Burbank Remodeling Contractor works in Pasadena, California, a city of roughly 138,000 people twelve miles east of Burbank on the 134. Pasadena has the oldest and most architecturally significant housing stock in our service area, and it has the review process to match.
Two things to know before starting a project here. Pasadena runs its own Building Division with one of the region's more rigorous plan check regimes, and it maintains multiple landmark districts where exterior work requires approval before a permit issues. Neither is a reason to avoid the city. Both are reasons to plan the schedule honestly. Call (747) 330-0305.
Remodeling Craftsman Bungalows in Bungalow Heaven
Bungalow Heaven is a 125-acre Landmark District, designated in 1989 as Pasadena's first, containing more than 800 Craftsman bungalows built roughly between 1905 and 1920. It is one of the most concentrated collections of intact Craftsman housing anywhere in the country.
Working here means the district process comes first. Exterior work requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit can even be issued, which is a step homeowners frequently do not learn about until they are already committed to a timeline. Interior remodeling is far less constrained. The projects that go well are the ones that restore the exterior properly, leave the front elevation alone, and put the budget into kitchens, bathrooms, systems and a rear addition.
What Is Behind the Walls in a 1910s Pasadena House
Beyond Bungalow Heaven, Washington Square, Garfield Heights and Orange Heights hold deep Craftsman and early twentieth century stock. Across all of them, the findings are consistent enough to plan for rather than react to: lath and plaster walls, knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply, raised foundations that were never bolted, and original old-growth framing that is generally in better shape than anything built since.
Those are discoveries in the sense that you cannot see them from the curb, but they should never be surprises in a budget. A Pasadena Craftsman remodel priced without a rewire, a repipe and a seismic retrofit in it is a bid that is going to grow by a third once the walls open.
Seismic Retrofit on Pre-War Pasadena Homes
Pre-war housing dominance means seismic work pairs with nearly every major remodel in the older districts. Cripple wall bracing and foundation bolting are the standard scope: plywood sheathing on the short walls between the foundation and the floor framing, and anchor bolts tying the sill plate down.
It is inexpensive relative to the rest of a remodel, particularly when the crawl space is already open for plumbing and electrical work, and it is the single highest-value structural improvement available on a house of this era. Doing it during a remodel rather than as a standalone project roughly halves what it costs.
Working With Pasadena Plan Check
Pasadena's Building Division is thorough, and the correction cycles on a substantial project are more detailed than what the same drawings would draw in most neighboring jurisdictions. That is not a complaint. It generally produces better buildings, and it means a project that clears review here has been genuinely looked at.
What it requires from a contractor is complete, coordinated drawings on the first submittal rather than a thin set expected to get fixed through corrections. We budget more design time on Pasadena projects for exactly that reason, and it typically saves calendar time overall.
Talk to a Burbank general contractor about your project
Tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a straight answer on scope, permits, timeline and price.
Call (747) 330-0305Frequently asked questions
What is a Certificate of Appropriateness?
It is the design approval required for exterior alterations to properties in a Pasadena landmark district, and it has to be obtained before a building permit can be issued. It covers things like windows, roofing, siding, porches and front elevation changes. Interior work generally does not require one.
Is my Pasadena house in a landmark district?
Pasadena maintains several landmark districts citywide beyond Bungalow Heaven, and the boundaries are specific. We check the district maps against your parcel before design, because a contractor promising a timeline without knowing the answer is promising something they cannot deliver.
Can I add on to a Craftsman bungalow?
Yes, and rear additions are usually the most straightforward path in a district, since what is protected is primarily the street-facing character. The addition needs to be designed sympathetically in massing, roof pitch and materials, and detail matching original millwork is something we do in-house.
How long does Pasadena plan check take?
Longer than most jurisdictions in our service area, and longer still in a landmark district where the design approval precedes the building permit. Plan for three to six months from complete drawings to permit on a substantial project. Submitting a thorough set the first time is the main lever you have on that.