General Contractor Santa Clarita for Valley and Canyon Homes
A general contractor in Santa Clarita has to plan around City rules found nowhere else in the county: every oak is protected, fire zones demand Class A roofs, canyon lots go through hillside review, and Planning clears many jobs before the Permit Center does. MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, manages all eleven trades here with licensed subcontractors.
Eleven trades we manage in Santa Clarita
Each guide below covers one trade through Santa Clarita's own code sections, with the City sources linked. Start with the job you are planning, then read the neighbors it touches.
Kitchen Remodeling in Santa Clarita
Permit Center counter reviews, exempt finish work, 1980s and 1990s tract kitchens, attached homes, oak trees and hillside lots in Santa Clarita.
See Santa Clarita kitchen remodeling →
Bathroom Remodeling in Santa Clarita
Permit Center counter review, plumbing versus tile permits, 1980s and 1990s bathrooms, condo shutoffs and shower-pan testing.
See Santa Clarita bathroom remodeling →
ADU Construction in Santa Clarita
City ADU handout rules, the April 2026 update, oak trees, fire zones, hillside lots, garage conversions and the Planning-first permit path.
See Santa Clarita ADU construction →
Room Additions in Santa Clarita
Planning and plan check, soils reports above 1,000 square feet, hillside review, stamped second-story plans, oaks and fire zones.
See Santa Clarita room additions →
Roofing in Santa Clarita
The 10 and 50 percent roof rules, no wood shakes, Class A in fire zones, oak trees at the eaves and re-roof inspections for Santa Clarita homes.
See Santa Clarita roofing →
Windows in Santa Clarita
Permit-free change-outs, the fire zone 50 percent rule, glass for 95 degree summers and replacement windows in 1980s homes.
See Santa Clarita window replacement →
Flooring in Santa Clarita
Finish floors the City exempts from permits, garage conversion slabs, moisture tests and what lies under floors in older Newhall and Canyon Country homes.
See Santa Clarita flooring →
Painting in Santa Clarita
No permit for ordinary paint, EPA lead-safe rules for 1960s and 1970s tracts, low-VOC limits, valley heat and association color approvals.
See Santa Clarita painting →
Concrete in Santa Clarita
Patios and walks the City exempts, oak tree protected zones, front yard paving limits, footing depths and retaining walls on hillside lots.
See Santa Clarita concrete work →
Decks in Santa Clarita
The 30 inch permit line, fire zone decking, hillside review, oak tree protected zones, deck repair and Valencia association approvals.
See Santa Clarita deck building →
Fencing in Santa Clarita
Six foot side and rear limits, 42 inches by the street, permit exemptions, protected oak zones and canyon lot rules for Santa Clarita fences.
See Santa Clarita fencing →What should a Santa Clarita homeowner know before hiring a general contractor?
Know which counter your job starts at. The Building & Safety Permit Center enforces the City's Title 18 amendments to the 2025 California codes, which apply to projects submitted on or after January 1, 2026. Planning, in the same City Hall suite, clears fences, patio covers, pools, ADUs, oak trees and hillside work first. Small residential remodels, patio covers, fence walls and small retaining walls are the kind of project the City normally reviews over the counter, if staff need about 30 minutes or less. A re-roof is not on the list of instant online permits, so a Santa Clarita roof repair or replacement waits for a permit and a pre-inspection, and a kitchen remodel that touches pipes or wiring needs trade permits of its own.
Four local rules can land on one lot together. Every Quercus oak, whatever its size, has a protected zone reaching 5 feet past the dripline, so trenching, footings and concrete work near a trunk can be an encroachment, and the City was rewriting that ordinance in March 2026. CAL FIRE published new Los Angeles County maps on March 24, 2025, and County Fire said Santa Clarita gained a significant amount of fire zone area; inside a zone the Wildland-Urban Interface Code applies to window replacement and siding at a 50 percent, one-year trigger. Sites averaging a 10 percent slope or more go through Hillside Development Review, which shapes room additions and decks on canyon lots. Flood and debris areas bar walls and fences outright, which matters for fencing.
