Rancho Santa Fe is a different kind of project. Large parcels, long driveways, mature landscape that has to survive construction, and — inside the Covenant — a design review process with real teeth.
We handle estate remodeling, custom home construction, guest houses and accessory structures, and the kind of detailed millwork and finish carpentry these houses are built around. We plan the review process into the schedule rather than treating it as a formality.
- Permitting authority
- County of San Diego, with Rancho Santa Fe Association Art Jury review inside the Covenant
- Coastal status
- Outside the California Coastal Zone
- ZIP codes
- 92067, 92091
- Neighborhoods we work in
- The Covenant · Fairbanks Ranch · The Bridges · Rancho Santa Fe Farms · Cielo
What we find in Rancho Santa Fe homes
The Covenant holds Lilian Rice–era Spanish Colonial Revival homes from the 1920s alongside decades of ranch and estate construction on multi-acre parcels. Fairbanks Ranch, The Bridges, and Cielo are largely 1980s–2000s custom and semi-custom estates now reaching the age where systems, windows, roofing, and kitchens all come due together. Restoration work on the early Covenant homes demands genuine care with plaster, tile, ironwork, and wood windows.
Permitting and planning in Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Fe is unincorporated, so building permits are issued by the County of San Diego. Inside the Covenant, the Rancho Santa Fe Association’s Art Jury reviews exterior design, materials, and site work independently of the county — and it is a substantive review, not a rubber stamp. Fairbanks Ranch, The Bridges, and Cielo have their own HOA architectural committees. Septic systems, well water, and fire-safe construction requirements are common considerations on the larger parcels.
What we build in Rancho Santa Fe
Home Remodeling & Renovation
From a single-room addition to a full interior and exterior renovation, we guide the project from concept to completion.
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Kitchen Remodeling
A well-designed kitchen is the social center of your home. We handle design, cabinets, counters, lighting and flooring.
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Bathroom Remodeling
Thoughtful planning and attention to detail are the keys to any bathroom remodel — more light, more storage, more usable space.
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Custom New Home Construction
From the first planning conversation to the day you move in — a custom home built to your site, your preferences, and your budget.
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Design-Build
One entity, one contract, one continuous flow of work from first concept through final completion.
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Commercial Remodel & Tenant Improvements
Complete build-outs for office, retail, and industrial space — partition walls, custom millwork, and precision trim carpentry.
Learn moreRemodeling in Rancho Santa Fe: common questions
What is the Art Jury and will my project need to go through it?
The Art Jury is the Rancho Santa Fe Association’s design review body for properties inside the Covenant. Exterior work — massing, materials, colors, roofing, site walls, and landscape — is reviewed by it in addition to county permitting. If your property is in the Covenant, plan on it and build the timeline around it.
How does building on a large unincorporated parcel differ?
Septic capacity, well or water service, driveway access and turnarounds for fire apparatus, and defensible-space and fire-hardening requirements all come into play in ways they do not on a city lot. They are solvable, and they belong in the budget from day one.
Do you restore original Covenant-era homes?
Yes. That work is about matching plaster texture, clay tile, ironwork, and wood window profiles, and about upgrading structure and systems without erasing what makes the house worth restoring.
What our clients say about Surfside Developers
We specialize in helping our customers receive the biggest return on their investment — and we’d welcome the chance to give you a custom evaluation of your home.
“The quality of the finished work was great, delivered on time, and within our overall budget. What more can you say than that?”
Our experience with Surfside Developers has been outstanding. They came highly recommended to us by our trusted real estate agent assisting us in a remodel of our recently purchased home. With past contractors our experience has always been a hit or miss proposition, and so we were very nervous about committing to a major renovation on the order of $70K plus. Nevertheless, we were very confident of the plan upon our very first meeting with the owner, Derek Wattenbarger. Derek listened intently to our vision of what we wanted the remodel to accomplish and faithfully carried out the plan. And just as important, Derek provided great insight and advice to improve the execution of our plan when he saw opportunities to do so, as well as cautioning us when some of our original ideas were not economically feasible or may have contained an unforeseen downside. All through the process, Derek was completely straightforward, transparent, and respectful. Communication was terrific. All calls, emails, texts, etc. were returned promptly. He even introduced us to all of the various sub-contractors so that we had an opportunity to establish a relationship with them and communicate the details to the next level. Finally, and probably most importantly, the quality of the finished work was great, delivered on time, and within our overall budget. What more can you say than that? Highly recommended!
Jack and Sue SerrinoDel Mar, California“Derek has done over 25 jobs for my clients over the years and I hope to continue to do business with him in the future.”
Derek has been by far the best contractor I have ever worked with and his ability to listen to my clients and react to their needs is above what I had ever expected. Derek being classically trained and professionally educated shows. Derek’s knowledge of both the practical and the possible allow him to do both small and large scale jobs and for that there is nothing I will not refer his way. Derek has done over 25 jobs for my clients over the years and I hope to continue to do business with him in the future!
Seth O’ByrneSan Diego, CaliforniaWe also build near Rancho Santa Fe
Building in Rancho Santa Fe?
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