Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Westwood, CA
Custom homes, second stories and ADUs on Westwood's period revival streets, planned around LADBS rules, mansionization floor area limits and the realities of building a few blocks from UCLA.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
Westwood, CA
Building and Remodeling in Westwood
For homeowners near UCLA and Westwood Village, Simply Construction serves as a general contractor in Westwood on custom homes, additions, ADUs and whole-house remodels. Westwood is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood, so projects go through LADBS and Los Angeles City Planning, and most single-family lots here fall under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance, which limits how much floor area a house can have relative to its lot.
Licensed as a California general contractor, we carry Westwood projects from feasibility and design coordination through plan check, inspections and final sign-off. With heavy traffic around the campus and along Wilshire Boulevard, we plan deliveries, parking and work hours so a long project stays on good terms with the block.
Local Knowledge
Westwood's Streets, Homes and Building Conditions
Westwood grew up around the UCLA campus and Westwood Village, whose Spanish-style commercial buildings and landmark movie theaters still anchor the district. Very different housing sits within a short walk: student apartments north of the Village, high-rise condominiums along the Wilshire Corridor, and single-family streets in Westwood Hills, Little Holmby and the blocks south of Wilshire. Those single-family streets were largely built between the 1920s and 1940s, with Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor and Colonial Revival houses later joined by ranch and modern designs.
To the east, Westwood meets the estates of Holmby Hills, and to the north it rises toward Bel Air, where some lots near Sunset Boulevard may fall under hillside rules. Most of Westwood is flat, and fire-zone designations are heaviest in the canyons to the north and west, so we check each parcel's status on the city's zoning records. The 2019 Getty Fire burned about two miles from UCLA and closed the campus, a reminder that the hills are close. Day to day, projects here are shaped more by floor area limits, close neighbors, mature trees and busy streets than by terrain.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in Westwood
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to Westwood properties.
Custom Home Building in Westwood
Custom home building in Westwood usually means replacing an older house on a flat lot, and the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance sets the ceiling on how large the new home can be. We run the floor area, setback and height numbers before design so the architect works inside a real envelope. On streets bordering Holmby Hills or climbing toward Bel Air, we also check for a hillside designation, which changes both floor area and grading rules. Street parking near UCLA is scarce, so staging and delivery plans are part of the project from the first day.
ADU Construction in Westwood
Being close to UCLA makes a backyard ADU a practical idea for Westwood owners who want space for family, visiting faculty or long-term tenants. State law requires the city to permit at least an 800-square-foot ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and units under 750 square feet are exempt from impact fees. We also check whether the lot is within a half mile of major transit, which raises the detached height limit to 18 feet. On older lots, mature trees and the existing garage usually decide where the unit fits best.
Garage Conversions in Westwood
Plenty of Westwood's 1920s to 1940s houses were built with a single detached garage behind the house, sized for cars of that era and often too tight for a modern SUV. Turning that garage into a studio or ADU is frequently more useful than keeping it for parking, and state law does not require replacement parking for the conversion. A garage that old may lack adequate footings and has no insulation, so we assess the structure first, then plan footings, framing, egress windows and utilities.
Room Additions in Westwood
Room additions in Westwood are often the answer for owners who like their street and their lot but have outgrown a period house with modest bedrooms. A rear family room or primary suite is usually the simplest to permit, since it leaves the street face intact. Mansionization floor area limits decide how much can be added, and on a Tudor or Spanish house we carry the original roof slope, half-timbering or plaster finish into the new wing so it looks planned rather than attached.
Second-Story Additions in Westwood
A second story is one of the most effective ways to add space on a Westwood single-family lot without giving up the garden. The existing foundation and walls need an engineer's review, and older homes often need new footings, hold-downs and shear walls to carry a second floor. Privacy deserves attention too: on streets where houses sit close together, upper-floor window placement and setbacks affect the neighbors, and resolving that in design avoids friction during plan review and construction.
Garage Construction in Westwood
A new garage in Westwood often pairs parking with an ADU above it, which suits owners who want a guest or rental unit but still need covered parking in a neighborhood with limited street spaces. We design the garage and unit as one structure, handle the LADBS permits, and build with the fire separation and sound control a garage below living space requires. When an owner is replacing an old detached garage, we plan the new footprint around setbacks and existing trees.
