Santa Monica — Demolition & Relocation

What Counts as Demolition

For most buildings, demolition occurs when more than 50% of exterior-wall elements are removed or cease to be necessary, integral structural components during any 5-year period. Exterior-wall elements include structural cladding, columns, studs, cripple walls, other vertical load-bearing elements, associated footings, windows, and doors. § 9.25.030(A)(1)

The measurement is based on the horizontal perimeter of exterior wall removed between the footings and the ceiling of each story. Existing exterior walls can remain structurally integral during a roofline or new-floor modification if they stay in place and provide the necessary completed-project support. § 9.25.030(A)(1)(b)–(c)

For commercial or industrial buildings whose primary support is not exterior bearing walls, the test shifts to the building’s principal structural system. Removing more than 50% of columns, structural frames, or similar primary structural elements is demolition. § 9.25.030(A)(2)

Older Buildings and Historic Resources

A structure over 40 years old on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory has lower demolition thresholds. Demolition includes removal of more than 25% of public-street-facing wall area, including cladding, or more than 50% of all exterior walls; qualifying enclosure or window changes can also trigger the rule. § 9.25.030(A)(3)

For these Inventory properties, remaining exterior walls must be contiguous, retain their existing exterior cladding, and may not receive new wall covering over that existing cladding. A project team should coordinate early with Santa Monica Historic Preservation, because City-designated historic resources require an approved Certificate of Appropriateness or Certificate of Economic Hardship before demolition. §§ 9.25.030(A)(3), 9.25.040(D)

If a historic resource is demolished without a required permit, the Building Official may withhold a building permit for the site and record an affidavit barring permits for new development for up to 5 years. § 9.48.050

Permit Preconditions and Review Sequence

Before filing a demolition-permit application, the applicant must prominently post the City’s notice of intent to demolish on the property. § 9.25.040(C) Where required, the applicant must first obtain a removal permit from the Rent Control Board. § 9.25.040(A)

For a multi-unit dwelling structure or a structure in a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, Santa Monica requires the final permit to commence construction on the replacement project before approving demolition, unless the structure is exempt. A written property-maintenance plan approved by the Director is also required. § 9.25.040(B) See Santa Monica Overlay Districts for the separate overlay framework.

For an older structure whose original permit was issued more than 40 years before the demolition application, the City sends complete filing materials to each Landmarks Commission member within 7 days. The materials include the completed application, site plan, 8 building photographs, and proof that the notice was posted. § 9.25.040(E)(1)

A potential landmark, historic-district, or structure-of-merit application has a 75-day window after receipt of a complete demolition application. If no designation application is filed in that period, demolition may proceed only after all other legal requirements are met; if one is timely filed, no permit issues until the designation matter reaches a final decision. § 9.25.040(E)(2)–(3)

Projects needing Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board, or Zoning Administrator review cannot be accepted for filing until applicable older-building review is complete. That sequencing makes early coordination with Santa Monica Design Review especially important. § 9.25.040(F)

Relocation of Buildings and Structures

Relocation is not a shortcut around demolition controls. It must satisfy the demolition requirements and the development rules of the destination parcel, including building height, setbacks, floor area ratio, and unit density. § 9.25.050(A)

A relocated City-designated landmark or structure of merit may receive nonconforming setbacks and site orientation only through a Landmarks Commission Certificate of Appropriateness. That is a discretionary historic-preservation pathway, not a general exception to destination-site standards. § 9.25.050(A)

Before the relocation building permit is issued, the applicant must post a Building Officer-approved notice of intent to relocate on the destination parcel. Construction or rehabilitation must commence within 30 days and be completed within 365 days after the structure arrives. § 9.25.050(B)–(C)

District-by-District Applicability

All Santa Monica Zoning Districts

Chapter 9.25 establishes no separate demolition thresholds, permitted-use lists, lot dimensions, or height limits by district. Its demolition and relocation controls apply citywide, while the receiving parcel for a relocated building must meet the standards of its actual zoning district. §§ 9.25.020(A), 9.25.050(A)

• Purpose: regulate removal and relocation while protecting Santa Monica’s built environment and historic resources. § 9.25.010
• Typical permitted uses: Not found in source materials; Chapter 9.25 does not establish use permissions.
• Dimensional standards: Not found in source materials for individual districts; relocation must comply with destination-site height, setback, FAR, and density rules. § 9.25.050(A)
• Where it applies: every building or structure in the City, subject to stated exemptions. § 9.25.020(A)–(B)

Limited Exemptions

An accessory building with less than 400 square feet of floor area is exempt only if it is neither a City-Designated Historic Resource nor listed on the Historic Resources Inventory. § 9.25.020(B)(1)

A building or structure may be demolished when the Building Official determines it is unsafe, presents a public hazard, is not securable, and/or faces imminent collapse endangering people or property. The determination follows the then-current California Building Standards Code criteria. § 9.25.020(B)(2)

Replacement Projects and Related Limits

Demolition of residential units can trigger separate replacement-unit requirements; those requirements are governed by § 9.34.020, not Chapter 9.25. Chapter 9.25 itself requires the replacement project’s final construction-start permit for covered multi-unit and Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District sites before demolition approval. §§ 9.25.040(B), 9.34.020(A)

A nonconforming City-designated historic resource or Historic Resources Inventory building that is demolished may be replaced or rebuilt in kind under § 9.27.030(F). Illegal nonconforming buildings and uses receive no continuation right and must be removed upon notice. §§ 9.25.030(D), 9.27.080

Checklist

• Determine whether the scope removes more than 50% of exterior-wall elements over 5 years, or more than 50% of principal structure in a covered commercial/industrial building. § 9.25.030(A)(1)–(2)
• Confirm whether the property is over 40 years old and on the Historic Resources Inventory; apply the 25% street-facing and 50% total-wall tests if it is. § 9.25.030(A)(3)
• If work exceeds the advance-review thresholds, provide a registered structural engineer’s written verification and have the owner and contractor sign the required affidavit. § 9.25.030(C)
• Post the City notice of intent to demolish before filing the demolition application. § 9.25.040(C)
• Obtain a Rent Control Board removal permit if required. § 9.25.040(A)
• For covered multi-unit or Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District sites, obtain the final replacement-project construction permit and written property-maintenance-plan approval. § 9.25.040(B)
• Complete the older-building notice and Landmarks Commission review sequence where the original permit is over 40 years old. § 9.25.040(E)
• Obtain historic approval before demolishing a City-Designated Historic Resource. § 9.25.040(D)
• For relocation, verify the destination parcel’s height, setback, FAR, and density compliance; post the relocation notice before the building permit. § 9.25.050(A), (C)
• Start related construction or rehabilitation within 30 days and complete it within 365 days after relocation. § 9.25.050(B)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In Santa Monica, you cannot avoid demolition review by calling a major teardown a remodel or by moving the building elsewhere. If your work crosses the code’s wall- or structure-removal thresholds, especially on an older Inventory property, plan for notices, historic review, permit sequencing, and documented structural analysis before work begins. §§ 9.25.030–.050

Source References

• Santa Monica Municipal Code § 9.25.010 — purpose.
• Santa Monica Municipal Code § 9.25.020 — applicability and exemptions.
• Santa Monica Municipal Code § 9.25.030 — demolition definition, thresholds, verification, and relocation treatment.
• Santa Monica Municipal Code § 9.25.040 — demolition approval requirements and older-building review.
• Santa Monica Municipal Code § 9.25.050 — relocation standards and timing.
• Santa Monica Municipal Code §§ 9.34.020, 9.48.050, 9.58.050, 9.27.080 — related replacement, enforcement, historic-district, and nonconformity provisions.