Homeowner Guides
Know your home before you build.
Straight answers on ADUs, additions, remodels, new homes, and foundation problems, written for Los Angeles homeowners by a licensed general contractor.
ADUs
Building an ADU in Los Angeles: What Homeowners Should Know
ADU types, California rules on size, setbacks, and fees, the permit process in Los Angeles, and how to plan a backyard home or garage conversion.
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Additions
Add On or Move? How to Decide on a Home Addition in Los Angeles
How to compare a home addition with moving in Los Angeles, the types of additions, what affects cost and timeline, and the questions to ask before you design.
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Remodeling
Planning a Kitchen or Bathroom Remodel: A Step by Step Guide
How to plan a kitchen or bathroom remodel in Los Angeles: setting priorities and budget, layout decisions, permits, ordering materials, and avoiding delays.
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Homeowner Tips
How to Hire a Contractor in California: 9 Things to Check
How to hire a contractor in California: checking a CSLB license, written contract rules, the down payment limit, your right to cancel, and red flags to avoid.
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New Homes
Building a New Home in Los Angeles: The Process From Lot to Keys
The steps to build a new custom home in Los Angeles, from feasibility and design through permits, construction stages, inspections, and move in.
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Foundations
8 Foundation Warning Signs Los Angeles Homeowners Should Not Ignore
Cracks, sticking doors, sloping floors: how to tell normal settling from real foundation problems in a Los Angeles home, and when to get it checked.
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Foundations
Foundation Repair Options Explained: From Drainage Fixes to Underpinning
A plain English guide to foundation repair methods for Los Angeles homes: drainage, crack repair, posts and piers, new footings, underpinning, and replacement.
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Earthquake Safety
Earthquake Retrofit for Older LA Homes: What Bolting and Bracing Does
How foundation bolting and cripple wall bracing help older raised foundation homes in Los Angeles stay on their foundations in an earthquake.
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Additions
Can Your Foundation Support a Second Story Addition?
What an engineer checks before a second story addition in Los Angeles, the foundation upgrades that are often needed, and how to plan for them.
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Maintenance
Clay Soil, Drainage, and Your Foundation: A Rainy Season Checklist
Why expansive clay soil and poor drainage move foundations in Los Angeles, plus a simple checklist to protect your home before the rainy season.
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