General Contractor in Artesia, CA
A general contractor in Artesia works in a 1.62 square mile city of 1950s and 1960s tract homes on river soil, where Planning approval comes before the building permit and every fence needs its own permit. MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, plans, permits and manages eleven trades here through licensed subcontractors.
Eleven Artesia guides, one for each trade we manage
Each guide reads Artesia's posted rules for one trade and says what we could not confirm. Pick the job you are weighing, or skim the city notes underneath first.
Kitchen Remodeling in Artesia
Wednesday and Thursday plan check hours, a $64.65 plan check line for remodels without added floor area, 1960s kitchens and a four bedroom cap.
See Artesia kitchen remodeling →
Bathroom Remodeling in Artesia
Artesia's permit line for bath work, tract-era plumbing, lead-safe rules, rentals and the hours and dumpsters of a bathroom job.
See Artesia bathroom remodeling →
ADU Construction in Artesia
Artesia's ADU route: Article 45 classes, a 60 day review clock, garage parking, the 600 foot historic rule, alluvial soil and fees.
See Artesia ADU construction →
Room Additions in Artesia
Artesia's R-1 limits for a room addition: 50 percent lot cover, a four bedroom cap, second story approval, plans, soil and specific plans.
See Artesia room additions →
Roofing in Artesia
A re-roof permit, 1950s and 1960s tract roofs, an R-1 pitch rule, cool roof questions and no 2011 CAL FIRE zone for Artesia homes.
See Artesia roofing →
Windows in Artesia
Artesia window replacement: the open permit question, lead rules for 1960s houses, freeway and rail noise, glass, frames and cost.
See Artesia window replacement →
Flooring in Artesia
Wednesday and Thursday permit counter, tract-era vinyl and lead checks, river-soil slabs, rental approvals and work hours in Artesia.
See Artesia flooring →
Painting in Artesia
A City color review with a single family exception, EPA lead rules for 1960s houses, a graffiti paint discount and sourced prices for Artesia.
See Artesia painting →
Concrete in Artesia
Parking slab thickness, paved pad counts, 40 percent front yard planting, apron permits, block walls and pour costs in Artesia.
See Artesia concrete work →
Decks in Artesia
No posted deck rule, accessory setbacks, 9 percent outdoor space, patio cover limits, river-soil footings and deck repair in Artesia.
See Artesia deck building →
Fencing in Artesia
A Planning permit for every yard, 42 inch fronts, 6 foot side and rear fences, 9 foot walls beside the Metro rail line and no chain link in front.
See Artesia fencing →What should an Artesia owner know before choosing a general contractor?
Artesia is named for the artesian wells that once watered the district. The Artesia School District formed on May 3, 1875, growers were selling grapes to wineries by 1885, and Portuguese and Dutch dairymen arrived in the 1920s (the Portuguese hall dates to 1927, Holy Family Church to 1929). After World War II developers wanted the land for tracts, the dairies moved to Chino and the Central Valley, and the city incorporated on May 29, 1959. Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024 count 4,727 housing units: about 68 percent are single-family detached, 50.5 percent of occupied units are rented, the median year built is 1966, and 76.2 percent predate 1980. That age matters for a roof repair, a house painting job or window replacement, because EPA's lead rule covers paid work that disturbs paint in houses built before 1978.
Permits start at the Community Development Department, and the first surprise is the clock. The City's Building & Safety page says the Building & Safety counter and the plan checker keep Wednesday and Thursday hours from 8 a.m. to noon, while Planning takes walk-ins Monday through Thursday mornings. Applications go through the OpenGov portal, Planning approval comes before the building permit, and school fees are due before issuance for construction of 500 square feet or more. Who performs plan check is unconfirmed: the City page names BPR Consultants, while the Housing Element describes County services. The code sits on ecode360, which returned a 403 error to our tools, so we read it on the GoCodebook mirror and treat every section number as one to confirm with the City. We also have not read the County's Title 26 and Title 30 amendments or the exact list of work that skips a permit, which matters for a kitchen remodel, a bathroom remodel or a room addition. The City's 2026 fee workbook shows a $58.17 fence permit and a $1,422.29 ADU planning fee, each plus 1 percent, but those are planning lines, not the whole building permit bill.
