Backyard & Outdoor Living in Manhattan Beach

City of Manhattan Beach Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division. Building permits are issued by the Building and Safety Division of the City's Community Development Department, with applications accepted through the Citizen Self Service portal. Manhattan Beach has a certified Local Coastal Program, so the City itself issues Coastal Development Permits under the Coastal Development Permit Procedures chapter of that program, and certain decisions remain appealable to the California Coastal Commission. Coastal Zone projects that add floor area, alter exterior elevations, or add decks and roof decks generally require that permit in addition to the building permit. Plan review here covers architectural, structural, geotechnical, grading and drainage, energy and fire life safety, so timing varies with scope. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing the city.

Tight and rectangular near the beach — commonly around 30 by 90 feet with three-foot side setbacks — with larger, steeply sloped view parcels up the hill and wider conventional lots inland. In practice that means loose beach sand and dune deposits across much of the west side require engineered shoring, and often caissons, before excavation for a basement, pool or equipment vault..

All of it, including Sand Section, Tree Section, Hill Section, El Porto. We are based in Los Angeles at Cahuenga Pass, so Manhattan Beach 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.