COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
Home Remodeling Contractor in
Costa Mesa, CA
With more than 10 years of experience, ARD Remodeling takes on kitchens, bathrooms, floors and whole-home updates for homeowners in Costa Mesa, California. We start with a free estimate at your home and put the scope in writing before a date is set. Two things set the course here: the city takes building permit applications through its TESSA portal, and only about four in ten of the city's homes are detached houses, so your association often has a say too. We ask about both on the first visit.
- Free estimates
- Costa Mesa and nearby
- Scope in writing
- One crew, many trades
City approval
TESSA first: how a Costa Mesa application gets filed
The City of Costa Mesa's Building Permits page says all application information must be entered directly in TESSA, its online portal for permitting, licensing and inspections. Paper forms are ignored, scans of paper applications cannot be uploaded, and an incomplete application is returned. Among the permit types listed is Residential - Addition/Alteration. At your estimate we collect the details the form asks for, so you know what is still missing before you sit down to file.
Everything goes into TESSA
The Building Permits page says the information must be entered into TESSA directly and that paper applications are ignored. We help gather what the form asks for.
Plan around alternating Fridays
City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with alternating Fridays closed, so we check the week before booking a visit.
Insta-Permits are narrow
The city offers a quick permit for certain simple, limited-scope projects. The water heater version allows no other improvements with it, so tell us early if your plan reaches past the heater.
Weekdays until 7, Saturdays 9 to 6, nothing on Sundays
Section 13-279 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code exempts construction from the noise chapter between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays, provided the permits for the work have been obtained. Sundays are closed at all hours, and so are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. We put the loud steps on weekdays and tell you the order before the first morning.
A waiver exists, but we do not count on it
The code lets the development services director or a designee grant a temporary waiver for unusual circumstances. We plan inside the standard window.
Your building may set tighter hours
A condo or apartment-style building can keep its own rules. Ask the association or manager before we choose start dates.
PLACES TO START
Where a Costa Mesa plan often begins
Pick the closest one. We shape the rest at the visit.
Kitchen update
Cabinets, counters and lighting. In a condo, pipe and exhaust routes decide how much can move.
Bathroom rebuild
A shower, tub or vanity, planned with the pre-1994 fixture rule and the local water in mind.
A home bar or counter
ARD has a project page, Quartz Bar Top & Backsplash, in nearby Tustin. It shows a thick stone-look quartz bar top, a matching full-height backsplash, floating shelves with warm under-shelf lighting and walnut cabinetry.
Floors across connected rooms
One material through the living and dining areas, laid after the dusty work is done.
Living and dining rooms
Built-in storage, lighting and finishes that tie the rooms together.
Whole-home update
Kitchen, baths and floors scheduled together so each trade follows the one before.
Housing age
Built in the 1960s and 70s: what to ask before a wall opens
The Southern California Association of Governments' housing profile for Costa Mesa, built on American Community Survey estimates for 2014-2018, puts 25.4 percent of the city's housing units in the 1960s and 24.1 percent in the 1970s. Another 19.2 percent date from the 1950s. Homes that old have usually changed hands and been updated in pieces, so before we draw anything we ask what has already been done behind the walls.
Records of earlier work
Bring old invoices, photos, permit records or association approval letters. A thin folder is still useful.
One pass through a shared wall
When two rooms share a wall, the wiring and pipes inside it are handled in a single visit, so it is opened once.
Bathrooms carry one more question
A permitted bathroom remodel in a home this old brings a state fixture rule with it. Our Costa Mesa bathroom page goes through it.
A CORNER THAT WORKS
A desk nook that fits a compact home
In a condo or townhome there is rarely a spare room for an office. We plan a built-in desk, shelves, outlets and light into a wall or alcove you already have, so the work corner belongs to the room instead of crowding it.
- A desktop cut to the alcoveSolid oak, set at a comfortable sitting height and trimmed to the width of the niche.
- Power where you sitOutlets and charging ports go in with the electrical plan, so no cord crosses the floor.
- Light for the taskA shelf light and a ceiling light share one wiring plan, and the wall is opened once.
Condo, townhome or apartment-style building: who else signs off
The same SCAG table counts 17,134 detached houses among 43,532 housing units, with 10.1 percent single-family attached, 13.1 percent in buildings of two to four units and 35.3 percent in buildings of five or more. If your home is one of the shared ones, your association may have its own approval step, and the work touches neighbors as well as your rooms. We ask for its rules at the estimate and line up the order of work around them.
Shut-offs and notice
One valve can serve several units. Agree the shut-off time and the notice to neighbors with the manager first.
Floors and sound
Some buildings set rules for flooring, work hours and noisy days. Get them in writing before materials are ordered.
Getting materials upstairs
Elevator bookings, loading areas and protection for shared halls go into the schedule from the start.
BEFORE WE VISIT
Notes that help at a Costa Mesa estimate
Rough answers are fine.
- 1Your address and, if you know it, the year the home was built
- 2Whether it is a house, a townhome, a condo or an apartment-style unit
- 3Your association or property manager, and where its rules are posted
- 4Photos of every room you want to change
- 5Anything that must stay, such as a window, a floor or a cabinet run
- 6Earlier plans, permit records, invoices or approval letters
Missing a few of these is normal. Send what you have and we fill in the rest together.
