Short Answer
Custom homes in LA typically run $400 to $800+ per square foot. Hillside lots, deep foundations and high-end finishes push it higher; a flat lot with straightforward access keeps it lower.
- Typical cost
- $400 – $800+ per square foot depending on site and finish level
- Typical timeline
- 18–30 months including entitlement and permitting
- Permits
- Permits and inspections handled by us through LADBS or your city building department.
- Service area
- All of Los Angeles County, including the San Fernando Valley, Westside, South Bay and foothill cities.
- Credentials
- Licensed, bonded and insured. CSLB #1076428. Owner-operated.
Ground-Up Construction
Full-service design-build on your lot: feasibility, architecture, engineering, entitlement, permits and construction with our own crews and long-standing subs.
- New single-family custom homes
- SB9 lot splits and two-unit developments
- Hillside and view-lot construction
- Tear-down and rebuild projects
- Multi-unit residential
Start With the Lot
Before design, we look at what the parcel actually allows: zoning and FAR, height limits, setbacks, hillside ordinance, fire-severity zone, soils, and whether utilities are at the street. It's cheaper to find out now than after plans are drawn.
- Zoning, FAR and height analysis
- Soils and geotechnical reports
- Hillside ordinance and grading review
- Utility availability and connection costs
- SB9 eligibility for lot splits
How We Keep It Predictable
Design-build means the people who drew it are accountable for building it on budget, with no finger-pointing between an outside architect and the builder when something doesn't fit. You get a fixed-price proposal with specifications and a milestone schedule you can track in your portal.
- Single accountable team from design to keys
- Fixed-price proposal with real specifications
- Milestone payment schedule
- Client portal with schedule, approvals and photos
Custom New Construction Jobs, With Real Numbers
Every figure below is from a permitted project we completed in Los Angeles County, not an estimate or an industry average.
New 4,800 sq ft Custom Home on a Calabasas Hillside
- Cost
- $3.1 million
- Duration
- 26 months including entitlement
- Size
- 4,800 sq ft, 5 bed / 5.5 bath
- Permits
- City of Calabasas, permitted and inspected
New Custom Coastal Home in Pacific Palisades
- Cost
- $4.2 million
- Duration
- 28 months including entitlement
- Size
- 5,200 sq ft, 5 bed / 6 bath
- Permits
- LADBS and Coastal review, permitted and inspected
New 3,600 sq ft Custom Home in Irvine
- Cost
- $2.05 million
- Duration
- 20 months including plan check
- Size
- 3,600 sq ft, 4 bed / 4.5 bath
- Permits
- City of Irvine, permitted and inspected

Isaac Sade, Project Manager
Isaac runs custom new construction projects at 1 Smart Build from the first site visit through final inspection: scope, plans, permit submittal, the crews on site, and the walkthrough at the end. You deal with one person who is accountable for the whole job.
Class B — General Building Contractor, CSLB #1076428. Bonded through and insured to $1,000,000 through U.S. Specialty Insurance Company. Rated 4.9 across 168 reviews.
More about IsaacFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Los Angeles?
Custom homes in LA typically run $400 to $800+ per square foot. Hillside lots, deep foundations and high-end finishes push it higher; a flat lot with straightforward access keeps it lower.
How long does it take to build a custom home?
Plan on 18 to 30 months from first design meeting to move-in, with entitlement and plan check often taking as long as construction.
Do you handle SB9 lot splits?
Yes. We handle SB9 lot splits and two-unit urban lot developments end to end, eligibility review, parcel maps, permits and construction.
Do you build custom homes near me in Ventura or Orange County?
Yes. We're a design-build new home construction company based in Woodland Hills, and we build custom homes across Los Angeles County, Ventura County and Orange County, anywhere within about 100 miles of our office.
Areas We Serve
1 Smart Build provides custom new construction services within a 100-mile radius of our Woodland Hills office, covering Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County and the surrounding region. Homeowners searching for a remodeling contractor near me regularly hire us in:
- Custom New Construction in Woodland Hills
- Custom New Construction in Calabasas
- Custom New Construction in Encino
- Custom New Construction in Sherman Oaks
- Custom New Construction in Studio City
- Custom New Construction in Pasadena
- Custom New Construction in Glendale
- Custom New Construction in Burbank
- Custom New Construction in Santa Monica
- Custom New Construction in Beverly Hills
- Custom New Construction in Culver City
- Custom New Construction in Long Beach
- Custom New Construction in Torrance
- Santa Clarita
- Thousand Oaks
- Ventura
- Anaheim
- Irvine
Don't see your city? View all service areas or give us a call, if you're within 100 miles, we build there.
DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT WITH 1 SMART BUILD
Licensed, bonded and insured design-build general contractor serving Los Angeles County and Southern California. Tell us about your property and goals, and we'll walk you through feasibility, permitting and a clear plan.

