Requests from anywhere in San Diego County go to independent local remodelers. Where your house sits decides two things: the kind of kitchen it was built with, and which building department issues its permits.
Kitchen Remodel San Diego is a referral service: it connects homeowners with independent local remodelers and is not a contractor.
City of San Diego neighborhoods
Inside city limits, permits come from the City of San Diego Development Services Department.
Mid-City and Uptown
North Park, South Park, Kensington, Normal Heights, University Heights, Talmadge, Mission Hills, Hillcrest and Golden Hill. Many Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Revival houses, often with small closed kitchens, early wiring and galvanized pipe. Some streets are in designated historic districts, and the city says historic properties get an additional review before changes.
Along the coast
La Jolla, Bird Rock, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Salt air on hardware and appliances, many condos with HOA rules, and homes in the Coastal Overlay Zone that can have extra review.
Postwar neighborhoods
Clairemont, Bay Park, Bay Ho, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, San Carlos and the College Area. Galley and U-shaped kitchens that owners often want to open, which raises structural and permit questions.
North and northeast
Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Carmel Valley, Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, Sabre Springs and Torrey Hills. Tract homes from the 1970s on, frequent HOA approval and builder-grade kitchens ready for new cabinets and counters.
Downtown and central
East Village, Little Italy, the Gaslamp, Mission Valley, University City and Kearny Mesa. High-rise and mid-rise condos where the HOA sets work hours and freight elevator booking.
South
Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, Encanto, Paradise Hills and City Heights.
Other cities in the county
San Diego County has 18 incorporated cities, and each one issues its own building permits. Requests come from all of them, including Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach and Coronado in the south; Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar on the North County coast; Escondido, San Marcos, Vista and Poway inland; and El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee in East County.
Chula Vista has its own article: kitchen remodel in Chula Vista.
Unincorporated communities
Spring Valley, Bonita, Lakeside, Alpine, Ramona, Fallbrook, Valley Center, Rancho Santa Fe and 4S Ranch get their permits from the County of San Diego. Some East County and backcountry homes sit near brush, which matters for an outdoor kitchen.
Wherever you live
Your contractor pulls the permit, and the city or county decides what your job needs.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is your license active on the CSLB website?
- Will you put the whole job in a written contract?
- How much is the down payment, and when are the other payments due?
- Who pulls the permit, and are the fees in the price?
- How do we agree on changes before they are made?
- When will work start and end?
Look up any contractor’s license with the CSLB Check a License tool before you sign.