What it costs to build in Los Angeles, answered straight
These are the questions homeowners in West Los Angeles ask us most, answered with the same planning ranges the configurator above uses. They come from what clients actually paid on our projects over the last 18 months, not from national averages.
Cost by project type (2026)
Planning ranges at our Signature finish level, all-in for construction, finish allowances and design and permits, excluding government and agency fees. Essential finishes run about 8–15% lower; Bespoke runs about 20–50% higher.
| Project type | Planning range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| New custom home | $400–$700 per sf | Ground-up home on your lot, priced on conditioned living area |
| Fire rebuild | $400–$700 per sf | New home on a cleared lot, built to current fire-zone code |
| Whole-home cosmetic refresh | $30–$45 per sf | Paint, flooring and fixtures; walls, plumbing and wiring stay |
| Whole-interior remodel | $90–$150 per sf | New kitchen and baths, updated plumbing and electrical, light structural |
| Full-gut remodel | $250–$350 per sf | To the studs: new systems, insulation and drywall throughout |
| Addition | $300–$500 per sf | New foundation, framing and roof, tied into the existing house |
| ADU | $350–$500 per sf | Detached or attached unit with its own kitchen, bath and utilities |
| Kitchen remodel | $45,000–$100,000 per kitchen | Layout, cabinetry, counters, appliances, plumbing and electrical |
| Bathroom remodel | $35,000–$60,000 per bathroom | Full gut: demolition, waterproofing, tile, fixtures and glass |
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Los Angeles?
For a new custom home in West Los Angeles with Signature finishes, our planning range is $400 to $700 per square foot of living area, including finish allowances and design and permits. A 3,000 sf home plans at roughly $1.2M to $2.1M before hillside foundations, demolition, a pool or government fees.
Where a home lands inside that range depends on structure (a second story, steel, cantilevers), site (slope, access, utility runs) and selections. Essential finishes bring the range down about 8–15%; Bespoke millwork, stone and glazing take it up 20–50%. Garages, decks and landscape are priced separately. For the long version, read custom home cost per square foot in West Los Angeles.
What does a remodel cost per square foot in Los Angeles?
It depends on how deep the work goes. Our planning ranges are $30 to $45 per square foot for a cosmetic refresh, $90 to $150 for a whole-interior remodel with new kitchen, baths and systems, and $250 to $350 for a full gut to the studs. Depth moves the price more than size does.
A 2,000 sf whole-interior remodel therefore plans at about $180,000 to $300,000. Older homes in Mid-City, Hollywood and the Westside often hide conditions behind the walls, such as undersized wiring or failed drain lines; those are found at demolition and priced by written change order before work continues. See what can go wrong, and how we handle it.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Los Angeles?
Our planning range for a full kitchen remodel in Los Angeles is $45,000 to $100,000 per kitchen at Signature level, covering layout, cabinetry, counters, appliances, plumbing and electrical, plus design and permits. Moving walls or adding a small bump-out typically adds $15,000 to $45,000 for beams, engineering and plan check.
Cabinetry, counters and appliances are most of a kitchen budget. The configurator lets you swap each one, from stock to custom inset cabinetry, quartz to marble, and standard to panel-ready integrated appliances, and shows the price impact of every choice before you commit.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Los Angeles?
We plan a full-gut bathroom remodel in Los Angeles at $35,000 to $60,000 per bathroom at Signature level. That covers demolition, new waterproofing, tile, plumbing fixtures, glass, lighting and ventilation, with design and permits. Handmade tile, stone slab walls, a freestanding tub or a curbless shower move a bath toward the top of the range.
Two or three baths done together usually cost less per bath than the same baths done one at a time, because demolition, plumbing rough-in and inspections are shared.
How much does an ADU cost in Los Angeles?
A new ADU in Los Angeles plans at $350 to $500 per square foot with us, including its kitchen, bath, finish allowances and design and permits. A 750 sf detached ADU therefore lands at roughly $263,000 to $375,000. The distance to the main panel, water and sewer lines is one of the biggest cost drivers.
Attached ADUs and garage conversions reuse some structure and utilities, which can bring the number down; tight lot access and new sewer connections push it up. If you are weighing an ADU against an addition, read addition vs. ADU, compared.
What does a Pacific Palisades fire rebuild cost?
For a Pacific Palisades rebuild with mid-to-upper finishes, our planning range is $400 to $700 per square foot of living area, including finish allowances and design and permits. A 2,400 sf home plans at roughly $960,000 to $1.68M before site work, agency fees and upgrades, built to today's fire-zone code.
Current code means ember-resistant vents, fire-rated exterior materials and, where required, fire sprinklers. Soft costs, fee waivers and insurance timing are covered in our 2026 Palisades rebuild cost guide.
What drives the price of a construction project?
Five things drive most of the price: the scope and depth of work, the size and complexity of the layout, the finish level and selections, site conditions such as slope and access, and structure and systems such as a second story, new windows or HVAC. Government fees and hidden conditions sit outside the planning range.
The 5 big cost drivers
- Scope and depth. New construction, a full gut and a cosmetic refresh are different jobs. Depth moves a remodel from $30 to $350 per square foot.
