Backyard Remodeling & Outdoor Living in North Tustin, CA
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Last modified: 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
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Image: Lit board-formed concrete retaining wall and steps on a hillside
- North Tustin
Design · Permit · Build
Backyard & Outdoor Living in North Tustin
We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together.
Book a Consultation Call 818-300-2393
Built for North Tustin Homes
North Tustin has no city hall of its own: it is unincorporated Orange County, so a backyard project here is permitted by the County and measured against County zoning. The bulk of the community is zoned E4 Small Estates, a district the County intends for neighborhoods where open space and deep setbacks predominate, and around Lemon Heights the zoning map asks for sites at least 125 feet wide and 20,000 square feet in area.
The land rises eastward from the streets near Tustin into the hills of Lemon Heights and Cowan Heights, where the grading volume that triggers a site development permit drops sharply on slopes steeper than 30 percent. Along the eastern edge, CAL FIRE maps a band of Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and buildings there must be built with the fire-resistive features of Building Code Chapter 7A or Residential Code Section R327.
With pools kept three feet off property lines and one guesthouse allowed per site, many of these estate lots have room for a pool, a pavilion and a guesthouse once the grade and the fire zone are resolved.
Most of North Tustin is zoned E4 Small Estates under the County Zoning Code, a district intended for neighborhoods where open space and deep setbacks predominate. The base E4 standards set a 10,000 square foot minimum building site, a 30-foot front setback from the ultimate street right-of-way, a 25-foot rear setback, side setbacks of 10 percent of the site's average width up to 20 feet, a 35-foot height limit and a 35 percent cap on building site coverage.
The zoning map raises those minimums in places: land around Lemon Heights is largely 125-E4-20000, meaning a 125-foot minimum width and a 20,000 square foot minimum site, much of Cowan Heights is E4-20000, and Panorama Heights is mostly 100-E4.
A smaller part of the community falls under the North Tustin Specific Plan instead, which carries its own district standards.
We are a design-build team, which means the people who draw your project are the people who build it. Design, engineering, permits and construction run through one project manager and our own crews, so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a salesperson and a subcontractor. We are licensed, bonded and insured, CSLB license #1119054 .
Permits in North Tustin: North Tustin is unincorporated, so building and grading permits come from the County's Building and Safety division under the Orange County Grading and Excavation Code and Zoning Code. A pool may not be built within three feet of a property line or an ultimate vehicular right-of-way, or inside the corner sight areas at driveways and street intersections, and an accessory structure inside a required setback is held to 12 feet in height, or 8 feet within three feet of a property line.
One guesthouse is allowed per building site, with no kitchen and no rental; at 640 square feet or less it needs no discretionary permit, while a larger one needs a site development permit on a site of an acre or more and a Zoning Administrator use permit on a smaller site.
Accessory dwelling units go through a ministerial permit, and a newly built unit is capped at 1,200 square feet. Buildings in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones adopted by the Board of Supervisors in Ordinance 25-015 on August 26, 2025 must be built with the fire-resistive features of California Building Code Chapter 7A or California Residential Code Section R327.
Permit details checked September 2026 against Orange County Code and OC Public Works . Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Build
- E4 setback and site coverage planning
- Hillside grading and slope review
- Chapter 7A wildfire construction
- Guesthouses and ADUs within County limits
- Full backyard transformations
- Paver patios, driveways and walkways
- Outdoor kitchens and BBQ islands
- Pergolas, patio covers and shade structures
- Fire pits, fire tables and fireplaces
- Retaining walls and seat walls
- Artificial turf and drought-tolerant planting
- Drainage correction and grading
- Landscape and architectural lighting
- Front yard and curb appeal remodels
Local Conditions
What to Know in North Tustin
These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.
01
On CAL FIRE's Local Responsibility Area map dated March 24, 2025, a band along the community's eastern edge, near Cowan Heights and Lemon Heights, is Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with smaller Moderate and High areas nearby, while most of North Tustin is mapped non-wildland.
02
The County Grading Code treats a site as a hillside site where existing grade is 20 percent or more, or where cuts or fills reach three feet in height, and drainage or stability could be affected, and it holds new cut and fill slopes to 2:1 unless a geotechnical report recommends steeper and the Building Official approves.
03
Under the Zoning Code, grading of more than 500 cubic yards on a slope steeper than 30 percent requires a site development permit, far below the 10,000 cubic yards that triggers one on a building site otherwise.
04
The grading permit exemption for basement and footing excavation under a building permit does not extend to fill made with the excavated material, so spreading those spoils across a sloping yard is not covered by it.
Areas we serve in North Tustin:Lemon HeightsCowan HeightsPanorama HeightsRed Hill
Investment
What It Costs in North Tustin
Real Southern California price ranges, not teaser numbers.
Full backyard transformation
$50,000 to $250,000+
What moves it: how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting
Paver patio and hardscape
from about $13,000
What moves it: square footage, paver type, base preparation, drainage, and any steps or retaining involved
Outdoor kitchen and BBQ island
$10,000 to $50,000+
What moves it: counter length, appliance package, countertop material, and whether gas, water and power need to be run a long distance
Pergola and shade structure
from about $9,500
What moves it: span, material (wood, aluminum or louvered), footing requirements, and integrated lighting or heating
Artificial turf
from about $9,900
What moves it: area, turf grade, base depth, drainage, and any pet-specific infill
Your lot, access and finishes set the price. We walk the site, then show you where every dollar goes.
