Second-Story Additions in Clairemont & Bay Park

Seven houses a day: how Clairemont was built

Carlos Tavares and Lou Burgener recorded the first Clairemont map on October 16, 1950, named the place after Tavares's wife Claire, and had residents moving in by May 1951. Burgener later recalled that between 1952 and 1954 they finished seven homes a day. Instead of a grid, they laid out winding streets and view lots along the canyon edges. It became the largest post-war subdivision in San Diego.

The City's historic context statement splits the community into three periods: Bay Park Village (1936–1950), Clairemont (1950–1956) and East Clairemont (1957 to about 1973). Tract Ranch and Contemporary Tract houses are the dominant types, and the City has flagged them for future survey. No historic districts are designated here yet. SANDAG counted about 33,328 homes in Clairemont in 2024, spread over roughly 13.3 square miles.

The 30 ft overlay, in plain terms

The Clairemont Mesa Height Limit Overlay Zone (SDMC Chapter 13, Division 13) says new structures and alterations can't exceed the limit shown on City Map C-1041, which is 30 ft for most of the community. There are only two ways around it:

• A Site Development Permit decided by the City Council. That is Process Five, the City's highest review level. It is rarely a sensible path for a single house.
• An existing building that is already over the limit can be altered, but only if the work doesn't add height.

The 2026 code amendments that went with the new plan (Ordinance O-22049) raise limits to roughly 35–65 ft, but only in villages and transit corridors, and inside the Coastal Overlay Zone only after the Coastal Commission certifies them. Reporting on the plan described single-family neighborhoods as mostly untouched. For a homeowner on a residential street, plan on 30 ft.

What this means for your addition

If the 30 ft cap or the structure makes going up too hard, building out is the other route. Lot sizes vary too much across Clairemont to generalize, so compare both on your lot with the build up or build out guide or look at a single-story addition.

Bay Park: older lots, bay views

Bay Park is the oldest part of the community. The Morena Subdivision was mapped in 1887, and Bay Park Village was approved in 1936 with single-family lots of 60 by 100 ft or larger. The City's context statement describes it as FHA-financed affordable housing on Clairemont's western edge, built from 1936 to 1950. A 60 by 100 ft lot is 6,000 sq ft, which leaves real options for a rear addition once setbacks are taken out.

The bigger issue in Bay Park is views. It sits directly above Mission Bay Park, and residents defend those views hard. Bay Park is inside the same 30 ft overlay, and the Clairemont planning group asked the City to consider height amendments along the western edge, including Bay Park and Bay Ho. The new plan gives the Bay View Village commercial area up to 65 ft, but that doesn't extend to houses. Most of Bay Park is east of I-5, so Prop D usually isn't the governing limit, but parcels near Morena Boulevard and I-5 may fall in the Coastal Overlay Zone. Check the parcel before you design, since coastal status can add a Coastal Development Permit.

What a Clairemont second story costs

Using the site's planning bands, a full 1,000 sq ft second story at mid-range finishes comes out around $616k–$805k all-in, with about $700k in the middle, once design, reports, City and school fees, contingency and temporary housing while the roof is off are added to construction. Construction alone runs about $350, $450 and $600+ per sq ft for basic, mid and high-end work. Run your own size in the room addition cost calculator or read the second-story cost breakdown.