Add a full or partial second floor without giving up the yard — structural engineering, LADBS or Burbank permits and construction under one fixed-price contract, across the San Fernando Valley.
Second-story addition cost in Los Angeles (2026): $250K–$450K+ in Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village; $270K–$480K+ in Burbank; $280K–$520K+ in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana and Woodland Hills; $300K–$550K+ in Encino and Toluca Lake. Plan on 3–5 months of design, structural engineering and plan check, then 4–6 months of construction; most families move out for the framing phase.
Permits: LADBS inside the City of Los Angeles, the City of Burbank Building & Safety Division in Burbank; a structural engineer's evaluation of the existing foundation and framing comes before any design. Licensed general contractor, CSLB #1021284, based in Valley Glen.
Right Image Builders designs, engineers, permits and builds second-story additions across the San Fernando Valley from our office in Valley Glen: a licensed architect draws the plans, a structural engineer evaluates the existing foundation and framing and stamps the structural set, we file with LADBS or the City of Burbank, and one crew builds from the new footings to the finished rooms. Licensed & insured, CSLB #1021284. Free consultation: (818) 210-4544.
A second story is the answer when the lot is small, the yard matters, or the floor-area limit leaves no room to spread out. It is also the most structural project a house can take on: the existing foundation, cripple walls and framing have to carry a new floor, a new roof and the lateral loads an earthquake puts on a taller building. That is why the engineer's evaluation comes first, before a single room is drawn.
What it involves: new or widened footings and anchor bolts where the evaluation calls for them, shear walls and hold-downs through the first floor, a new floor system, stairs (which take 40–50 sq ft out of the first floor), the new roof, and every system extended up — electrical, plumbing for the new bath, HVAC sized for two floors. A partial second story over part of the house is the common Valley answer; a full second story is a bigger project but changes the house completely.
Most families move out for the 6–10 weeks when the roof comes off and the new floor goes on, then return for the finish work. We schedule the roof demolition around the dry season and keep the house weather-tight at the end of every day.
A licensed engineer checks the foundation, cripple walls and framing, and orders a soils report where the site requires one, before design starts.
Architect and structural engineer coordinated by us; stamped structural set, Title 24 energy calculations, and a layout that places the stairs where they cost the least space.
LADBS inside the City of Los Angeles, the City of Burbank in Burbank; Baseline Hillside Ordinance review south of Ventura where it applies.
New footings, anchor bolts, shear walls and hold-downs carried through the first floor to the foundation.
New floor system, exterior and interior framing, the new roof tied into any remaining original roof, and the stair opening.
Electrical, plumbing for the new bath, HVAC sized for two floors, insulation, drywall, exterior matched to the original house.
On the 1940s–50s tracts of Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village the lots are 6,000–7,500 sq ft, which is exactly where a second story earns its cost: a rear addition would eat the yard, and the floor-area limit for an R1 lot is reached quickly on the ground. Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Encino add hillside review south of Ventura and larger lots north of it, where building out is often the cheaper choice. Burbank reviews through its own Building & Safety Division and has its own height and floor-area rules.
Height limits, the floor-area ratio for the zone and the setbacks for the upper floor are what we check on ZIMAS at the first visit; the engineer's evaluation of the existing structure follows, and together they decide whether a full or a partial second story is the right design.
| Neighborhoods | Typical Range | What Drives It |
|---|---|---|
| Van Nuys · Valley Glen · North Hollywood · Valley Village | $250K–$450K+ | Level 1940s–50s tract lots, predictable plan check, partial second stories over the rear of the house. |
| Burbank | $270K–$480K+ | City of Burbank review, 1920s–40s houses that need more foundation work, hillside permits above Glenoaks. |
| Sherman Oaks · Studio City · Tarzana · Woodland Hills | $280K–$520K+ | Hillside review south of Ventura, larger footprints, higher finish levels. |
| Encino · Toluca Lake | $300K–$550K+ | Estate-scale homes, high-finish interiors, split LA/Burbank jurisdiction in Toluca Lake. |
Planning ranges compiled from our neighborhood pages (updated October 2026); the exact number depends on size, finishes, site access and utility runs. After the free on-site visit you get an itemized fixed price in writing.
We visit your home, pull the parcel's zoning, and tell you honestly what you can build — square footage, height, setbacks — and which addition fits your goals and budget.
We produce architectural and structural plans, submit through LADBS, and manage plan check — with a written fixed-price proposal set before construction begins.
One crew builds the addition to signed-off final inspection, matched to your existing home. Final payment is due only after your walkthrough approval.
Tell us what you want to add and we'll get back to you within 4 business hours. We'll confirm what your lot allows before you spend anything on design.
Prefer to talk it through?
(818) 210-4544We had a tiny living room that opened onto a covered patio we never really used. Right Image Builders designed and built a full family room addition in its place — 400 square feet, vaulted ceiling, skylights, and bifold doors to the garden. It completely changed how we live in this house. You can't tell it's an addition — it looks like it was always there.
Our full home remodel was a massive undertaking. Right Image Builders handled it all — demo, framing, plumbing, electrical, tile, painting. One contract, one crew, one point of contact. I cannot overstate how rare that is in LA.
They walked me through every permit requirement and handled it all himself. The project finished on budget and exactly to spec. My BuildZoom contract check confirmed everything — these guys are top 1% for a reason.
Second-story addition cost in Los Angeles (2026): $250K–$450K+ in Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village; $270K–$480K+ in Burbank; $280K–$520K+ in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana and Woodland Hills; $300K–$550K+ in Encino and Toluca Lake. Plan on 3–5 months of design, structural engineering and plan check, then 4–6 months of construction; most families move out for the framing phase. The exact figure depends on size, finishes and site conditions; after the free on-site visit you get an itemized fixed price in writing.
Usually, after a structural evaluation. Most 1940s–60s Valley houses can, with new footings, anchor bolts, shear walls and hold-downs added through the first floor; raised foundations with cripple walls need more reinforcement than slabs. The engineer's report tells you before you spend on design.
Per square foot a ground-floor addition is usually cheaper, because it needs no stairs and no reinforcement of the existing structure. A second story wins when the yard matters, when the lot's floor-area limit is already close on the ground, or when a hillside lot has no level ground to build on.
For the 6–10 weeks when the roof comes off and the new floor and roof go on, most families do; the house is open to the weather and the stair opening is cut into the first floor. Finish work can be done with you back in the house.
Plan on 3–5 months of design, structural engineering and plan check, then 4–6 months of construction. The structural review at plan check is longer than for a ground-floor addition, and hillside review adds time south of Ventura.
Yes. We coordinate the architect and the structural engineer, file with LADBS or the City of Burbank, answer the plan-check corrections and schedule every inspection; you never deal with the counter.
Right Image Builders, a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1021284) based in Valley Glen, builds second stories across Van Nuys, Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Burbank, Tarzana, Valley Village and Woodland Hills under one fixed-price contract, with final payment only after your walkthrough. 5.0★ on Google (45 reviews) and 4.9★ on Angi (103 reviews).
Every addition type we build →
RelatedThe other way to add the missing room →
GuideStructure, stairs, roof and zoning →
By NeighborhoodFlats and hillside →
By NeighborhoodLevel 1950s lots →
By NeighborhoodOur own neighborhood →
Guide2026 planning ranges →
See Our WorkRecent additions across the Valley →
Free consultation and zoning review. Written fixed-price proposal. One licensed team from design and LADBS permits through to a finished addition matched to your home.
(818) 210-4544