Orange County, California
Kitchen remodeling in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Rancho Santa Margarita has 17,498 homes, 73% of the occupied ones lived in by their owners. Half were built before 1992.
The homes of Rancho Santa Margarita
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates for Rancho Santa Margarita city.
More homes in Rancho Santa Margarita were built in the 1990s than in any other decade, 51% of them, followed by the 1980s at 35%. A kitchen put in when one of those houses was new is now about 31 years old, unless it has been redone since.
Only 4% of homes here were built before 1980. If yours was built before 1978, the firm that remodels it has to be certified for lead-safe work by EPA.
Detached houses are 54% of homes in Rancho Santa Margarita; the rest are townhomes, condos and apartments. In a condo or townhome the association may have to approve work on plumbing, walls or wiring, so ask for its rules before the measure.
ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Rancho Santa Margarita is the largest place
| ZIP code | Homes | Owner-occupied | Median year built | Built before 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92688 | 16,287 | 69% | 1993 | 4% |
What kitchen trades earn here
Electricians in the Los Angeles area earn a median $35.49 an hour and plumbers $34.19, against $30.38 and $30.67 across the country (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That is what the workers are paid, not what a contractor charges for their time. All five kitchen trades: Los Angeles area.
Before you sign: California
California requires a license from the Contractors State License Board for work of $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Since January 1, 2025, smaller jobs also need a license when they need a permit or when the person hires anyone to help.
Contracts, licenses and lead-safe rules in California · Permits · What it costs
Elsewhere in the Los Angeles area
- Coto de Caza, CA5,161 homes · half built before 1995
- Trabuco Canyon, CA464 homes · half built before 1979
- Mission Viejo, CA34,285 homes · half built before 1979
- Lake Forest, CA31,821 homes · half built before 1984
- Laguna Hills, CA12,072 homes · half built before 1980
- Laguna Woods, CA13,336 homes · half built before 1969
- Aliso Viejo, CA20,507 homes · half built before 1995
- Rancho Mission Viejo, CA4,971 homes · half built before 2015
- Laguna Niguel, CA27,643 homes · half built before 1986
- San Juan Capistrano, CA13,071 homes · half built before 1979