Home Remodeling in Mission Hills, CA 92103

Mission Hills, CA 92103 · Home remodeling

If your Mission Hills house is 45 years old or older, City staff check it for a historical resource before they issue any construction permit that changes the exterior. Of our 17 completed jobs in ZIP 92103 and the nearby City of San Diego ZIPs, 7 are in 92103 itself. 4 of the 6 bathroom remodels across those ZIPs landed between $33K and $36K. Permits come from the City of San Diego’s Development Services Department, since Mission Hills is a neighborhood of the city and not a city of its own. The sections below cover our completed-job numbers, the permit steps, the local rules that change scope and budget, and the ADU rules that apply here.

Projects in and around Mission Hills

7 of our completed projects are in ZIP 92103, which covers Mission Hills, parts of Hillcrest and Bankers Hill. 10 more are in neighboring City of San Diego ZIPs. 2 of the 3 photos below come from an ADU in Hillcrest, from our portfolio. The third is a 92103 remodel, photographed mid-construction.

Completed Eco projects by area, from Eco’s job records as of Sep 2026. Counts include only closed jobs with at least 80% of the contract paid.

Area	ZIP	Completed	Permit office
Mission Hills, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill	92103	7 (5 remodels, 2 bathrooms)	City of San Diego
Downtown, Little Italy	92101	4 (2 bathrooms, 2 kitchens)	City of San Diego
Old Town, Morena, Bay Park	92110	1 (bathroom)	City of San Diego
Mission Valley	92108	1 (kitchen)	City of San Diego
Normal Heights, Kensington	92116	4 (1 remodel, 1 outdoor, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen)	City of San Diego

We have no completed jobs in North Park (ZIP 92104), so that ZIP is not in the table. All 5 ZIPs above are inside the City of San Diego and permit through DSD. ZIP 92103 covers Mission Hills, parts of Hillcrest and Bankers Hill.

What our area remodels cost

These are final contract values from Eco projects that are closed or in warranty and at least 80% paid. A final value is the signed contract plus approved change orders and selection upgrades, so it can be higher than the signed contract alone. It leaves out anything a homeowner bought directly. A single neighborhood has too few jobs for a reliable price, so the table covers the 16 remodel-type jobs in ZIP 92103 and the nearby ZIPs.

The outdoor project in ZIP 92116 (Normal Heights, Kensington) came in at $74K. We keep outdoor work out of the cost table, so it is noted here only.

How the 16 remodel-type jobs spread

11 of the 16 came in under $100K. The $74K outdoor job is left out.

• 4 came in at $21K or less. These were the smallest jobs in the set. They include 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen and 2 remodels.
• 6 came in between $33K and $43K. 5 are bathrooms and 1 is a kitchen, at $37K.
• 3 came in between $80K and $120K. A remodel at $80K, a kitchen at $103K and a remodel at $120K.
• 3 came in at $137K or more. A kitchen at $137K and 2 remodels in ZIP 92103, at $378K and $714K.

Scope drives each number. Send us yours and we will place it in one of these buckets. The 2 largest jobs are both in ZIP 92103, but that is 2 jobs, not a pattern we can price for your house.

What moves a budget here is the scope you choose and the changes made after you sign. Final values include change orders and selection upgrades, so the signed number is the starting point. Our process settles design, selections and engineering before the plans go to the City.

ADUs and additions: planning ranges

Our own ADU work across San Diego County is the clearest guide: garage conversions have generally run $100,000 to $200,000, and new ADUs of about 500 sq ft have run $220,000 to $350,000. Site work, utilities, the finish level and fees move a project within those ranges, so we price each one from its drawings. The table adds our published per-square-foot planning range and an independent benchmark for additions. Neither is a quote for your home.

ADU figures are Eco’s published San Diego planning ranges. Addition figures are the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, Pacific region; sizes shown are its midrange definitions, and the upscale versions are larger.

Project	Planning range	What sits on top in Mission Hills
Detached or attached ADU	$375–$600 per sq ft for construction, plus $8,000–$25,000 for design	School fee: none at 500 sq ft or less of added space, and $5.38 per sq ft on the whole added space above that. General Plan Maintenance Fee: $737.00. Development Impact Fees: none on an ADU under 750 sq ft, a JADU, or the first 2 ADUs on a premises. If more than two ADUs are proposed, only the two smallest are exempt, and an ADU over 750 sq ft built under the City’s SB 9 rules does not get the first-two exemption.
Primary suite addition (24 × 16 ft, about 384 sq ft)	$185,431 midrange; $390,895 for the larger upscale version	The school fee applies only above 500 sq ft of added space, so it does not apply at 384 sq ft. City fees as listed in the permit section.
Bathroom addition (6 × 8 ft midrange)	$65,326 midrange; $121,772 for the larger upscale version	Well under 500 sq ft, so no school fee. City fees as listed in the permit section.

Guides for each type: bathroom remodel costs, kitchen remodel costs, ADU costs and home addition costs.

How a Mission Hills permit moves through the City of San Diego

Mission Hills is a neighborhood in the City of San Diego’s Uptown community, not a separate city, so there is no Mission Hills permit office. Permits go through the City’s Development Services Department (DSD), which takes online submittals through its Accela portal.

