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Sunken fire-pit lounge with built-in seating below a modern home at twilight
Design · Permit · Build

Backyard & Outdoor Living in Toluca Lake

We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together.

Built for Toluca Lake Homes

Toluca Lake is a precision market. The lots are valuable and well established, but they are not large, so the difference between a good yard and a great one is planning rather than square footage. Getting the pool, seating and circulation to work together on a compact lot is the whole job, and mature trees usually get a say in where things go.

Tidy, high-value lots close to the studios. Space is at a premium, so the win is a well-planned outdoor room rather than a sprawling yard.

We are a design-build team, which means the people who draw your project are the people who build it. Design, engineering, permits and construction run through one project manager and our own crews, so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a salesperson and a subcontractor. We are licensed, bonded and insured, CSLB license #1119054.

Permits in Toluca Lake: 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.

Toluca Lake is largely flat, so most residential pool projects avoid hillside grading review entirely. Addresses on the Burbank side of the wider Toluca Lake area are permitted by the City of Burbank instead.

Permit details checked September 2026 against LADBS. Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.

What We Build

  • Compact-lot space planning
  • Tree-protection-aware layout and excavation
  • Full backyard transformations
  • Paver patios, driveways and walkways
  • Outdoor kitchens and BBQ islands
  • Pergolas, patio covers and shade structures
  • Fire pits, fire tables and fireplaces
  • Retaining walls and seat walls
  • Artificial turf and drought-tolerant planting
  • Drainage correction and grading
  • Landscape and architectural lighting
  • Front yard and curb appeal remodels

Local Conditions

What to Know in Toluca Lake

These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.

01

Flat lots mean drainage design matters more than slope work

02

Compact, well-established lots reward precise space planning over sheer scale

03

Tree preservation is a real constraint on many parcels and shapes pool placement

Areas we serve in Toluca Lake:Toluca EstatesLakeside Golf area

Investment

What It Costs in Toluca Lake

Real Southern California price ranges, not teaser numbers.

Full backyard transformation

$50,000 to $250,000+

What moves it: how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting

Paver patio and hardscape

from about $13,000

What moves it: square footage, paver type, base preparation, drainage, and any steps or retaining involved

Outdoor kitchen and BBQ island

$10,000 to $50,000+

What moves it: counter length, appliance package, countertop material, and whether gas, water and power need to be run a long distance

Pergola and shade structure

from about $9,500

What moves it: span, material (wood, aluminum or louvered), footing requirements, and integrated lighting or heating

Artificial turf

from about $9,900

What moves it: area, turf grade, base depth, drainage, and any pet-specific infill

Your lot, access and finishes set the price. We walk the site, then show you where every dollar goes.

Get a line-item price for your Toluca Lake property

The Process

How We Work in Toluca Lake

01

Site Review

We measure the yard, check drainage and grade, and find the constraints before design starts.

02

Design & 3D

You walk the whole yard in 3D, so layout and materials are settled before we build.

03

Plans & Permits

Structures, walls and electrical get drawn and permitted where the work requires it. In Toluca Lake that submittal goes to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

04

Demo & Grading

Old surfaces come out, levels are set and drainage is corrected properly.

05

Build

Hardscape, structures, kitchen, features and lighting go in, sequenced by our own crews.

06

Planting & Handover

Planting, turf and final detail, then a full walkthrough of the finished yard.

Questions

What Toluca Lake Homeowners Ask

Who issues the permits for this work in Toluca Lake?

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. Toluca Lake is largely flat, so most residential pool projects avoid hillside grading review entirely. Addresses on the Burbank side of the wider Toluca Lake area are permitted by the City of Burbank instead.

We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing plan check.

What makes building in Toluca Lake different?

Tidy, high-value lots close to the studios. Space is at a premium, so the win is a well-planned outdoor room rather than a sprawling yard. One local condition that shapes the work: Flat lots mean drainage design matters more than slope work.

Which parts of Toluca Lake do you work in?

All of it, including Toluca Estates and Lakeside Golf area. Our crews run every job out of our Cahuenga Pass base in Los Angeles, with our own people on site.

What does a backyard or outdoor living project cost in Toluca Lake?

Full backyard transformation: generally $50,000 to $250,000+ across Southern California. What moves it is how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting.

We give line-item pricing after seeing the site rather than quoting a number over the phone.

How long does a backyard remodel take?

A patio and turf refresh often finishes in three to five weeks. A full transformation with hardscape, an outdoor kitchen, structures and lighting typically runs ten to sixteen weeks, and longer if a pool is part of the same phase.

Pavers or poured concrete?

Pavers cost more up front but flex with ground movement instead of cracking, and individual units can be lifted and replaced. Poured concrete is cheaper initially, but a crack means cutting out and repouring a section that rarely matches. On most Southern California soil we recommend pavers for anything you will look at every day.

Can you fix drainage at the same time?

Yes, and on most projects we insist on it. Correcting grade and adding proper drainage while the yard is already open is far cheaper than retrofitting it after new hardscape is down.

Do you handle the whole yard in one project?

Yes. Design, permits, hardscape, structures, kitchen, lighting and planting run through one team and one project manager, so nothing gets lost between trades.

Planning a Backyard in Toluca Lake?

Sit down with your project manager and get an accurate estimate. We call you back within one business day.

Licensed, bonded & insured · CSLB license #1119054