General Contractor in Granada Hills, CA

Dn Builders Group Inc Services is a licensed general building contractor based in Burbank, working throughout Granada Hills — kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole-home renovations, additions, ADUs and commercial build-outs. Granada Hills has the only Eichler tract in Los Angeles County under historic protection, its own specific plan for the Chatsworth Street business core, and ground that has been tested hard by two major earthquakes.

What we build in Granada Hills

Remodeling an Eichler in Balboa Highlands

Balboa Highlands is a tract of about 108 homes built from 1962 to 1964 by developer Joseph Eichler, designed by Claude Oakland and the firm Jones & Emmons. It is the only Eichler development in Los Angeles County and the first post-war Valley neighborhood to become a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Its Preservation Plan was adopted December 9, 2010, and its rules are written for post-and-beam modern houses, not period bungalows.

That changes the scope of a remodel. New additions belong in the rear yard, and second-story additions are generally not appropriate. Walls visible from the street keep the vertical grooved siding, with grooves about 1¼ inches apart, and stucco or brick on those facades is not allowed. Flat, A-frame and slant roof forms stay, and clerestory windows stay clear glass. Enclosing an atrium or carport where it shows from the street is not appropriate, and front-yard fences are discouraged. Some work is delegated to planning staff instead of the HPOZ board, including in-kind roof replacement, matching window replacement, removal of non-original stucco, rear solar panels not visible from the street, and rear additions under 250 square feet. Inside, the thin roof and exposed beams make new ducts, wiring and insulation the hard part. See what a roof replacement costs in Los Angeles and window replacement costs.

The Granada Hills Specific Plan

The commercial core along Chatsworth Street, plus parts of Devonshire Street, Balboa Boulevard and Zelzah Avenue, falls under the Granada Hills Specific Plan. It was adopted as Ordinance 167,555, effective January 21, 1992, and later amended by Ordinances 173,265, 177,938 and 184,296. Its goal is a walkable Chatsworth Street.

Inside the plan area, a Design Review Board must review the exterior before a building permit is issued for new construction, for any sign, and for a remodel worth more than 50% of the building’s replacement value within 12 months. Height limits run by sector: 45 feet in Sector A, 30 feet in Sector B and 36 feet in Sector C. For a storefront, a new sign alone triggers review, so we build that step into the schedule. See how long a restaurant build-out takes in Los Angeles.

Ground that has moved twice

The Van Norman reservoirs, the end of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, sit on the east edge of Granada Hills. In the February 9, 1971 San Fernando earthquake, the hydraulic fill in the Lower San Fernando Dam liquefied and the crest slid into the reservoir. About 80,000 people below the dam were evacuated for several days. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, ground movement on Balboa Boulevard broke a gas transmission line, a gas distribution line and two water trunk lines, and the fire that followed destroyed five homes.

For a remodel today, that history shows up in three places. An addition or new ADU on a lot in a state-mapped liquefaction zone may need a soils report before the foundation is designed. An older raised foundation should be checked for bolting and cripple-wall bracing before new weight goes on it. And in the City of Los Angeles, residential work valued over $10,000 that needs a permit triggers a seismic gas shutoff valve under LAMC 94.1217, as does selling the house. See earthquake retrofits in the San Fernando Valley, foundation repair costs and whether you can still install a gas water heater.

Licensed and bonded

Dn Builders Group Inc Services holds an active California General Building license (#1139710), carries a $25,000 surety bond, and is fully insured. Any California project over $500 in labor and materials legally requires a licensed contractor. Verify ours, or anyone’s, with the CSLB — here is how to check a contractor’s license in about two minutes.

How we work

We check HPOZ status, the specific plan boundary and seismic maps, then walk the space, talk honestly about budget, and give a fixed, itemized scope before anything is demolished. Permits are pulled by us through LADBS at the Valley office, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. Change orders are approved in writing. You get a weekly update and a detailed walkthrough when we finish. Most houses outside the Eichler tract are 1950s–60s ranch homes, so we plan for what is usually behind the walls of a 1950s Valley home. You can see finished work on our portfolio page.

Questions

Are you a licensed contractor in Granada Hills?

Yes. Dn Builders Group Inc Services holds an active California General Building contractor license (#1139710), carries a $25,000 surety bond, and is fully insured. The license covers Granada Hills and all of California, and can be verified with the Contractors State License Board.

Can I add on to an Eichler in Balboa Highlands?

Usually, but in the rear yard only. Balboa Highlands is a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone with a Preservation Plan adopted in 2010. Additions should stay behind the house and out of view from the street, second-story additions are generally not appropriate, and visible walls keep the original vertical grooved siding. Rear additions under 250 square feet can often be approved by planning staff.

Does the Granada Hills Specific Plan affect my project?

Only if the property is inside the plan area, which centers on Chatsworth Street and nearby commercial frontage. There, a Design Review Board reviews new construction, every new sign, and any remodel worth more than 50% of the building’s replacement value within 12 months, before the building permit is issued. Most single-family houses outside that core are not affected.

Do I need an earthquake gas shutoff valve in Granada Hills?

Often, yes. Granada Hills is in the City of Los Angeles, where LAMC 94.1217 requires a seismic gas shutoff valve for permitted residential work valued over $10,000 and before a house with gas piping is sold. We include it in the scope when a remodel triggers it.

Where else we work

Northridge, Van Nuys, Encino, and Greater Los Angeles.