General Contractor in Sherman Oaks

Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) based at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys, about ten minutes north of Sherman Oaks. 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 and western Riverside County. Founded in 2023 and led by Dekel Sofer, who has more than 16 years of hands-on construction experience, we have completed more than 500 projects and hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews.

Sherman Oaks is one of the neighborhoods we work in most, and this page is about residential work only: the houses on the flats and in the hills, not the commercial buildings along Ventura Boulevard.

Two Sherman Oaks: the flats and the hills

Ventura Boulevard splits Sherman Oaks into two very different construction environments, and the boulevard itself is the dividing line we use when we scope a project.

North of Ventura Boulevard — the flats. Between the boulevard and the 101, and north toward Magnolia and Burbank Boulevard, Sherman Oaks is flat and gridded, with 1940s–60s single-story ranch and mid-century homes on lots of roughly 6,000–8,000 sq ft, many with detached garages. This is where most of the neighborhood’s ADUs, garage conversions, kitchen remodels and room additions happen. Permitting is straightforward LADBS work with no hillside overlay, and lots are large enough for a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft while keeping a backyard. The area around Fashion Square and the streets between Woodman and Hazeltine are typical.

South of Ventura Boulevard — the hills. Above the boulevard, Sherman Oaks climbs into the Santa Monica Mountains toward Mulholland Drive: Longridge, Royal Woods, the streets off Beverly Glen and Dixie Canyon, and the ridges along Valley Vista. Homes here are 1950s–70s mid-century, post-and-beam and later custom houses on sloped, often irregular lots. Any addition, ADU or new structure falls under the City of Los Angeles Baseline Hillside Ordinance, which limits floor area, grading and height by slope. In practice that means:

• A geotechnical (soils) report from a licensed geologist before structural design can begin.
• Engineered retaining walls, caissons or grade beams for anything that touches the slope.
• Driveway and access review — steep or narrow driveways affect fire-department access and where materials and equipment can be staged.
• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone rules for most parcels south of the boulevard: Chapter 7A ignition-resistant exterior walls, roofing, vents, decks and windows, plus brush clearance.
• Longer plan check, and sometimes a hillside grading permit alongside the building permit.

None of this stops a hillside project. It changes the order of operations and the budget for engineering, and it needs a contractor who has done it before. We have, and we tell you at the first visit what your lot will require.

Sherman Oaks housing stock and finishes

Sherman Oaks homes were built mostly between the late 1940s and the 1970s, so the conditions are familiar: galvanized water lines, 100-amp panels, clay sewer laterals, single-pane windows, minimal insulation, and unbolted sill plates in anything that was not retrofitted after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Every home built before 1978 gets EPA lead-safe work practices during demolition. Mid-century homes in the hills often add post-and-beam framing and exposed structure, which limits where walls can move without new engineering.

What sets Sherman Oaks apart from most of the Valley is the finish level. Homeowners here generally expect custom cabinetry, stone or quartz slab counters, wide-plank hardwood or large-format tile, steel or fiberglass window and door systems, and integrated appliances. A kitchen remodel in Sherman Oaks is more often a full reconfiguration — walls removed, a beam installed, lighting and electrical redone — than a cosmetic refresh. We design and price to that expectation and show you where the money goes, line by line. Our post on what homeowners wish they knew before remodeling a kitchen is worth reading before you start.

What we build most in Sherman Oaks

• Kitchen remodeling — open-plan reconfigurations with custom cabinetry and slab counters, typically the largest single project category we do in Sherman Oaks.
• Bathroom remodeling — primary-suite baths with curbless showers, freestanding tubs and large-format tile. See how much a bathroom remodel costs.
• ADUs and garage conversions on the flats, and engineered hillside ADUs south of the boulevard. Check your lot with our ADU rules calculator and read how much it costs to build an ADU.
• Room additions — primary suites, second stories on the flats, and cantilevered or stepped additions in the hills.
• Whole-home renovations of original mid-century houses, replacing all systems and finishes under one permit. See our remodeling services.
• Foundation and structural work — retaining walls, caissons, hillside drainage and seismic bolting. Our post on warning signs your foundation needs repair covers the symptoms hillside owners should watch.
• Roofing, including Class A fire-rated roofing in the fire zone.
• Windows and doors, flooring and painting.
• Patio covers, pavers, outdoor living and backyard remodeling — including terraced hillside yards and driveways.
• Plumbing and electrical upgrades as part of remodels, performed by our licensed specialty-trade partners.

Permits in Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles, so all permits go through LADBS, and the local counter is the LADBS Van Nuys office. We prepare and submit the plans, respond to corrections and schedule every inspection. On the flats, an ADU application must be acted on within 60 days of being complete, and the LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program can shorten plan check. In the hills, plan on additional time for the geotechnical report and structural engineering before submission. Our San Fernando Valley page covers the wider area and the neighboring 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.

Frequently asked questions

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

Yes, almost any addition, ADU or new structure on a sloped lot south of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks requires a geotechnical report from a licensed geologist under the City of Los Angeles Baseline Hillside Ordinance. The report determines how foundations, retaining walls and drainage must be engineered before LADBS will accept the plans. Green Design and Build orders the report early, because structural design cannot start without it.

Can I build an ADU in Sherman Oaks?

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

How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Sherman Oaks?

A Sherman Oaks kitchen remodel depends on whether walls come out, whether the layout changes and the level of cabinetry, counters and appliances, and finishes in Sherman Oaks generally run higher than the Valley average. Green Design and Build provides an itemized written estimate after a free site visit rather than a per-square-foot guess; for published ranges by project type, see our guide to what a Los Angeles general contractor costs.

Is my Sherman Oaks home in a fire zone?

Most Sherman Oaks 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 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 Sherman Oaks project and specifies compliant materials in the plans.

How far is Green Design and Build from Sherman Oaks?

Green Design and Build’s office at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys is about ten minutes from most of Sherman Oaks by way of Woodley, Hayvenhurst or the 405 and 101. That proximity means site visits are easy to schedule, crews arrive early, and we use the same LADBS Van Nuys office that issues Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor license CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in Sherman Oaks 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 specialty-trade partners.

Plan your Sherman Oaks 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.