How a permit moves here, from City of San Diego Information Bulletins 100 and 580, the Rapid Review page and the Building Permit Timeline.

Step	What happens	Time
1. Historical check	For a structure 45 years old or older, City staff decide whether a potentially significant historical resource exists on the site. There is no over-the-counter option.	Typically 10 business days for a ministerial project, or 20 for a discretionary one.
2. If a resource is found	Every modification and addition is measured against the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for historic properties.	Not timed separately. The review in step 1 typically takes 10 business days for a ministerial project or 20 for a discretionary one.
3. If no resource is found	The parcel is exempt from further historical review for 5 years.	5 years.
4. First plan review	DSD publishes estimated due dates for single dwelling units. A Short project is an alteration or addition under 3,000 sq ft with no increase in density. Medium and Long projects take longer.	Estimated 8 business days for Short, 10 for Medium, 15 for Long. Each recheck is 6. The final version is 5.
5. Rapid Review, if eligible	Interior remodels of single dwelling units, including 1 ADU or JADU, and first-floor additions up to 750 sq ft can use Rapid Review.	6 business days for the first review, 2 for each recheck.
6. Permit validity	A building permit for work on a single-family home expires 3 years after issuance.	3 years after issuance.

The table does not list a coastal development permit or a View Assessment step, because either one applies only to some lots. Ask DSD whether your lot is in the Coastal Overlay Zone, and whether either review applies to it, before you plan a schedule around them.

Plan check and setback come up often. A plan check is the City’s review of your drawings against the building and zoning rules. A setback is the distance a structure must keep from a property line.

What permits cost here

These are the City’s published base amounts from Information Bulletin 501 (August 2026). DSD sets the final fee from your plans, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote.

City of San Diego fee schedule, IB 501, August 2026. Published base amounts; DSD sets the final fee from the plans. Residential fees count the square footage of attached or detached accessory structures, such as patio covers, garages and decks.

Fee	Amount
General Plan Maintenance Fee, once per project at application (not charged when no plan review is needed)	$737.00
Plan check and inspection, single-dwelling addition or remodel, first 500 sq ft row	Base $3,512.92 plan check plus $2,228.29 inspection
Plan check and inspection, larger single-dwelling row, first 3,000 sq ft	Base $8,085.26 plan check plus $8,401.90 inspection
State seismic fee, collected with the City permit	13 cents per $1,000 of valuation
State Building Standards fee	$4 per $100,000 of valuation, minimum $1.00
Lead Hazard Prevention fee, if your house was built before 1978	$58.00
Historical resource review, hourly plan check, charged at permit issuance	$177.68 per hour
Plan check at project set-up, for the impact-fee calculation (non-refundable)	Hourly plan check fee, based on 2.5 hours of review time
Mapping fee, charged when plans are used for review	$12.16
Fee-collection fee for fees gathered for other agencies, once per project	$17.11
School fee (San Diego Unified, not the City)	$5.38 per sq ft of added space, if the addition is over 500 sq ft

• School fee on added space. San Diego Unified charges $5.38 per square foot of residential construction, under rates effective May 10, 2026. It applies to an addition only when the added space exceeds 500 square feet. For example, 520 square feet at $5.38 comes to $2,798.

A complete first submittal is the most direct way to shorten the wait. Our remodel timeline guide lays out the clocks in more detail.

5 local conditions that change scope and budget

1. Houses 45 years old or older

Once a structure reaches 45 years, City staff must decide whether the parcel holds a potentially significant historical resource before a construction permit is issued. There is no over-the-counter option. If a resource is found, every modification and addition is measured against the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. If none is found, the parcel is exempt from further review for 5 years.

2. The Mission Hills Historic District

The City’s Historical Resources Board voted 7-0 in July 2007 to designate the Mission Hills Historic District, with a 1908 to 1942 period of significance covering 2 architectural phases. Not every Mission Hills home is in it, and the neighborhood name will not tell you whether yours is. A house inside the district follows Information Bulletin 581 and may take different steps from the 45-year check. Ask DSD to confirm your address before you design.

3. Your scope decides the review path

Interior remodels of single-dwelling homes and first-floor additions up to 750 square feet qualify for Rapid Review: 6 business days for the first review and 2 for each recheck. Everything else follows the standard due dates: 8 business days for a Short project, 10 for Medium and 15 for Long. An addition above 750 square feet is outside Rapid Review, so settle the size and whether the work touches the exterior before you submit.

4. Added space carries a school fee

San Diego Unified charges $5.38 per square foot of residential construction under rates effective May 10, 2026. California lets a school district charge on a residential addition only when the added space exceeds 500 square feet. That makes the size of an addition a budget line on its own: an addition of 500 square feet or less avoids the fee, and a larger one pays on its full area (Education Code section 17620).