- Size and layout. More square feet cost more, but corners, ceiling heights and the number of baths and kitchens matter almost as much as area.
- Finish level and selections. Cabinetry, stone, tile, plumbing fittings, lighting and appliances. They are written into your contract as allowances.
- Site conditions. Hillside lots, deep foundations, retaining walls, tight access, demolition and long utility runs.
- Structure and systems. A second story, moving bearing walls, window packages, HVAC, electrical service and solar.
What moves your price up or down
Up
- Bespoke finishes: about 20–50% over Signature.
- A hillside or difficult site: about 10–30% on the build of a new home.
- A second story or moving bearing walls: beams, posts and engineering.
- An existing house to demolish: about $30,000–$75,000.
- A pool and spa with hardscape: about $120,000–$250,000.
- Steel-look windows, radiant heat, stone floors and integrated appliances.
Down
- Essential finishes: about 8–15% under Signature.
- Keeping plumbing, gas and walls where they are.
- Keeping sound windows, roof and HVAC in a remodel.
- Simple rooflines and stacked plumbing in a new home.
- Making long-lead selections early, so nothing is rushed or substituted.
- Doing baths and kitchen together instead of one at a time.
The configurator prices each of these choices live, so you can see what an upgrade costs before you ask for it.
What's included in these ranges, and what's not?
Our planning ranges include construction labor and materials, project management, finish allowances for cabinetry, stone, tile, fixtures, lighting and appliances, and design, engineering and permit processing when you choose it. They exclude government and agency fees, hidden conditions found at demolition, furniture and window coverings, and landscape or a pool unless added.
Included
- Construction labor, materials and supervision by one team
- A dedicated project manager and schedule
- Finish allowances, written into the contract line by line
- Design, engineering, Title 24 and plan-check processing (if selected)
- Code-required items on new homes, such as fire sprinklers and solar
Not included
- Government and agency fees: plan check, permits, school and utility fees (billed at cost)
- Hidden conditions found at demolition (priced by written change order)
- Selections above their allowance
- Furniture, window coverings and art
- Landscape, pool, spa or an ADU, unless you add them
What is an allowance, and how does it work?
An allowance is a set budget in your contract for something you will choose later, such as tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting or appliances. When you choose, the actual cost is compared with the allowance: anything over is added by a written change order you approve, and anything under is credited back to you.
Allowances are why our results split into build, finishes and design. The finishes bucket shows what is set aside for your selections, so you can see which choices move the number. More on this in how we price a project.
Why can two contractor bids for the same project be so far apart?
Usually because they don't price the same thing. Bids differ in what the base scope includes, how large the allowances are, what is excluded (permit fees, hidden conditions, design) and how much project management and documentation they carry. A low bid with thin allowances often grows through change orders. Compare proposals line by line, not by the bottom number.
Ask every bidder for their allowance schedule and their exclusions list. If one bid has a $15 per square foot tile allowance and another has $40, they are not the same project.
What is a healthy home and what does it cost?
A healthy home is built to keep the air, water and humidity inside clean: non-toxic paints and cabinets, HEPA air filtration, whole-house water filtration and, in the full package, fresh-air ventilation, humidity control and a low-EMF bedroom. Our draft planning ranges add about $4 to $9 per square foot for basics and $12 to $25 for the full package.
It is a set of building choices, not a medical treatment, and it is simplest to plan during design. In the configurator you can choose No, Healthy-home basics or the Full healthy-home package. Kitchen and bathroom projects show only the items that apply to that room and are priced as a flat amount per room.
Healthy-home basics
- Non-toxic finishes: zero-VOC paint and formaldehyde-free cabinets
- HEPA air filtration for dust, pollen and wildfire smoke
- Whole-house water filtration
Full healthy-home package
- Everything in basics
- Fresh-air ventilation (ERV): filtered outdoor air in, stale air out
- Clean humidity control, kept between 40 and 60%
- Gas-free induction cooking
- Low-EMF bedroom: wiring away from the bed, Wi-Fi off at night
- Radon and soil-gas check, where the lot calls for it
When we're not the right fit
We're probably not the right builder if you need a handyman or a single small repair, if the lowest bid is the deciding factor, or if the property is outside West Los Angeles and the select Valley neighborhoods we serve. We would rather say so now. Is 1 Degree the right fit?
How these ranges are built
Where the numbers come from
Every range starts from what homeowners actually paid on 1 Degree projects invoiced in the last 18 months, grouped by project type, then adjusted for size, finish level and the options you pick. We keep the ranges wide on purpose: two homes of the same size can land far apart once the site, structure and selections are known.
Why three buckets
Build is the construction itself. Finishes & allowances are the selections you make, like cabinetry, stone, tile, fixtures and appliances; they go into the contract as allowances so you can see exactly what is budgeted. Design, engineering & permits covers plans and plan check. Keeping them separate shows where your money goes and which choices move it.
How option prices work
Each room and system option is pre-set to what your finish level typically includes, marked "Included". Choosing something else shows the difference, up or down, for your project's size. Option prices are planning allowances; your proposal confirms them after a site visit.