Second-Story Additions · Beverly Hills
Second-Story Additions in Beverly Hills, CA
A full or partial second floor on a Beverly Hills home, with foundation capacity, height limits and design review answered before you commit to going up.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Permits with the City of Beverly Hills
- Written, line-item estimates
- Design, engineering & construction
Beverly Hills, CA
Second-Story Additions for Beverly Hills Homeowners
Second-story additions in Beverly Hills are a design question as much as a structural one, because a new upper floor changes how the house is seen from the street. Simply Construction coordinates the architect and structural engineer, confirms whether the existing foundation and walls can carry the new load or specifies how to strengthen them, and builds the addition while protecting the finished rooms below. For many owners it is the only way to add bedrooms without giving up the garden, and it rewards careful planning.
Local Knowledge
Going Up in Beverly Hills: Where It Works
In the Central Area, a second story is nearly always visible from the street, so it goes through design review. The city's stated purpose for that review is to keep single-family homes compatible with their neighborhoods and to maintain the scale and massing of the streetscape. That is why we plan for questions about how the upper floor steps back, how its roofline relates to the houses on either side, and whether it overwhelms a block of period homes. An upper floor that follows one of the guide's pure styles, with a California-licensed architect of record, can still qualify for staff-level Track 1 review.
Trousdale Estates is the clear exception: its 14-foot height limit, in place since 1987, generally rules out a conventional second story. In the Hillside Area north of Sunset there is no design review, but a larger house there means more construction in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and hillside foundations often need far more engineering than a flat lot. Height limits in the Central Area vary with roof type and location, so we confirm the exact envelope for your lot before design goes far.
What's Included
Second-Story Scope
- Structural evaluation of existing footings, walls and framing by a licensed engineer
- Foundation strengthening, new hold-downs and shear walls wherever the engineering calls for them
- Stair placement planning that preserves as much of the ground-floor layout as possible
- Temporary roof protection and weather planning during the open-roof phase
- Design review package support for street-visible upper floors in the Central Area
- Mechanical, plumbing and electrical extensions sized for the added bedrooms and baths
For the full scope, process and options, see our main second-story additions page, or browse everything we build on our Beverly Hills service area page.
Planning Considerations
What to Weigh Before Adding a Floor
Living arrangements during the build
Removing the roof on a lived-in house is disruptive, and many owners move out for the loudest phases. We plan the sequence so the open-roof period is as short as the structure allows, protect finished rooms below from dust and weather, and tell you in advance which weeks will affect kitchens, bathrooms and power so your household can plan around them.
Parking follows the bedroom count
Most second stories add bedrooms, and in the Central Area a fifth bedroom raises the required parking from three spaces to four. Settle that before design review so the site plan shows where the extra space goes, rather than finding the gap during plan check. We also look at whether the existing garage and driveway can meet the new count without reworking the front of the property.
Why Choose Us
Why Beverly Hills Homeowners Choose Simply Construction
Contracts Written the Way California Law Requires
California caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and after that a contractor may only bill for work completed or materials delivered. Our contracts follow that structure: a line-item scope, a payment schedule tied to finished milestones, and written change orders before any extra work begins. You always know what you are paying for and why.
One Team From Plans to Final Inspection
Design, engineering, permitting and construction sit under one contract and one project lead, so nobody points fingers between the designer, the engineer and the builder when a detail changes. You get one schedule, one point of contact and regular progress updates from the first site visit through the final inspection and sign-off on your Beverly Hills project.
Care for Your Street and Your Neighbors
Large projects happen next door to people who live there. We plan staging, dumpster placement, deliveries and working hours around Beverly Hills rules, keep the site secured at the end of each day, and give you notice before loud or disruptive phases such as demolition, concrete pours or crane lifts, so you can give your neighbors a heads-up too.
More in Beverly Hills
Other Services in Beverly Hills
Nearby
Second-Story Additions Near Beverly Hills
FAQ
Second-Story Additions in Beverly Hills: Common Questions
Can my Beverly Hills foundation support a second story?
Sometimes as it stands, often with strengthening. Houses from the 1920s and 1930s were built to much lighter standards than today's code, so a structural engineer has to check the footings, walls and connections against the new load. The fix can range from added hold-downs and shear walls to new footings under key walls. We get that answer before you commit to the design.
Can I add a second story in Trousdale Estates?
In most cases, no. The Trousdale ordinance adopted in 1987 sets a 14-foot height limit and restricts changes to the graded building pads, which keeps homes there at one story. Owners who need more space usually expand outward on the pad instead. We review your specific lot and the ordinance before recommending an approach.
Does a set-back second floor still need design review?
If any part of it can be seen from the street in the Central Area, yes. Stepping the upper floor back often helps it pass review, because it reduces the apparent mass from the sidewalk, but it rarely hides it entirely. We plan for review from the start rather than designing around the hope of avoiding it.
Start Your Project
Planning a Second Story in Beverly Hills?
Tell us about your property and goals. We will walk the site, flag anything the City of Beverly Hills will care about, and give you a written, line-item estimate.
Licensed California General Contractor · CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]