General Contractor in Irvine

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 Irvine, about an hour and a quarter south by the 405. We are a full-service residential general contractor and design-build remodeler for projects of every size — kitchens, bathrooms, ADUs, room additions 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.

Irvine is unlike anywhere else we work: almost every home sits inside a master-planned village with its own architectural committee, and that committee’s approval comes before the city’s permit. A project here is designed for two reviewers from the start.

Irvine’s two approvals: the village, then the city

Village architectural review first. Woodbridge, Northwood, Turtle Rock, University Park, Westpark, Woodbury, Quail Hill, Portola Springs, Orchard Hills, the Great Park neighborhoods — nearly every Irvine neighborhood is a village association, and each one has an architectural review committee that must approve exterior changes before the City of Irvine will issue a building permit. Additions, second stories, patio covers, window changes visible from the street, exterior colors and materials, and ADUs all go through it. Interior kitchen and bathroom remodels generally do not. Village review typically adds two to four weeks, and a set that ignores the village guidelines comes back redrawn. We prepare the committee package — elevations, materials, colors — and submit it first, so the city set matches what the village approved.

Then the City of Irvine. Building & Safety is at 1 Civic Center Plaza, and plans go in electronically through the city’s online permitting system; ADU applications use the city’s IrvineReady submittal portal, with a completeness check in about two business days. First-round residential plan check runs a few weeks, and corrections add to it. We open the case, upload the set, clear corrections and schedule every inspection.

Electrical service changes go through Southern California Edison, and water and sewer connections for an ADU through the Irvine Ranch Water District.

Irvine housing stock, by era

1960s–70s: University Park, Turtle Rock, Woodbridge (early phases), Culverdale. Irvine’s oldest villages: single-story and two-story tract homes with attached garages on 5,000–7,000 sq ft lots, many by well-known mid-century tract designers, with original galvanized plumbing, 100-amp panels and single-pane windows. These are the Irvine homes most often getting whole-home renovations and kitchen reconfigurations today. Turtle Rock and Shady Canyon add hillside lots and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone parcels under the Orange County Fire Authority.

1980s–90s: Northwood, Westpark, Woodbridge (later phases), Oak Creek. Two-story stucco-and-tile homes with attached garages and small rear yards. Kitchen and bathroom remodels dominate; additions are tight on setbacks, and an ADU is more often attached or above the garage than detached.

2000s onward: Woodbury, Quail Hill, Portola Springs, Orchard Hills, Great Park neighborhoods. Newer construction with modern systems, where the work is finish-level remodeling, outdoor living and, where the lot allows, a detached ADU under the village guidelines.

ADUs in Irvine

Irvine allows a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft — and an 800 sq ft unit must be allowed on virtually any lot — plus an attached ADU of up to half the primary home’s living area, to a 1,200 sq ft maximum, and a junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft inside the house or attached garage. Detached units are limited to 16 feet, or 18 feet within half a mile of major transit (plus 2 feet there to match the main roof pitch); side and rear setbacks are 4 feet; at most one parking space is required and it is waived near transit and for conversions. Units of 750 sq ft or less are exempt from impact fees. HOAs cannot prohibit ADUs, but they can apply reasonable conditions, and in Irvine that means village review of the design. 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 Irvine rule, fee category and permit step is laid out in our Irvine ADU rules guide.

What we build in Irvine

• Kitchen remodeling — opening 1970s and 1980s kitchens to the family room, with the panel and plumbing upgrades that come with them. Read what homeowners wish they knew before remodeling a kitchen.
• Bathroom remodeling — see how much a bathroom remodel costs.
• ADUs and garage conversions, designed for village review and the city’s standards.
• Room additions — rear additions and second stories designed to the village guidelines from the first sketch.
• Whole-home renovations of the 1960s–70s villages. See our remodeling services.
• Foundation and structural work — see warning signs your foundation needs repair.
• Roofing, windows and doors, flooring and painting in the village-approved palettes.
• 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 Irvine: how we run it

Village package first, city set second, and the two drawn to match. Plans, structural engineering and Title 24 energy compliance go through the city’s electronic plan check; we clear corrections, pull the permit and schedule inspections through to final. Our Orange County page covers the rest of the county and the differences between its city building divisions.

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 Irvine: a bathroom remodel completed in 2025 that replaced a corner tub and framed shower with a freestanding tub, walk-in shower and floating vanity. Before and after photos are on the project page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need HOA approval before remodeling in Irvine?

For exterior work, almost always: nearly every Irvine neighborhood is a village association whose architectural committee must approve additions, second stories, patio covers, ADUs and visible exterior changes before the City of Irvine issues a building permit, typically adding two to four weeks. Interior kitchen and bathroom remodels generally need no village approval. Green Design and Build prepares and submits the village package first so the city set matches it.

Can I build an ADU in Irvine?

Yes, Irvine allows a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft, an attached ADU of up to half the home’s living area to the same maximum, and a junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft, with 16-foot detached height (18 feet near transit), 4-foot side and rear setbacks, at most one parking space, and impact fees waived at 750 sq ft or less. Your village association cannot prohibit the ADU but will review its design. Green Design and Build designs to both sets of rules and submits through the city’s IrvineReady portal.

How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Irvine?

An Irvine kitchen remodel depends on whether walls come out, whether the 1970s or 1980s plumbing and panel need replacing, and the finish level. Green Design and Build provides an itemized written estimate after a free site visit rather than a per-square-foot guess; for published ranges by project type, see our guide to what a Los Angeles general contractor costs.

Which parts of Irvine are in a fire zone?

Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon, Orchard Hills and the other neighborhoods against the hills include parcels in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under the Orange County Fire Authority, where additions and new structures use Chapter 7A ignition-resistant materials and Class A roofing; the flat central villages generally are not. Green Design and Build checks the map for every Irvine address before designing.

How far is Green Design and Build from Irvine?

Green Design and Build’s office at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys is about an hour and a quarter from Irvine by the 405 Freeway, depending on the time of day. We schedule Irvine 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 Irvine?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor license CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in Irvine 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 Irvine remodel with a contractor who designs for the village and the city

Tell us the village and what you want to build, and we will schedule a free site visit, explain what the association and the city will each require, and give you a written, itemized estimate.