Remodeling and Home Building in Santa Ana

Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County and one of its oldest cities, and its housing shows it. Within a few miles you can find Victorian and Craftsman homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s, 1920s and 1930s period revival houses, postwar bungalows and large neighborhoods of 1950s and 1960s ranch homes. Building and remodeling here means working with that history rather than around it.

Mr Build Co. designs, permits and builds projects across Santa Ana, from a single bathroom to a new home. This page covers what is distinctive about building here and links to our detailed pages for each type of project.

What it is like to build and remodel in Santa Ana

Most Santa Ana projects start inside an existing house that has been lived in, modified and repaired for decades. That brings a few constants:

• Older systems. Knob-and-tube wiring, small electrical services, galvanized water pipes, cast iron drains and clay sewer laterals are common in prewar homes.
• Raised foundations. Many older homes sit over a crawlspace, which makes plumbing changes easier but often calls for seismic bolting and cripple-wall bracing.
• Hazardous materials. Lead paint is likely in homes built before 1978, and older flooring, plaster and duct wrap may contain asbestos. Both are tested before demolition.
• Past unpermitted work. Enclosed porches, converted garages and added bathrooms sometimes need to be brought up to code during a new project.
• Deep lots and alleys. Many blocks have rear alleys and detached garages, which is why ADUs are so popular here.

The practical result is that a good Santa Ana project budget includes a careful look at existing conditions before the price is fixed. We open the crawlspace, check the panel, test where it matters and, for bigger projects, camera the sewer line. Finding these things during design costs far less than finding them after the new cabinets arrive.

Neighborhoods and housing stock

Historic neighborhoods

French Park, near downtown, holds some of the city's oldest homes, including Victorians and Craftsman houses. Floral Park is known for its 1920s and 1930s period revival homes on wide, landscaped streets. Wilshire Square, Washington Square and Heninger Park add bungalows and revival-style homes from the same era. Homeowners in these areas usually want to keep original details such as wood windows, built-ins, hardwood floors and porches while updating everything behind the walls.

Mid-century tracts

Large parts of the city were built out in the 1950s and 1960s with single-story ranch homes on slab foundations. These houses tend to be structurally simple and good candidates for open layouts, larger bathrooms, additions and second stories, as zoning allows.

Newer homes and attached housing

Santa Ana also has newer infill developments, townhomes and condominiums, many with homeowners associations. Projects in these properties follow the association's rules in addition to the city's.

Permits, historic review and HOAs

The City of Santa Ana's Planning and Building Agency handles residential permits and inspections. Interior remodels follow the standard building permit process. Exterior changes, additions and demolition on properties listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties, or in historic districts, may need historic review first, and demolition of a historic house may not be approved. The city's Historic Resources Commission oversees that review and Mills Act agreements for eligible properties.

Unlike master-planned cities such as Irvine, most older Santa Ana neighborhoods have no HOA. Some newer tracts and most condo and townhome communities do. ADUs follow California's state ADU laws plus Santa Ana's local standards. Current requirements are posted by the City of Santa Ana.

Projects Santa Ana homeowners take on

Kitchens. Small, closed kitchens in bungalows and U-shaped tract kitchens are the most common rooms we redo. Our page on kitchen remodeling in Santa Ana covers layouts, wall removal and permits in older homes.

Bathrooms. Many prewar homes have a single bathroom with rotted subfloor and original drains. See bathroom remodeling in Santa Ana for what a full remodel or a second bathroom involves.

ADUs. Detached garage conversions and backyard units are in strong demand. Our ADU builder in Santa Ana page explains the options and state rules.

Additions. Rear primary suites, family rooms and second stories on ranch homes. Learn more from our room addition contractor in Santa Ana page.

Whole-home remodels. Updating every system and room in a period home while keeping its character is covered on our home remodeling company in Santa Ana page.

Structural and multi-trade work. Seismic retrofits, foundation repair, panel upgrades and combined projects are described on our general contractor in Santa Ana page.

New homes and rebuilds. On lots with non-historic houses, replacing the home can make sense. See demolition and rebuild in Santa Ana and our custom home builder in Santa Ana page.

How we work in Santa Ana

Mr Build Co. is a design-build general contractor, in business since 1984, holding California license #439166. On every Santa Ana project we handle design, plans, engineering and permits, provide a fixed and detailed written scope, and assign a dedicated project manager. Each project starts with a free on-site consultation, where we look at the existing house and talk through what your plans will involve.