Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills share the top of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, just up the hill from San Pedro. They are mostly single-family neighborhoods on sloped lots, served by Cal Water and LA County Fire. Each city runs its own permit office, and Palos Verdes Estates adds a second approval step for exterior work, so repairs here can take a little more planning.
What’s different up here
- Hillside ground. In July 2023, land under Peartee Lane in Rolling Hills Estates gave way: about a dozen homes were declared uninhabitable, ten slid toward the canyon below, and a sewer main broke as the ground moved. Officials hadn’t set a cause at the time; Supervisor Janice Hahn pointed to the wet winter. (ABC7, July 2023) On sloped lots, fix leaks quickly, keep drains and downspouts working, and pay attention to new cracks in walls, floors or the driveway.
- Exterior repairs in Palos Verdes Estates need a second approval. The Palos Verdes Homes Association’s Art Jury reviews any project that changes a building’s exterior, including roof material, windows, doors and paint color, separately from city permits. Ask the Homes Association at (310) 373-6721 whether your repair needs review before work starts. (City of Palos Verdes Estates)
- Repairs often need a permit. Rolling Hills Estates lists reroofing, plumbing and sewer work, window and door replacement and interior remodels among the work that needs a building permit. A restoration company should pull permits where required; ask before work starts. (Rolling Hills Estates Building & Safety)
Who to call
- Water leak at the main or meter: Cal Water, (310) 257-1400.
- Sewer overflow: LA County Public Works 24-hour line, 1-800-675-4357. For main trunk sewers, LA County Sanitation Districts at (562) 908-4288 ext. 2301. Call 911 if sewage is flowing into the street.
- Downed power line: Southern California Edison, 1-800-611-1911. Gas smell: leave and call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200. (PVE utility contacts)
- Permits in Palos Verdes Estates: City Hall, (310) 378-0383 (building counter Monday to Thursday, 8 to 10 a.m.), plus the Homes Association for exterior work. (PVE Building & Safety)
- Permits in Rolling Hills Estates: Building & Safety at City Hall, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, (310) 377-1577 ext. 105.
- Rolling Hills is a small gated city with its own city hall; ask there about permits before repair work starts.
- Free sandbags: LA County Fire stations, for residents of their own community, with proof of residency. See our winter prep guide.
What to do first
- Stop the water at the fixture valve or the main shutoff, and stay away from wet outlets and cords.
- Photograph the damage before anything is moved. Insurers and landlords both ask for it.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. That is the EPA’s window for keeping mold from starting.
Talk to a local water damage or mold company
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Sources checked October 31, 2026: City of Palos Verdes Estates (Palos Verdes Homes Association, Building & Safety, Public Works, utility contacts); City of Rolling Hills Estates (Building & Safety); ABC7 Los Angeles (July 2023); LA County Public Works free sandbags page; U.S. EPA mold guidance.