Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, so projects here are permitted by the LA Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) and zoned by LA City Planning. The Valley's LADBS office is in Van Nuys, at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd, and offers plan check, permits, and inspections in person. Most Sherman Oaks lots are still governed by LA's original zoning code.
Gross Design + Build designs and builds here as one team, under our California general contractor license, CSL 1079184. We have built in Sherman Oaks, and we know how differently a project goes on a flat lot north of Ventura Boulevard and a hillside lot to the south.
Flat lots: how much house fits
On a typical R1 lot, LA's mansionization rules cap floor area at 45 percent of the lot, with 5 foot side yards, a 15 foot rear yard, and a front yard of up to 20 feet. Rooms with ceilings over 14 feet count twice, and solid-roof patios count toward floor area. Our Field Guide covers LA building rules in more depth, and we run the numbers for your lot before design.
Hillside lots and Mulholland Drive
South of Ventura, many lots are in LA's designated Hillside Area, where allowed floor area drops as slope rises, and grading, street access, and parking have their own rules. Near the ridge, the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan adds another layer: within 500 feet of Mulholland Drive it limits the height of buildings visible from the road, and an addition that pushes cumulative new floor area past 900 square feet since 1992 needs Design Review Board review. Hillside lots in Very High fire zones also need brush clearance within 200 feet of structures.
Planning changes ahead
Sherman Oaks is covered by two community plans, Sherman Oaks-Studio City-Toluca Lake-Cahuenga Pass in the south and Van Nuys-North Sherman Oaks in the north. Both are being updated in the Southeast Valley Community Plan Update, which will move the area to LA's new zoning code. Draft land use maps were released in 2026; draft zoning had not been released as of this page's update. We track it so your design is not caught between old and new rules.
ADUs in Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks homeowners can permit an ADU under state law or LA's own ordinance. We compare the two in State ADU vs. LA Ordinance ADU and cover timing in how long LA ADU permits take.
Common questions
Is Sherman Oaks its own city?
No. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, so LADBS issues building permits and LA City Planning sets the zoning. The nearest LADBS office is in Van Nuys.
What is the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan?
A City of LA plan covering land along Mulholland Drive. Within 500 feet of the road it limits the height of buildings visible from it, and single-family additions that exceed 900 square feet of cumulative new floor area since 1992 need Design Review Board review.
How big can I build on a Sherman Oaks lot?
On a typical non-hillside R1 lot, LA caps floor area at 45 percent of the lot. Hillside lots follow a slope-based formula, so we confirm the numbers for your specific parcel.
Related: Design-build in Studio City, San Fernando Valley, Hillside home construction.