Can you do an LA multifamily remodel with tenants in place?

Yes — common area + unit-by-unit turn. Tenant coordination plan and Habitability Plan handle the schedule.

Multifamily remodel cost per unit in LA?

$30K–$80K for cosmetic refresh; $120K–$250K full down-to-studs per unit.

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 Multifamily Remodeling.

Multifamily remodels across LA — common areas, in-place unit upgrades, full vacant-unit turns. We coordinate around occupied tenants and work with the LADBS multifamily permit track.

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

$80 – $300 / sqft per unit

Cosmetic unit refresh bottom; full down-to-studs top.

Hills & Canyons permit clock

12–18 weeks ministerial

3–9 months per building depending on scope.

Scope — start to keys.

Scope walk + tenant coordination plan
Plans + permits
Common-area + unit work
MEP upgrades
Final inspection + handover

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.

Can you do an LA multifamily remodel with tenants in place?: Yes — common area + unit-by-unit turn. Tenant coordination plan and Habitability Plan handle the schedule.
Multifamily remodel cost per unit in LA?: $30K–$80K for cosmetic refresh; $120K–$250K full down-to-studs per unit.
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.

Multifamily Remodeling in nearby LA areas.

Got a Hills & Canyons project in mind?

Send us the address and we’ll pull Hills & Canyons zoning, setbacks, and multifamily remodeling feasibility before you spend on drawings.

Start a Hills & Canyons project →