Backyard Remodeling & Outdoor Living in Westwood, CA
Source: https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/westwood
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
- Westwood
Design · Permit · Build
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Westwood
We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together.
Book a Consultation Call 818-300-2393
Built for Westwood Homes
Westwood is best known for UCLA and the Mediterranean-themed storefronts of Westwood Village, yet the city's Westwood Community Plan counts 70 percent of the community's residential acreage as single-family. The land rises from flat blocks in the south to rolling hillside toward Sunset Boulevard, and the largest lots sit east of Beverly Glen Boulevard, north of Holmby Park.
Closer to the campus and south of Wilshire, home sites are generally smaller and the ground undulates, so a pool, a terrace and an ADU have to share space with real discipline. Building, grading and pool permits all come from LADBS, and the city's Hillside Grading Area reaches across nearly the whole community, flat streets included.
The largest lots sit in the Minimum Residential area east of Beverly Glen Boulevard and north of Holmby Park. Generally smaller home sites on undulating ground lie east and west of the UCLA campus and south of Wilshire Boulevard. High-rise condominium towers line Wilshire between the Los Angeles Country Club and Malcolm Avenue, with single-family streets extending north and south of that corridor.
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 Westwood: 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 Westwood, its flat southern blocks included, lies inside the city's Hillside Grading Area, so excavating for a permitted pool here also requires a separate LADBS grading permit. The community sits outside the city's mapped Hillside Area, the zone where Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits apply.
Specific plans that require Design Review Board approval cover most of Westwood's multifamily and commercial areas, including Westwood Village and North Westwood Village, while its single-family blocks generally fall outside them.
Permit details checked September 2026 against LADBS and LA City Planning . Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Build
- Grading permits for pools in the Hillside Grading Area
- Soils review for pools and ADUs in the liquefaction zone
- Fault-zone screening for ADUs and additions
- Estate-lot planning north of Holmby Park
- 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 Westwood
These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.
01
Terrain runs from flat land in the southern section to rolling hillside in the north, so the grading and drainage approach for a pool near Santa Monica Boulevard can differ markedly from one on a sloping lot closer to Sunset Boulevard
02
Parts of western Westwood, including a band running from Westwood Village south toward Santa Monica Boulevard, are mapped in a seismic hazard liquefaction zone, a condition worth resolving with a soils engineer before a pool shell or ADU foundation is designed
03
The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone for the Santa Monica Fault runs along Westwood's southern edge near Santa Monica Boulevard, so ADU and addition sites there are worth checking against the zone map early
Areas we serve in Westwood:Holmby HillsHolmby WestwoodWestwood HillsComstock HillsWestwood VillageNorth Westwood Village
Investment
What It Costs in Westwood
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 Westwood property
The Process
How We Work in Westwood
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 Westwood 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 Westwood Homeowners Ask
Who issues the permits for this work in Westwood?
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 Westwood, its flat southern blocks included, lies inside the city's Hillside Grading Area, so excavating for a permitted pool here also requires a separate LADBS grading permit.
The community sits outside the city's mapped Hillside Area, the zone where Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits apply. Specific plans that require Design Review Board approval cover most of Westwood's multifamily and commercial areas, including Westwood Village and North Westwood Village, while its single-family blocks generally fall outside them.
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 Westwood different?
The largest lots sit in the Minimum Residential area east of Beverly Glen Boulevard and north of Holmby Park. Generally smaller home sites on undulating ground lie east and west of the UCLA campus and south of Wilshire Boulevard. High-rise condominium towers line Wilshire between the Los Angeles Country Club and Malcolm Avenue, with single-family streets extending north and south of that corridor.
One local condition that shapes the work: Terrain runs from flat land in the southern section to rolling hillside in the north, so the grading and drainage approach for a pool near Santa Monica Boulevard can differ markedly from one on a sloping lot closer to Sunset Boulevard.
Which parts of Westwood do you work in?
All of it, including Holmby Hills, Holmby Westwood, Westwood Hills and Comstock Hills. 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 Westwood?
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 Westwood
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Westwood ADUs & Additions in Westwood Everything we build in Westwood
Backyard & Outdoor Living Nearby
Backyard & Outdoor Living in Bel Air Backyard & Outdoor Living in Beverly Hills Backyard & Outdoor Living in Brentwood Backyard & Outdoor Living in Santa Monica Backyard & Outdoor Living in Los Angeles
Planning Guides
Before You Build in Westwood
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 Westwood?
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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