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AMN Construction · Where we build

General contractor · Goleta to CarpinteriaSix communities, one coast.

Goleta to Carpinteria. Each has its own review bodies and calendar, and an address does not always tell you which applies. Here is who reviews a house in each, and our photographed work there.

Montecito · Santa Barbara · Carpinteria · Hope Ranch · Summerland · Goleta

Where we build

RenovationCustom residenceAccessory dwellingCommunities we serve

The South Coast, Goleta to Carpinteria. An illustrated map of the coast, the mountains behind it, the six communities we build in, and the animals that live here: monarch butterflies and snowy plovers at Goleta, a colony of harbor seals on the rocks at Carpinteria, humpback whales breaching, a blue whale, a gray whale and leaping dolphins in the Channel, pelicans and gulls along the shore, a mule deer family, quail, a coyote and a bobcat in the foothills, and a red-tailed hawk and a golden eagle over the range. Stearns Wharf, the harbor, the lighthouse on the Mesa and the Goleta pier mark the shore; sailboats cross the Channel, and a surfer rides the wave at Rincon Point.

Beyond the South Coast

California, from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, with the South Coast map's extent marked.

The South Coast map

The projects on this map

Every pin is a neighborhood, never an address. Select one to see the project; select a town to read about building there. Drawn with the neighbors: monarchs at the Ellwood grove, snowy plovers at Coal Oil Point, the harbor seals of Carpinteria, humpback, blue and gray whales in the Channel, and the surf at Rincon.

Building in

Hope Ranch.

Hope Ranch adds a layer most of the coast lacks: the homes association reviews your house before the County does. Two reviews, in order, at different speeds.

Matt starts with the Association’s conceptual approval, then files with the County and carries both reviews together.

Jurisdiction
County of Santa Barbara, unincorporated
Starts with
Hope Ranch Park Homes Association
Height limits
25 ft in the Coastal Zone and Laguna Blanca Heights; 30 ft elsewhere
Also
County Planning & Development, then Building & Safety, alongside the Association’s later reviews

General contractor in Hope RanchFinish carpentry in Hope RanchOwner’s rep in Hope RanchProject management in Hope Ranch

The ground

Large parcels, private roads, equestrian trail easements, mature landscape: each shapes the schedule from day one.

Review, in order

  1. FirstThe Association’s Architectural Board of Review The Hope Ranch Park Homes Association reviews the house first, under its own building guidelines. Hope Ranch building guidelines (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
  2. ThenCounty Planning & Development Hope Ranch is unincorporated; County permits follow.
  3. BuildingCounty Building & Safety Plan check and inspections, through final.

Worth knowing

The nearest work you can see

Nothing photographed here yet. Nearest: San Roque · Westside

Do I need Association approval and a County permit?
Both. The Association gives conceptual approval first, then the County land-use application is filed, and the Association’s preliminary and final approvals run alongside County review. Its own building permit issues last, once County-stamped plans are on file.
How does the private road system affect construction?
The Association governs delivery routes, staging and working hours. We settle them in feasibility, not mid-build.
What does a new house here cost, and how long does it take?
Our custom residences run $1.5M to $5M and ten to eighteen months of construction. Before that, the two reviews set most of the clock. Custom residences.
Are trail easements an issue?
They can limit siting, fencing and access where they cross a parcel. We flag them in the assessment.

Email Matt about a Hope Ranch parcelThe full Hope Ranch pageBack to the map

Building in

Summerland.

Lots here are smaller and steeper than almost anywhere on the coast, and most of the Community Plan area is in the Coastal Zone. Geometry and access first. Design second.

Matt walks the lot first: here, access and staging decide what a build costs.

Jurisdiction
County of Santa Barbara, unincorporated
Design review
County Board of Architectural Review
Coastal Zone
Most of the Community Plan area
Community Plan
Adopted 1992, updated 2014

General contractor in SummerlandFinish carpentry in SummerlandOwner’s rep in SummerlandProject management in Summerland

The ground

On a narrow lot with shared access, staging, cranes and deliveries are design decisions. Ocean views drive value, so review weighs height, siting and view corridors closely.

Review, in order

  1. Design reviewCounty Board of Architectural Review The County’s design board for Summerland. County of Santa Barbara (opens in a new tab)
  2. CoastalCoastal Development Permit “Most of the Community Plan area is in the Coastal Zone,” so most projects need one. Summerland Community Plan (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
  3. BuildingCounty Building & Safety Summerland is unincorporated, so plan check and permits are the County’s.

Worth knowing

The nearest work you can see

Nothing photographed here yet. Nearest: The Loureyro Property · Carpinteria

Can you build on a narrow or steep lot?
Yes. Here access, staging and crane placement decide the cost, so we plan them first.
Does Summerland require coastal approval?
Generally, yes: “most of the Community Plan area is in the Coastal Zone.” Whether a decision can go to the Coastal Commission depends on the parcel.
How do view considerations affect the design?
They carry weight in review and shape the massing early.
What about the old oilfield history?
Some of the first offshore oil wells were drilled here, from piers, in the late 1890s. That history occasionally surfaces in the soil, so we ask about it before excavation.

Email Matt about a Summerland parcelThe full Summerland pageBack to the map

Building in

Goleta.

Goleta is mostly 1960s and 1970s houses on level lots. Usually simpler site work. Familiar surprises, found before demolition.

Matt checks first whether a parcel is in Goleta’s city limits or on County land. Everything follows from that.

Jurisdiction
City of Goleta, since 2002
Design review
Design Review Board
Coastal permits
The Coastal Commission, until the City’s program is certified
County land nearby
Isla Vista and much of the eastern Goleta Valley

The ground

Regular setbacks and consistent eras make Goleta easier to price than hillside work. The surprises hide in the panel, the sewer lateral and the slab. Isla Vista and much of the eastern Goleta Valley have Goleta mailing addresses but are County land, reviewed by the County.

Review, in order

  1. Design reviewDesign Review Board The City’s board for exterior design. City of Goleta (opens in a new tab)
  2. CoastalApproval in concept With no certified Local Coastal Program yet, the City approves Coastal Zone work “in concept”; the Coastal Commission issues the coastal permit. A public review draft came out July 7, 2026. Goleta Municipal Code (opens in a new tab)
  3. BuildingCity building permit Goleta’s own plan check and inspections, to final.

Worth knowing

The nearest work you can see

Nothing photographed here yet. Nearest: San Roque · Westside

Is Goleta a good place for an accessory dwelling?
Often. Level lots and, on many parcels, detached garages make new units and garage conversions simpler. Place one on your lot.
Does Goleta use the same permit office as Santa Barbara?
No. Inside city limits, Goleta’s own departments. Isla Vista and much of the eastern Goleta Valley go to the County.
What should I expect in a 1970s Goleta house?
Original panels, aluminum branch wiring in certain tract eras, undersized sewer laterals, single-pane glass, and a slab that limits where plumbing can move. Priced in preconstruction, not discovered.
What does a Goleta renovation cost?
Our renovations start at $250,000. Goleta tends to sit low to middle in the range, since site work is simpler.

Email Matt about a Goleta parcelBack to the map

Beyond the South Coast: Palo Alto, an accessory dwelling finished in 2025.

Boards, plans and maps change; parcels differ. Checked September 2026 against the sources linked. The written assessment says where yours appears to stand.

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

Inquiries

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.

Email Matt the addressOr call Matt · 805 886 0988Or leave your number: three short steps
  1. Same dayMatt confirms he has it, and flags anything obvious that is missing.
  2. Within two business daysA written reading of your parcel: jurisdiction, review bodies, an order of cost and the permit path.
  3. 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