Windows · Doors · Glass walls
Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach houses are built into the hillsides and canyons, and the glass is what lets them look out. We replace it without changing what the city has already approved.
01Local knowledge
Houses in Laguna Beach
The houses
Laguna Beach has an unusual range of houses for a small town: early beach cottages in the village, architect-designed homes stepping down the hillsides, canyon houses in Bluebird and Laguna Canyon, and oceanfront homes from Crescent Bay to South Laguna. Many were designed around a specific view, with fixed glass, corner windows and doors placed where the light falls. Replacement here is mostly about fidelity: keeping the same openings, the same sightlines and the same quiet frames, while the glass and the seals inside them improve.
The conditions
Oceanfront and bluff houses face salt spray and wind that drive water at every joint, so frames, finishes and hardware are chosen for direct marine exposure. Up the hillsides, the sun comes in low and from the west, and a good coating does more for comfort than tint. Canyon and ridgeline lots may sit in a very high fire hazard severity zone, which changes what the glazing has to be. Steep driveways and long stairways also set practical limits on how large a single panel can be carried to the opening, and we account for that in the design.
02Permits and approvals
Handled for you
Laguna Beach reviews window and door replacements over the counter when the openings stay as they are. New or enlarged openings go to design review and full plan check.
01
For replacement in existing openings, the city asks for the application and a floor plan marking which windows and doors are being replaced.
02
City code exempts window and exterior door replacements from design review, provided size, location and openings stay the same.
03
Glass in a new or enlarged opening requires design review. With signed neighbor consent, it may be handled administratively rather than by the Design Review Board.
04
The whole city is in the Coastal Zone. Replacement on an existing single-family home is exempt from a coastal development permit, except within 50 feet of a coastal bluff edge, in environmentally sensitive areas and in designated highly scenic areas.
05
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are confirmed with the city’s self-certification form at final.
03What we install
Openings, made well
Doors & glass walls
Multi-slide, bi-fold, pivot, entry and French doors, including widened openings with the engineering and permit handled.
Windows
Wood, clad, fiberglass, aluminum and vinyl, retrofit or full-frame, chosen for the house and the salt air.
Questions
Laguna Beach, asked
Anything else is best answered in person, at the house.
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Laguna Beach?
Yes. When the openings stay the same, the city reviews the permit over the counter from a floor plan that marks each window and door being replaced.
Will the project go to the Design Review Board?
Not if the size and location of each opening stay the same; replacements are exempt. New or enlarged openings need design review, which can be administrative if your neighbors sign their consent.
Our house is on the bluff. Does the Coastal Commission get involved?
Within 50 feet of a coastal bluff edge the usual exemption does not apply, so the project needs coastal review. We confirm the parcel’s status with the city before design begins.
We live in a gated community. Is there another approval?
Some private communities in Laguna Beach run their own architectural review alongside the city’s. If yours does, we prepare the drawings and product information it asks for.
ZIP codes served
92651
Consultation
A consultation in Laguna Beach
An unhurried walk through the house with one of our estimators. Choose a time that suits you, and we will come to you.
Or call 714-752-3407