Custom home planning resource · Ventura County
Planning a custom home in Simi Valley
A Simi Valley main-house proposal needs a coordinated construction set, not a design supplied by the plan examiner. The City separates land-use planning from building review and asks for supporting calculations, reports and specifications. The useful first decision is who owns that complete package and each correction.
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
Identify the adopted land-use documents
Planning implements the adopted General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and Design Guidelines through its review process. Ask which apply to the parcel and proposed house; an unfinished custom-home webpage does not mean there is no planning process.
Official resource: Simi Valley · Planning DivisionCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
02
Agree the professional design responsibilities
The plan-review page explains that review depends on use, location and construction impacts and that examiners enforce standards rather than design the project. Ask the City and design professionals who must prepare the actual structural and architectural scope; no blanket exemption is assumed.
Official resource: Simi Valley · Plan review proceduresCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
03
Submit drawings and supporting evidence together
The construction overview calls for drawings with structural design calculations, engineering reports, specifications and other supporting information before construction. Make the proposal identify which versions and reports it relies on and which are still missing.
Official resource: Simi Valley · Building construction overviewCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
04
Choose the correct portal and declaration
The online instructions require registration in Customer Self Service and distinguish a contractor’s Construction Permit Declaration from a homeowner’s Property Owner package. Confirm the correct applicant responsibilities; express repair or solar options on the page are not a new-house shortcut.
Official resource: Simi Valley · Online permit instructionsCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
Each step links to the official page it comes from. Requirements differ by parcel; confirm with the agency.
Who reviews a new home here
Simi Valley is an incorporated city in Ventura County.
City of Simi Valley — Environmental Services: Planning Division and Building & Safety Division.
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
Who may prepare the plans?
Plan Review Procedures (read October 13, 2026): conventional wood-frame one-story dwellings may be prepared by others, but structurally complex dwellings and those in steep hillside locations require a California licensed architect or registered engineer.
source: Simi Valley · Plan review proceduresQuestion 2
What must the first submittal contain?
One combined PDF of all plans (site, architectural, structural, MEP, Title 24) stamped by preparers, separate stamped calculations, and supporting reports such as geotechnical, through the online portal.
source: Simi Valley · Plan review proceduresQuestion 3
Which planning documents apply?
Confirm zoning and any applicable plan with the Planning Division before drawings.
source: Simi Valley · Planning Division
Finding the current official checklist
Read Plan Review Procedures and assemble the PDFs exactly as listed before uploading to the Customer Self Service portal.
Owner evidence to gather first
- Slope information to decide the preparer category
- Geotechnical report if required
- Stamped calculations as a separate file
Simi Valley: who prepares the plans
| Dwelling | Preparer stated by the City |
|---|---|
| One-story, conventional wood frame | Licensed architect or engineer not required |
| Structurally complex | California licensed architect or registered engineer |
| Steep hillside location | California licensed architect or registered engineer |
Local issues and the budget lines they touch
| Local issue | Budget line it affects |
|---|---|
| Licensed preparer requirement | Architect/engineer fees |
| Seismic Design Category D or E | Structural engineering and calculations |
No dollar amounts or local premiums are implied.
Cost drivers to confirm before pricing
| Issue | Fact that confirms it | Who answers | What a proposal should list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillside or complex structure | Survey slope and structural concept | Structural engineer | Stamped calculations and their revision rounds |
| Soils conditions | Geotechnical report recommendations | Geotechnical engineer | Foundation type tied to the report |
Hypothetical: owners assumed a drafter could draw their two-story replacement house on a sloped lot. Reading the preparer rules, they plan for an engineer's calculations before the first upload.
What shapes the budget here
- Complete architectural/structural set and supporting reports, with revisions assigned
- Site investigation and land-use questions resolved separately from standard drawings
- Missing specifications and allowances visible in a construction-only proposal
These items affect cost; none is a price. See how to build a realistic budget: Custom home budget guide
Parcel questions to answer first
- Which adopted guidelines and parcel constraints does this design rely on?
- Who coordinates structural calculations, reports and specifications after comments?
- Which portal record and applicant declaration fit this main-house scope?
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.
- Simi Valley · Plan review procedures
Scope-dependent review and examiner/design-team responsibilities; no review-duration promise.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency - Simi Valley · Building construction overview
Drawings and supporting calculations, reports and specifications.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency - Simi Valley · Planning Division
Adopted land-use documents and Planning role.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency - Simi Valley · Online permit instructions
Portal registration and different applicant packages. Confirm current instructions with the City.
City-wide guidance · 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 12, 2026).
Page content last updated:
Nearby places worth comparing
- Custom home planning in Moorpark — Neighboring Ventura County city