General Contractor in Los Angeles: 2026 Remodel Costs, Permits and Vetted Pros

What a remodel costs in Los Angeles

The ranges below start from national remodeling data and apply the Los Angeles Area cost factor of 1.14 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They cover labor, materials and the general contractor's markup for a typical single-family home.

Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. Los Angeles prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 1.14 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.

Local bids often land above these figures. Angi's Los Angeles data puts the normal range for a home addition at $59,907 to $156,853, with an average of $102,994, and says LA additions cost around twice the national average. Hillside lots, tight side yards with no room for a crane or a dumpster, and older houses that need structural fixes once the walls come open all push quotes up.

Use the calculator for a figure based on your ZIP code and scope. National averages by room are in our home remodeling cost guide.

Additions and conversions per square foot

LA builders often quote more. Angi reports $160 to $400 per square foot to build out in Los Angeles and $600 to $1,000 per square foot to build up, and about $25,000 versus $80,000 for a 10-by-10 room. Going up costs more because the existing foundation, walls and roof have to carry new loads, which brings in an engineer. Our guide to designing an addition covers the design fees, and structural engineer coordination explains when calculations are needed.

What the general contractor's share pays for

General contractors usually charge 10% to 20% of construction cost on large jobs, according to HomeGuide, or $50 to $150 an hour for small ones. That fee covers scheduling the trades, buying materials, pulling permits, meeting inspectors, carrying insurance and fixing what goes wrong between trades. On a $120,000 remodel, the GC's share would be $12,000 to $24,000 of the total.

What a general contractor does, and when you need one

A general contractor runs a project that involves several trades. A typical LA kitchen and bath remodel might need demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, tile, cabinets and paint. The GC hires and sequences those trades, so the electrician isn't waiting on the framer and the tile setter isn't working over an uninspected drain.

California defines this role in Business and Professions Code section 7057. A "B" General Building contractor works on structures that need at least two unrelated building trades. The rule has limits that matter when you hire:

• A B contractor can take a framing or carpentry job on its own.
• For anything else, the contract has to involve at least two unrelated trades besides framing and carpentry. If not, the B contractor must hold that specialty license or hire a licensed specialty contractor to do the work.
• Roofing can be part of a larger remodel or addition, but a roof-only contract goes to a C-39 roofer.
• Fire sprinklers (C-16) and well drilling (C-57) always need that specialty license or a licensed subcontractor.

In practice, hire a B contractor for a whole-house remodel, an addition, an ADU or a garage conversion. Hire the specialty trade directly for single-trade work, such as a plumber in Los Angeles for a repipe or a flooring contractor in Los Angeles for new floors.

The $1,000 limit for unlicensed work

Since January 1, 2025, an unlicensed person can take a job only if the total for labor and materials stays under $1,000. Assembly Bill 2622 doubled the old $500 limit. The exception disappears if the work needs a permit, involves structural changes or plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems, or if the person has any helpers. Almost no remodel qualifies. Unlicensed workers who advertise must also say in the ad that they are not licensed.

Do you need a permit?

For almost any real remodel in the City of Los Angeles, yes. The city's building code exempts only a short list: work valued at $500 or less that doesn't affect the structure or safety, plus painting, papering and similar finish work. Moving a wall, adding a window, enlarging a bathroom, converting a garage or building an addition all need a permit from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

Express permit or plan check

LADBS issues two kinds of building permits:

• Express Permits need no plan review and can be bought online through the city's e-permit system. They cover simple, defined jobs.
• Plan check is required when the work changes the structure, the floor plan or the size of the house. You or your designer submit drawings, usually through ePlanLA or at a Construction Service Center (Metro on North Figueroa, South LA, West LA, Van Nuys or San Pedro).

For an addition, LADBS asks for a plot plan with distances to property lines, a floor plan, a framing plan, a foundation plan, elevations, construction details and energy compliance details. Engineered work needs stamped calculations. Plan check and permit fees are based on the project's valuation, so a bigger job pays more. If you pay to expedite, the city charges 150% of the original plan check fee. For help with the drawings, see our guide to permit drawings.

