical: a buyer considers a lot near Palos Verdes Drive South. Before an offer, they ask the City in writing whether the parcel is inside the regulation area, because the answer could decide whether a new house is possible at all.
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
- Do land-movement provisions apply to this parcel at filing?
- Applicability is parcel-specific and can change as the City updates its programs. Confirm it with the City and the geotechnical consultant before design; this page makes no safety determination.
What shapes the budget here
- Geotechnical investigation before any purchase or design
- Specialized foundations where City code requires them
- Exclusion submittal work, if pursued
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 inside the updated landslide regulation boundary?
- Is the plan a new house, or replacement within the existing footprint?
- What geotechnical reports exist for the parcel?
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 · 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.
- Rancho Palos Verdes · Landslide Area Development Regulations
Area-specific prohibition (effective Sept. 18, 2025), boundary, exceptions and exclusion process.
Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated - Ordinance No. 692 (Chapter 15.20)
Adopted ordinance text (area-specific).
Applies to a specific area, zone or overlay · Passage checked · Effective or dated
2 of 2 official source passages checked (latest October 11, 2026).
Page content last updated:
Nearby places worth comparing
- Custom home planning in Palos Verdes Estates — Peninsula neighbor with its own city and association rules
- Custom home planning in Rolling Hills Estates — Peninsula neighbor with its own city and association rules
Guides that use this place as an example
- Hillside lot due diligence — Land-movement screening