5. Canyon-edge lots and narrow streets

The City’s Uptown Community Plan describes Mission Hills as mostly single-family homes on a mesa cut by steep canyons, with mostly quiet, relatively narrow streets. Most of Uptown’s street and lot pattern was set before the automobile. That tells you what to check, not what you will find. On a canyon-edge lot, check slope, truck access, setbacks and what City review will ask for. Test any ADU or addition location against the setbacks in the ADU table. In our experience, a bathroom or kitchen job in an older house can grow into plumbing and foundation work once the walls are open.

ADUs and room additions in Mission Hills

The City’s ADU rules are in Information Bulletin 400, dated January 2026.

Mission Hills ADU and JADU rules, from City of San Diego Information Bulletin 400 (January 2026). State ADU law changes; confirm against the current code for your parcel.

Rule	ADU	Junior ADU (JADU)
Size	150 to 1,200 sq ft. 1 ADU of up to 800 sq ft is allowed even where the lot is over its floor area limit.	150 to 500 sq ft.
Side and rear setbacks	An ADU may be built up to the side and rear property lines, with building code fire separation still applying. If it is taller than 16 feet and the neighboring lot is residential, it needs 4-foot side and rear setbacks.	The same setbacks as the house it sits in.
Height	Follows the overall maximum height of the base zone and overlay zone.	Built inside the existing or proposed house or an attached garage.
Parking	No parking spaces are required outside the Coastal Overlay Zone. Inside it, 1 space applies only in the Beach Impact Area outside a transit priority area, and not if the ADU is 500 sq ft or less or the premises is in a designated historical district. Ask DSD whether your lot is in the zone.	No parking is required.
Owner and rentals	The owner does not have to live on site. An ADU may not be leased for less than 31 consecutive days.	The owner must live on site unless the JADU has its own sanitation facilities.
Fees	School fees where they apply and the General Plan Maintenance Fee. Development Impact Fees do not apply to an ADU under 750 sq ft, the first 2 ADUs on a premises, or a JADU. If more than two ADUs are proposed, only the two smallest are exempt, and an ADU over 750 sq ft built under the City’s SB 9 rules does not get the first-two exemption.	School fees where they apply and the General Plan Maintenance Fee.
Review time	Preapproved plans get a 30-day review. For an ADU on a lot with an existing house, state law requires approval or denial within 60 days of a complete application.	The 60-day state clock is written for ADUs, not JADUs.

If you are choosing between an ADU and a room addition, our ADU vs. room addition guide compares both, and our ADUs page covers how we run one.

For room additions, our room additions page covers the scope.

How long a Mission Hills remodel takes

A remodel runs on 3 clocks: design, City permit review and construction. The figures below separate what the City publishes from what our jobs were scheduled for.

City times are published estimates or legal limits. Construction is what our jobs were scheduled for, not what they took.

Project	City review	Construction (scheduled)
Bathroom remodel	Short project: 8 business days for the first review, 6 for each recheck. Rapid Review, if eligible: 6 and 2. If the house is 45 years old or older, add a historical check, typically 10 business days.	About 1 week, for 1 job in ZIP 92103 at $21K. That job is an example, not an average.
Kitchen remodel	Same review path as a bathroom: 8 and 6 for a Short project, or 6 and 2 under Rapid Review. Add the historical check if the house is 45 years old or older.	About 13 weeks, for 1 job in ZIP 92116, outside Mission Hills.
ADU	Preapproved plans: 30-day review. Otherwise the City has 15 business days to say the application is complete, and state law requires a decision within 60 days of a complete application on a lot with an existing house.	No figure yet.

What homeowners say

We hold a 4.7-star rating on Google across 101 reviews, and more than 300 reviews across Google, Yelp and Houzz. 3 short excerpts, quoted exactly:

Read all of our Google reviews, including the critical ones.

Only the first review names Mission Hills. The other 2 do not name a neighborhood, so we do not place them here.

How we run your project

We are a design-build firm, so a single team handles design, permits and construction. For a Mission Hills house, the first 2 steps settle the review path: the age of the structure, and whether the work touches the exterior.

1. Phone consultationWe talk through what you want to change, your timing and your budget range.
2. In-home meetingAn Eco project director walks the house with you, looks at the space and talks through priorities and budget plainly.
3. Concept and feasibilityDesign, selections and engineering are resolved before the plans go to the City of San Diego.
4. ConstructionInspections at each stage, with progress, photos and decisions documented in Buildertrend.
5. Final projectFinal inspection, walkthrough and punch list, and the permit closed out.

What to check before you hire

• Ask about the house’s age first. If the structure is 45 years old or older, the City’s historical check comes before any construction permit that changes the exterior.
• A license you can verify. Look up the number on the CSLB website. Ours is #1074166.
• A legal deposit. California caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less.
• A written permit plan. Ask who submits to DSD, who answers plan-check comments, and who pays the permit and school fees. Put those answers in the contract, not only in conversation.

Mission Hills remodeling FAQ

More Mission Hills pages: kitchen remodeling in Mission Hills, bathroom remodeling in Mission Hills and ADU renovation in Mission Hills. Or see all Eco projects.

Project counts and cost figures come from Eco Home Builders’ own job records and describe completed projects, not a quote for yours. Permit rules, fees and review times are set by the City of San Diego, San Diego Unified and the State of California, and they change, so confirm them for your parcel with DSD.