Ask any builder these six. Including us.
The answers show who has carried a hard parcel through. Ours:
How long have you been building?
Twenty-five years.Licensed since 2001, public at cslb.ca.gov. First in Los Angeles and the Bay Area; on the South Coast since 2019.
Who is on my site, and who signs for the work?
The same person.Matt Newman walks your parcel, prices your work, signs your contract and runs the job. Three projects at a time, occasionally four, never five. That is what makes it possible.
What is your workmanship warranty?
Two years.From final signature. We come back at twelve months whether you called or not.
At what point am I committed?
Three times you can walk.After feasibility, after design development, after entitlement once permits issue. Each is set out on your schedule before work begins. You keep every report, drawing and permit.
Will you tell me the cost before I engage you?
It is published.Renovations $250K–$2M. Custom residences $1.5M–$5M. Accessory dwellings $250K–$550K. Narrow it to your parcel on the cost sheet, without talking to anyone.
How will you work with my architect?
As the builder, not the author.We price what they drew, flag what will not build before plan check does, and hand the set back with our questions marked. No architect yet? Matt works with a team of wonderful architects who will help you build your dream.
Check every answer: the license at cslb.ca.gov under 802739, the warranty in our agreement, the exits on the process page, the prices on the cost sheet. We would rather be verified than believed.
What you ask for. What it takes.
Simple to say, complicated to build here. We translate before anyone pays for drawings.
- "More natural light."
- Usually means opening walls. On a pre-1980 house, that wall often holds the roof. We flag the walls that look structural at the first walk, and your engineer confirms them. Your architect and an energy consultant handle Title 24 energy compliance; we build to it.
- "An open kitchen."
- Load-bearing walls, gas lines, a panel that may not carry induction, a hood strong enough to depressurize a tight house. We price that half first. It moves the number.
- "A guest house out back."
- The cost turns on how far sewer and power must run, and whether setbacks let it sit where you imagine. We give you a builder’s read of both from the parcel before you commission a design; a survey and your architect confirm it. Try one on a lot.
- "Indoor–outdoor living."
- Near the ocean, the wrong hardware and glazing fail within a few seasons. We recommend materials for the salt: invisible on move-in day, nearly the whole story ten years later.
- "A view of the water."
- Height limits, neighbors’ protected views, and in Montecito a review board with opinions on massing. We flag the bodies likely to review your height before a second story is drawn.
- "A house that gets through fire season."
- CAL FIRE (opens in a new tab) estimates that 60 to 90 percent of home ignitions start with embers, not flame. We build vents, eaves, decking and glazing to the Wildland-Urban Interface Code where it applies, and to your fire district’s rules.
- "Keep the character of the house."
- Here it is written down: the City of Santa Barbara’s style guides define each style, and its boards weigh whether new work fits. We name the style and its features at the first walk, so your architect can keep them in the drawings. Seven styles, drawn.
Tell us what you are hoping forWhich style is your house?Place a guest house on a lot
Costs
How much does a home renovation cost in Santa Barbara?
$250,000 to $2,000,000. The ground, the jurisdiction and the specification move it more than square footage. The parcel fixes the first two. You control the third.
What does a kitchen remodel cost?
$120,000 to $450,000. Cabinetry and stone are usually under half. The rest is gas, the electrical panel and make-up air for the hood.
What does a bathroom cost?
$65,000 to $250,000. A bathroom is a waterproofing assembly with fixtures attached. The invisible half decides the number.
What does a custom home cost?
$1,500,000 to $5,000,000. About a seventh goes into the ground before anything rises, more on a sloped or coastal parcel.
Why do you publish prices?
If your project is a $90,000 kitchen refresh, we are the wrong builder. Better you learn it here than three weeks in.
When does the price become fixed?
At preconstruction, Phase 05, once the trades have bid the permitted set and allowances are resolved. Earlier numbers (Phase 01 and 02) are deliberately not binding. After that, it moves only by a written change order you approve in advance.
If my selections come in under an allowance, who keeps the difference?
