Premium Outdoor Living

Permits

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)

• Pools, spas, retaining walls over 4 ft (or any wall holding a surcharge), patio covers and most outdoor kitchens with gas or electrical need LADBS plan check and inspections.
• The City of LA Protected Tree ordinance covers native oaks, Southern California black walnut, western sycamore and California bay — work in their root zones needs a permit from Urban Forestry.
• Lots south of Ventura Boulevard are typically in the city's designated Hillside Area, where the Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits grading and floor area.

Soil, hillside & site

• The valley floor typically has expansive clay soils that swell and shrink with moisture, so pools and slabs are engineered from a soils report and paired with positive drainage away from the shell and foundations.
• Hillside lots usually require a geotechnical report; pools and walls on slopes are often supported on deepened footings or caissons and designed for the slope setback the engineer recommends.