Much of Los Angeles was built between the 1920s and the 1960s, and renovating those houses brings problems a newer home rarely has. Opening a wall can expose knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized pipes or a raised foundation that was never bolted to the frame. Original plaster, tile and hardwood are hard to match, and some neighborhoods sit inside Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, where exterior changes need extra review. The right contractor plans for those surprises and knows how to update a house without erasing its character.
This guide compares five Los Angeles renovation companies with an active California State License Board (CSLB) General Building license and documented work on older homes, additions or structural upgrades. Joel & Co. Construction ranks first as a family-owned, second-generation design-build firm with more than 40 years in Los Angeles and particular depth in older, hillside and structurally complex houses, including foundation repair.
|
Rank |
Company |
Good Fit For |
Key Strengths |
Location |
|
1 |
Joel & Co. Construction |
Older homes with structural needs |
Design-build; foundation work |
Los Angeles (Brentwood) |
|
2 |
Home Front Build |
Historic and period restorations |
This Old House LA project |
Cypress Park |
|
3 |
MC Construction & Design |
Additions on older Valley homes |
Plans, permits and foundations |
Encino |
|
4 |
Creative Home Remodeling Group |
Kitchens and additions in 1940s to 1960s homes |
Licensed since 2010 |
Studio City |
|
5 |
Cali Builders & Construction |
Seismic and foundation upgrades |
Foundation jacking license class |
Sherman Oaks |
|
Location: 11693 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 Service Area: Westside and San Fernando Valley, including Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Encino Phone: (310) 728-6181 Rating: 4.9 on Google and 4.9 on Houzz Pricing: No published price list; a written proposal follows the site visit Website: losangelesgeneralcontractor.com |
|---|
Why they lead the list: Older LA houses often need structural work before the finishes can begin, and Joel & Co. Construction is set up to handle both. The family-owned company, now run by its second generation, has renovated homes in Los Angeles for more than 40 years as a design-build firm, keeping design, engineering, permits and construction with one licensed team. Homeowners in Studio City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and the hills bring it the projects other contractors hesitate on: foundations, hillside lots and character homes that need to meet current code.
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Owners of older or character homes on the Westside and in the Valley who need structural work done right before or during a remodel, and buyers of a dated house planning a full renovation.
Standout Features
Bottom line: The first company to call when an older LA home needs structural care along with a remodel.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers most often describe a professional, organized team, consistent communication and careful finish work.
Good fit for: Older homes with structural needs.
|
Location: 715 Cypress Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065 Service Area: Los Angeles, with work in Silver Lake and Beverly Grove among its documented projects Phone: (323) 732-4663 Rating: 4.8 on Google Pricing: Typical projects $250,000 to $2 million, per its Houzz profile Website: homefrontbuild.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Owners of Spanish Revival, Craftsman and Victorian houses in Northeast LA and the central city who want an in-house design team and a contractor comfortable with period details.
Bottom line: The most experienced period-home restorer on this list, with a small but detailed set of reviews.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers describe restorations of a Victorian, a 90-year-old Spanish house and a Craftsman, crediting design director Goli Karimi and a crew that kept original details intact.
Good fit for: Historic and period restorations.
|
Location: 16200 Ventura Blvd #401, Encino, CA 91436 Service Area: Encino and the surrounding San Fernando Valley Phone: (844) 479-4428 Rating: 4.9 on Google Pricing: Not published; free 3-D design renderings offered Website: mcconstructiondesign.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Valley homeowners adding a bedroom or bath to a ranch house from the 1950s or 1960s who want one company for the structural and finish work.
Bottom line: A dependable choice for additions on older Valley houses, with a clean license record.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers most often name Mike, describing clear communication, honest quotes that held, and remodels and additions finished on budget and on schedule.
Good fit for: Additions on older Valley homes.
|
Location: 11333 Moorpark St., Unit 214, Studio City, CA 91602 Service Area: Studio City, Sherman Oaks and the wider Valley Phone: 855-879-6797 Rating: 4.9 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: creativeremodeling.ca |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Valley homeowners updating kitchens and baths or adding square footage to a mid-century house.
Bottom line: An established Valley remodeler with a long permit history and steady project management.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers most often name project manager Ben, describing patient guidance and quick answers on kitchen, bath and addition projects; one owner of a 1947 house says the team matched the original wood flooring.
Good fit for: Kitchens and additions in 1940s to 1960s homes.
|
Location: 15130 Ventura Blvd., Suite 250, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Service Area: Sherman Oaks and communities across the Valley and Westside Phone: (800) 863-0011 Rating: 5.0 on Google Pricing: Not published Website: cali-builders.com |
What They Do Well
Ideal Customers: Owners of raised-foundation homes in the Valley who want seismic bolting or foundation work along with a remodel.
Bottom line: A practical pick for older homes that need seismic and foundation upgrades.
What Reviewers Say: Google reviewers most often name owner Simon, describing hands-on project management, a responsive office and work that stayed on schedule.
Good fit for: Seismic and foundation upgrades.
Primary factors
Secondary factors
An older Los Angeles home rewards a contractor who expects surprises behind the walls and knows how to fix them without stripping out what made the house worth buying. Joel & Co. Construction ranks first because one family-owned design-build team has handled design, permits, foundations and finishes on LA homes for more than 40 years.
Before hiring, ask for photos of similar-age homes the company has renovated, find out whether your street is in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, check the license and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website, and remember that California caps the down payment on a home improvement contract at $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less.
