Pasadena, California
General Contractor in Pasadena
MKW Homes is a licensed general contractor working across Pasadena. We build kitchens, bathrooms, paver driveways, artificial turf, outdoor living, and pool surrounds. Pasadena runs its own building department, and in the landmark districts, street-facing exterior changes go through city design review before a permit is issued.
The short answer
MKW Homes builds and remodels across Pasadena, kitchens and baths through to driveways and pool surrounds. Your permit runs through the City of Pasadena Planning and Community Development, not the county. In a landmark district, street-facing work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before the building permit. Interior jobs skip that review and move faster. Free estimate, and I can usually walk it the same week.
Building in PasadenaWhat actually matters here.
Pasadena runs its own permits and design review
Your permit comes from the City of Pasadena Planning and Community Development Department, not the county. In a landmark or historic district, any exterior change you can see from the street can need a Certificate of Appropriateness before the building permit is issued. Staff handle the smaller jobs. Bigger ones go to the Historic Preservation Commission at a public hearing. Check your address in the city's CHRID database first.
Interior work is easier than the front of the house
Here is the useful part. Interior kitchen and bathroom remodels are usually exempt from historic design review, and so is landscaping. What gets reviewed is the street-facing face of your home. A new front fence, a front porch change, or a paver driveway you can see from the sidewalk can trigger a Certificate of Appropriateness. So the yard behind the house moves fast. The front takes longer.
Old houses hide old problems
Much of Pasadena was built between 1900 and 1940. Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival, and mid-century post-and-beam homes. On houses that age we plan for knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines, and thin subfloors. The drain stack location still decides what a bathroom remodel costs. We open one wall, look, and price the real job before we start, not after.
Permits in Pasadena go through City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development.
ServicesWhat we build in Pasadena.
Pasadena questionsStraight answers.
Do I need design review for a kitchen or bathroom remodel in Pasadena?
Usually not. Interior work is exempt from historic design review, even in a landmark district like Bungalow Heaven. You still pull a building permit for the plumbing, electrical, and structural work. The review only applies when you change something you can see from the public street.
Is my Pasadena home in a historic district?
Search your address in the city's CHRID database, the California Historical Resources Inventory. It tells you if your home is an individual landmark or sits inside one of Pasadena's landmark districts. That status decides whether street-facing work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before a permit.
How long does a paver driveway or front yard project take in Pasadena?
The build runs a week or two for most driveways. The timeline depends on whether it faces the street in a historic district. Landscaping and turf are exempt, but a visible front driveway or fence can need design review first, which adds weeks. A back yard or pool surround has no such wait.
ReviewsFrom nearby homeowners.
Hired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewHired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 review