Palo Alto, CA
Whole-house renovations, California-compliant ADUs, and additions in Old Palo Alto, Crescent Park, and everywhere in between, by a team that knows Individual Review and has relationships in Palo Alto's building department.
Why Westward in Palo Alto
Palo Alto is two markets. Old PA and Crescent Park have heritage homes where the right move is modernizing without erasing character. Everywhere else, buyers want high-efficiency, smart-home-native upgrades or California-compliant ADUs. We work across both.
Second-story additions and significant exterior changes in Palo Alto often trigger Individual Review. We know what passes the first time, scale, massing, neighbor response planning, and we build the application around those criteria, not around the generic addition template.
The 2026 ADU law changes (SB 543, AB 1154, AB 462) opened real design flexibility, but they still have to actually get approved. We stay current on Palo Alto's specific implementation so your ADU passes plan review, not just the state minimum.
Old PA and Crescent Park homes need careful updates, new electrical, HVAC, and insulation without compromising the character that made you buy the house. Our in-house electrician and plumber mean systems upgrades happen without compromising finish work.
We know the plan checkers, the inspectors, and what moves their queue. That's the difference between an ADU that takes four months to permit and one that takes ten.
What We Build in Palo Alto
Whole-house renovations and heritage-home updates, plus focused kitchen and bathroom work as entry points.
Learn More →Second-story additions, primary suites, and California-compliant ADUs, designed to pass Palo Alto's plan review, not just the state minimum.
Learn More →Ground-up builds and tear-down replacements, fit to the Palo Alto neighborhood and how you'll actually live.
Learn More →Palo Alto FAQ
Common questions about remodeling, adding, or building ADUs in Palo Alto. Have one we didn't cover? Get in touch.
Individual Review in Palo Alto typically runs 12 to 16 weeks from submission to approval, and often longer if neighbor notifications trigger feedback. The outcome depends largely on how the submission reads against the city's criteria (scale, massing, privacy impact, and neighborhood context). We structure applications around those criteria rather than around a generic addition template, which is where most rework comes from.
The 2026 updates widened the design flexibility for ADUs statewide, but Palo Alto still has its own implementation rules layered on top. Practically, the laws mean more freedom on setbacks, height, and attachment configurations, but local plan review still looks for the things it always did: fire access, utility capacity, lot coverage, and neighbor impact. We stay current on how Palo Alto specifically applies the state updates so your ADU passes plan review the first time.
Yes. Eichler and mid-century homes across Old Palo Alto, Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, and Greer Park have particular needs: post-and-beam structural systems, flat-roof detailing, original glazing, and the balance between modernizing the house (insulation, electrical, HVAC) and preserving the architectural intent. We've done this work and we can walk you through the tradeoffs before you commit to a direction.
California requires cities to act on ADU applications within 60 days of a complete submission, so state law caps the permit cycle at roughly 8 to 10 weeks once your plans are plan-review ready. The real time is in the plans. We typically allow 6 to 12 weeks for design and complete-submission preparation before the clock starts. Total ADU timeline from first design meeting to permit in hand: usually 4 to 6 months.
Yes. Once we've had an initial conversation and scope is roughly aligned, we'll connect you with past Palo Alto clients who'll take your call. Several of them have lived with our work for years and they're the most honest answer to what working with us is actually like.
Planning a Palo Alto project?
No pressure, no obligation. Just a walk-through of your property and an honest read on scope, timeline, and what's actually needed.
Let's talk