Question 1

Is Malibu work different from the rest of the county?

Accepted Answer

Mostly in how long it takes to get to a permit. Malibu adds review layers that the inland cities do not, so the programme is longer and the existing-conditions work matters more at the front of it. We scan the property early, so the designer is working from real geometry while the approvals run.

Question 2

What do you need before you can document the site?

Accepted Answer

Access and time. We scan the house and the ground around it in one visit, including the slope, the driveway and the neighbouring structures where they bear on the work. If a surveyor is producing a boundary or a topographic survey for the project, we coordinate with them rather than duplicating it. Our data is scan and drone capture for visualization, takeoffs and site documentation.

Question 3

What does the fire hazard designation require?

Accepted Answer

Ignition-resistant construction throughout the assemblies: roofing, eaves, vents, siding, glazing, decks, plus defensible space around the structure. In Malibu these are not a small addendum; they shape the detailing and the specification across the set. We confirm the designation and detail to it rather than adding it late.

Question 4

Do you handle the geotechnical and structural side?

Accepted Answer

No. We are draftsmen: structural and civil come from the project engineer, and we coordinate with them so the drawings and the reports agree. What we bring is an accurate record of the existing building and site, which is what those consultants need to work against in the first place.

Question 5

Can you document an existing Malibu house accurately?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is worth scanning rather than taping. These houses are frequently irregular, built on slopes, and altered over decades with much of it never reaching the file. A LiDAR scan gives real geometry for the remodel, and the same data supports the reports and the coastal submittal.

Drafting and Permit Documents in Malibu

01Is Malibu work different from the rest of the county?

02What do you need before you can document the site?

03What does the fire hazard designation require?

04Do you handle the geotechnical and structural side?

05Can you document an existing Malibu house accurately?