Find the Best Home Builders in Los Angeles
Compare three screened local builders for your custom home, teardown rebuild, or fire rebuild. Free, with no obligation.
Trusted by homeowners across California
Building a house in Los Angeles costs $400 to $500 per square foot on average, so a 2,000 square foot home typically lands between $800,000 and $1,000,000 before land. Plan on 3 to 6 months for design and permitting and 12 to 18 months of construction.
GreatBuildz matches you with three home builders who build in your city, and it costs you nothing. Every one passes our 10-point vetting process and signs our Code of Conduct: license, insurance, background check, references, past work, and a financial review. Over a year of construction is a long time to be wrong about your builder.
We started in Los Angeles and now cover Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, the Inland Empire, and the Bay Area. Talk to an advisor, compare three bids, and keep us in your corner from plan check through final inspection.
Home Construction Projects We Match Builders For
Ground-up construction covers more situations than most people expect. These are the projects Los Angeles homeowners bring us most often.
Custom home build
Your lot, your architect’s plans, built from the foundation up. The full version of the dream, and the project where builder vetting matters most.
Teardown and rebuild
Replacing a house that is beyond saving with one designed for how you actually live. Often the smarter math when a remodel quote approaches replacement cost.
Fire rebuild
Rebuilding after a loss layers insurance, debris removal, and permitting on top of construction. Our Altadena rebuild guide walks through the process, and we match homeowners with builders who do this work.
Hillside construction
Caissons, grading, retaining walls, and tight access. Hillside builds are their own specialty in Los Angeles, and experience on your kind of lot is non-negotiable.
Spec and investment builds
Building to sell or to hold. Investors need builders who hit budgets and schedules, not just finish lines.
New home plus ADU
The main house and a backyard unit built in one project: one permit season, one mobilization, two homes. See our ADU contractors page for the unit side.
Whichever version is yours, the builder question is the same: who has taken a house from plans to final inspection, on your kind of lot, in your city? That is what our vetting digs into.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a House in Los Angeles?
Building a house in Los Angeles averages $400 to $500 per square foot, with the full span running from $300 to over $800 per square foot depending on the lot, the design, and the finishes.
Those are construction costs before land. Hillside engineering, premium materials, and complex designs push toward the top of the range, while a straightforward design on a flat lot stays near the average.
On top of construction, plan for architecture fees of $20,000 to over $100,000 and city and county fees of $15,000 to $80,000.
| Cost to build by home size | Construction, before land |
|---|---|
| 1,500 square feet | $600,000 to $750,000 |
| 2,000 square feet | $800,000 to $1,000,000 |
| 2,500 square feet | $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 |
| 3,000 square feet | $1,200,000 to $1,500,000 |
| 5,000 square feet | $2,000,000 to $2,500,000 |
Cost per square foot to build in Los Angeles
Los Angeles averageQuality finishes, standard lot
$400–$500 per sq ft
Full rangeSimple builds to hillside and high-end
$300–$800+ per sq ft
The soft costs surprise almost everyone.
Architecture, engineering, plan check, permits, and city fees add up before a shovel touches dirt. Build them into your all-in number from day one, and hold a 5 to 10 percent construction contingency on top.
Want the full breakdown? Cost to build a house in Los Angeles · Altadena rebuild guide
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Tell us about your project and we’ll connect you with three vetted local contractors. It’s free, with no obligation.
How Long Does It Take to Build a House in Los Angeles?
Plan on 3 to 6 months for design through permitting and 12 to 18 months of construction. Honest schedules also include padding: 10 to 20 percent delays are normal on new construction.
Step 1 · Design through permits
3 to 6 months
Architecture, structural engineering, Title 24 energy calculations, and city plan check. Hillside and coastal lots sit at the long end.
Step 2 · Construction
12 to 18 months
Foundation through final inspection, with every trade and every city inspection in between.
Step 3 · Buffer
10 to 20 percent
The schedule padding new builds actually use, plus a 5 to 10 percent budget contingency. Plan both from day one.
Permits and Planning for a New Home in Los Angeles
Every new house needs full plan approval before construction starts. Here is what that involves, and what to line up before you hire.
New construction goes through full plan check with your city’s building department. In the City of Los Angeles that is LADBS.
City and county fees typically run $15,000 to $80,000, depending on the jurisdiction and the size of the house.
Hillside, coastal, and historic-district lots add review layers and time before you can build.
