General Contractor in Thousand Oaks

Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) based at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys, about 35 minutes from Thousand Oaks by the 101. 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.

Thousand Oaks is a Ventura County city with its own Building Division, a strict oak tree ordinance, HOA communities and wildland edges on three sides. This page covers how those shape a residential project in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and the Thousand Oaks side of Westlake.

Thousand Oaks runs its own permits

The city’s Building Division is at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd, with counter hours that vary by day — Monday closing at 3 PM, a late opening on Wednesday, and alternating Fridays — and permit applications and status run through the city’s online TO/24 system. Small items such as a water heater, a service replacement up to 200 amps, HVAC change-outs and solar are processed as express permits; anything with plans goes through plan check. We open the case, submit the set, clear corrections and schedule every inspection.

Three rules shape residential work here more than anywhere else we build:

• The oak tree ordinance. The city is named for its oaks and protects them: work within the protected zone of an oak — grading, trenching, a new foundation, even heavy equipment parked over the roots — needs an oak tree permit, and the site plan has to show every oak and its dripline. Designing the addition or ADU around the trees is usually cheaper and faster than the permit to disturb them.
• Fire zones. The 2018 Woolsey Fire burned to the southern edge of Thousand Oaks and into Westlake and Oak Park, and the foothill and canyon neighborhoods sit in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under the Ventura County Fire Department. Additions and new structures there use Chapter 7A ignition-resistant exteriors, Class A roofing and ember-resistant vents, and defensible-space rules apply.
• HOAs. Dos Vientos, Lang Ranch, the Westlake communities and many Newbury Park tracts have associations that review exterior changes before the city issues a permit. Interior remodels usually need no approval; additions, patio covers and ADUs usually do.

Electrical service changes go through Southern California Edison.

Thousand Oaks housing stock, by area

The 1960s–70s core — Thousand Oaks proper, Lynn Ranch, the Old Town and Conejo Valley tracts. Single-story ranches on 8,000–12,000 sq ft lots, larger in Lynn Ranch where lots reach an acre with horsekeeping. Original galvanized plumbing, 100-amp panels and slab-on-grade foundations are typical; kitchens are closed galleys waiting to be opened.

Newbury Park. 1960s–80s tracts and, toward the hills, larger lots against the Santa Monica Mountains. A mix of straightforward remodels on the flats and fire-zone, hillside-engineered work at the edges.

Westlake (Thousand Oaks side) and the 1980s–2000s HOA communities — Dos Vientos, Lang Ranch, the North Ranch area. Two-story homes with attached garages on tighter lots, where an addition or ADU is as much an HOA design question as a city one.

ADUs in Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks encourages ADUs and maintains a gallery of city pre-approved ADU plans, which give the fastest permit path — though every plan, pre-approved or not, still needs site-specific planning for your lot, the oaks and the fire zone. A junior ADU of under 500 sq ft inside the house is allowed alongside a detached or attached ADU. Units under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees, school fees apply only above 500 sq ft, and the city’s planning review is a fixed fee. Our ADU rules calculator shows the state-law floor for your lot, and our guides on how much it costs to build an ADU and why ADU quotes vary so much explain the budget. Every Thousand Oaks rule, fee category and permit step is laid out in our Thousand Oaks ADU rules guide.

What we build in Thousand Oaks

• Kitchen remodeling — opening 1960s and 1970s galley kitchens to the family room and the yard. Read what homeowners wish they knew before remodeling a kitchen.
• Bathroom remodeling — see how much a bathroom remodel costs.
• ADUs and garage conversions, using the city’s pre-approved plans where they fit.
• Room additions — rear additions and second stories, designed around the oaks and the HOA guidelines.
• Whole-home renovations of original Conejo Valley ranches. See our remodeling services.
• Foundation and structural work — hillside retaining walls and drainage. See warning signs your foundation needs repair.
• Roofing — Class A tile and shingle systems in the fire zones — and windows and doors.
• Flooring, painting, patio covers, pavers 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 tradespeople.

Permits in Thousand Oaks: how we run it

Oaks, fire zone and HOA first: we survey the trees at the site visit, check the fire map, and prepare the HOA architectural package before the city submittal so the two match. Then plans, structural engineering and Title 24 energy compliance go into TO/24 as one set; we clear corrections, pull the permit on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and schedule inspections through to final. Our Ventura County page covers the rest of the county, and our San Fernando Valley page covers the communities between Thousand Oaks and our office.

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 an oak tree permit to build in Thousand Oaks?

If any part of the work — grading, trenching, a foundation, or equipment access — falls within the protected zone of an oak, Thousand Oaks’ oak tree ordinance requires an oak tree permit before construction, and your site plan must show every oak and its dripline. Green Design and Build surveys the oaks at the first visit and designs the project to avoid the protected zones wherever possible.

Can I build an ADU in Thousand Oaks?

Yes, Thousand Oaks allows detached and attached ADUs and junior ADUs of under 500 sq ft inside the house, offers a gallery of city pre-approved ADU plans for the fastest permit path, and exempts units under 750 sq ft from parkland and school impact fees. Every plan still needs site-specific design for your lot, the oaks, the fire zone and any HOA. Green Design and Build handles all of that and the TO/24 submittal.

Is my Thousand Oaks home in a fire zone?

The foothill and canyon neighborhoods of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and the Westlake area sit in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones mapped by the Ventura County Fire Department, while the flat central tracts generally do not. In the zone, additions, ADUs and new structures use Chapter 7A ignition-resistant materials, Class A roofing and ember-resistant vents. Green Design and Build checks the map for every address before designing.

Will my HOA need to approve my remodel?

In Dos Vientos, Lang Ranch, the Westlake communities and many Newbury Park tracts, the association reviews exterior changes — additions, patio covers, ADUs, sometimes windows and roofing — before the city issues a permit, while interior remodels usually need no approval. Green Design and Build prepares the HOA package and submits it first so the permit set matches what the association approved.

How far is Green Design and Build from Thousand Oaks?

Green Design and Build’s office at 16120 Sherman Way in Van Nuys is about 35 minutes from Thousand Oaks by the 101 Freeway, and a little more to Newbury Park. Site visits are scheduled around traffic and crews start early. Homeowners are welcome to visit the office, which is open every day from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Are you licensed to work in Thousand Oaks?

Yes, Green Design and Build holds California General Building Contractor license CSLB #1110975 and is licensed, bonded and insured for residential work in Thousand Oaks and throughout Ventura 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 Thousand Oaks remodel with a contractor who designs around the oaks

Tell us the neighborhood and what you want to build, and we will schedule a free site visit, check the oaks, fire zone and HOA rules that apply, and give you a written, itemized estimate.