General Contractor in Anaheim

Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) based at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys and working throughout Orange County, including Anaheim, about an hour south by the 5. We are a full-service residential general contractor and design-build remodeler for projects of every size — kitchens, bathrooms, ADUs, room additions, hillside work and whole-home renovations — serving homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County. Led by Dekel Sofer, we have completed hundreds of projects and hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews.

Anaheim is really three cities for a remodeler: the 1880s–1920s Colony around downtown, the 1950s–60s flatland tracts that make up most of the city, and the 1970s–90s hillside communities of Anaheim Hills. Each one has different rules, and the city’s own utility serves all three.

Anaheim’s own permits, utility and historic district

Permits. Anaheim’s Planning & Building Department issues permits from City Hall at 200 S. Anaheim Boulevard, and applications, plan check and inspections run through the city’s online permit system. We open the case, submit the set, clear corrections and schedule inspections.

Anaheim Public Utilities. Most of Anaheim is served by Anaheim Public Utilities, the city-owned electric and water utility, not Southern California Edison. A 200-amp panel upgrade for a kitchen remodel, EV charger or ADU is coordinated with APU alongside the building permit, and APU’s service requirements decide where the new panel can go.

The Anaheim Colony Historic District. The original town — the square mile of streets around downtown — is a designated historic district of Victorian, Craftsman and early-20th-century homes, many under Mills Act contracts. Exterior changes visible from the street are reviewed against the district’s design guidelines and, for Mills Act properties, against the preservation contract; interior kitchen and bathroom remodels are not. Additions go to the rear, windows are matched or restored, and materials follow the guidelines.

Anaheim Hills. East of the 55, Anaheim Hills is HOA territory on sloped lots against the Santa Ana Mountains, with much of it inside Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones served by Anaheim Fire and Rescue. Additions and ADUs there mean HOA architectural approval before the city permit, engineered foundations and drainage on the slopes, and Chapter 7A ignition-resistant exteriors with Class A roofing.

Anaheim housing stock, by area

The Colony and downtown (1880s–1920s). Raised-foundation wood-frame homes with original details worth keeping. Typical findings: knob-and-tube or early wiring, galvanized plumbing, unbolted foundations and lath-and-plaster walls. Whole-home renovations here keep the street face and rebuild everything behind it.

The flatland tracts (1950s–60s) — West Anaheim, the Resort-area neighborhoods, north and east Anaheim. Single-story ranch homes on 6,000–7,500 sq ft lots, mostly with attached garages, slab foundations, 100-amp panels and closed galley kitchens. This is where most Anaheim kitchen remodels, room additions and rear-yard ADUs happen, and the flat lots make them straightforward to permit.

Anaheim Hills (1970s–90s). Two-story stucco-and-tile homes on hillside lots, HOA-governed, with the fire-zone and slope considerations above.

Every home built before 1978 gets EPA lead-safe practices during demolition.

ADUs in Anaheim

Anaheim allows a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft and a junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft inside the existing home, and a single-family lot can have a converted ADU, a new detached ADU and a JADU, up to four units including the house. Owner-occupancy is not required. Applications are processed ministerially through the city’s online permit system, and the state 60-day review clock applies to a complete application. School developer fees apply to ADUs larger than 500 sq ft, and impact fees are waived under 750 sq ft under state law. In Anaheim Hills the HOA reviews the design first; in the Colony the district guidelines shape what can be visible from the street. Our ADU rules calculator shows the state-law floor for your lot, and our guides on how much it costs to build an ADU and why ADU quotes vary so much explain the budget. Every Anaheim rule, fee category and permit step is laid out in our Anaheim ADU rules guide.

