Backyard Remodeling & Outdoor Living in Los Feliz, CA
Source: https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/los-feliz
Last modified: 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
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Image: Lit board-formed concrete retaining wall and steps on a hillside
- Los Feliz
Design · Permit · Build
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Los Feliz
We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together.
Book a Consultation Call 818-300-2393
Built for Los Feliz Homes
Los Feliz rises from the pre-war streets around Vermont and Hillhurst to hillside lots that run up against Griffith Park, and the rules shift as the ground climbs. In the flats a typical single-family lot is about 6,500 square feet, so a pool, a shaded terrace and a garden studio have to share the yard with real discipline.
North of Los Feliz Boulevard, where the 1921 Los Feliz Heights tract is known for Period Revival houses in Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean and Tudor dress, lots reach a median near 10,000 square feet and the hillside and fire-zone maps begin to decide where water and new structures can sit.
Landmarks such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House and the Lovell House on Dundee Drive set the tone, and good design here answers to the architecture already on the street.
In LA County Assessor data, detached single-family lots north of Los Feliz Boulevard have a median of about 10,000 square feet, and inside Laughlin Park the median rises to roughly 16,000. The flats around Vermont and Hillhurst are tighter, at about 6,500 square feet, and Franklin Hills is tighter still, near 4,700 square feet on hillside streets.
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 Los Feliz: 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.
Nearly all of Los Feliz, the flats included, lies inside the city's Hillside Grading Area, so a pool here also needs its own LADBS grading permit. Most of the hills north of Los Feliz Boulevard, Laughlin Park and Franklin Hills are also in the Hillside Area governed by the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, while the flats around Vermont and Hillhurst largely are not.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4) bars ADUs, with limited exceptions, on lots in both the Hillside Area and a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, although ZA Memo 143 notes that, under state guidance, the restriction may not be enforced on state-law ADU types.
Projects involving designated landmarks, such as the Ennis House and the Lovell House, both Historic-Cultural Monuments, are reviewed by the Office of Historic Resources for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards.
Permit details checked September 2026 against LADBS and LA City Planning . Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Build
- Hillside grading permits and haul planning
- Fire-zone decking, planting and clearance
- Historic-resource review for designated homes
- State-law ADU pathway checks on hill lots
- 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 Los Feliz
These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.
01
CAL FIRE's 2025 fire hazard map places the hills north of Los Feliz Boulevard, Laughlin Park, Los Feliz Knolls and Franklin Hills in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with Griffith Park directly above
02
The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone mapped for the Hollywood Fault runs roughly along Los Feliz Boulevard and covers most of Laughlin Park, so a lot's position relative to it is confirmed before any new structure is sited
03
Franklin Hills and Los Feliz Knolls climb on winding streets, and Franklin Hills keeps a network of 14 public staircases first built in the 1920s, so excavation, concrete delivery and haul-off are planned around street access
04
The flats around Vermont and Hillhurst are almost entirely pre-1940 houses on gentler ground outside the city's Hillside Area, where the existing house and the depth of the yard shape the plan more than slope does
Areas we serve in Los Feliz:Los Feliz HillsLos Feliz EstatesLaughlin ParkLos Feliz VillageLos Feliz KnollsFranklin Hills
Investment
What It Costs in Los Feliz
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 Los Feliz property
The Process
How We Work in Los Feliz
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 Los Feliz 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 Los Feliz Homeowners Ask
Who issues the permits for this work in Los Feliz?
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. Nearly all of Los Feliz, the flats included, lies inside the city's Hillside Grading Area, so a pool here also needs its own LADBS grading permit. Most of the hills north of Los Feliz Boulevard, Laughlin Park and Franklin Hills are also in the Hillside Area governed by the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, while the flats around Vermont and Hillhurst largely are not.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4) bars ADUs, with limited exceptions, on lots in both the Hillside Area and a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, although ZA Memo 143 notes that, under state guidance, the restriction may not be enforced on state-law ADU types.
Projects involving designated landmarks, such as the Ennis House and the Lovell House, both Historic-Cultural Monuments, are reviewed by the Office of Historic Resources for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. 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 Los Feliz different?
In LA County Assessor data, detached single-family lots north of Los Feliz Boulevard have a median of about 10,000 square feet, and inside Laughlin Park the median rises to roughly 16,000. The flats around Vermont and Hillhurst are tighter, at about 6,500 square feet, and Franklin Hills is tighter still, near 4,700 square feet on hillside streets.
One local condition that shapes the work: CAL FIRE's 2025 fire hazard map places the hills north of Los Feliz Boulevard, Laughlin Park, Los Feliz Knolls and Franklin Hills in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with Griffith Park directly above.
Which parts of Los Feliz do you work in?
All of it, including Los Feliz Hills, Los Feliz Estates, Laughlin Park and Los Feliz Village. 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 Los Feliz?
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.
More Services in Los Feliz
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Los Feliz ADUs & Additions in Los Feliz Everything we build in Los Feliz
Backyard & Outdoor Living Nearby
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Hollywood Hills Backyard & Outdoor Living in Silver Lake Backyard & Outdoor Living in Atwater Village Backyard & Outdoor Living in Glendale Backyard & Outdoor Living in Burbank Backyard & Outdoor Living in Los Angeles
Planning Guides
Before You Build in Los Feliz
Costs, materials and process notes from our own projects.
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 guide Indoor-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 guide Tarzana 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 guide Porter 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 guide
Planning a Backyard in Los Feliz?
Sit down with your project manager and get an accurate estimate. We call you back within one business day.
Book a Consultation 818-300-2393
Licensed, bonded & insured · CSLB license #1119054
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