Luxury Remodeling in Valley Village
Additions need a City Planning clearance here, but a new pool does not.
Building Here
Growing Out Into the Garden, Not Up
Valley Village is a compact, level neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, bounded by Burbank Boulevard, the Hollywood Freeway, the Ventura Freeway and the Tujunga Wash. About four in five of its single-family houses were built between the 1930s and the 1950s, and they still set the tone of its residential streets.
The Valley Village Specific Plan, in force since 1993, was written to preserve that single-family character: it caps one-family buildings at 30 feet and requires a City Planning clearance for additions and exterior changes. The projects that suit it best tend to grow outward into the garden rather than upward, with a pool, a shaded terrace and an outdoor kitchen sized to the lot.
Level single-family lots on residential streets such as Hesby Street, La Maida Street and Bellaire Avenue, with apartments and condominiums concentrated along Burbank Boulevard, Riverside Drive and Magnolia Boulevard. In LA County Assessor parcel data the median single-family lot is roughly 7,600 square feet, and about four in five of those houses were built between the 1930s and the 1950s.
The team that plans your Valley Village project is the team that builds it.
Part of our service area in Los Angeles County.
Local Conditions
The Ground Rules in Valley Village
Permits in Valley Village
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
Private pools in the City of Los Angeles are permitted through a Combined Building-Mechanical permit, while pools serving more than two dwelling units need separate building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Using a City of Los Angeles standard plan on file with LADBS reduces plan check time.
Valley Village is covered by the Valley Village Specific Plan (Ordinance No. 168,613, effective April 4, 1993), which limits one-family buildings to 30 feet in height. Under the City's applicability matrix for the plan, LADBS checks a new or altered pool or spa for a single dwelling against the plan without a separate City Planning clearance, while new houses, additions, exterior alterations, demolitions and site grading all require one.
Permit details checked September 2026 against LADBS, LA City Planning and City of Los Angeles. Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Plan For
- Specific Plan clearance for additions and exterior changes
- Second stories held under the 30-foot height cap
- Pool, terrace and kitchen layouts for mid-size lots
- Additions matched to 1930s to 1950s houses
Valley Village sits entirely outside the City's Hillside Grading Area, so hillside grading rules do not apply and slope or retaining work seldom drives the budget
Most single-family lots fall between roughly 6,000 and 9,000 square feet, so a pool, terrace and outdoor kitchen have to be planned together to share one yard
A new or altered pool on a single-family lot needs no City Planning clearance under the Specific Plan, while an addition or exterior alteration does, so a pool project involves one fewer sign-off than an addition
Neighborhoods We Serve
- Huston Street
- Otsego Street
- Hartsook Street
- Addison Street
Services
What We Build in Valley Village
Each page covers permits, costs and the build process in Valley Village.
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Valley Village
Build a new pool and spa, or give yours fresh tile and plaster.
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Valley Village
We build patios, outdoor kitchens and fire pits for long evenings outside.
ADUs & Additions in Valley Village
Convert the garage, build a backyard ADU or add a second story.
Also Available in Valley Village
Before You Build
Valley Village Remodeling Guides
Costs, planning and design ideas for Valley Village homes.
Whole-Home Remodel Sequencing: What to Do First
A whole-home remodel done in the wrong order costs 15 to 25 percent more. Here is the correct sequence, from structural and roof through to paint, and why each stage has to precede the next.
Read guideIndoor-Outdoor Living Conversions in Southern California
A 16-foot multi-slide door runs $18,000 to $45,000 installed. Here is how the full indoor-outdoor conversion works, from structural header to flush threshold to covered patio tie-in.
Read guideTarzana Outdoor Living: Costs by Lot Type
Tarzana backyards run hot and deep. A working outdoor living build here (shade, hardscape, kitchen, lighting) typically lands between $85,000 and $220,000, and the ground drives most of the number.
Read guidePorter Ranch Backyards: Wind, Slope and Fire Zones
A full backyard transformation in Porter Ranch runs $95,000 to $280,000. Wind exposure, slope, HOA review and fire-zone material rules shape the design before anything about style enters the conversation.
Read guideStart Your Project
Plan Your Valley Village Project
Tell us about your home and what you want from it. We call you back within one business day.
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