Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Encino, CA
Custom homes, ADUs, additions and garages built for both sides of Encino: hillside estates south of Ventura Boulevard and generous flat lots on the Valley floor to the north.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
Encino, CA
Your Encino Builder for Homes, ADUs and Additions
Simply Construction is a general contractor in Encino for homeowners planning something substantial: a new custom home, an ADU, a garage conversion, a room or second-story addition, or a new garage. We coordinate design, engineering, LADBS permits and construction under a single contract, and we stay accountable for budget and schedule from site survey to certificate of occupancy.
Encino is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, not a separate city, so its projects follow LADBS building rules and Los Angeles City Planning zoning. Ventura Boulevard roughly divides two very different building conditions. To the south, winding hillside streets climb toward Mulholland Drive under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance; to the north, flatter lots follow the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance. Knowing which set applies to your parcel is the first thing we check.
What We Build Here
Our Services in Encino
Every project below is planned, permitted and built by one licensed team. Choose a service to see how it works in Encino.
Custom Home Building in Encino
Ground-up homes in Encino range from replacements on the flat, tree-lined lots of Amestoy Estates to hillside builds in Royal Oaks and the Encino Hills, where the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, soils reports and fire zone materials shape the design. One contract covers design coordination, engineering, LADBS plan check and the build itself.
ADU Construction in Encino
Larger Encino lots north of Ventura Boulevard often have room for a full 1,200 square foot detached ADU, while hillside parcels call for more careful siting. We plan the unit around mature trees, including protected native oaks, along with pools, utility runs and access, then handle permits and construction through final inspection.
Garage Conversions in Encino
Garages on Encino's postwar lots often end up as storage rooms. We convert them into permitted ADUs or junior ADUs with leveled and sealed floors, real insulation, egress windows and cooling sized for Valley summers. When the garage becomes an ADU, state law does not require replacement parking.
Room Additions in Encino
Encino's wide lots make ground-floor additions practical, whether that is a primary suite off a mid-century house or a family room behind a traditional ranch. We match the original architecture, confirm floor area under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance and plan around any oaks near the footprint before design begins.
Second-Story Additions in Encino
When an Encino yard is too valuable as garden or pool space to give up, a second story adds bedrooms without touching it. A structural engineer confirms the original foundation and framing can carry the new load, and we design the upper floor to respect neighbors' privacy and the scale of the street.
Garage Construction in Encino
New garages in Encino range from a detached garage at the end of a long estate driveway to a compact garage cut into a hillside with retaining walls. We also build garages with an ADU above, and in fire zone areas south of Ventura we use ignition-resistant materials throughout.
Whole-House Remodeling in Encino
Many Encino houses have good bones and dated interiors. A whole-house remodel lets you keep the lot and the trees you already love while replacing systems, reworking the floor plan and upgrading insulation and windows. We manage structure, trades and permits as one coordinated project with one schedule.
Kitchen Remodeling in Encino
Kitchen remodels in Encino frequently go beyond cabinets and counters to include a reworked floor plan, a walk-in pantry or scullery, and better sightlines to the yard and pool. We handle the structural changes, electrical upgrades, hood venting and custom cabinetry, all permitted and inspected through LADBS.
Bathroom Remodeling in Encino
Primary bathrooms in Encino homes are frequently expanded into an adjoining closet or small bedroom. We rebuild them with membrane waterproofing, curbless showers where the floor structure allows, ventilation that actually clears moisture and tile set to last, and we hold ADU and guest baths to the same standard.
Fire Rebuilds in Encino
Homes in Royal Oaks and the Encino Hills share the wildfire exposure of the wider Santa Monica Mountains foothills. If fire damages or destroys a house, we take the rebuild from debris-cleared lot through LADBS permits to final inspection, using the ember-resistant vents, Class A roofing and ignition-resistant siding the fire zone requires.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Encino
A junior ADU inside an Encino home can house a parent, an adult child or a caregiver with privacy and a separate entrance. State rules limit it to 500 square feet within the existing house or attached garage, require at least an efficiency kitchen, and ask the owner to live on the property.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Encino
SB 9 can allow a second primary unit or an urban lot split on a qualifying single-family lot. The generous flat parcels north of Ventura are Encino's likeliest candidates, since hillside lots in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone qualify only with fire mitigation. Each new parcel must be at least 1,200 square feet and 40 percent of the original.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Encino
Encino backyards are where much of summer life happens. We build shade structures, outdoor kitchens, decks and hardscape around pools and existing trees, keeping excavation clear of oak root zones and using fire-resistant materials and engineered footings on hillside properties. Covers are placed to shade the hours you actually spend outside.
Local Knowledge
Encino's Terrain, History and Housing
Encino's name traces to the oaks around a natural spring that supported a Native village and, from 1845, Rancho Los Encinos. The spring is still there at Los Encinos State Historic Park, a 4.7-acre site that preserves the nine-room de la Osa adobe from 1849 and the two-story limestone Garnier building from 1872. The Garnier building needed restoration after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a reminder of how hard the Valley floor shook that morning.
Suburban Encino is far younger than the rancho. Encino filled in during the postwar boom, with tracts like Encino Village, about 400 homes built between 1955 and 1957 on the former RKO movie ranch, alongside architect-designed mid-century houses on larger lots. North of Ventura, Amestoy Estates is known for flat, generous parcels and mature trees. South of Ventura, Royal Oaks and the Encino Hills sit on winding streets with views, privacy and steeper building sites.
The hills south of the boulevard are the Santa Monica Mountains foothills, and a large share of that terrain carries the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation. Hillside parcels there carry stricter rules on grading, height, floor area and exterior materials than the flat lots north of the boulevard.
Why Choose Us
Why Encino Homeowners Choose Simply Construction
Licensed, Bonded and Easy to Verify
Simply Construction inc. is a licensed California general contractor, CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]. State law requires a license for any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and anyone can check a contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website in about a minute. We encourage every Encino homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
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.
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 Encino 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.
Nearby Service Areas
We Also Build Near Encino
FAQ
Building in Encino: Common Questions
Which permits apply to a project in Encino?
Encino is part of the City of Los Angeles, so LADBS issues building permits and Los Angeles City Planning handles zoning. Hillside parcels south of Ventura often need grading review and soils reports, and work near a native oak may need a tree permit. We identify every approval your project needs during feasibility, not after plans are drawn.
Are there protected trees on Encino lots?
Often, yes. The neighborhood is named for its oaks, and the city protects native oaks. Removing or relocating one requires a permit, and construction nearby should be planned with an arborist so foundations and trenches stay clear of the root zone. We locate trees on the survey at the start so the design works around them.
Is building in the hills different from building in the flats?
Very. Hillside lots follow the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, which ties floor area to slope and street width and caps grading, and many sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone with stricter exterior material rules. Flat lots north of Ventura follow the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance. Costs, schedules and design options differ, so we assess the parcel before anything else.
What should I verify before hiring a contractor?
Check the contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation status on the Contractors State License Board website. Any job of $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials requires a licensed contractor, and home improvement work over $500 requires a written contract. Ask how payments tie to completed work before you sign.
Start Your Project
Start Your Encino 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]