SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
Home Remodeling Contractor in
South Pasadena, CA
With more than 10 years of experience, ARD Remodeling plans kitchens, bathrooms, floors and whole-home updates for homeowners in South Pasadena, California. The free estimate is a visit to your house, and the scope is written down before a start date is set. Three local points come up early: the permit counter keeps a fixed weekly rhythm, exterior work on buildings on the city's historic inventory goes to the Cultural Heritage Commission, and the work-hour rules reach 500 feet past a residential zone.
- Free estimates
- South Pasadena and nearby
- Scope in writing
- One crew for the trades
Permits
Mondays in person, Wednesdays on screen: how the permit counter works
The Building Division is at 1414 Mission Street. Its page lists permit issuance from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and sends applicants to the South Pasadena Open Gov Customer Permit Portal for a permit or a plan check. The plan checker is available in person on Mondays or virtually on Wednesdays, between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Pick the afternoon first
Monday is in person and Wednesday is virtual, both from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. We choose the day with you once the drawings are ready.
Start on the portal
Applications are filed online. The Permit Technician, at (626) 403-7224 or permittech@southpasadenaca.gov, answers questions about the forms.
No Friday permit pickup
Permit issuance is listed for Monday to Thursday, so we do not plan a Friday pickup. Phone and email questions can still go in.
Work hours
Sunday has a window too: the work-hour rule in numbers
The city's noise sheet quotes section 19A.13 of its municipal code. It is unlawful to carry out construction activity in a residential zone, or within 500 feet of one, on weekdays before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m., on Saturdays before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and on Sundays before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. The sheet defines construction activity as work that needs a building permit. Our schedule starts from those windows.
Loud steps on weekdays
Demolition and cutting are planned for weekdays where the job allows. A Sunday start is something we raise with you, not something we assume.
Southwest Monterey Hills
The Building Division page says this area has different regulations. If your house is there, tell us on the first call so we read the right rules.
WHERE A PLAN STARTS
Starting points for a South Pasadena house
Most projects combine two or three of these.
Kitchen update
Cabinets, counters, lighting and a pantry wall, with plumbing moved only where the layout asks for it.
Bathroom rebuild
A new shower or tub, tile and vanity, with waterproofing planned first. Our bathroom page covers the details.
Windows and doors
On a listed house these are exterior work, so we begin with your address rather than the catalog.
Shared living spaces
Wall, ceiling and floor finishes agreed together, so the rooms you walk through feel connected.
Historic review
Exterior work and the Cultural Heritage Commission
The commission's page says a Certificate of Appropriateness covers exterior work that affects properties on the city's Inventory of Historic Resources. The commission meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., and an application has to be complete before that meeting. The page also links a Citywide Historic Context Statement that follows the city's neighborhoods and historic districts from 1873 to 1963.
Guidelines by architectural style
The city's residential design guidelines, adopted in 2008, have pages for Craftsman and bungalow, Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival, Turn of the Century, American Colonial Revival, Tudor and English, French and Monterey Revival homes. We bring your style's pages along.
Windows, doors and porches
The city's application asks owners to show how a project follows the guidelines on roofs, porches and balconies, architectural details, windows, doors and facade treatments, and streetscape.
Plan around the third Thursday
Exterior work waits for that monthly cycle. Whether a job that stays inside is touched at all is a question for the Planning Division, at (626) 403-7220.
THE STAIR HALL
Stair halls and landings that tie the floors together
In a two-story house the stair hall carries the light, the railing and the floor from one level to the next. We plan treads, handrail, lighting and floor as one piece, so a remodeled room does not end at a hallway that no longer matches it.
- Light on the landingA window or fixture planned with the wiring.
- Treads and runnerWear surfaces matched to both floors.
- Railing and trimHandrail, balusters and trim read as one design.
Other reviews
Beyond the building permit: slopes, facades and trees
The city's Planning Resources page lists a Hillside Development Permit application, a Design Review (Residential) application and a Minor Project Review application whose title names HVAC, re-roof, window replacement, solar panels and swimming pools. Which one applies is the Planning Division's decision, so we gather what it will ask for.
Is the lot on a slope?
The city has a separate hillside application. We note the slope and any retaining walls when we measure.
Does the outside change?
A new window, a new door opening, an addition or exterior paint. We list every exterior change in the scope so Planning can say which application fits.
Is a tree near the work?
The city's form says an arborist report may be necessary, and removals bring replacement trees or in-lieu fees set by Public Works. We note trees before we plan access.
BEFORE YOU CALL
What to have ready for the permit counter and for us
None of it has to be complete. It only saves a second call.
- 1The address and, if you know it, the year the house was built
- 2Whether the house is on the city's historic inventory, or a note that you are not sure
- 3Which rooms change, and whether anything on the outside changes
- 4Whether the lot is on a slope or has a mature tree near the work
- 5Photos of each room and, for exterior work, of each facade
- 6Your association's contact, if you have one
Not sure about an item? Send what you have and we will fill in the rest at the visit.