Get a line-item price for your North Tustin property
The Process
How We Work in North Tustin
01
Site Review
We measure the yard, check drainage and grade, and find the constraints before design starts.
02
Design & 3D
You walk the whole yard in 3D, so layout and materials are settled before we build.
03
Plans & Permits
Structures, walls and electrical get drawn and permitted where the work requires it. In North Tustin that submittal goes to OC Public Works, OC Development Services, Building and Safety.
04
Demo & Grading
Old surfaces come out, levels are set and drainage is corrected properly.
05
Build
Hardscape, structures, kitchen, features and lighting go in, sequenced by our own crews.
06
Planting & Handover
Planting, turf and final detail, then a full walkthrough of the finished yard.
Questions
What North Tustin Homeowners Ask
Who issues the permits for this work in North Tustin?
OC Public Works, OC Development Services, Building and Safety. North Tustin is unincorporated, so building and grading permits come from the County's Building and Safety division under the Orange County Grading and Excavation Code and Zoning Code.
A pool may not be built within three feet of a property line or an ultimate vehicular right-of-way, or inside the corner sight areas at driveways and street intersections, and an accessory structure inside a required setback is held to 12 feet in height, or 8 feet within three feet of a property line.
One guesthouse is allowed per building site, with no kitchen and no rental; at 640 square feet or less it needs no discretionary permit, while a larger one needs a site development permit on a site of an acre or more and a Zoning Administrator use permit on a smaller site.
Accessory dwelling units go through a ministerial permit, and a newly built unit is capped at 1,200 square feet. Buildings in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones adopted by the Board of Supervisors in Ordinance 25-015 on August 26, 2025 must be built with the fire-resistive features of California Building Code Chapter 7A or California Residential Code Section R327.
We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing plan check.
What makes building in North Tustin different?
Most of North Tustin is zoned E4 Small Estates under the County Zoning Code, a district intended for neighborhoods where open space and deep setbacks predominate. The base E4 standards set a 10,000 square foot minimum building site, a 30-foot front setback from the ultimate street right-of-way, a 25-foot rear setback, side setbacks of 10 percent of the site's average width up to 20 feet, a 35-foot height limit and a 35 percent cap on building site coverage.
The zoning map raises those minimums in places: land around Lemon Heights is largely 125-E4-20000, meaning a 125-foot minimum width and a 20,000 square foot minimum site, much of Cowan Heights is E4-20000, and Panorama Heights is mostly 100-E4.
A smaller part of the community falls under the North Tustin Specific Plan instead, which carries its own district standards. One local condition that shapes the work: On CAL FIRE's Local Responsibility Area map dated March 24, 2025, a band along the community's eastern edge, near Cowan Heights and Lemon Heights, is Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with smaller Moderate and High areas nearby, while most of North Tustin is mapped non-wildland.
Which parts of North Tustin do you work in?
All of it, including Lemon Heights, Cowan Heights, Panorama Heights and Red Hill. Our crews run every job out of our Cahuenga Pass base in Los Angeles, with our own people on site.
What does a backyard or outdoor living project cost in North Tustin?
Full backyard transformation: generally $50,000 to $250,000+ across Southern California. 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.
How long does a backyard remodel take?
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 or poured concrete?
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.
Can you fix drainage at the same time?
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.
Do you handle the whole yard in one project?
Yes. Design, permits, hardscape, structures, kitchen, lighting and planting run through one team and one project manager, so nothing gets lost between trades.
More Services in North Tustin
Pool & Spa Remodeling in North Tustin ADUs & Additions in North Tustin Everything we build in North Tustin
Backyard & Outdoor Living Nearby
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Tustin Backyard & Outdoor Living in Orange Backyard & Outdoor Living in Villa Park Backyard & Outdoor Living in Irvine Backyard & Outdoor Living in Anaheim Hills
Planning Guides
Before You Build in North Tustin
Costs, materials and process notes from our own projects.
Whole-Home Remodel Sequencing: What to Do First A whole-home remodel done in the wrong order costs 15 to 25 percent more. Here is the correct sequence, from structural and roof through to paint, and why each stage has to precede the next. Read guide Indoor-Outdoor Living Conversions in Southern California A 16-foot multi-slide door runs $18,000 to $45,000 installed. Here is how the full indoor-outdoor conversion works, from structural header to flush threshold to covered patio tie-in. Read guide Tarzana Outdoor Living: Costs by Lot Type Tarzana backyards run hot and deep. A working outdoor living build here (shade, hardscape, kitchen, lighting) typically lands between $85,000 and $220,000, and the ground drives most of the number. Read guide Porter Ranch Backyards: Wind, Slope and Fire Zones A full backyard transformation in Porter Ranch runs $95,000 to $280,000. Wind exposure, slope, HOA review and fire-zone material rules shape the design before anything about style enters the conversation. Read guide
Planning a Backyard in North Tustin?
Sit down with your project manager and get an accurate estimate. We call you back within one business day.
Book a Consultation 818-300-2393
Licensed, bonded & insured · CSLB license #1119054
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