Kitchen Remodeling
Cabinets and counters, a new layout, or a full tear-out, with the plumbing, electrical and permits handled by one crew.
Kitchen Remodels in Santa Barbara 
Santa Barbara County · 50–75 min from our office
General Contractor in Santa Barbara, CA
Kitchen and bathroom remodels, additions and renovations of older Santa Barbara homes, with the city's design review and coastal permits planned from the start.
Working in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara's look was set by an earthquake. On June 29, 1925, a magnitude 6.3 quake destroyed or badly damaged most of the commercial buildings downtown, and the city rebuilt in a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style: white stucco, red tile roofs, arches and wrought iron. That style still guides the downtown through the El Pueblo Viejo design guidelines, and it runs through many of the city's residential neighborhoods too.
Building in Santa Barbara takes patience. Many additions and exterior changes go before the Single Family Design Board, which can require neighborhood preservation findings and, on slopes, hillside design findings before a building permit is issued. Properties near the ocean are in the Coastal Zone. Interior remodels usually move faster, but they still go through the city's Building & Safety counter on Garden Street.
Santa Barbara is at the northern edge of our service area, about 50 to 75 minutes from our Santa Paula office, past Carpinteria on the 101. We take Santa Barbara projects where we can plan the design review and the schedule properly, often kitchen and bathroom remodels and additions on older homes.
Permits in Santa Barbara
City of Santa Barbara Building & Safety
Incorporated city (Santa Barbara County). Montecito and other unincorporated areas go through the County of Santa Barbara.
- Counter:
- 630 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Many additions and exterior changes go before the Single Family Design Board first.
- Properties in the Coastal Zone may need a Coastal Development Permit.
- We prepare drawings and handle plan check and inspections under CSLB license #920095.
Around Santa Barbara
A few places every Santa Barbara homeowner knows, and the neighborhoods we cover.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
The mission on the hill above the city, whose architecture echoes through Santa Barbara's Spanish-style neighborhoods.
Stearns Wharf
The wharf at the foot of State Street, at the center of the city's waterfront and its Coastal Zone.
El Pueblo Viejo district
The historic downtown rebuilt after the 1925 earthquake, governed by design guidelines that preserve its Spanish Colonial Revival character.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
- Santa Barbara
We serve all of Santa Barbara, ZIP codes 93101, 93103, 93105, 93109, 93110, 93111.
Santa Barbara homes
Santa Barbara has a large share of older homes: Spanish Revival and Craftsman houses from the 1910s through the 1930s, post-war ranch homes and hillside houses with views. Older homes often have plaster walls, original windows and raised foundations, and owners usually want to keep their character.
Hillside and foothill neighborhoods add slopes, retaining walls and fire hazard zones, while beach-area homes deal with salt air and the Coastal Zone.
What Santa Barbara homes need
Single Family Design Board
Many additions and exterior changes need design board approval before the building permit, which adds time and drawings to the process.
Preserving Spanish-style character
Smooth stucco, tile roofs, arched openings and original windows are matched or repaired rather than replaced where possible.
Coastal and hillside rules
Coastal Zone permits near the water and hillside design findings on slopes shape what can be built and how.
Seismic retrofits
Older raised-foundation homes benefit from bracing and bolting, a reminder of how the 1925 earthquake reshaped the city.
Our services in Santa Barbara
Every service below is available to Santa Barbara homeowners, with the same license, permits and guarantee.
- Kitchen Remodels in Santa Barbara
Bathroom Remodeling
Guest bath refreshes, full primary bathrooms, tub-to-shower conversions and accessible, curbless showers.
Bathroom Remodels in Santa Barbara Whole-Home Remodeling
Reworked floor plans, widened halls and doorways, new flooring and finishes throughout, managed by one licensed contractor.
Whole-Home Remodels in Santa Barbara Home Additions
Room additions and second stories: bedrooms, family rooms, offices and primary suites, from structural plans to final inspection.
Home Additions in Santa Barbara
What our clients say
Real Google reviews from LE Construction clients across our service area, quoted word for word.
EXCELLENT
5.0 out of 5, based on 17 Google reviews
Plan for design review from day one
Tell us about your Santa Barbara home. We will map out the approvals and give you a realistic schedule and written price.
Santa Barbara FAQs
Does my Santa Barbara remodel need design review?
Interior remodels usually do not. Additions, second stories and many exterior changes go before the Single Family Design Board, which reviews how the project fits the neighborhood and, on slopes, the hillside. The city has been streamlining the process and expanding staff-level approvals for minor projects. We check what applies to your project before drawings are final.
Can you match the stucco and details on a Spanish-style house?
Yes. Smooth and hand-troweled stucco, arched openings and tile details are common in Santa Barbara, and matching them is part of doing the work right. We test stucco texture on small areas and match trim and window details so new work blends with the original house.
Is Montecito covered by the City of Santa Barbara?
No. Montecito is unincorporated Santa Barbara County, so permits there come from the County of Santa Barbara, which has its own design review. The City of Santa Barbara covers addresses inside city limits. We confirm the jurisdiction first.
How do you handle projects so far from your office?
Santa Barbara is about 50 to 75 minutes from Santa Paula, at the northern edge of our area. We plan Santa Barbara work in longer, consecutive blocks, keep you updated on the schedule, and only take projects we can supervise properly.
Popular services in Santa Barbara
Nearby areas we serve
- Carpinteria, CA38–60 min from Santa Paula
- Ojai, CA28–40 min from Santa Paula
- Ventura, CA15–35 min from Santa Paula
Helpful pages
Serving Santa Barbara and Surrounding Neighborhoods
From Santa Barbara to the rest of Santa Barbara, we are 50–75 min from our Santa Paula office.
ZIP codes we serve here: 93101, 93103, 93105, 93109, 93110, 93111