Remodeling a Spanish Revival House in Pasadena: Keep the Tile Roof, Spend the Money Inside

Most people searching for a Spanish style home remodel want two things: a name for what they own, and a sense of what is safe to change. The style is usually called Spanish Revival or Spanish Colonial Revival, and the recognizable parts are stucco walls, a clay tile roof, arched openings and decorative tile. Our advice for a Pasadena house like this is simple: protect the roof and the stucco, and spend the money inside.

That is a judgment call, not a code requirement. Here is how we get there, and what the City of Pasadena actually asks of you.

First, find out whether the city treats your house as historic

This one question changes your timeline more than any design choice. Pasadena designates individual landmarks and landmark districts, and the city's historic preservation incentives page says it has six historic districts and more than 1,000 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's Map My Neighborhood tool has a "Historic Properties" layer where you can look up your address.

If you are in a landmark district, demolitions, street-visible exterior changes and new construction need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit. Per the city, interior work, paint, landscaping, solar panels and routine maintenance are exempt, and owners are not required to restore original features. Budget about two extra months: the city puts Historic Preservation Commission reviews at roughly 6 to 8 weeks and staff-level reviews at 4 to 6 weeks.

Two details people miss. First, the city says second dwelling units are prohibited on single-family zoned properties in landmark districts, so confirm that before you fall for an ADU in the backyard. Second, designation comes with help: the Mills Act has cut property taxes 20% to 75% for past participants (about 50% on average, per the city), and the State Historical Building Code allows reasonable alternatives to current code, such as keeping a non-compliant porch railing. The city also explains how historic review works on its preservation page.

If your house is not designated, you still need permits, and the city requires design review for major alterations. If you are weighing a different period style, our pieces on Craftsman bungalow restoration and Hastings Ranch houses cover those.

The tile roof: relay it, don't replace it

The National Park Service's guidance on clay tile roofs says clay tile generally lasts about 100 years, and that the fasteners and underlayment usually fail before the tile does. It recommends replacing all the tile only when more than about 30 percent is lost or broken, moving good original tiles to the visible slopes, and ordering 10 to 20 percent extra for breakage. Interlocking Spanish tile also needs a waterproof layer underneath on low-pitched roofs.

Our opinion: when a Spanish Revival roof leaks, ask for a bid to lift the tile, label it, and relay it over new underlayment with corrosion-resistant fasteners, not a quote for a new roof. A relay keeps the one feature that makes the house look like itself. The structure has to be sound first, because clay is heavy.

People also ask about a Spanish style house without a tile roof. On a house that is not designated, that is your decision, and it can look fine if the substitute matches the original profile and color. We would still hold the line on concrete, metal or plastic stand-ins for a roof you are only patching, which is also the National Park Service's advice. If fire resistance is driving the decision, read what fire-hardening a Pasadena remodel involves first.

Stucco: fix the water before the finish

The National Park Service's guidance on historic stucco says most damage starts with water getting in through roofs, gutters, chimneys and openings, so repairing the finish before the leak is wasted money. It also warns that portland-heavy patches are rigid and tend to crack against older, softer lime stucco, and that a dilute acid test can tell you which one you have. Patching is preferred; full replacement is generally needed only when roughly 40 to 50 percent of the stucco has lost its bond.

What we would ask any contractor: show me a test patch beside the original wall, matched for texture, color and number of coats. The Park Service suggests letting samples weather before you judge them. Skip caulk on hairline cracks, and do not seal the walls with a water-repellent coating by default.

Inside is where the money should go

The arched doorway, the tile and the thick walls are the charm. The kitchen layout and the bathrooms are not. A kitchen remodel can move the island, the appliances and the lighting without touching the facade, and a bathroom remodel is the place to use hand-finished tile that echoes the original. Our view: keep the arches and move the furniture before you demolish an arch to get an open plan. If you do want walls opened, our open-concept guide explains what that takes.

Original steel or wood windows are worth a conversation before replacement; see our window replacement guide. A courtyard or patio is another good place to invest, and custom-designed decks can stand in for a tired slab. For a project that touches the whole house, start with the whole-home remodel guide.

What this post does not give you

We have not put prices on a roof relay or a stucco match, because both swing on what is found once someone is on the roof or behind the wall. The honest number comes from an inspection and a written bid. When you collect bids, use the remodeling contract checklist to compare them line by line.

Before you call anyone

• Look up your address in the city's Historic Properties layer.

• Photograph the roof, stucco cracks and any water stains from inside.

• Ask for a tile relay bid and a new-roof bid side by side.

• Ask for a stucco test patch before anyone repairs a whole wall.

Browse our project gallery and FAQ, or call Pasadena Remodeler at (626) 744-0402 to talk through your house.