- Santa Barbara City and County, Southern California
Story pole installation in Santa Barbara
Story poles for the City of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Goleta and Carpinteria
Local requirements
Santa Barbara story pole requirements, City and County
The City and the County publish separate story pole rules. Which set applies depends on where the parcel sits, not on the mailing address.
Official sources, reviewed September 2026: City of Santa Barbara Visual Aids and Story Poles application and Santa Barbara County Story Pole Guidelines. Requirements can change; confirm the current instructions with your assigned planner.
Inside city limits
The City asks for braced poles with bright tape or netting, completed at least seven days before the hearing and certified by a licensed professional.
Montecito, Hope Ranch and county areas
County Boards of Architectural Review request poles case by case, installed at least three days before the meeting with 12-inch netting.
What we do
Our story pole services in Santa Barbara
01
Story pole plans
We draft the plan for submittal, with each pole's location and height, plate heights, ridgelines and a numbered legend.
02
Surveyed layout and installation
We coordinate with licensed surveyors for staking, then connect the poles with high-visibility flagging to show bulk and location.
03
Certification and photos
We coordinate the certification letter for pole heights and locations and send photographs of the finished installation.
How it works
From your drawings to the hearing
Send your drawings
Email the address, site plan, roof plan, elevations and hearing date. We confirm whether the City or the County reviews the parcel.
Plan in 1 to 2 business days
We prepare the story pole plan for staff review. Some roofs can be simplified to the major ridgelines.
Installed to your hearing date
At least seven days before a City hearing, or three days before a County board meeting, with longer lead times for major projects.
No need to be on site
Our crew completes the installation without the owner or architect present, then sends photographs.
Certified and kept up
Certification is coordinated after installation. Poles stay through the hearing, and any appeal period, until staff allow removal.
FAQ
Santa Barbara story pole questions
It depends on who reviews the parcel. Inside city limits, the City’s application lists the project types that need them and lets the design board ask for them. In Montecito, Hope Ranch and other county areas, the Board of Architectural Review asks case by case.
Many Montecito and Hope Ranch homes have a Santa Barbara mailing address but sit in the unincorporated County, so County board rules apply. Goleta and Carpinteria are separate cities. Send the address and we check before planning.
It varies with the shape and articulation of your roof plan. Some projects can be simplified to show only the major ridgelines, and the City allows a reduced pole count when staff agree.
Residential and commercial projects of any size, from a small addition to a new building, in the City and across the County.
No. Our crew completes the installation from start to finish without the owner or architect on site and sends photographs when it is done.
Request a Santa Barbara story pole quote
Send the project address, current drawings and hearing date. We confirm whether the City or the County reviews it and reply with a written scope.
Call or text : (310) 980-2543 hello@AllAmericanStoryPoles.com
