Does the Baseline Hillside Ordinance kill my ADU?

Almost never. State ADU law overrides local FAR limits up to 800 sqft, and many hillside lots can fit a full 1,200 sqft attached ADU even under BHO.

How much does hillside geotech add?

Plan on $8–25k for the report itself. The downstream cost — caissons, retaining walls, deeper foundations — is where the real budget impact lives.

Hills & Canyons HVAC & Heat Pumps.

LA HVAC — central AC upgrades, heat pump conversions, ductless mini-splits for ADUs. Title 24, HERS testing, SCE/SoCalGas rebates.

Hill parcels add the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, geotech, and (along the ridgeline) the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan to every permit package. The ADU itself is still ministerial, but plan-check takes longer because the structural, grading, and haul-route sheets are heavier than a flat-lot project.

Hills & Canyons cost band — 2026

$8K – $28K

Mini-split bottom; full ducted heat pump top.

Hills & Canyons permit clock

12–18 weeks ministerial

2–4 days mini-split; 1–2 weeks ducted system.

Scope — start to keys.

Manual J load calc
Permit
Equipment install
Ductwork + register
HERS test + commission

What changes about the permit here.

BHO caps height to ~33 ft and limits grading cuts based on lot slope.
Soils / geotech report required on any slope >10%.
Hillside Construction Regulation permits gate haul-route hours and truck size.
Beverly Hills + Bel-Air HOA / R1 design review runs parallel to building permit.

What moves the Hills & Canyons number.

Slope-driven foundation work commonly $80–250k above flat-lot equivalent.
Crane / pump days run 2–4× a Valley job — narrow streets and switchbacks.
Caissons on steep slopes can hit $1,500–4,000 per linear foot of depth.
Beverly Hills design review pushes cladding budgets up sharply.

In short.

LA heat pump cost?: $15K–$28K full ducted system. Rebates net $4K–$8K.
Mini-split for ADU?: $5K–$8K installed. One head per room.
Does the Baseline Hillside Ordinance kill my ADU?: Almost never. State ADU law overrides local FAR limits up to 800 sqft, and many hillside lots can fit a full 1,200 sqft attached ADU even under BHO.
How much does hillside geotech add?: Plan on $8–25k for the report itself. The downstream cost — caissons, retaining walls, deeper foundations — is where the real budget impact lives.

More we build in Hills & Canyons.

HVAC & Heat Pumps in nearby LA areas.

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