Service area · Pasadena
Room Additions in Pasadena
Our office is on East Green Street, which makes Pasadena less of a service area for us than a home base. It's also the most architecturally demanding city we work in — a place where an addition that ignores the original house is noticed immediately, by neighbors and by the design review process alike.
Local conditions
What Pasadena homes are built like
Pasadena's housing stock is unusually rich and unusually old. Craftsman bungalows from the 1900s and 1910s dominate large parts of Bungalow Heaven and the streets around it. Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean homes from the 1920s fill much of the southeast. There are Victorians, mid-century post-and-beam houses in the Arroyo, and sizable Tudor and Colonial Revival homes in the older northern neighborhoods.
For additions, that age is the defining fact. Pre-1930 homes here routinely have knob-and-tube wiring still in service, 60- or 100-amp panels, galvanized supply lines, and raised foundations that have settled unevenly over a century. We budget for investigation on Pasadena projects rather than pretending the walls will be empty.
Pasadena at a glance
- Permitting authority
- Pasadena runs its own Planning & Community Development Department and its own building division — projects here do not go through LADBS. The city also maintains landmark districts and historic designations where exterior changes face design review, and properties listed or in a district may have additional requirements. If your home is in or near one of these areas, we determine that before the design work starts, because it shapes what the addition can look like from the street.
- Neighborhoods we work in
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- Bungalow Heaven and the surrounding Craftsman districts
- Madison Heights and the South Lake area
- Hastings Ranch and the eastern post-war tracts
- Linda Vista and the Arroyo-adjacent hillsides
- Orange Heights, Normandie Heights and the older northern neighborhoods
On the ground
Additions that respect a Craftsman
The most common mistake we're called in to correct on Pasadena bungalows is an addition built with the right square footage and the wrong proportions. Craftsman homes have specific roof pitches, deep overhangs with exposed rafter tails, tapered porch columns, and window proportions that read as wrong the moment they're violated — even to people who couldn't tell you why.
Our approach on period homes is to match the roof pitch exactly, continue the eave depth and rafter detail, and source or mill trim to the original profile rather than using the closest stock item. It costs somewhat more in millwork and a good deal more in attention. It's also the difference between an addition that disappears into the house and one that announces itself forever.
Most requested here
What we build most often in Pasadena
Kitchen additions
Opening up the compartmentalized kitchens that came standard in pre-war floor plans
See details →Bathroom additions
Adding a second bath to bungalows built with exactly one
See details →Master suite additions
Usually to the rear, where the addition is invisible from the street
See details →Straight answers
Pasadena questions we get asked
Will my Pasadena addition need design review?
It depends on whether your property is a designated landmark, contributes to a landmark district, or falls under a specific plan area. Additions visible from the public right of way get more scrutiny than rear additions. We check your parcel's designation with the city at the start of the project, since it affects both the design and the schedule.
How long does Pasadena plan check take?
It varies with the department's workload and the complexity of the submittal, and historic review adds time. What we can tell you is that a complete, well-drawn submittal comes back with fewer corrections, and corrections are what actually stretch a plan check from weeks into months. We'd rather spend an extra week on the drawings.
Can I add on to a home in Bungalow Heaven?
Generally yes — the district protects the character of the streetscape rather than prohibiting change. Rear additions that preserve the front elevation and match the original detailing are the usual path. The constraint is real but it's a design constraint, not a wall.
Do you handle knob-and-tube wiring found during construction?
Yes. In pre-1940 Pasadena homes we expect to find some, and current code doesn't allow extending it. We price the replacement of what's in the work area as part of the estimate, and flag what's elsewhere in the house so you can decide whether to address it while walls are already open — which is far cheaper than doing it later.
Start here
Planning an addition in Pasadena?
We'll come out, look at the house and the lot, tell you what Pasadena's rules will actually allow, and put a written estimate in your hands. No charge and no obligation.
Call (626) 726-3989, or use the form and we'll get back to you — usually the same day.
We also serve: Glendale, Burbank, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Woodland Hills, Northridge, Reseda, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks.
Free estimate in Pasadena
Tell us about your project and we'll call you back — usually the same day.
Ready to talk about your addition?
Free in-home consultation and a written estimate at no cost.