Backyard & Outdoor Living in Malibu

City of Malibu Building Safety Division (Community Development Department). The city runs its own Building Safety Division and issues its own building and grading permits. The entire city lies within the coastal zone, and because the Local Coastal Program was certified in 2002 the city itself issues coastal development permits under its Land Use Plan and Local Implementation Plan, including review against the ESHA overlay. Onsite wastewater treatment systems are permitted through the Environmental Sustainability Department's environmental health office, and installing a new system requires its own coastal development permit. Processing depends heavily on required geotechnical, biological and wastewater studies, so schedules vary considerably from parcel to parcel. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing the city.

Everything from tight beachfront strips between the highway and the sand to multi-acre canyon and ridge parcels with steep buildable pads and long private driveways. In practice that means nearly every property runs on an onsite wastewater system rather than a sewer, and its rated capacity limits added bedrooms and constrains where a pool, equipment pad and backwash line can sit..

All of it, including Point Dume, Malibu Colony, Serra Retreat, Big Rock. We are based in Los Angeles at Cahuenga Pass, so Malibu is a short run for our crews rather than a job we service from out of the area.

Full backyard transformation in this market generally runs $50,000 to $250,000+. What moves it is how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting. We give line-item pricing after seeing the site rather than quoting a number over the phone.

A patio and turf refresh often finishes in three to five weeks. A full transformation with hardscape, an outdoor kitchen, structures and lighting typically runs ten to sixteen weeks, and longer if a pool is part of the same phase.

Pavers cost more up front but flex with ground movement instead of cracking, and individual units can be lifted and replaced. Poured concrete is cheaper initially, but a crack means cutting out and repouring a section that rarely matches. On most Southern California soil we recommend pavers for anything you will look at every day.

Yes, and on most projects we insist on it. Correcting grade and adding proper drainage while the yard is already open is far cheaper than retrofitting it after new hardscape is down.

Yes. Design, permits, hardscape, structures, kitchen, lighting and planting run through one team and one project manager, so nothing gets lost between trades.