Whole-House Remodeling in Westwood
Whole-house remodels in Westwood's older homes usually combine a new floor plan with a full systems overhaul: electrical service, plumbing, heating and cooling, insulation and windows. Many houses from the 1920s to 1940s have been through several rounds of piecemeal updates, so we expect surprises behind the plaster and budget time for them. In Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor homes, we keep the details that give the house its character, such as arched openings, wood beams and leaded glass, while modernizing the rest.
Kitchen Remodeling in Westwood
Westwood kitchen projects range from opening a closed period kitchen to the dining room to full remodels in Wilshire Corridor condominiums. In a house, removing walls often requires an engineered beam and new electrical service. In a high-rise condo, the homeowners association controls work hours, elevator use and which walls, drains and vents can move, so we settle the scope against the building's rules before design is final. Condo work also needs protection for shared hallways and elevators, which we plan into the schedule.
Bathroom Remodeling in Westwood
Bathrooms in Westwood's period houses are often compact, with original tile that owners either want to keep or replace with something that respects the house. We rebuild with modern waterproofing, ventilation and new supply lines, and where the original tile is worth saving, we work around it with care. In Wilshire Corridor condos, bathroom work is governed by the building's rules on plumbing risers and waterproofing, and we coordinate access and inspections with building management.
Fire Rebuilds in Westwood
Westwood itself is largely flat, but the hills of Bel Air and Brentwood sit just to the north and west, and the 2019 Getty Fire burned close enough to close UCLA. For most Westwood owners, a fire rebuild follows a house fire rather than a wildfire. We manage the insurance scope, demolition of damaged areas and a rebuild to current code through LADBS. On lots near Sunset Boulevard, we check the fire-zone designation first, since it changes the exterior construction standards.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Westwood
A junior ADU works well in a Westwood house with a bedroom and bath near a side entrance, creating a unit of up to 500 square feet with an efficiency kitchen for a graduate student, a caregiver or an adult child. It stays within the existing walls, so it uses no additional floor area under the mansionization rules. The property owner has to live on site, in either the main home or the JADU.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Westwood
SB 9 is worth a look on some Westwood lots, where demand for housing near UCLA is strong and many single-family parcels are flat. A lot split requires each new parcel to be at least 1,200 square feet and 40 percent of the original lot, and the owner must commit to living in one unit for three years. Historic districts and listed landmarks are excluded. We check the parcel's size, zoning and any historic status before recommending a duplex or a split.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Westwood
Westwood yards tend to be modest, so outdoor rooms matter: a covered patio off the family room, a pergola over a dining terrace, or a small deck where the lot steps down. We design patio covers and pergolas to suit the house's style, whether that means clay tile and heavy timbers for a Spanish house or a lighter steel and wood frame for a modern one. Drainage and existing tree roots get attention early, since both can undermine new hardscape.
Why Choose Us
Why Westwood 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 Westwood 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.
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 Westwood
FAQ
Building in Westwood: Common Questions
Do the Baseline Mansionization rules apply to my Westwood house?
Most single-family lots in Westwood are flat and fall under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance, which caps floor area relative to lot size. Some lots toward Bel Air may be classified as hillside and fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance instead. We confirm the designation through the city's zoning records before any design work, since it determines how large a new home or addition can be.
Can I build an ADU to rent near UCLA?
In most cases, yes. State law requires Los Angeles to allow ADUs on single-family lots, including at least an 800-square-foot unit with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and the city must act on a complete application within 60 days. We help Westwood owners plan a layout that suits the likely occupant, whether a tenant or family, and fits alongside the existing house.
How do you handle construction logistics in Westwood?
Parking and traffic near UCLA and Westwood Village make logistics a real part of the plan. We schedule large deliveries and concrete pours for quieter hours where rules allow, keep the site compact and orderly, and talk with neighbors before heavy work begins. On condo projects in the Wilshire Corridor, we follow the building's rules for elevators, hallway protection and work hours.
Start Your Project
Start Your Westwood 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]