General Contractor in Encino

Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) based at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys, about ten minutes from Encino by Balboa, Hayvenhurst or the 405. We are a full-service residential general contractor and design-build remodeler for projects of every size — kitchens, bathrooms, ADUs, room additions, hillside work and whole-home renovations — serving homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County. Led by Dekel Sofer, we have completed hundreds of projects and hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews.

Encino is next door to our office and is one of the neighborhoods where the same street can hold a 1,400 sq ft 1950s ranch and a 6,000 sq ft rebuilt estate. This page covers the three kinds of Encino lot we work on and what each requires from LADBS.

Three kinds of Encino lot

The hills south of Ventura Boulevard. Encino Hills, Royal Oaks and the streets climbing toward Mulholland are sloped, often gated, and mostly inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The City of Los Angeles Baseline Hillside Ordinance governs additions, ADUs and new construction here: a geotechnical report before structural design, engineered retaining walls or caissons, Chapter 7A ignition-resistant exteriors and Class A roofing, brush clearance, and a longer plan check. Driveway grade and access affect where materials and equipment can be staged, which we plan for before the first delivery.

The estate lots on the flats — Amestoy Estates and the streets around Encino Park and Los Encinos State Historic Park. Flat, deep lots, many over 15,000 sq ft, with 1950s–70s ranches that are being rebuilt, expanded or replaced. This is where whole-home renovations, second-story additions and full-size detached ADUs with their own yards are most common, and where finish expectations are highest: custom cabinetry, slab counters, steel or fiberglass window systems and integrated appliances.

Encino Village and the streets near Balboa Park and the Sepulveda Basin. Smaller 1950s homes on 6,000–7,500 sq ft lots, often with detached garages, close to the 101 and the 405. Kitchen and bathroom remodels, garage conversions and modest additions dominate here; parts of the area near the Basin sit in a mapped flood zone, which affects how a new structure’s floor elevation is set.

All three share the same original conditions: galvanized water lines, 100-amp panels, clay sewer laterals, and, on raised foundations, sill plates that were bolted only if someone did it after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Every home built before 1978 gets EPA lead-safe practices during demolition.

ADUs in Encino

Encino’s flat lots are well suited to a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft, and the older tracts’ detached garages convert cleanly. Hillside lots can add an ADU as well, with the hillside ordinance, a soils report and fire-zone materials adding time to the design phase. LADBS must act on a complete ADU application within 60 days, and the LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program can shorten plan check on a flat lot. Check your address with our ADU rules calculator, and read how much it costs to build an ADU and why ADU quotes vary so much before you compare bids.

What we build in Encino

• Kitchen remodeling — full reconfigurations with custom cabinetry in the estate neighborhoods, and open-plan remodels of 1950s galley kitchens in Encino Village. Read what homeowners wish they knew before remodeling a kitchen.
• Bathroom remodeling — primary-suite baths with curbless showers and freestanding tubs. See how much a bathroom remodel costs.
• ADUs and garage conversions on the flats; engineered hillside ADUs south of the boulevard.
• Room additions — second stories and primary suites on the estate lots; stepped additions in the hills.
• Whole-home renovations — taking a 1960s ranch down to the studs and rebuilding it under one permit. See our remodeling services.
• Foundation and structural work — seismic bolting, hillside retaining walls, drainage. See warning signs your foundation needs repair.
• Roofing with Class A assemblies in the fire zone, and windows and doors.
• Flooring, painting, patio covers, pavers and outdoor living, including terraced hillside yards and pool decks.
• Concrete, retaining walls, artificial turf, fencing, outdoor kitchens and decks and landscaping and irrigation.
• Plumbing and electrical upgrades as part of remodels, performed by licensed tradespeople.

Permits in Encino

Encino is inside the City of Los Angeles, so every permit goes through LADBS at the Van Nuys office, the same counter that serves our home base. We prepare and submit plans, respond to corrections and schedule inspections. Hillside and fire-zone parcels add the geotechnical and Chapter 7A requirements above. Our San Fernando Valley page covers the wider Valley, the neighboring Sherman Oaks page covers the community to the east, and our Van Nuys page covers our home base.

What homeowners say

From our Yelp reviews:

“They completely remodeled my kitchen and they turned out beautiful. The job came in within my budget including full 3rd design rendering.” — Yakir A.

“I hired Green Design and Build to do my bathroom. From start to finish, Drake was the best!” — Leore O.

More on our About page.

Recent work in Encino: a complete home remodel with a white kitchen and waterfall island, black-marble bathroom and a slat-wood fireplace wall. Before, during and after photos are on the project page.

Frequently asked questions

Is my Encino home in a fire zone?

Most Encino parcels south of Ventura Boulevard are inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapped by the Los Angeles Fire Department, while the flats north of the boulevard generally are not. In the zone, additions, ADUs and new structures must use Chapter 7A ignition-resistant materials for exterior walls, roofs, vents, decks and windows, and brush-clearance rules apply. Green Design and Build checks the LAFD map for every Encino project and specifies compliant materials in the plans.

Can I build an ADU in Encino?

Yes, Encino lots on the flats can usually take a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft or a garage conversion with no replacement parking, and LADBS must act on a complete application within 60 days. Hillside lots south of Ventura Boulevard can also add an ADU, subject to the hillside ordinance, a geotechnical report and fire-zone rules, which lengthens the design phase. Green Design and Build builds both and can tell you which applies to your address.

Do I need a geotechnical report for an addition in the Encino hills?

Yes, almost any addition, ADU or new structure on a sloped lot south of Ventura Boulevard in Encino requires a geotechnical report from a licensed geologist under the City of Los Angeles Baseline Hillside Ordinance, and LADBS will not accept the structural plans without it. Green Design and Build orders the report at the start so the design is engineered to it.

How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Encino?

An Encino kitchen remodel depends on whether walls come out, whether the plumbing and panel are original, and the finish level, and finishes in the Encino estate neighborhoods generally run higher than the Valley average. Green Design and Build provides an itemized written estimate after a free site visit; for published ranges by project type, see our guide to what a Los Angeles general contractor costs.

How far is Green Design and Build from Encino?

Green Design and Build’s office at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys is about ten minutes from Encino by Balboa Boulevard, Hayvenhurst Avenue or the 405 Freeway. Site visits are easy to schedule, crews arrive early, and we use the same LADBS Van Nuys office that issues Encino permits. Homeowners are welcome to visit the office, which is open every day from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Are you licensed to work in Encino?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor license CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in Encino and throughout Los Angeles County. The license can be verified on the Contractors State License Board website. HVAC, plumbing and electrical work on our projects is performed by licensed tradespeople.

Plan your Encino remodel with a contractor ten minutes away

Tell us whether your home is on the flats or in the hills and what you want to build, and we will schedule a free site visit, explain what your lot requires and give you a written, itemized estimate.