One Valley, several sets of rules
Most of the San Fernando Valley is part of the City of Los Angeles, including Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Valley Village, Toluca Lake, Northridge, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Sylmar, and Sunland-Tujunga. Projects there are permitted by the LA Department of Building and Safety, whose Valley office is at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd in Van Nuys.
Other Valley addresses are separate cities with their own codes, including Burbank, Glendale, and the City of San Fernando. A mailing address is not proof of which city a lot is in, so we confirm the jurisdiction for every parcel before design.
Gross Design + Build is headquartered in Burbank and designs and builds across the Valley as one team, under our California general contractor license, CSL 1079184.
What changes from one Valley neighborhood to the next
The southern hills. Along Mulholland Drive above Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, and Woodland Hills, the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan limits the height of buildings visible from the road within 500 feet of it and sends larger additions to its Design Review Board. Many of these lots are also in LA's Hillside Area, where floor area drops as slope rises.
Horsekeeping districts. Equestrian "K" districts are concentrated in the Valley, in areas such as Shadow Hills, Tujunga, Sunland, Sylmar, and Granada Hills. New habitable rooms must stay at least 35 feet from a neighbor's legally established horse-keeping use, which can shape where an addition or ADU goes. City Planning staff have recommended changes that would ease these distance rules for ADUs.
Fire zones. Hillside and canyon neighborhoods around the Valley's edges include Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, where homes are built to wildland-urban interface standards and need brush clearance within 200 feet of structures.
Plans in motion. The Southeast Valley Community Plan Update covers North Hollywood-Valley Village, Sherman Oaks-Studio City-Toluca Lake-Cahuenga Pass, and Van Nuys-North Sherman Oaks, and will move those areas to LA's new zoning code. The Southwest Valley Community Plans Update, which covers Encino-Tarzana and neighboring West Valley plans, released its Draft Environmental Impact Report in October 2026.
Where we build
Our Valley work includes an addition in Encino, a pool house in Sherman Oaks, and a new home in Toluca Lake. See more in our portfolio, or read about Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, and Woodland Hills in detail.
Common questions
Is the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles?
Most of it is. Neighborhoods such as Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Van Nuys, and Northridge are in the City of Los Angeles, while Burbank, Glendale, and the City of San Fernando are separate cities with their own building departments.
Where do I get a building permit in the Valley?
For City of Los Angeles addresses, from the LA Department of Building and Safety, which has a Valley office at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd in Van Nuys. Separate cities such as Burbank and Glendale run their own permit counters.
Do you build ADUs in the San Fernando Valley?
Yes. We design, permit, and build ADUs, garage conversions, additions, and custom homes across the Valley, and we confirm each lot's zoning and overlays before design.
Related: Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Burbank, Glendale.