Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Hollywood Hills, CA
Custom homes, additions and ADUs on steep Hollywood Hills lots, with foundations, grading, access and fire-resistant construction worked out before the first excavation.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
Hollywood Hills, CA
Building and Remodeling in Hollywood Hills
Simply Construction works as a licensed general contractor in Hollywood Hills neighborhoods from Laurel Canyon and Nichols Canyon to Beachwood Canyon and Outpost Estates, building custom homes, additions, ADUs and major remodels. Nearly every project here is a hillside project, and the ground, the street and the fire rules shape the job as much as the floor plan does.
We manage the work under one contract: early site and access review, geotechnical and structural coordination, LADBS plan check, construction and final inspection. On streets that are narrow, winding and often edged by a steep drop, a realistic logistics plan belongs in the estimate from the start, because it affects cost and schedule as much as any finish selection.
Local Knowledge
Building in the Hollywood Hills: Slopes, Access and Fire
The Hollywood Hills rise above Hollywood at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, cut by canyons such as Laurel, Nichols and Beachwood, with Mulholland Drive running along the ridge. Homes sit on steep lots reached by narrow roads, and many rest on caissons and grade beams, cantilevered over the slope or stepped down it. The area ranges from Whitley Heights, a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone of Mediterranean-style houses, to Hollywoodland below the Hollywood Sign and the winding streets of Outpost Estates.
All of it falls within the City of Los Angeles. LADBS handles permits and inspections, and its Grading Division reviews hillside grading and soils reports, while LA City Planning sets zoning. The Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits floor area and addresses grading and height, and properties near Mulholland Drive may also fall within the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan, which adds its own design review.
Much of the Hollywood Hills lies in the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. That means annual brush clearance, ignition-resistant construction for new work, and fire department access standards that can be hard to meet on older, narrow streets. Large grading jobs may also need an approved haul route before soil can leave the site.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in Hollywood Hills
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to Hollywood Hills properties.
Custom Home Building in Hollywood Hills
A custom home in the Hollywood Hills starts in the ground. Soils and geology reports decide whether the house rests on caissons, grade beams or a combination, and the Baseline Hillside Ordinance caps floor area and grading. Many sites need tall retaining walls, and exporting a large volume of soil may require a haul route approved by the city. We plan crane placement, deliveries and worker parking on narrow streets before construction, and we specify fire-resistant roofing, siding, vents and glazing suited to the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
ADU Construction in Hollywood Hills
Adding an ADU in the Hollywood Hills starts with finding a spot on the lot where construction is practical. Options include converting a street-level garage, building a unit beneath an existing deck, or attaching a unit to the main house. State law allows a detached ADU up to 16 feet tall and an attached ADU up to 25 feet or the main home's height, whichever is lower. The city also looks closely at fire safety and street access for ADUs in hillside fire zones, so we check the parcel's street and fire conditions first.
Garage Conversions in Hollywood Hills
Many Hollywood Hills houses have a garage at street level with the living space above or below, often built right into the hillside. Converting that garage into an ADU needs no replacement parking under state law, though parking on these streets is scarce, so the tradeoff is worth weighing. The conversion work often includes waterproofing retaining walls, adding egress windows, running utilities from the main house and confirming the structure beneath can carry living space. An engineer's review comes first.
Room Additions in Hollywood Hills
Room additions in the Hollywood Hills usually expand over the slope, under an existing deck, or into a lower level cut into the hillside. Each approach needs structural engineering, and any added floor area must stay within the Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits. We coordinate the soils report, caisson or footing design and subdrainage so the new space ties structurally into the existing house and carries water away from the hill rather than into it.
Second-Story Additions in Hollywood Hills
Going up in the Hollywood Hills runs into height limits measured on sloped terrain, view concerns from neighbors and, near Mulholland Drive, possible specific plan review. For a house already sitting on caissons, the existing foundation may not support another floor without substantial new structure. We have the engineer evaluate the existing system first, then help the architect compare a second story with a lower-level or side expansion to see which delivers the space most efficiently.
Garage Construction in Hollywood Hills
A new garage can be the most structurally demanding part of a Hollywood Hills property: excavated into the slope with retaining walls on several sides, or built as a structural deck at street level with the house beyond it. The driveway approach, fire department access and street drainage all have to work. We plan the garage with electrical capacity for EV charging and, where the site allows, the structure for a future ADU or a roof terrace.
