Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Burbank, CA
Custom homes, ADUs, additions and new garages for Burbank properties, planned from the first site visit around the city's floor area limit, hillside permits and fire zone construction rules.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with the City of Burbank
- Written, line-item estimates
Burbank, CA
Your Burbank Builder for Homes, ADUs and Additions
Simply Construction works as a general contractor in Burbank for homeowners planning large projects: new custom homes, backyard ADUs, garage conversions, room and second-story additions, and new garages. We are a licensed California general contractor based in Monterey Park, and we run the whole job under one contract, from early feasibility and design coordination through city plan check, construction and final inspection.
Burbank reviews single-family work closely. The city caps floor area in its R-1 and R-1-H zones, requires public notice for many exterior changes, and adds a separate permit layer in the hillside area. We plan around those rules before drawings are finished, so the design you approve is one the city can approve too, and the budget reflects what the site actually requires.
What We Build Here
Our Services in Burbank
Every project below is planned, permitted and built by one licensed team. Choose a service to see how it works in Burbank.
Custom Home Building in Burbank
A custom home in Burbank starts with the 0.4 floor area ratio and the city's rule that counts ceilings or plates taller than 12 feet twice. We design within those limits, prepare for the Single Family Design Guidelines review, and on foothill lots add the Hillside Development Permit, soils work and ignition-resistant construction the site requires.
ADU Construction in Burbank
Burbank updated its ADU and JADU standards with Ordinance 23-4,002, adopted in November 2023, and allows ADUs in its single-family, horsekeeping and multifamily zones. We build detached and attached units, can adapt a plan from the city's pre-approved library, and design custom units that fit the lot, the utilities and the neighbors.
Garage Conversions in Burbank
Burbank's parking standards say an existing garage parking area can't be reduced, which makes the ADU route the practical way to convert most garages here, since state law waives replacement parking when a garage becomes an ADU. We handle the slab, framing, insulation, egress and utility work a conversion needs.
Room Additions in Burbank
Ground-floor additions suit Burbank's post-war ranch houses as well as its older Spanish and Tudor homes. We calculate the floor area you have left under the 0.4 limit, match the original architecture, and prepare for the public notice sign the city requires when an addition changes a home's exterior.
Second-Story Additions in Burbank
Going up in Burbank means engineering the existing foundation for new loads, fitting the added floor under the floor area cap and, on hillside lots, securing a Hillside Development Permit that weighs neighbors' views. We coordinate the engineer, the planning review and construction under a single contract.
Garage Construction in Burbank
New garages in Burbank are planned around setbacks, the city's parking standards and, in the Rancho, the horsekeeping standards on R-1-H parcels. On foothill lots, grading a new pad triggers the Hillside Development Permit. We also build garage and ADU combinations where the lot and height limits allow.
Whole-House Remodeling in Burbank
A whole-house remodel in Burbank often involves a home from the 1920s to the 1950s that needs new wiring, plumbing and insulation along with a new layout. When exterior facades change, the city's single-family review and public notice apply, and we plan the schedule around that step from the start.
Kitchen Remodeling in Burbank
Kitchen remodels in Burbank's older homes can open walls that hide original wiring and aging supply and drain lines. We permit the work through Burbank Building and Safety, bring in an engineer when a bearing wall comes out, and keep period details such as arched openings or built-ins where the house calls for them.
Bathroom Remodeling in Burbank
We remodel bathrooms in Burbank homes of every era, from Spanish Colonial Revival to post-war ranch, rebuilding them with proper waterproofing, ventilation and code-compliant electrical. When a new primary bath is part of a larger addition, we check it against the city's floor area limit before design is final.