Most single-family decisions are made at the Planning counter, not before a design board. One family homes in the A-1, R-1 and M-D-R zones are excluded from Planning Commission design review, yet every fence or wall in any yard needs a Planning permit backed by a survey or a neighbor's notarized consent. Front yard walls stop at 42 inches, and block walls beside the Metro rail right of way built after September 9, 2021 must be 9 feet high. R-1 lots must keep 40 percent of the front yard landscaped and cap roofed structures at half the lot, so a deck, a patio cover or a driveway pad competes with the yard for space. Parking is specified too, which shapes concrete work, and an apron cut into the street needs an encroachment permit. Six specific plan areas, including the Downtown plan adopted August 11, 2025, override the base zone where they conflict. ADU construction runs through Article 45, with the City's 60 day clock after a complete application.
The ground and the weather finish the picture. The Housing Element places Artesia on the San Gabriel River alluvial plain inside a liquefaction zone, with no Alquist-Priolo fault zone in the city, so ask Building & Safety whether a slab or footing needs a soils report, a point that also touches new flooring over cracked concrete. The same document puts the whole city in FEMA Zone C, an older designation, and we did not open FEMA's current map. A 2011 CAL FIRE layer shows no fire hazard zone inside the city, but we did not check the newer maps. We could not verify a historic landmark list, though the zoning code has a Historic District zone and bars visible ADUs near California Register properties. The 91 freeway and the rail corridor are the noise sources the Housing Element names, and NOAA's nearest normals, from Long Beach about 5.4 miles away, show 12.02 inches of rain a year and 23.3 days at or above 90 F. MDG Builders is the general contractor of record: we draw the scope, file the permits and schedule licensed specialty subcontractors, and you may ask for each one's license number and certificate of insurance. Neighbors with their own rules are Cerritos, Norwalk, Bellflower, Lakewood and La Mirada, plus Cypress, whose guide is not published yet.
- Artesia incorporated on May 29, 1959 and covers 1.62 square miles.
- About 76.2 percent of its housing units were built before 1980, and the Census median year built is 1966.
- The Building & Safety counter and plan checker are open Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon.
- A Planning permit with a survey or notarized neighbor consent is needed for any fence or wall.
- Block walls beside the Metro rail right of way built after September 9, 2021 must stand 9 feet high.
- The Housing Element places the whole city inside an identified liquefaction zone.
Artesia owners ask: hiring a general contractor
Do I need a licensed general contractor for a project in Artesia?
Usually yes. California limits unlicensed work to $1,000 including labor and materials, and the exemption ends if the job needs any permit or a hired worker. Artesia also requires a City business license for the contractor and each subcontractor before a building permit issues. A homeowner may pull permits for personal work on a one or two family house.
Where do I apply for a building permit in Artesia?
Apply through the City's Community Development Department, using the OpenGov portal that runs around the clock. Planning approval comes first, then the building permit. The Building & Safety counter and plan checker keep Wednesday and Thursday morning hours, so plan around them. Confirm current steps with the City, since we read part of the code on a mirror.
Who reviews plans for an Artesia building permit?
We cannot say for certain. The City's Building & Safety page says Artesia contracts with BPR Consultants, while the Housing Element describes County services. Both documents are official, so the safe move is to ask Community Development who will plan check your drawings and whether the County's Title 26 and 30 changes affect them.
Does every fence in Artesia need a permit?
Yes, according to the posted code on the GoCodebook mirror. A Planning permit is required before any fence or wall goes up in a front, side or rear yard, with a licensed survey or a notarized neighbor consent attached. The City's fee schedule lists the permit at $58.17 plus 1 percent. Front yard fences stop at 42 inches.
Is Artesia in a fire hazard or flood zone?
Probably not a fire zone, but check. A 2011 CAL FIRE layer shows no zone inside the city, and we did not open the newer maps. The Housing Element places Artesia in older FEMA Zone C, minimal flooding, and we did not check FEMA's current map. The city does sit in a liquefaction zone.
Can I build an ADU on my Artesia lot?
Often yes. Article 45 of the Municipal Code, as read on the GoCodebook mirror, allows one ADU plus one junior ADU on a single-family lot and gives the City 60 days to act on a complete application. Planning approval comes before the building permit. Confirm size, height and setbacks with Planning, because we found no city ADU page.
Do older Artesia homes need lead-safe work?
Most do. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires a certified firm for paid work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978, and window replacement is always covered. About 76.2 percent of Artesia's housing units predate 1980, so repainting, window and gut remodel jobs often fall under it. Ask any bidder for the firm's certification.
How does MDG Builders run an Artesia project?
MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, acts as the general contractor: it scopes the work, prepares plans, handles permit filings and schedules the trades. Licensed specialty subcontractors do the field work. You can ask for each subcontractor's license number and certificate of insurance, and our written proposal, not a web page, sets the price.
Tell us about your Artesia project
Share the trade you need and roughly when the house was built. We look up your zone and the permit path first, then explain on the phone what the City may ask for.