Plumbing, electrical and heating work that isn't part of the building permit gets its own separate permit.

Inspections and deadlines

Call at least 24 hours ahead, and keep the job card and approved plans on site. The permit expires if work doesn't start within six months, and two years after it was issued if the job isn't finished. City noise rules allow construction from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays, with none on Sundays.

Skipping the permit tends to come back at sale time. When LADBS finds work done without a permit, it bills a $356 code violation inspection fee, and the late permit is charged at double the usual rate.

Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Torrance and the Orange County cities run their own building departments, with their own fees and forms.

Additions, ADUs and garage conversions

How big you can build

Single-family lots in Los Angeles have a cap on total floor area under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance, first adopted in 2008, and hillside lots fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance. Your zone and lot size set the limit. Check it before you pay for a design, because an addition that pushes past the cap needs a variance or a smaller plan.

ADUs move faster

State law treats accessory dwelling units differently from additions. The city must approve or deny a complete ADU application within 60 days, without a public hearing. Los Angeles also runs a Standard Plan Program: private architects submit ADU designs that LADBS pre-approves for code. You buy the plan from its owner, LADBS checks that it fits your lot and soil, and plan check moves faster. Our ADU design guide covers sizes, setbacks and plan costs.

If a past owner built a unit without permits, LADBS has a streamlined path under Assembly Bill 2533 to permit it as an ADU or junior ADU.

Garage conversions and parking

LADBS requires single-family homes to keep two covered parking spaces on the lot. If you convert the garage to living space without going the ADU route, expect to provide replacement parking before the city signs off. Ask your designer which path fits your lot.

Seismic work that can come with a remodel

Most of Los Angeles was built before current seismic codes. The median home here dates to about 1965. Two kinds of work show up during remodels.

Mandatory retrofits for apartments and condos

The city's soft-story ordinance covers wood-frame buildings permitted before January 1, 1978 that have parking or open space on the ground floor with living space above. Buildings with three or fewer units used only as homes are exempt. Owners who receive an order have two years to get permits and seven years to finish. A separate ordinance covers older concrete buildings submitted for plan check before January 13, 1977, with up to 25 years to complete the work. If you own a small apartment building with tuck-under parking, check whether an order is pending before you plan other work.

Voluntary retrofits for houses

For houses, retrofits are voluntary, and the state helps pay. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers up to $3,000 toward bolting a house to its foundation and bracing the crawl space walls. The house must be built before 1980, sit on a raised foundation and be in an eligible ZIP code. Lower-income households can get a supplemental grant. A related program offers up to $13,000 for houses with living space over a garage. If your remodel already opens up the crawl space, it's the cheapest time to do the work.

Contracts and payments under California law

California sets rules for home improvement contracts, and the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) lists them for homeowners. The ones that matter most on a remodel:

• Down payment: no more than 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. On a $150,000 remodel, that means $1,000.
• Progress payments: follow a written schedule and pay only for work already done.
• Right to cancel: three business days after signing in most cases, and five business days if you are 65 or older. A contract signed at the contractor's own office doesn't carry the three-day right.
• Liens: the contractor must give you a Notice to Owner explaining mechanics liens. Collect lien releases from subcontractors and suppliers as you pay.
• Changes: every change order goes in writing, with the price, before the work is done.
• Permits: the contract should say the contractor pulls permits before work starts and whether permit fees are included.

A contractor who asks for a third of the price up front is asking you to break a rule that exists to protect you. Our guide to paying a contractor walks through milestone schedules and lien waivers.

Areas we cover

GOLDGCP matches homeowners with licensed general contractors across the Los Angeles metro, including:

• The City of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley
• Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank
• Santa Monica, Torrance and Long Beach
• Orange County, including Irvine and Anaheim

Enter your ZIP code to see local prices and contractors who serve your street.