City of Pasadena Permit Center
Building permits, plan check, inspections, and the design and historic review that comes before them for many projects.
Pasadena Permit CenterService area · Pasadena
Custom homes, remodels, and rebuilds in Pasadena.
ROAM's office is on Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena. Pasadena projects range from Craftsman bungalows in landmark districts to hillside homes above the Arroyo and Eaton Fire rebuilds in the city's northeast. ROAM Design Studio LLC handles design, historic and hillside review, and permits, and ROAM Builders Inc. (CSLB Lic. #1151324) handles construction.
Permits
Who issues building permits in Pasadena.
Pasadena is an incorporated city. The City's Permit Center is a one-stop counter for building permits, zoning, and design and historic review; check the City's site for its current location and hours, which changed during its 2026 renovation.
What ROAM Design Studio LLC does
We confirm zoning and any overlays for your address, prepare the permit set with the licensed engineers your project needs, submit to the Pasadena Permit Center, and respond to plan-check comments, as set out in your design agreement.
Residential design and permit servicesLocal considerations
What shapes projects in Pasadena.
- Landmark and historic districts. Pasadena has dozens of landmark and National Register districts, beginning with Bungalow Heaven, the city's first landmark district. Exterior changes in them need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit.
- Hillside overlay. New homes in the Hillside Development overlay districts need a Hillside Development Permit, which adds a planning review before plan check.
- Fire hazard zones. Pasadena adopted the 2025 fire hazard maps, which increased the number of properties in the Very High zone. New homes there are built to the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
Fire rebuilds: the City of Pasadena runs its own rebuild process for parcels inside city limits, separate from LA County's, including a fire rebuild fee waiver and refund program. Rebuilds may exceed the previous home by up to 10% or 200 square feet, whichever is greater. See our Eaton Fire rebuild page.
Sources: Pasadena Permit Center, Pasadena Eaton Fire update (Planning Commission, Jan 2026), Pasadena landmark districts, reviewed October 2026. Requirements change; confirm them with the agency for your property.
ROAM is not affiliated with City of Pasadena Permit Center or any government agency. This page is general information, not legal or permitting advice.
What we do in Pasadena
Design, permits, and construction from one coordinated team.
New custom homes
Ground-up single-family homes, including one-story homes with basements, designed by ROAM Design Studio LLC and built by ROAM Builders Inc. (CSLB Lic. #1151324).
Custom homesRemodels and additions
Kitchens, primary suites, whole-house renovations, and additions, from design and permits through construction.
Remodels and renovationsFire rebuilds
Rebuild planning, permits, and wildfire-resistant construction for homes lost in the Eaton Fire.
Eaton Fire rebuildsCommon questions
Building in Pasadena.
Do I need historic review to remodel my Pasadena home?
If the house is in a landmark district or is a designated historic resource, exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness before the building permit. Interior remodels generally don't. We check your address at the start.
Is my Eaton Fire rebuild in Pasadena handled by the City or the County?
Parcels inside Pasadena city limits are permitted by the City of Pasadena; Altadena parcels are permitted by LA County. Some homes with Pasadena mailing addresses are in Altadena, so confirm your parcel's jurisdiction first.
Do I need a Hillside Development Permit in Pasadena?
New homes in Pasadena's Hillside Development overlay districts need one, and it is reviewed before building plan check. We check whether your lot is in an overlay at the start.
Planning a project in Pasadena?
Our office: 2012 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103.