WHAT WE REMODEL
Remodeling Services in South Pasadena
Service overviewKitchen RemodelingBeautiful kitchens that bring together thoughtful design, quality materials and expert craftsmanship.See the service 
South PasadenaBathroom Remodeling in South PasadenaCustom showers, vanities, tile, lighting and improved layouts for a bathroom that looks beautiful and works better.Open the South Pasadena 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 PHOTO
Not sure whether your plan touches the outside?
Send the address and a few photos. We will tell you which approvals to check first.
HOW IT WORKS
How a project in South Pasadena runs
Step 1
Visit and measure
We walk the rooms, take measurements and ask how you use each space.
Step 2
Scope in writing
Materials, finishes and the extent of the work are agreed and written down.
Step 3
Check the review path
We check the build year, any historic listing, the slope and the trees, and help with the city paperwork and any association approval.
Step 4
Build inside the city's hours
Trades are sequenced inside the city's work windows, and we walk the finished rooms with you.
Good to know
Before you start in South Pasadena
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
The permit counter and its weekly rhythm
Building Division, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Permit issuance is available from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The Building Plan Checker is available in person on Mondays or virtually on Wednesdays between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Applicants are directed to the South Pasadena Open Gov Customer Permit Portal for a permit or plan check review; the Permit Technician is at permittech@southpasadenaca.gov or (626) 403-7224.
City of South Pasadena, Building Division Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Construction hours in the municipal code
The city's noise regulations sheet (updated September 2017) quotes S.P.M.C. section 19A.13: it is unlawful to perform any construction activity within a residential zone or within five hundred feet of one on Monday through Friday before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m., on Saturday before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m., and on Sunday before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. Construction activity is defined as activity requiring a building permit, including the use of any hammer, saw or similar device for site preparation, assembly, repair, demolition, alteration or similar action.
City of South Pasadena, Noise Regulations Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
The Cultural Heritage Commission
The Commission is described as advisory to the City Council on the identification, retention and preservation of landmarks and historic districts, and meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 1424 Mission Street, and by Zoom. The page says a Certificate of Appropriateness covers exterior work that affects properties on the Inventory of Historic Resources, that painting and routine maintenance are exempt, and that applications must be complete before the Commission meets.
City of South Pasadena, Cultural Heritage Commission Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
Design guidelines and protected trees
The Certificate of Appropriateness application for alterations and demolition, major project review (revised March 2022), says City Council Resolutions 6979 and 6980 of April 23, 2008 adopted the Residential and Commercial Design Guidelines. The residential guidelines have style pages for Craftsman/Bungalow, Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival and other architectural styles. It also says trees on public and private properties are a protected resource and require a tree removal permit prior to any permits issued for building construction.
- Official source
The Planning Division's application list
The Planning Resources page lists applications by type, among them Design Review (Residential), Hillside Development Permit Application, Certificate of Appropriateness (Alteration/Demolition), CHC Chair Review Application, and Minor Project Review (Miscellaneous Permit), whose title reads Chair Review, HVAC, Reroof, Window Replacement, Solar Panels, Swimming Pools. The page does not say which project needs which review; the page footer gives the city's main number, (626) 403-7200.
City of South Pasadena, Planning Resources Checked 2026-10-30
FAQ
Remodeling questions in South Pasadena
Direct answers to what homeowners ask us most. If your question is not here, call or send a request.
- South Pasadena
- Permits
- Clear scope
Which parts of South Pasadena do you cover?
South Pasadena is on our service-area list, with Pasadena, Alhambra and San Gabriel next door. Send your address with a request, or call (424) 402-5114, and we will confirm the visit.
Which days can I meet the plan checker?
The Building Division lists its plan checker in person on Mondays and virtually on Wednesdays, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Permit issuance is listed for Monday through Thursday. We build your submission around those days and help with the forms.
Can a contractor work on a Sunday here?
The code limits Sunday construction to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., against 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Whether a Sunday suits you, your neighbors and your association is a separate question, and we ask before booking one.
Does the city review the inside of an older house too?
The commission's page describes the Certificate of Appropriateness as covering exterior work on properties on the city's inventory, with painting and routine maintenance exempt. Whether a particular interior job is touched is a question for the Planning Division at (626) 403-7220. We ask for the address and build year first.
Do trees affect a remodel?
They can. The city's form calls trees on public and private property a protected resource and puts a tree removal permit ahead of building permits. Tell us about any tree near a planned door, patio or addition.
Does my association approve the work, or only the city?
They are separate decisions. Ask the association for its rules and work-hour limits before a start date is chosen. We help line up the approvals the project calls for.
Service area
Also serving near South Pasadena
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 South Pasadena?
Tell us about your home and your plans. We will confirm the details and set up your free estimate.