What we build in Anaheim

• Kitchen remodeling — opening 1950s galley kitchens to the family room in the tracts; rebuilding Colony kitchens behind original walls. Read what homeowners wish they knew before remodeling a kitchen.
• Bathroom remodeling — see how much a bathroom remodel costs.
• ADUs and garage conversions on the flat tract lots; HOA-approved hillside ADUs in Anaheim Hills.
• Room additions — rear additions on the flats, engineered additions in the hills, rear-facing additions in the Colony.
• Whole-home renovations — see our remodeling services.
• Foundation and structural work — bolting Colony-era raised foundations, hillside retaining walls. See warning signs your foundation needs repair.
• Roofing — Class A assemblies in the Anaheim Hills fire zones — and windows and doors, including district-compatible replacements in the Colony.
• Flooring, painting, patio covers, pavers and outdoor living — see our patio cover cost guide.
• Concrete, retaining walls, artificial turf, fencing, outdoor kitchens and decks and landscaping and irrigation.
• Plumbing and electrical upgrades as part of remodels, performed by licensed tradespeople.

Permits in Anaheim: how we run it

We confirm three things about the address first — Colony district, Anaheim Hills HOA and fire zone — because each adds a review before the city’s. Then plans, structural engineering and Title 24 energy compliance go through the city’s online plan check; we clear corrections, coordinate APU for any service change, pull the permit and schedule inspections through to final. Our Orange County page covers the rest of the county and how its city building divisions differ.

What homeowners say

From our Yelp reviews:

“They completely remodeled my kitchen and they turned out beautiful. The job came in within my budget including full 3rd design rendering.” — Yakir A.

“I hired Green Design and Build to do my bathroom. From start to finish, Drake was the best!” — Leore O.

More on our About page.

Recent work in Anaheim: a paver driveway and side yard installed in August 2026, from bare dirt through compacted base to the finished pavers. Photos are on the project page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build an ADU in Anaheim?

Yes, Anaheim allows a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft and a junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft inside the home, both on the same lot, with no owner-occupancy requirement, ministerial review through the city’s online permit system, and impact fees waived under 750 sq ft. Anaheim Hills lots add HOA design review and fire-zone materials, and Colony lots follow the historic district guidelines for anything visible from the street. Green Design and Build designs to whichever rules apply to your address.

Which utility handles a panel upgrade in Anaheim?

Anaheim Public Utilities, the city-owned utility, handles electrical service changes for most of Anaheim rather than Southern California Edison, so a 200-amp panel upgrade for a kitchen remodel, EV charger or ADU is coordinated with APU alongside the city building permit. Green Design and Build schedules the utility work as part of the project.

My house is in the Anaheim Colony Historic District. Can I still remodel?

Yes, interior kitchen and bathroom remodels are not reviewed under the Colony’s historic district guidelines, which apply to exterior changes visible from the street — additions, windows, siding, porches — and, on Mills Act properties, to the preservation contract. Green Design and Build designs additions to the rear, matches or restores original windows and materials, and prepares the review package.

Is Anaheim Hills in a fire zone?

Much of Anaheim Hills east of the 55 sits in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones served by Anaheim Fire and Rescue, where additions, ADUs and new structures use Chapter 7A ignition-resistant exteriors, Class A roofing and ember-resistant vents, and the sloped lots add engineered foundations and drainage. Green Design and Build checks the map for every Anaheim address before designing.

How far is Green Design and Build from Anaheim?

Green Design and Build’s office at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys is about an hour from Anaheim by the 5 Freeway, depending on the time of day. We schedule Anaheim site visits around traffic, run crews on an early start, and manage the project with the same project manager from the first visit to the final walkthrough. Homeowners are welcome to visit the office, which is open every day from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Are you licensed to work in Anaheim?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor license CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in Anaheim and throughout Orange County. The license can be verified on the Contractors State License Board website. HVAC, plumbing and electrical work on our projects is performed by licensed tradespeople.

Plan your Anaheim remodel with a contractor who knows the Colony from the Hills

Tell us the neighborhood and what you want to build, and we will schedule a free site visit, tell you which reviews apply to your lot, and give you a written, itemized estimate.