The history explains the housing. Santa Clarita was created on December 15, 1987 by merging Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia, and its first master-planned subdivision, Old Orchard I in Valencia, opened in 1967. Census estimates give a median build year of 1988, only about 29 percent of units from before 1980, and 71.5 percent owner-occupied, with a median home value of $813,900. Younger houses mean fewer antique surprises, but the 22,000 or so older ones still bring lead-safe rules to house painting, moisture and adhesive questions to flooring installation, and ageing fixtures to a bathroom remodel. Valencia's homeowner associations often want to approve the work before the City sees it.
One contact can hold all of this together. MDG Builders is a general contractor, not a crew: we write the scope, file the permits and schedule the licensed specialty subcontractors, and our article on how general contractors use subcontractors shows how that works. Backyard units, a popular reason to call, have their own guide for ADU construction in Santa Clarita. Our Los Angeles hub and Glendale hub cover neighboring rules, and the full service area lists the rest.
- Every oak of the genus Quercus is protected on public and private land, and its protected zone starts 5 feet outside the dripline.
- Wood shakes and shingles are not allowed on new roofs, and a roof inside the fire zone needs at least a Class A rating.
- Painting, tile, hardwood and carpet are exempt finish work, while plumbing and electrical changes made alongside them still need permits.
- A deck is permit-exempt only at 30 inches above grade or lower, and never over a slope or in a flood hazard area.
- Land averaging a 10 percent slope or more goes through Hillside Development Review before the building permit.
- The city dates only from December 15, 1987, and the median home was built in 1988.
Cities near Santa Clarita we also build in
Santa Clarita projects: common questions
Where do I get a building permit in Santa Clarita?
At the Permit Center of the City's Building & Safety Division, which takes applications through the Accela portal, eService and the counter. Planning clears fences, patio covers, ADUs, oak trees and hillside work first. Confirm the office's current hours and fees on its own page before you go, because both are updated each year.
Does Santa Clarita protect oak trees on private property?
Yes. Every oak of the genus Quercus is protected on public and private land, and the protected zone reaches 5 feet beyond the dripline. Single-family lots carry size and pruning exemptions, but trenching, paving, footings and fence work inside the zone can need a permit. Council began revising the rule in March 2026.
Is my Santa Clarita home in a fire hazard zone?
Check the City's GIS layer labeled Fire Zone and ask Building & Safety, because CAL FIRE published new County maps on March 24, 2025, and County Fire said Santa Clarita gained significant zone area. We could not confirm the City's final adoption of the new map. Inside a zone, roofs need Class A coverings.
Can I replace flooring or repaint without a permit in Santa Clarita?
Usually yes. The City's code lists painting, hardwood or tile flooring, carpeting and tiling as work needing no building permit, provided the materials meet its fire performance rules. Plumbing, electrical or structural changes made while the surface is open still need their own permits, so the exemption covers only the finish itself.
How old are homes in Santa Clarita, and does it change the work?
They are younger than most of Los Angeles County: the median year built is 1988 and about 29 percent of units predate 1980. That means fewer surprises behind the walls, yet roughly 22,400 older homes remain, and those trigger lead-safe painting rules. Newhall, Saugus and Canyon Country mix eras block by block.
Do I need homeowner association approval for exterior work in Valencia?
Often, yes. Valencia is the master-planned part of the city, and its associations range from a few dozen homes to more than a thousand. Fence, paint, roof and addition approvals there commonly begin with an association review before the City permit, so ask for the architectural guidelines and submittal dates before you order materials.
Which projects need Planning approval before Building & Safety?
Fences, walls, patio covers, pools, ADUs, landscaping and anything touching oaks or hillsides go to Planning first. Its over-the-counter form checks setbacks, height, oak trees, fire zone, overlay zones, special standards districts, and fault and flood zones. Building & Safety reviews an ADU only after Planning clears it.
Can MDG Builders handle several trades on one Santa Clarita house?
Yes. MDG Builders is a general contractor, CSLB #1040337, so one proposal can cover a roof, windows, a bathroom and a deck, each done by a licensed specialty subcontractor we schedule. You can ask for every subcontractor's license number and certificate of insurance before you sign anything.
Plan your Santa Clarita project
Send the street, the neighborhood and a line about the work. We check the oak, fire zone, slope and HOA questions for that lot and tell you which counter to expect when we call.