Requirements shift across the 88 cities in Los Angeles County, so a builder who has taken homes through your city’s process is worth real money in avoided months.
Bring a builder in before drawings are final. Their input during design keeps the plans buildable within your budget.
Get three itemized bids on the same plans, and compare what each one includes before you compare totals.
Build new or remodel what you have?
Build new when the existing house is beyond saving, the lot is worth far more than the structure, or a remodel quote approaches replacement cost.
Consider a whole house remodel when the bones are good and the layout can get where you want it. Rebuilding can also change your property tax basis, so talk to a tax professional about your situation. If you are on the fence, say so on your call and we will match you with builders who can price both paths.
The California deposit limit
A builder can’t legally ask for more than this as a down payment. On a project this size, a builder asking for a huge deposit upfront is a serious red flag, and it’s one of the things our vetting screens out.
Home Building Projects and Homeowner Reviews
What homeowners say about working with GreatBuildz, and a recent project finished by a contractor in our network.
As first-time renovators, GreatBuildz made the process easy and stress-free. Their expert guidance was invaluable. Highly recommend!
With our busy schedules, having a trusted advisor was tremendously helpful. We had a great experience with wonderful results!
There are so many unreliable contractors. GreatBuildz intro’d me to contractors that kept their appointments, gave a reasonable price, and did great work.
A recent completed project
Every GreatBuildz builder passes our 10-point vetting process: license, insurance, background check, references, and a financial review.View more completed projects
Home Building FAQs
How much does it cost to build a house in Los Angeles?
Building a house in Los Angeles averages $400 to $500 per square foot, with the full span running $300 to over $800 per square foot. A 2,000 square foot home typically costs $800,000 to $1,000,000 in construction before land.
What do the soft costs add?
Architecture runs $20,000 to over $100,000 and city and county fees run $15,000 to $80,000, all before construction starts. Budget them from day one, not as afterthoughts.
How long does it take to build a house in Los Angeles?
Plan on 3 to 6 months for design through permitting and 12 to 18 months of construction. Honest schedules also include 10 to 20 percent padding for delays.
Should I tear down and rebuild or remodel?
Build new when the house is beyond saving or a remodel quote approaches replacement cost. Remodel when the bones are good. Our advisors help homeowners think this through every week, and we match contractors for both paths.
Do I hire an architect or a builder first?
Either can work, but they need to talk early. A builder’s input during design keeps the plans buildable within your budget, which is why many homeowners bring a builder in before drawings are final.
What permits does a new house need in Los Angeles?
Full plan check through your city’s building department (LADBS in the City of Los Angeles), with hillside, coastal, and historic-district lots adding review layers. City and county fees typically run $15,000 to $80,000.
Can you help with rebuilding after a fire?
Yes. Fire rebuilds add insurance, debris removal, and permitting layers on top of standard construction, and we match homeowners with builders who do this work. Our Altadena rebuild guide walks through the process step by step.
What kind of builder should I hire?
A licensed general contractor with ground-up residential experience in your specific city, ideally on your kind of lot. Taking a house from plans through final inspection is a different skill than remodeling, and past local builds are the best evidence.
How much can a builder ask for as a deposit in California?
California law limits the deposit to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. A builder asking for more than that upfront is breaking state law.
Is GreatBuildz really free?
Yes. Homeowners never pay us anything, and there is no obligation to hire any builder we introduce. We match you with three vetted local builders and stay available as a resource through your build.
Finding a Home Builder in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has world-class home builders and plenty of companies that have never taken a house from plans to final inspection. The difference does not show up in the sales meeting. It shows up in month nine, when the schedule, the budget, and the inspections either hold together or don’t. Vetting for real ground-up experience is the whole game.
LA construction has local layers that reward that experience. Hillside lots need caissons and grading plans, coastal and historic areas add review, seismic requirements shape every structural decision, and the permit process changes across the county’s 88 cities. Builders who work your area know the plan checkers, the timelines, and the traps.
GreatBuildz started in Los Angeles, and we match new construction here regularly, from custom homes to teardown rebuilds and fire rebuilds. We now serve homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, the Inland Empire, and the Bay Area, so if your project sits outside LA proper, we can still help.
If you are still planning, our guide to the cost of building a house in Los Angeles has the full numbers, and our Altadena rebuild guide covers the fire-rebuild path. Weighing a major remodel instead? We also match homeowners with whole house remodel contractors.
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