The 50 percent rule: when a remodel becomes a new house
Many older Beverly Hills homes were built before current setback and height standards, and a house that no longer meets them may be legally nonconforming. As the code reads in 2026, Section 10-3-4100 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code allows no more than 50 percent of the combined area of a nonconforming building's exterior walls and roof to be replaced or reconstructed in any five year period. Past that line, the city treats the building as newly constructed, and the entire house, old and new portions alike, has to conform to the zoning code's development standards.
For an older house that sits closer to a side property line than today's code allows, crossing the threshold can mean giving up that position, so a remodel that looked simple on paper may need a redesign. The code counts a section of wall or roof as replaced once its framing is replaced or reconstructed. The code ties the calculation to framing: replaced studs, joists and rafters count, while finish work such as new drywall, cabinetry and flooring is not what it measures.
How the city measures demolition
A Community Development Department policy, first issued in 2011 and still posted on the city's website in 2026, explains how the percentage is calculated at plan check. Window and door openings are included in the wall area. A new window set into the same opening, with no change to the surrounding framing, is left out of the demolition total, but if the sill, header, trimmer or other framing around an opening is replaced, the entire opening counts. When a single stud, joist or rafter is replaced, the area reaching to the nearest framing member on each side is counted as well.
Sistering new lumber onto old framing counts when it functionally replaces the original members. Adding shear wall sheathing to existing studs does not count by itself, although any framing removed in the process does. Roof area is measured only above floor area, so patios and overhangs are excluded from both sides of the calculation.
When the calculation lands between 40 and 50 percent, the policy calls for a separate demolition permit, demolition plans and completed demolition inspections before the city issues the building permit, so inspectors can confirm the total stayed under the limit. If an inspection later shows the work went past 50 percent, the whole structure must be brought into compliance. That is why we open suspect areas, document framing condition and agree on a demolition plan with your architect before the numbers are final, with room left for rot or termite damage that only shows up once walls are open. Because the policy dates from 2011, we also confirm with the Planning Division that it still reflects how plan check applies the rule.
Design review covers what the street can see
In the Central Area, the municipal code requires design review approval before a single-family house is altered or remodeled, but it exempts remodels that do not materially change the structure's appearance from the street. In practice, a project that rebuilds the interior while leaving the street-facing elevations alone can usually stay outside design review, while a façade remodel or a street-visible addition goes through Track 1 staff review or Track 2 commission review.
The city treats smaller aesthetic changes on visible elevations, including painting, new roofing and window replacement, as subject to some level of design review. Replacement windows can often be approved at the public counter when they match the existing material or use a high quality material such as fiberglass, aluminum clad, wood or steel, but vinyl windows cannot be approved at staff level. The counter asks for the manufacturer's specification sheet, installation details showing how far the window is recessed from the façade, a drawing or photo of the location, and egress details for bedroom windows. The Hillside Area has no design review process, though hillside lots follow their own development standards.
Historic review can come before permits
Beverly Hills keeps a List of Local Master Architects, compiled by its Cultural Heritage Commission to help identify properties of potential historic significance, alongside historic resource surveys of the city. For a house designed by an architect on that list, or one listed on a survey, the city notes that additional historic review may be required before permits are issued, and windows are among the features that review can treat as character defining.
Designated landmarks, and contributing properties in a historic district, need a Certificate of Appropriateness under Section 10-3-3219 before their exterior appearance changes, and the city applies the Secretary of the Interior's Standards in that review. An owner whose property is not on the local register can apply under Section 10-3-3221 for a Certificate of Ineligibility, a city determination that the property is not eligible for landmark designation. We check the architect and survey status first, because the answer can change window, roof and exterior finish choices across the whole remodel.
Permits, fees and site logistics
Beverly Hills adopted the 2025 California codes with local amendments effective January 1, 2026, including the California Existing Building Code and the California Historical Building Code, both of which can matter for an older house. Some permits are issued over the counter, while a remodel with full drawings typically goes through the city's electronic plan review. Plan review and permit fees are based on project valuation, and the city also charges general contractors a Contractor's Business Tax Registration fee of 0.2125 percent of valuation, assessed when the building permit is issued.
A building permit is valid for 365 days from issuance, and its expiration is extended to 180 days after the most recent successful inspection, so a long remodel needs inspections at a steady pace. In Trousdale Estates, the general contractor registers the jobsite with a Construction Traffic Management Plan, and trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, or over 10,000 pounds with three or more axles, must be inspected before hauling there. Where tenants live on the property and the work could affect habitability for more than a day, the city requires a Means and Method Plan before the permit is issued.
How we plan a Beverly Hills remodel
We start with the house itself: framing condition, foundation, roof structure, and the age of the wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems. Working with your architect and engineer, we map which walls and roof areas the design actually needs to replace and compare that figure with the 50 percent line before plans are submitted. Systems are laid out around the finished floor plan, so new circuits, supply lines and ductwork run where the rooms will need them.
You receive a written scope and price before construction, and the schedule includes every design review, historic review, demolition permit and inspection step the city requires for your property. Throughout the job we report progress as each phase closes, from demolition through framing inspection to final finishes.