Orange County

Thirty-plus cities, each with its own counter

Orange County is made up of more than thirty incorporated cities, each running its own building and planning department, plus unincorporated areas administered by the county. A remodel in one city and the same remodel a few blocks away in another can follow different submittal rules and review timelines. Identifying the right jurisdiction — and its expectations — is step one on every project.

Coastal lots and community design review

Parts of Orange County's shoreline fall within California's coastal zone, where additional review can apply on top of the city's own process. Inland, many homes sit in planned communities where a homeowners' association runs its own architectural review in parallel with the city permit. Both are worth mapping early, because they shape what a design can be before a single line is drawn. The specifics are always confirmed for your property rather than assumed.

The full scope, under one process

Kevin Cohen Design is a design-build practice: architecture, interior and exterior design, and general construction coordinated together rather than split across separate contracts. That covers ADUs, home additions, whole-home remodels, kitchen and bath remodels, permit drawings and plan-check, and general construction — with a single point of accountability from the first sketch to the final inspection.

Working remotely, with visits as the project needs them

Most of the work — design, drawings, and coordination — is handled remotely, which is what lets the practice serve a region this large without thinning the attention any one project receives. On-site visits are scheduled when a project genuinely calls for them: reading the site at the start, checking key moments during construction, and resolving the things that are better seen in person. For many homeowners this is a practical way to work with an architect whose approach fits, regardless of where the lot sits.

Rules, zoning, and permit requirements differ from one jurisdiction to the next and change over time. Nothing here is a substitute for confirming the specifics for your exact address with the local building department early in the project — which is where every engagement starts, so the design is aimed at the right requirements from the first drawing.