General Contractor in North Hollywood, CA

Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) based at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys, about fifteen minutes from North Hollywood along Sherman Way, Vanowen or Victory. We are a full-service residential general contractor and design-build remodeler for projects of every size, serving homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County (Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and neighbouring cities). Led by Dekel Sofer, we have completed hundreds of projects and hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews.

North Hollywood is the City of Los Angeles, and that decides your permit

North Hollywood started as the town of Toluca in 1887, became Lankershim, was annexed into the City of Los Angeles in 1923 and took its current name in 1927. The practical result: every building permit in North Hollywood, Valley Village and Toluca Lake is issued by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and the counter that serves the community is the LADBS Van Nuys Development Services Center at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd, the same office we use for our own neighbourhood. The Metro office downtown is the alternative, but there is rarely a reason to drive there.

Zoning comes from the North Hollywood–Valley Village Community Plan, last updated in 1996 and now being revised. The NoHo Artcraft District overlay regulates the commercial core along Lankershim and Magnolia, not residential streets; the Valley Village Specific Plan west of the 170 adds standards to some Valley Village lots, so we check whether a Valley Village address falls inside it before designing an addition. There is no Historic Preservation Overlay Zone in North Hollywood itself; the nearest are Stonehurst in Sun Valley and the Van Nuys HPOZ. Burbank, across the eastern border, is a separate city with its own building division; if your lot is on that side, see our Burbank page.

North Hollywood neighborhoods and ZIP codes we serve

• NoHo Arts District and the old Lankershim core (91601). The streets around Lankershim, Magnolia and Chandler, walking distance from the Metro station, with the oldest housing: 1920s–40s bungalows and Spanish-style cottages on narrow lots, many with a detached single garage at the back.
• South of the 101 and Toluca Lake (91602). Larger 1930s–50s homes toward Riverside Drive, shared with Toluca Lake, where finish expectations and lot values are highest.
• North of Vanowen to Sun Valley (91605). Post-war tracts from the late 1940s through the 1960s: single-story stucco ranches on 6,000–7,500 sq ft lots with detached two-car garages, the most common ADU lot in the area.
• East toward Burbank and Valley Glen (91606). 1940s–60s tracts between the apartment corridors; we work on the single-family houses and their lots.
• Valley Village (91607). West of the 170, quieter streets of 1930s–50s homes, some inside the Valley Village Specific Plan area.

We also cover Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Sun Valley and, across the boundaries, Studio City and Van Nuys, all permitted through the same LADBS office. For the wider region, see our San Fernando Valley page.

What North Hollywood houses are made of

Knowing the house before the demolition is most of what keeps a North Hollywood remodel on budget.

Pre-war bungalows near the core. The 1920s and 30s houses have raised foundations with crawl spaces, wood floors over joists, plaster walls and, often, knob-and-tube wiring that was only partly replaced. The crawl space makes plumbing relocation cheaper than on a slab, and the raised foundation makes a bolt-and-brace seismic retrofit possible; most have never had one.

Post-war tracts north of Vanowen. Most of North Hollywood’s single-family housing was built between the late 1940s and the mid-1960s: 1,100–1,700 sq ft stucco houses with a closed-off kitchen, one or two baths and a detached garage. Expect galvanized water lines, a 100-amp panel, a clay sewer lateral, single-pane aluminum windows and thin attic insulation. Almost every home predates 1978, so lead-safe work practices apply to demolition, and pre-1980 framing means unbolted sill plates unless a previous owner retrofitted after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. We recommend a 15 to 20 percent contingency on any pre-1980 house.

Flat lots. No hillside ordinance lots, no Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone parcels and no geotechnical reports, which makes additions and detached ADUs simpler to permit than in Studio City’s hills a mile south.

Transit. The North Hollywood Metro station, the northern end of the B Line, has been open since 2000. Under City of Los Angeles ADU rules, a state-law detached ADU within half a mile of a major transit stop can be 18 feet tall rather than 16, and no ADU parking can be required near public transit, which helps on the narrow lots around the Arts District.

ADUs in North Hollywood

North Hollywood’s post-war lots with a detached garage at the back are the classic Los Angeles ADU site. The garage can be converted with no new setback and no replacement parking, or, when its slab and footings are not worth keeping, demolished and rebuilt on the same footprint. A new detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft is allowed under the city ordinance, and state law guarantees at least an 800 sq ft unit with four-foot side and rear setbacks on nearly any lot. LADBS must act on a complete application within 60 days, and the LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program can shorten plan check on a flat lot. The full rules are on our Los Angeles ADU rules page; check your lot with the ADU rules calculator.

