Two permit paths: interior only, or exterior too
Glendale's permit guidance separates remodels by what they touch. A remodel with no exterior changes can apply directly for a single-family Alteration/Repair building permit through the GlendalePermits portal, and the zoning code allows interior modifications to be exempted from design review even when floor area is added inside the existing shell.
Once the scope includes windows or doors, whether new, replaced or removed, or siding, roofing or site work, the city treats it as a remodel with exterior changes. That path starts with a Planning consultation and either a Design Review Exemption or a Pre-Application Review before the building permit, and the city voids single-family applications filed without that approval. Most whole house projects land here, so we prepare the exterior package first.
The 50 percent rule for older, nonconforming houses
Some older Glendale houses were built under earlier standards and no longer meet current setbacks, height or other zoning rules. The code lets those nonconforming houses be repaired and altered, but within any five-year period no more than 50 percent of the combined area of all exterior walls and the roof may be replaced or abandoned in place. Go past that, and the building loses its nonconforming status and must comply with the current zoning code.
The way the city counts matters. Replacing stucco, siding or roofing material, including sheathing and the weather barrier, is not included in the 50 percent. Enlarging a window or door opening counts as demolishing the added area, and portions of walls or roof that are themselves nonconforming may not be rebuilt in place at all. For design review purposes, a single-family remodel that exceeds the limit is considered new construction. We measure the existing walls and roof and track the percentage as the design develops, so the scope does not cross the line by accident.
Stucco, siding and windows
Re-stuccoing or re-siding the house needs a Design Review Exemption approval before the building permit, with photos of every side of the building, a site plan, product information on the material, color and finish, and elevations when more than one material is used or stucco replaces another siding. All of it must follow the city's Comprehensive Design Guidelines.
Window replacement follows Glendale's Residential Window Replacement Design Guidelines, which apply to openings visible from the street. Our Glendale kitchen remodeling page walks through how those guidelines read an older house, and on a full remodel we usually prepare one window schedule for the whole house rather than room by room.
Historic districts and the Glendale Register
If the house sits in one of Glendale's historic district overlay zones, or in a district pending designation, exterior changes visible from the street are subject to review regardless of size, measured against the citywide Historic District Design Guidelines. Properties individually listed on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources, which the city created in 1997 and which now holds more than 100 properties, need approval from the Community Development Department or the Historic Preservation Commission for alterations, repairs and demolitions.
Register properties are also eligible for the city's Mills Act program, which the city describes as offering a possible property tax reduction in exchange for preservation commitments. Whether it suits you is a question for the city and your tax advisor, but a Mills Act contract can shape which exterior work we schedule and how.
Plumbing fixtures, systems and the yard
A whole house remodel is the natural time to replace old supply lines, drain lines, wiring and panels while the walls are open. California's Civil Code also requires that for alterations to a single-family home built on or before January 1, 1994, the permit applicant replace every noncompliant toilet, showerhead and interior faucet with a water-conserving fixture before the city gives final permit approval, subject to limited exceptions, so we include that in the scope rather than leaving it for the final inspection.
Staging matters too. Glendale's indigenous tree ordinance bars damaging a protected oak, bay or sycamore by operating equipment or changing the grade within its protected zone, prohibits storing building materials there, and requires a permit to encroach on that zone, which affects where a dumpster, a material pile or a trench can go. We lay out staging around those trees at the start.
Living in the house or moving out
Some Glendale families stay home through a phased remodel, keeping one bathroom and a temporary kitchen running while crews work through the rest of the house. Others move out for the heaviest stretch so the trades can work without interruption. We price and schedule both approaches so the choice rests on real numbers, and you receive a written scope and estimate before work begins.