Service Area · Ventura County
General Contractor in Oak Park, CA
ADUs, room additions, second stories and remodels for Oak Park homes, planned around Ventura County permits, the Oak Park Area Plan, homeowners association review and oak tree protection.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with Ventura County Building and Safety
- Written, line-item estimates
Oak Park, CA
Building and Remodeling in Oak Park
Simply Construction is a general contractor in Oak Park for homeowners planning ADUs, room additions, second stories, garage work and full remodels. Oak Park is the largest unincorporated community in Ventura County, so its permits are issued by Ventura County, through Building and Safety and the Planning Division, and land use follows the county's Oak Park Area Plan.
Many Oak Park homes also belong to a homeowners association with an architectural review committee. We prepare plans that satisfy the county and the association, and we handle engineering, permits and construction as a licensed California general contractor, keeping one schedule for both approvals.
Local Knowledge
Oak Park's Planned Neighborhoods and Open Space
Oak Park was master-planned after Metropolitan Development Corporation bought the land in the 1960s. The first homes went up in the mid-1960s, buyers from the San Fernando Valley kept arriving through the 1970s, and the community was built out by 2002. Neighborhoods were laid out with parks, schools, greenbelts and trails woven through them, and open space and parks make up more than half of the land area.
That design shapes construction. Many lots are compact, and plenty back onto greenbelts or Medea Creek Natural Park, which the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District manages. Oaks and sycamores are protected under Ventura County's tree rules, which also reach work inside their root zones, and association committees review exterior modifications through a written application with plans attached.
Fire is part of the picture too. In November 2018, the Woolsey Fire burned homes in Oak Park, including houses on Wembly Avenue and on Churchwood Drive near Kanan Road, and flames reached Medea Creek Natural Park on both sides of Oak Park High School. Homes that back onto open space are the ones where wildfire-resistant details matter most.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in Oak Park
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to Oak Park properties.
Custom Home Building in Oak Park
Because Oak Park is built out, a custom home here almost always means replacing an existing house rather than building on raw land. A tear-down and rebuild runs through Ventura County Building and Safety and has to meet the county's zoning standards for the lot, the association's architectural rules and the Tree Protection Ordinance if oaks or sycamores are nearby. New homes include Title 24 solar, and a lot backing onto open space is built with wildfire-resistant construction from the roof down.
ADU Construction in Oak Park
Many Oak Park lots are compact, so an ADU here is often attached, a garage conversion or a modest detached unit. Even on a small lot, the state guarantees room for an 800 square foot unit with 4-foot setbacks at the sides and rear, even where local lot coverage rules would say otherwise. Ventura County approves a qualifying ADU ministerially through the building permit, and an association cannot prohibit one, though it can apply reasonable design standards. We lay out the unit to keep usable yard and preserve privacy for neighbors.
Garage Conversions in Oak Park
Converting an attached garage is one of the most practical ways to add living space in Oak Park, where homes from the mid-1960s onward commonly have garages facing the street. The state does not require the lost parking to be replaced after a garage is converted to an ADU. We rebuild the front wall to match the house and the association's standards, and add insulation, egress, a slab moisture barrier and new plumbing and electrical service.
Room Additions in Oak Park
A room addition in Oak Park usually extends into a modest backyard that may back onto a greenbelt or open space. We check county setbacks and lot coverage, the association's rules and any oak or sycamore protected zones before design. On lots near Medea Creek or on a slope, a soils report guides the foundation, and the addition is detailed with matching roof pitch, siding and windows.
Second-Story Additions in Oak Park
A second story is one way to gain bedrooms on a compact Oak Park lot without giving up the yard. The existing foundation usually needs engineering review, and new footings or shear walls are common. The association will look at the addition's height, massing and appearance, so we submit early, and we place upper windows with the neighbors' yards in mind to make that review go smoothly.
Garage Construction in Oak Park
New garage construction in Oak Park is usually a rebuild, an expansion of an existing garage, or a garage paired with a new ADU. We coordinate county permits and association review, match the house's roofline and materials, and plan around utility easements and greenbelt access. On lots next to open space, we clad the garage in fire-resistant materials and fit ember-resistant vents.
