Building the Grace and Frankie Beach House

Where is the beach house in Grace and Frankie?

In the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, the beach house is set in San Diego’s La Jolla area. However, the real beach house is located in Malibu’s Broad Beach. The outside scenes are filmed in Malibu at the real beach house while all scenes inside the beach house are filmed at Paramount Studios. The set at Paramount Studios is designed and inspired by the floor plan and interior design of the original house. 

How much does Grace and Frankie House cost?

The Malibu “Grace and Frankie” house was last sold for $15.7 M in September 2006. The house is now estimated to be worth approximately $20 M. The gorgeous beach house has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, is 3,896 square feet, and is built on a 0.39-acre lot. 

Is Grace and Frankie Beach house real?

The beach house seen on the popular Netflix series Grace and Frankie is a real beach house that was designed by the architect Steve Giannetti of Giannetti Home, completed in 2003. Steve Giannetti was made famous for his ability to bring contemporary styles and antics together in one place. This classic Hamptons beach house was constructed by John Finton and the interiors were designed by Will McGaul. 

5 Things to Consider When Building a Beach Home

Location

When building a house on a beach a very important detail is the precise location of where you are building, as it will have a major impact on the safety and comfort of your home. The biggest concerns are building a secure foundation and the potential erosion issues. Between water-driven erosion and loose earth that is found under beach sand, beachfront properties suffer from shifting or sinking foundations.

The Grace and Frankie house, as well as other beach homes, are often built on piling or a masonry foundation that elevates the structure above the base flood level. If the soil is unable to support the load of a traditional spread footing and foundation walls, pilling is used. If you are going the pilling approach, the builder must first clear the area and level the lot before driving piles. Backhoes and wheel loaders are great pieces of equipment to clear and level large plots of land, and rock trucks are useful for moving out these materials. Once the ground is level, engineers usually require at least 20 to 25 feet of embedment to get the bearing and security your structure will need. 

Weather

Depending on the area you are building, your beach house experience can be impacted by hurricanes and storms which can lead to floods or other events harmful to your home. Before deciding where you want to build your beachfront property make sure to pay close attention to your region's recent storm history to determine the best materials and foundations to use for your beach house. 

Outdoor Living

Although you may think you already have the outdoor living aspect covered by building your house on a beach, you want to make sure you have a nice space outdoors to enjoy the view.

The Grace and Frankie beach house features a gorgeous pool in between the main house and the garage. This allows for an added outdoor living area with chaise lounges as well, to enjoy the gorgeous Malibu weather. Most pools are dug using an excavator or a track hoe. 

Materials and Construction

When building on the water there are special construction considerations. In particular, the presence of water and salt can cause rust and weaken your structure. The addition of metal or other impermeable materials is an inexpensive yet major way to make joint seams waterproof and ultimately improve your home's comfort. Red cedar is a traditional building material and another great option as it is tough, water-resistant, and elegant. The Grace and Frankie beach house features cedar shake siding all across the exterior of the home, adding to the coastal design of the home. Recently, concrete has also become a very popular choice for homebuilders as it is durable and can be fairly attractive. 

Maintenance 

Although wood is already durable, using treated wood is a good idea and required in most places to keep it from deteriorating. Although sand coming into the home may seem inevitable when living on the beachfront, indoor sand can be a big maintenance issue. Salt and sand can be hard on upholstery and frames, so it is best to keep as much of that stuff protected as you can. 

What Lies in the Future of the Grace and Frankie House?

Alongside other properties on the Broad Beach coastline, the Grace and Frankie house has an uncertain future with the threat of rising sea levels. Temporary fixes such as implementing sea walls to protect structures near the beach, and having sand trucked in to backfill the eroded shoreline, will help slow the threat of rising sea levels. However, with Broad Beach having shrunk into a narrow sliver of its former self, and only a small section of dry white sand left, the Grace and Frankie house among others are threatened with the increased risk of accelerated flooding. Only time will tell if the famous Broad Beach will remain the beautiful laid back luxury living it is today.