Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Sherman Oaks, CA
Custom homes, ADUs and additions on the ranch-house flats north of Ventura and the hillside streets climbing toward Mulholland, permitted through Los Angeles building and planning.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
Sherman Oaks, CA
Your Sherman Oaks Builder for Homes, ADUs and Additions
Simply Construction is a general contractor in Sherman Oaks for owners planning major work, from tear-down rebuilds and backyard ADUs to converted garages, ground-floor and second-story additions, and new garages. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, so every permit runs through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and zoning questions go to Los Angeles City Planning.
As a licensed California general contractor, we take projects from feasibility to final inspection under one written contract. We pull the parcel's zoning record before design, coordinate the architect, structural engineer and soils engineer, respond to plan check corrections, and run the jobsite with a superintendent who keeps you informed. Deposits and progress payments follow the limits California sets for home improvement contracts.
What We Build Here
Our Services in Sherman Oaks
Every project below is planned, permitted and built by one licensed team. Choose a service to see how it works in Sherman Oaks.
Custom Home Building in Sherman Oaks
A new house on a hillside lot starts with the slope analysis the Baseline Hillside Ordinance requires, while a tear-down on the flats is sized by the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance. We coordinate soils, structural and civil engineering, carry the plans through LADBS plan check, and build to the Title 24 energy code, including the solar that new homes require.
ADU Construction in Sherman Oaks
We design, permit and build detached backyard ADUs, attached units and garage-based units through LADBS under state ADU law. On the flats the main questions are placement, utilities and access for construction, while hillside lots add fire zone and slope requirements that we assess before any design money is spent.
Garage Conversions in Sherman Oaks
Many post-war houses here have a garage that holds storage rather than cars. Converting it into an ADU avoids replacement parking under state law. We handle the slab, insulation, egress windows, utilities and the LADBS permit, and we check for settlement or old repair work before reusing the structure.
Room Additions in Sherman Oaks
Ranch houses on the flats lend themselves to ground-floor additions, as long as the new area fits under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance limit for the lot. We plan the tie-in to the existing roof and foundation, extend the systems, and keep rooflines low and consistent with the original house.
Second-Story Additions in Sherman Oaks
Adding a floor to a one-story ranch house is a practical way to gain bedrooms without giving up the yard. The existing foundation has to be engineered for the new load, and the design has to fit the floor area, height and encroachment limits for the lot. On hillside lots the Baseline Hillside Ordinance sets its own envelope.
Garage Construction in Sherman Oaks
We build new detached and attached garages, and garages with an ADU above or beside them, on the flats and on hillside lots. In the fire zone south of Ventura we use ignition-resistant materials, and on sloped lots the garage is often engineered as part of the retaining structure.
Whole-House Remodeling in Sherman Oaks
Full renovations of post-war houses, updating electrical, plumbing and structural connections alongside a new layout and finishes. Repairs made after the 1994 Northridge earthquake varied widely in quality, so we open walls carefully, document what we find, and plan the budget with room for it.
Kitchen Remodeling in Sherman Oaks
Kitchen remodels that open a closed ranch-house kitchen to the family room in older Sherman Oaks houses, with beams sized by an engineer where a bearing wall comes out, plus new cabinetry, counters and the electrical capacity modern appliances need, all permitted and inspected through LADBS.
Bathroom Remodeling in Sherman Oaks
Primary baths, guest baths and ADU baths built with proper waterproofing, ventilation and tile work. In older Sherman Oaks houses we also evaluate drain lines and water supply piping while the walls are open, since original piping of that age is often near the end of its useful life.
Fire Rebuilds in Sherman Oaks
The hillside neighborhoods toward Mulholland sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. We rebuild fire-damaged homes through LADBS to current wildland-urban interface standards, from cleared lot to final inspection, and we can harden an existing hillside house with ember-resistant vents, upgraded glazing and noncombustible exterior materials.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Sherman Oaks
A junior ADU of up to 500 square feet inside the house or an attached garage suits many ranch floor plans, where a bedroom wing can be separated with its own entrance. The owner has to live in one of the two, and an efficiency kitchen is the minimum.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Sherman Oaks
SB 9 can allow a second home or an urban lot split on qualifying single-family lots on the flats. Hillside lots inside the fire hazard zone are generally excluded unless fire mitigation measures are met, so we confirm eligibility on the parcel before any design work.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Sherman Oaks
Patio covers, decks, outdoor kitchens and hardscape for flat backyards and view lots south of Ventura. Level lots north of Ventura suit covered patios and outdoor kitchens that extend the family room outside. On hillside decks we coordinate the engineering for posts and footings on the slope and specify ignition-resistant decking within the fire zone.
Local Knowledge
Building in Sherman Oaks: Flats, Hills and the Freeways Between
Ventura Boulevard splits Sherman Oaks into two building environments. North of it, the flats are filled mostly with one-story ranch houses from the post-war decades, on level lots where the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance caps how much floor area a house can have. South of Ventura, streets such as Dixie Canyon, Beverly Glen and Valley Vista climb into the Santa Monica Mountains toward Mulholland Drive, and hillside-designated lots there fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, which ties buildable area to the slope of the land and limits grading.
Much of that hillside is mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which brings ignition-resistant construction and yearly brush clearance. Lots near Mulholland can also fall within the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan, which adds its own design review. The whole neighborhood took hard shaking in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and many houses were repaired or partly rebuilt afterward, so what sits behind the walls varies from one house to the next. The 405 and 101 freeways meet here too, which makes deliveries and crew arrival times a real part of scheduling.
Why Choose Us
Why Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
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 Sherman Oaks project.
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 Sherman Oaks
FAQ
Building in Sherman Oaks: Common Questions
Who issues building permits in Sherman Oaks?
Los Angeles does. Sherman Oaks has no separate city government, so LADBS reviews and issues building permits, while Los Angeles City Planning handles zoning, specific plans and discretionary cases. The city's parcel records show whether a lot is hillside-designated, in a fire hazard zone or inside a specific plan area, and we review them before any design starts.
What is the difference between the BMO and the BHO?
Both limit how much residential floor area a single-family lot can hold. The Baseline Mansionization Ordinance applies to flat lots, like most of those north of Ventura. The Baseline Hillside Ordinance applies to hillside-designated lots and bases the allowance on slope, so steeper portions of a lot add less buildable area, and it also limits grading.
Does the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan affect my project?
It can if your lot is near Mulholland Drive and inside the plan area. Projects there can require review by the plan's design review board, which looks at how new construction relates to the scenic parkway, including grading, height and visibility. We confirm from the parcel record whether the plan applies and build that review into the schedule.
How did the Northridge earthquake affect houses in Sherman Oaks?
The 1994 earthquake shook the area hard, and many houses had chimneys, foundations or framing repaired afterward, with results that vary. Before an addition or major remodel, we look at how the framing connects to the foundation, the condition of any masonry chimney, and signs of earlier repairs, so the new work sits on a sound base.
Start Your Project
Start Your Sherman Oaks 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]