WHAT WE REMODEL
Remodeling Services in Costa Mesa
Service overviewKitchen RemodelingBeautiful kitchens that bring together thoughtful design, quality materials and expert craftsmanship.See the service 
Costa MesaBathroom Remodeling in Costa MesaCustom showers, vanities, tile, lighting and improved layouts for a bathroom that looks beautiful and works better.Open the Costa Mesa page 
Service overviewFlooring & TileStylish, durable, and professionally installed flooring and tile for every room in your home.See the service 
Service overviewWhole-Home RenovationsDesign, construction and finishing details brought together into one carefully coordinated project.See the service 
Service overviewLiving Room RemodelingFlooring, ceilings, lighting, built-ins and open-concept layouts that make the room you use most feel finished.See the service 
Service overviewWindows & DoorsEnergy-efficient windows, sliding patio doors and modern entry doors with a clean finished look.See the service
START WITH A QUESTION
Unsure what your Costa Mesa home would need?
Send the address and a few photos, or call (424) 402-5114. We will tell you which approvals to line up first and what the work involves.
HOW IT WORKS
How a project in Costa Mesa runs
Step 1
Visit and measure
We walk the rooms, take measurements and ask how the home has changed since it was built.
Step 2
Scope in writing
Materials, finishes and the extent of the work are put on paper and agreed.
Step 3
Prepare the filings
We help with the TESSA application and your association's approval, depending on the project.
Step 4
Build inside the window
Trades are sequenced inside the city's weekday and Saturday hours, and we walk the finished rooms with you.
Good to know
Before you start in Costa Mesa
Every point below comes from the source shown on its card, with the date we last checked it. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects your project directly with the source.
- Official source
City Hall address, phone and hours
The footer of the Building Permits page lists City Hall at 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, phone (714) 754-5000, with hours of Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and alternating Fridays closed.
City of Costa Mesa, Building Permits Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Applications are filed in TESSA
The page says all application information must be entered directly in TESSA, which it describes as the City of Costa Mesa's all-in-one online portal for permitting, licensing, inspections and more. Paper forms or references to paper applications will be ignored, uploading scans or copies of paper applications is not allowed, and incomplete applications will be returned. The residential permit types listed include Residential - Addition/Alteration.
City of Costa Mesa, Building Permits Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
What an Insta-Permit covers
The city describes an Insta-Permit as a building permit for certain simple projects with a limited scope of work. The steps listed are to log in to TESSA, choose Apply for the appropriate type, fill in the customizable parts of the city's standard plans, provide any additional information, submit and pay the fees. The residential water heater version covers swapping or relocating an existing tank water heater in a dwelling, uses the city's standard plan, requires that the heater not be visible to the public, and allows no other improvements with it, such as re-piping or converting to tankless.
City of Costa Mesa, Insta-Permit Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Housing mix and age
SCAG's Pre-Certified Local Housing Data for Costa Mesa (updated April 2021) lists 43,532 housing units from California Department of Finance estimates: 39.4 percent single-family detached, 10.1 percent single-family attached, 13.1 percent in buildings of 2-4 units, 35.3 percent in buildings of 5 or more units and 2.1 percent mobile homes. From American Community Survey 2014-2018 estimates, 25.4 percent of units were built in 1960-1969, 24.1 percent in 1970-1979, 19.2 percent in 1950-1959 and 12.9 percent in 1980-1989; the document says 1960-1969 is the decade with the highest share.
- Reference
Construction hours in the municipal code
Section 13-279 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code, as published by GoCodebook (2026-10 edition), exempts construction equipment, vehicles or work from the noise chapter between approved hours, provided the required permits have been obtained. The hours listed are 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Construction is prohibited at all hours on Sundays and on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
FAQ
Remodeling questions in Costa Mesa
Direct answers to what homeowners ask us most. If your question is not here, call or send a request.
- Costa Mesa
- Permits
- Clear scope
Do you work in every part of Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa is on our service-area list, with Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Irvine and Tustin nearby. Send your address with the request or call (424) 402-5114, and we will confirm the visit.
Where do Costa Mesa permit applications go?
Into TESSA, the city's online portal. The Building Permits page says the information must be entered there directly and that paper applications are ignored. We help gather what the form asks for.
When is the Building Division counter open?
The city's page lists City Hall hours of Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with alternating Fridays closed. City Hall's number is (714) 754-5000, so a call before you go is sensible.
What days and hours can a crew work?
Section 13-279 lists weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays and six federal holidays are off limits, and a building may set tighter hours.
My home is a condo. Who approves the work?
Expect two conversations, one with the city for the filing and one with your association for its own rules. We ask for the association's guidelines at the estimate and plan the order of work around them.
Does the age of my home change the plan?
It can. SCAG's data shows the 1960s and 1970s as the biggest building decades here. Tell us the build year at the visit, since it affects how we sequence the trades and which bathroom fixture rules apply.
Service area
Also serving near Costa Mesa
We work across Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Call or send a request and we will confirm your address.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Planning a remodel in Costa Mesa?
Tell us about your home and your plans. We will confirm the details and set up your free estimate.