You do, in full. Anything above it is added by written change order. Every allowance carries a decide-by date: two weeks lost choosing tile becomes a month lost on site.
Is my project too small for you?
Possibly. Renovations start at $250,000, standalone kitchens at $120,000, standalone bathrooms at primary-suite scale. Below that, a specialist will serve you better.
Timing
How long will my project take, start to finish?
First conversation to final signature, review included: a renovation typically 7 to 21 months, a custom residence 17 to 34. A ground-up house in Montecito can run longer: the Loureyro Property took four years, 2019 to 2023, review included.
Why does permitting vary so much?
Three cities and the County each run their own review. Montecito and Hope Ranch add boards; coastal parcels add another. We tell you which apply before you commission anything.
When is the best time of year to build here?
Most of it. About 80% of Santa Barbara’s rain falls December through March (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), and County grading from November 1 to April 15 needs approved erosion controls. So: foundations in the dry months, interiors through winter. The building year, month by month.
Can I live in the house during the work?
Often, with phasing, though it adds time. Usually not if the only kitchen or bathroom is out for more than two weeks.
Working with us
How will I know what is happening?
A written update with photographs every Friday, a live schedule, and any cost change in writing before the work, not after.
Who will I deal with, day to day?
Matt Newman. He walks the parcel, prices the work, runs the site and signs the contract. No account manager stands between you and him. Matt’s story
How many projects do you take at once?
Three at a time, occasionally four, never five. Matt carries every project himself, so the number stays small.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. California license 802739, Class B General Building, since 2001, public at cslb.ca.gov. General liability and workers’ compensation insurance; certificates on request.
Can I talk to a past client?
Yes. Ask Matt and he can arrange a call with one.
Can I see a job in progress?
Yes, when the owner agrees. Ask Matt.
When can I reach Matt by phone?
9am to 5pm, at 805 886 0988. Outside those hours, email purchasing@amnbuild.com and he replies within two business days.
What does the first conversation cost?
Nothing. Email the address. Within two business days you have a written reading of your parcel, yours to keep.
What happens when something changes mid-project?
Nothing that alters the price goes ahead until you have approved it in writing: what changed, why, the cost and the schedule. It is our standard wording, printed on our Assurances page.
What if you find something behind a wall?
Work there stops. You hear the same business day, with the cost and the options.
Ways to hire us
Can I hire AMN as an owner’s representative?
Yes. When another firm is building, Matt can work for you instead: he reviews the drawings, compares the bids, checks each payment request against the work in place and reports in writing. Owner’s representative.
What is the difference between a general contractor, a project manager and an owner’s rep?
The general contractor holds the construction contract and builds. The project manager runs the schedule, budget, permits and trades for the builder. The owner’s representative does that reading for the owner, on someone else’s job. Construction project management.
Who manages my project day to day?
Matt Newman, the principal. There is no separate project manager. He is on site, and he writes to you every Friday. How we manage a project.
Do you only do finish carpentry on your own projects?
No. Tom and Nic take finish carpentry on its own: cabinetry, built-ins, doors, trim and repairs, built in our Carpinteria shop. Finish carpentry.
After the work
What does the warranty cover?
Defects in our workmanship, for two years from final signature, with a return visit at twelve months.
What if something goes wrong after that?
Call us. On a coast this size, reputation is the business.
Built by Matt Newman. Licensed since 2001. Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, twenty years on this coast, and on every AMN site himself. One name on the contract. His story
Send us the address. We'll tell you the truth about it.
Email it to purchasing@amnbuild.com. Matt reads it himself and writes back within two business days.
- Same dayMatt confirms he has it, and flags anything obvious that is missing.
- Within two business daysA written reading of your parcel: jurisdiction, review bodies, an order of cost and the permit path.
- Then nothing, unless you askNo follow-up sequence, no call from anyone else. The reading is yours to keep.
CSLB 802739 · Class B General Building · Licensed and insured · Two-year workmanship warranty, in writing
Updated November 2026