Hollywood Hills · General Construction
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“Caisson foundations are the most common foundation system for hillside construction in LA when shallow soils are inadequate. Drilled caissons typically run $150–250/linear foot with a 12–18 inch diameter. On a steeply sloped lot, you might have 8–12 caissons at 15–25 feet deep — $18,000–75,000 just in foundation work before anything structural goes up. This is a normal cost for hillside sites.”
Ask about crane access or lift equipment access before finalizing any hillside structure design. If the lot doesn't have adequate access for a crane and your design requires long-span structural members, you're either redesigning or accepting hand-labor premium costs. Crane access is a design constraint, not just a logistics issue.
Hillside Construction in Project Hollywood Hills typically runs 5–15% above the greater LA average due to local labor market conditions and LADBS permit processing. Get 3 competitive bids from CSLB-licensed contractors who have completed recent projects in Project Hollywood Hills or adjacent neighborhoods for the most accurate pricing.
Project timelines for hillside construction in Project Hollywood Hills depend on LADBS permit processing time (4–16 weeks for most residential projects) plus construction duration. Total timeline from first contractor meeting to project completion: 3–9 months for most residential scopes. Projects in fire zones or on hillside lots in Project Hollywood Hills may run 20–30% longer due to additional permit review.
This Hollywood Hills property sits on a steep 2:1 hillside with a dramatic canyon view that was inaccessible due to an unstable slope behind the house. The homeowner wanted a large outdoor deck and a retaining wall solution that would stabilize the hillside and create usable outdoor living space.
NP Line Design engaged a geotechnical engineer and structural engineer before design began. The geotechnical report identified the hillside soil as sandy clay with potential for shallow landslides. The solution was a soldier pile retaining wall (24-inch diameter caissons at 6-foot spacing, drilled 20 feet deep) with lagging boards between the piles.
Above the retaining wall, a 600-square-foot cantilevered steel deck extends 12 feet beyond the wall face. The deck structure is steel wide-flange beams (W10x22) supported by the caisson piles, with a composite Trex decking surface and cable railing system. The cantilever design eliminates posts on the downhill side, preserving the view.
Access from the house to the deck is through new French doors installed in the existing rear wall. A built-in gas fireplace is integrated into the retaining wall face, and low-voltage LED strip lighting runs beneath the deck railing and along the wall cap. The LADBS hillside permit required a haul route plan for exporting soil (42 cubic yards) and a grading permit in addition to the building permit. The project required 6 inspections: caisson drilling, rebar and cage, concrete pour, steel framing, deck, and final.
LADBS hillside grading permits require a haul route plan approved by the Department of Transportation, which adds 4-6 weeks to the permit timeline. The site access was also extremely limited — a narrow single-lane road with no staging area for the drill rig. The 24-inch caissons required a truck-mounted drill rig that barely fit on the property.
NP Line Design submitted the haul route plan concurrently with the building permit application to run the approvals in parallel. For site access, we used a compact track-mounted drill rig (Terex HR20) that could be delivered in sections and assembled on-site. Soil export was scheduled for early morning hours to comply with the haul route time restrictions. The 42 cubic yards were removed in 6 truck loads over 2 days.
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Design-Build Portfolio
NP Line Design handles residential and commercial construction throughout Los Angeles County including room additions, roofing, painting, seismic retrofits, water and fire damage restoration, new construction, and commercial tenant improvements. CSLB License #1105249.
Room additions in LA cost $300 to $600 per square foot depending on complexity. A 400 sqft second-story addition typically costs $150,000 to $250,000. Ground-floor additions are generally 20-30% less expensive than second-story additions.
Yes. NP Line Design handles insurance restoration projects for water damage, fire damage, and storm damage. We document all damage, work directly with adjusters, and manage the entire claims process on your behalf.
Yes. NP Line Design holds California General Contractor License #1105249 (B-license), is bonded, insured, and BBB A+ Accredited. We carry general liability and workers' compensation coverage on every project.
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