Fire Rebuilds in Burbank
Homes in Burbank's Mountain Fire Zone along the Verdugo foothills rebuild under the city's ignition-resistant construction requirements, including protected eaves and soffits. We manage a fire rebuild from the cleared lot through the Hillside Development Permit, soils review, plan check, utility reconnection and final inspection.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Burbank
A junior ADU of up to 500 square feet can be created inside an existing Burbank home or its attached garage, with at least an efficiency kitchen. The owner must live in either the main house or the JADU. For many families it is the least disruptive way to add a second living space.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Burbank
SB 9 can allow a second primary unit or an urban lot split on qualifying Burbank lots. Very high fire hazard severity zones, which cover parts of the Burbank hillside, are excluded unless the site adopts the required fire mitigation measures, so we confirm eligibility before any design work begins.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Burbank
Outdoor living projects on Burbank hillside lots need care, because grading to expand yard areas can trigger a Hillside Development Permit and decks in the Mountain Fire Zone follow ignition-resistant construction rules. On flatter lots we build patio covers, decks and outdoor kitchens that connect cleanly to the house.
Local Knowledge
Building in Burbank: What Shapes a Project Here
Much of Burbank's housing grew alongside the Lockheed aircraft plant, which was established in the late 1920s. During World War II the city ran short of housing, and many homes went up just south of the airport and the plant. The city's 2009 historic context report describes post-war tracts built out mainly between 1945 and 1950 as variations on the California Ranch house, alongside earlier Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Minimal Traditional homes. Magnolia Park, laid out in the 1920s on the western side of town, is largely 1940s housing today.
Terrain divides the city. The Hillside District climbs the southern foothills of the Verdugo Mountains, where Burbank requires a Hillside Development Permit for new homes and for additions that change a structure's size, height or footprint. Much of that area also falls in the city's Mountain Fire Zone, which carries ignition-resistant construction requirements. The 2017 La Tuna Fire burned 7,194 acres in the Verdugo Mountains, a clear reminder of why those rules exist.
In the Rancho Equestrian District near Griffith Park, R-1-H horsekeeping zoning and the Rancho Master Plan govern what can go where on a lot. Across both the R-1 and R-1-H zones, floor area ratio is capped at 0.4.
Why Choose Us
Why Burbank 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.
Straight Answers on Feasibility
Some lots cannot fit the project an owner has in mind. We check zoning, setbacks, height limits, easements, slope and utility capacity early, and we tell you plainly what is achievable before you spend money on full drawings. When state law opens a path that the local code seems to block, as ADU and SB 9 rules often do, we explain how it applies to your property.
Written, Line-Item Estimates
Before you commit, you receive a written estimate that breaks the project into its real parts: design and engineering, permit and utility fees, foundation, framing, systems, finishes and site work. Allowances are named and priced, so you can see where your selections move the budget. If the scope changes, the numbers change on paper first, never as a surprise on the final invoice.
Nearby Service Areas
We Also Build Near Burbank
FAQ
Building in Burbank: Common Questions
Do I need a Hillside Development Permit for my Burbank project?
If your property is in Burbank's hillside area, a Hillside Development Permit is required for a new structure and for changes that add square footage or height or alter the footprint or mass of an existing one. If any portion of the site is steeper than 20 percent, soils and geological reports are also required. We confirm what applies at the first site visit.
How large can a house be on a Burbank R-1 lot?
Burbank caps floor area ratio at 0.4 in the R-1 and R-1-H zones, so total floor area can't exceed 40 percent of the lot area. Interior ceiling or plate heights above 12 feet count twice toward that figure, which matters for designs with tall great rooms. We run these numbers before design starts.
Will my neighbors be notified about my project?
For additions and remodels that alter a home's exterior, and for new single-family homes in the R-1 and R-1-H zones, Burbank requires a public notice sign on the site. When a project needs a single-family residential permit from the Planning Division, notice is also mailed to owners and tenants within 300 feet before the decision.
How can I check that a contractor is licensed to work in Burbank?
Any job of $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials requires a CSLB-licensed contractor. You can verify any contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website. Simply Construction is a licensed California general contractor, and permits for the work are issued by Burbank's Community Development Department.
Start Your Project
Start Your Burbank Project
Tell us what you are planning. We will visit the property, talk through options and costs, and send a written, line-item estimate.
Licensed California General Contractor · CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]