Pavers Calabasas – Installation, Repair & Retaining Walls

In Calabasas, the first approval for a paver project usually isn’t from the city. Much of the housing is in planned communities with homeowners associations, and the HOA’s architectural committee reviews driveways, patios and walls before work starts. Then there are the oaks, which Calabasas protects more strictly than most cities.

Calabasas communities

Calabasas became a city in 1991, and most of its homes were built in planned developments from the 1960s onward. Neighborhoods like Calabasas Park, The Oaks, Mont Calabasas and Calabasas Hills each have their own HOA, design guidelines and, often, approved materials and colors. Older areas like Old Topanga and the Calabasas Highlands are less uniform, with hillside lots and rural roads. Across the city, homes sit on slopes, and oak woodland runs through many neighborhoods.

Getting HOA approval

Most HOAs ask for the same things, so preparing them up front saves a round of back-and-forth:

• a site plan showing the area to be paved and any walls or steps
• the paver product, color and pattern, with a sample or data sheet
• the edge and border details, and how drainage is handled
• the contractor’s license and insurance

Some communities limit front-yard paving or require specific colors to match the neighborhood. Check your guidelines before choosing materials, because a rejected color means starting over.

Oak trees

Calabasas has an oak tree ordinance that covers more than just removal. Hardscape or excavation inside an oak’s protected zone generally needs an Oak Tree Permit from the city’s planning division. A small encroachment may be handled at staff level, but larger ones can go to the Planning Commission. The city also asks people to contact planning before construction or earthwork near oaks.

So with an oak nearby, the design should keep paving and base excavation out of the protected zone wherever possible. Where it can’t, a permeable system and a careful base detail reduce root damage, and an arborist’s report will likely be needed.

Slopes and drainage

Many Calabasas lots slope, so walls, steps and drainage are part of most projects. Retaining walls over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing, or walls supporting a slope or driveway, need a building permit and engineering. Water coming down from above the paving has to be intercepted, and the surface should drain away from the house and toward an approved outlet.

Heat and materials

Calabasas gets hot inland summers. Light travertine and light concrete pavers stay cooler around pools. Many HOAs favor earth-tone stone and tumbled concrete that blend with the landscape.

Calabasas paver questions

Do I need city permits, HOA approval, or both?

Often HOA approval for the design, and city permits only for walls over the code threshold, work near oaks, or work at the street.

Can I pave near an oak?

Not without checking first. Inside the protected zone you’ll likely need an Oak Tree Permit.

Can you match my community’s existing pavers?

Often, if the manufacturer still makes the product. Bring the name or a sample to the estimate.

How much does a patio cost?

See our cost guide.

For a Calabasas estimate, call (213) 577-0727 or send photos through the form.