Backyard Remodeling & Outdoor Living in Valley Village, CA
Source: https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/valley-village
Last modified: 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
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Image: Side-yard patio with a fire bowl, lounge seating and turf joints at dusk
- Valley Village
Design · Permit · Build
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Valley Village
We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together.
Book a Consultation Call 818-300-2393
Built for Valley Village Homes
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.
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 Valley Village: 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 Build
- 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
- 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 Valley Village
These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.
01
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
02
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
03
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
Areas we serve in Valley Village:Huston StreetOtsego StreetHartsook StreetAddison Street
Investment
What It Costs in Valley Village
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 Valley Village property
The Process
How We Work in Valley Village
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 Valley Village 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 Valley Village Homeowners Ask
Who issues the permits for this work 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.
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 Valley Village different?
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.
One local condition that shapes the work: 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.
Which parts of Valley Village do you work in?
All of it, including Huston Street, Otsego Street, Hartsook Street and Addison Street. 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 Valley Village?
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 Valley Village
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Valley Village ADUs & Additions in Valley Village Everything we build in Valley Village
Backyard & Outdoor Living Nearby
Backyard & Outdoor Living in North Hollywood Backyard & Outdoor Living in Studio City Backyard & Outdoor Living in Sherman Oaks Backyard & Outdoor Living in Toluca Lake Backyard & Outdoor Living in Van Nuys Backyard & Outdoor Living in Burbank
Planning Guides
Before You Build in Valley Village
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 Valley Village?
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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