For what a conversion involves, see our garage-to-ADU conversion in Los Angeles: a roughly 500 sq ft detached garage with its roof rebuilt, new framing, windows and French doors, and a full kitchen and bathroom, completed in 2025 as a rental. Budget with our guide to how much an ADU costs, which follows a detached ADU from $180,000 to $265,000 once the sewer and panel were dealt with, and read why ADU quotes vary so much between contractors before comparing bids. Those are typical Los Angeles budgeting estimates, not a price list or a quote; the number for your lot comes from a site visit.

What we build most in North Hollywood

• Garage conversions and detached ADUs, typically 400–800 sq ft, on the post-war lots north of Vanowen and the bungalow lots near the core.
• Kitchen remodeling: opening the wall between a 1950s kitchen and the dining room and rewiring for modern appliances.
• Bathroom remodeling in original hall baths, and tub-to-shower conversions.
• Room additions: primary suites and family rooms on the flat lots, second stories where the lot is small.
• Whole-home renovations of original-condition houses after a purchase. See our remodeling services.
• Foundation and seismic work, including bolt-and-brace retrofits on the raised-foundation bungalows.
• Roofing, windows and doors, flooring, painting, pavers, patio covers and outdoor living.
• 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 plumbers and electricians and scheduled and supervised by us as your general contractor.

Permits in North Hollywood: how we run it

Every North Hollywood permit goes through LADBS, and we handle all of it: we prepare the plans, submit them at the Van Nuys office or online, respond to plan-check corrections and schedule every inspection. You sign as the owner and receive the approved set. Same-size window and door change-outs and most re-roofs are express permits issued in days; additions, ADUs and structural kitchen work go through plan check. Our post on whether you need a permit to replace a roof in Los Angeles covers the re-roof rules. We reply within one business day, visit for about two hours, and deliver a written proposal within about 48 hours.

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 the company to replace the flooring in two bedrooms of my condo. […] The two workers completed the flooring, baseboards, and moving furniture in and out of both rooms in ONE day!” — Karen Ann K.

More on our About page and reviews page.

Frequently asked questions

Which office handles building permits in North Hollywood?

Building permits for North Hollywood, Valley Village and Toluca Lake are issued by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), because North Hollywood has been part of the City of Los Angeles since 1923. The nearest counter is the LADBS Van Nuys Development Services Center at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. Green Design and Build prepares the plans, submits them, handles corrections and schedules inspections for every North Hollywood project.

Can I convert my garage into an ADU in North Hollywood?

Yes, a detached garage in North Hollywood can be converted into an ADU under City of Los Angeles rules with no new setback and no replacement parking, or demolished and rebuilt on the same footprint if the slab and footings are not worth keeping. LADBS must act on a complete application within 60 days. Green Design and Build inspects the garage’s foundation, slab, panel and sewer before pricing, because those decide whether to convert or rebuild.

What ZIP codes does Green Design and Build serve in North Hollywood?

Green Design and Build serves all of North Hollywood: 91601 around the NoHo Arts District and the old Lankershim core, 91602 south of the 101 shared with Toluca Lake, 91605 north of Vanowen toward Sun Valley, 91606 east toward Burbank and Valley Glen, and 91607 in Valley Village. All are permitted through the same LADBS Van Nuys office, about fifteen minutes from our Sherman Way office.

Is North Hollywood in a hillside or fire zone?

No. North Hollywood is flat, with no Baseline Hillside Ordinance lots, no Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone parcels and no historic preservation overlay zone, which makes additions and detached ADUs simpler to permit than in the hills of Studio City or Sherman Oaks. The one local overlay that can affect a house is the Valley Village Specific Plan, west of the 170, which Green Design and Build checks for any Valley Village address.

Does being near the North Hollywood Metro station change ADU rules?

Yes, in two ways. Under City of Los Angeles ADU rules, a state-law detached ADU within half a mile of a major transit stop may be 18 feet tall instead of 16, and no ADU parking can be required near public transit. The North Hollywood station, the northern end of the Metro B Line, has been open since 2000, so lots around the Arts District often qualify. Green Design and Build confirms the distance for your address during the site visit.

Are you licensed to work in North Hollywood?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor licence CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in North Hollywood and throughout Los Angeles County. The licence can be verified on the Contractors State License Board website. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC work on our projects is performed by licensed tradespeople and scheduled and supervised by us as your general contractor.

Plan your North Hollywood project with a contractor fifteen minutes away

Tell us whether you are in the Arts District bungalows, the tracts north of Vanowen or Valley Village, and what you want to build. We reply within one business day, visit for about two hours, and put an itemized written proposal in your hands within 48 hours.