General Contractor in Sunland-Tujunga, CA

Dn Builders Group Inc Services is a licensed general building contractor based in Burbank, working throughout Sunland and Tujunga — kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole-home renovations, additions, ADUs and commercial build-outs. Sunland-Tujunga is a City of Los Angeles community at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, with a scenic plan that can add a planning step before your permit, ground full of granite cobbles, and its own rulebook for the Foothill Boulevard storefronts.

What we build in Sunland-Tujunga

A planning review that can come before the permit

Much of the foothill land here sits inside the San Gabriel/Verdugo Mountains Scenic Preservation Specific Plan, Ordinance No. 175,736, in effect since February 8, 2004. Where it applies, LADBS will not issue a grading or building permit for a “Project” until City Planning has signed off a Project Permit Compliance Review.

The part that matters for a budget is the definition. Interior and exterior remodeling is not a Project unless it increases building height, floor area or required parking. A kitchen or bathroom rebuilt inside its existing walls usually goes straight to plan check. An addition, a second story, a new garage or a detached ADU on a lot inside the plan area usually does not, and on lots near a designated ridgeline or within 500 feet of a scenic highway such as Foothill Boulevard, the design limits are set before the architect starts. The full rulebook is in what to know about remodeling in Sunland-Tujunga; for the citywide size math, see how much square footage you can add.

Granite cobbles under every footing

Soil scientists named a soil after this place. The USDA Tujunga series is deep, fast-draining sand and gravelly loamy sand washed down from the granite of the San Gabriels, mapped in places as bouldery and cobbly sand. It usually carries load well, but every trench finds rocks. Footings, pool shells, ADU pads and sewer laterals take longer to dig and produce more material to haul than on a flat Van Nuys lot.

The same stone is in the houses. Tujunga began in 1913 as Los Terrenitos, a Little Landers colony, and its community building, Bolton Hall, was built from granite gathered in the surrounding hills. Hundreds of early houses followed on foundations of local stone and boulders, many with a century of additions on top. Before we price a remodel on one of them, we go under the house and look at the foundation, the wiring and the service size. See what foundation repair costs in Los Angeles and the hidden costs of hillside lots.

Foothill Boulevard storefronts have their own plan

The commercial spine is covered by a second overlay, the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan, Ordinance No. 170,694, effective October 27, 1995. Its area runs along Foothill and Sunland Boulevards, roughly between Commerce Avenue, Wentworth Street, Tujunga Canyon Boulevard, La Tuna Canyon Road and the 210 Freeway. Single-family houses and interior work that adds no floor area are exempt. For everything else, it sets numbers you design against: a 33-foot height limit (45 feet in designated Major Activity Areas with step-backs), signs no larger than 75 square feet, and a “Significant Project” threshold when work in any 12 months exceeds 50 percent of replacement value.

For a café, salon or shop, we check the plan, the electrical service, accessible restrooms and, for food use, the grease interceptor and health review before a lease is signed. The area is also served by LADWP rather than Southern California Edison, which matters when a new service or panel upgrade is part of the build-out. See how long a restaurant build-out takes in Los Angeles.

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 the parcel for the scenic plan, ridgeline and fire-zone overlays first, then walk the space, talk honestly about budget, and give a fixed, itemized scope before anything is demolished. Much of Sunland-Tujunga is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so exterior work is drawn to Chapter 7A from the start. Permits go 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. You can see finished work on our portfolio page.

Questions

Are you a licensed contractor in Sunland-Tujunga?

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 Sunland-Tujunga and all of California, and can be verified with the Contractors State License Board.

Does a kitchen or bathroom remodel in Sunland-Tujunga need a planning review?

Usually not. The San Gabriel/Verdugo Mountains Scenic Preservation Specific Plan excludes interior and exterior remodeling unless the work increases building height, floor area or required parking. A kitchen or bathroom rebuilt inside the existing walls normally goes straight to an LADBS permit. An addition, a second story or a new detached structure on a lot inside the plan area generally needs a Project Permit Compliance Review first.

Why does excavation cost more in Sunland-Tujunga?

Much of the community sits on Tujunga soils, which the USDA describes as deep, gravelly loamy sand formed from granitic alluvium, mapped in places as bouldery and cobbly sand. Footings, pool shells, sewer laterals and utility trenches run into cobbles and boulders, so digging is slower and hauling is heavier than on a flat Valley tract. We price that into the bid after looking at the lot.

Can you build out a shop or restaurant on Foothill Boulevard?

Yes. Storefronts along Foothill and Sunland Boulevards fall under the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan, which sets a 33-foot height limit, caps signs at 75 square feet, and treats work worth more than 50 percent of the building’s replacement value in 12 months as a Significant Project. We check the plan, the zoning and the health department path before you sign a lease, then pull permits through LADBS.

Where else we work

La Crescenta-Montrose, Burbank, Glendale, and Greater Los Angeles.