Whole-House Remodeling in Oak Park
Some of Oak Park's earliest homes, from the mid-1960s and 1970s, still have their original layout, windows and systems, and a whole-house remodel updates all of it in one coordinated project. We replace wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling and insulation, open up floor plans, and use roofing and siding suited to a community that has seen wildfire. Exterior changes go through the association's architectural review committee.
Kitchen Remodeling in Oak Park
In Oak Park's earlier homes the kitchen tends to be walled off from the living areas, and opening it to the family room is a frequent goal. That may require a beam, electrical upgrades and a relocated gas line, all under a Ventura County permit. We plan cabinetry, counters and lighting around how the household cooks, and exterior changes such as a new slider to the yard go to the association for review.
Bathroom Remodeling in Oak Park
Bathroom remodels in Oak Park often start with the original hall and primary baths from the community's first decades. We gut them to the framing, swap out aging pipes, and rebuild with full waterproofing, exhaust fans ducted outdoors and better lighting. Where a bath is being added, we plan the new plumbing runs through the slab or crawlspace and handle the county permit and inspections.
Fire Rebuilds in Oak Park
Homes in Oak Park burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, and properties backing onto open space remain exposed. When a house here is lost or damaged, we run the rebuild through Ventura County, coordinate with the association and the insurer, and build to California's wildfire construction standards. Surviving oaks and sycamores get an arborist's review first, since the county's tree rules apply to any work near them.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Oak Park
A junior ADU fits Oak Park homes well because it uses existing space, such as a bedroom wing or part of an attached garage, without adding footprint on a compact lot. It is capped at 500 square feet, stays within the home's walls and must contain at least an efficiency kitchen. The county approves a JADU that meets its standards ministerially, and outside, a separate entrance is often the only visible change.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Oak Park
SB 9 covers qualifying single-family parcels in urbanized unincorporated areas, so some detached Oak Park homes may be eligible, but each parcel needs review. Townhomes and condominiums are not candidates, and on detached lots, fire hazard mapping, the association's CC&Rs and the Oak Park Area Plan all factor in. Any split must also leave each new parcel with at least 40 percent of the original area and no less than 1,200 square feet. We check eligibility with Ventura County before any design.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Oak Park
Oak Park backyards often face greenbelts, trails or open space, which makes patio covers, decks and outdoor kitchens worth the investment. We build with ignition-resistant materials on lots near brush, keep footings clear of protected oak and sycamore zones, and submit designs to the association's architectural review committee. Grading and drainage are planned so water moves away from the house and neighboring lots.
Why Choose Us
Why Oak Park 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.
Permits Handled With Ventura County Building and Safety
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 Ventura County Building and Safety, 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.
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 Oak Park
FAQ
Building in Oak Park: Common Questions
Is Oak Park part of Thousand Oaks or Agoura Hills for permits?
No, and the difference matters. Oak Park is unincorporated Ventura County, even though it sits near Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks. Ventura County Building and Safety issues the building permits, zoning follows the Ventura County General Plan and the Oak Park Area Plan, and tree permits come from Ventura County Planning. Your association's architectural review is a separate step.
Do I need a permit to work near an oak in Oak Park?
Often, yes. The county protects all oaks and sycamores measuring at least 9.5 inches around the trunk at 4.5 feet above the ground, and its protected zone extends 5 feet beyond the canopy, never less than 15 feet from the trunk. Trenching, digging, parking equipment or storing materials in that zone counts as encroachment. We map trees before design starts.
Does my Oak Park HOA have to approve my project?
If your home is in an association, exterior changes generally need approval from its architectural review committee, which works from a written modification application with plans and supporting documents. Interior work usually does not. The association cannot prohibit an ADU or junior ADU, but it can apply reasonable standards on design and placement. We prepare the submittal alongside the county permit set.
Start Your Project
Start Your Oak Park 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]