Whole-House Remodeling in Hollywood Hills
Whole-house remodels in the Hollywood Hills often involve older houses that have been altered many times, so we begin by investigating the structure, drainage and permit history. Upgrades usually include foundation work, new electrical and plumbing, better insulation and windows, and fire-resistant exterior materials suited to the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. In Whitley Heights, exterior changes also go through HPOZ review, which we build into the schedule.
Kitchen Remodeling in Hollywood Hills
Kitchens in hillside homes tend to have the best views and the most complicated structure, with floors framed over slopes and walls that carry more load than they appear to. A remodel that opens a Hollywood Hills kitchen to a view or terrace usually needs engineered beams and sometimes new posts down to the foundation below. We plan electrical service, gas lines and hood venting along with the structure, and schedule deliveries around narrow street access.
Bathroom Remodeling in Hollywood Hills
Bathroom remodels in the Hollywood Hills frequently involve upper-level or cantilevered floors where drains have limited slope and limited access. We plan plumbing routes first, then build fully waterproofed showers and tubs, with exhaust ducted properly to the exterior. For a primary bath with a view, we coordinate window sizes, privacy glass and any structural changes to the exterior wall.
Fire Rebuilds in Hollywood Hills
A fire rebuild in the Hollywood Hills must meet the city's hillside rules and the construction standards for the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone: ignition-resistant siding, ember-resistant vents, a Class A roof and tempered glazing. We coordinate the insurer, the geotechnical and structural engineers, and LADBS plan check. We also plan access and staging carefully, because the narrow roads that construction trucks use are the same ones fire engines rely on.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Hollywood Hills
A junior ADU is often the most practical second unit in the Hollywood Hills, because it needs no new grading or foundations. Created within the house or an attached garage, it can reach 500 square feet, must have at least an efficiency kitchen, and requires the owner to live on site in one of the two units. Lower-level suites that already have their own entrance often convert with modest work.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Hollywood Hills
SB 9 is difficult across much of the Hollywood Hills. Sites in very high fire hazard severity zones are excluded unless the project adopts the required fire mitigation measures, and historic districts such as the Whitley Heights HPOZ carry their own limits. Steep terrain and narrow access narrow the options further. Where a lot does qualify, each new parcel in a split must be at least 1,200 square feet and 40 percent of the original lot, so we assess feasibility before any design work.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Hollywood Hills
In the Hollywood Hills, outdoor living usually means decks and terraces that take in canyon or city views. Each deck needs engineered footings, often caissons, and in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone the decking and framing should meet fire-resistance standards. We design railings, shade structures and outdoor kitchens to work with the house while keeping the required brush clearance in mind.
Why Choose Us
Why Hollywood Hills 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 Hollywood Hills homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
Permits Handled With LADBS
Most delays on large residential projects start at the permit counter. We prepare the drawing set, coordinate structural and Title 24 energy calculations, answer plan-check comments and schedule inspections with LADBS, so you are not the one chasing corrections. For ADUs, state law requires the agency to act on a complete application within 60 days, and a complete, well-coordinated submittal is what starts that clock.
Built to Current California Energy Code
New homes and ADUs in California are built to the Title 24 energy code, which has required solar PV on most new single-family homes since 2020, and permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026 fall under the 2025 Energy Code. We plan insulation, windows, mechanical systems and solar into the design from the start instead of treating compliance as a late fix.
Nearby Service Areas
We Also Build Near Hollywood Hills
FAQ
Building in Hollywood Hills: Common Questions
Why do Hollywood Hills projects need so much engineering?
Steep lots mean foundations often rely on caissons and grade beams, retaining walls hold back the slope, and drainage has to protect both your house and the neighbors below. LADBS reviews hillside grading and soils reports before approving plans. We involve geotechnical and structural engineers early so the design, the price and the schedule reflect real site conditions.
Are Hollywood Hills homes in a fire hazard zone?
Much of the Hollywood Hills is within the City of Los Angeles Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. That brings annual brush clearance obligations and ignition-resistant construction requirements for new homes and additions, covering roofing, vents, siding and windows. We check your parcel's designation at the start of every project so the design accounts for it.
Does Mulholland Drive have its own building rules?
Properties within the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan area can face additional design review focused on how new construction and grading appear from the parkway. Whether it applies depends on where the parcel sits. We confirm this at the start so that review is built into the schedule rather than discovered during plan check.
Start Your Project
Start Your Hollywood Hills 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]