“Lior is very personable and has many decades of construction experience. We appreciated his sincere evaluation of our project.”
Ann AnterasianHouzz · April 2019
ADU construction · Northridge, CA
ADU Contractor in Northridge, CA
Detached, attached, garage-conversion and junior ADUs on Northridge’s ranch and mid-century lots — designed, permitted through LADBS, and built by a licensed general contractor. Hillstar Construction Inc, CSLB #972213.
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CSLB LicensedLicense #972213
5.0 on Houzz17 verified reviews
Family-OwnedServing Los Angeles since 2010
24-Hour ResponseFree in-home estimate
Northridge PermitsLADBS · City of Los Angeles
Why Hillstar
What a Northridge ADU Gets From Hillstar
Northridge is mostly flat postwar tract neighborhoods on the San Fernando Valley floor — the lot patterns favor detached units and garage conversions, and the permit path is LADBS.
Tract-Lot ADU Design
Rectangular postwar lots with a detached or attached garage are the Northridge norm. We size a detached unit, a garage conversion or an attached ADU to the yard you actually have, not a brochure plan.
Garage Conversions on Older Garages
A garage built for cars is not built for living. We assess the slab, framing, moisture barrier, insulation and electrical service before we quote, so the conversion scope is real from day one.
LADBS Process, Owned
Northridge sits in the City of Los Angeles, so the ADU permit is an LADBS permit. We prepare the plans, submit them, answer plan-check corrections and meet every inspection.
Structure Taken Seriously
Northridge homeowners remember the 1994 earthquake. Where an ADU touches an older foundation, garage framing or a load path, the structural work is engineered and permitted, never guessed.
Built for Rent or Family
Near California State University, Northridge, an ADU can serve as a rental, a home for a student or a parent, or a home office. We design the unit around how you plan to use it.
One Contract, Licensed Trades
Hillstar Construction Inc holds the prime contract. Our crew does the foundation, framing, drywall and finish work; electrical, plumbing and HVAC go to appropriately licensed specialty contractors we oversee.
Our process
A Northridge ADU in Four Steps
From the first walk of the yard to the final LADBS inspection.
1
Walk the Lot
We measure the yard, look at the existing garage, panel and sewer line, check the slope and drainage of the yard, and give you an honest read on what fits.
2
Design & LADBS Submittal
Plans, structural engineering and Title 24 energy documentation, then the LADBS submittal. Our team typically files Northridge plans at LADBS’s Van Nuys office, as a matter of our own practice.
3
Build
Foundation, framing, drywall and finishes by our crew; electrical, plumbing and HVAC by appropriately licensed specialty contractors we oversee. We schedule and meet every inspection.
4
Hand Over
Final inspection, walkthrough, punch list and Hillstar Construction Inc’s written workmanship warranty.
Local conditions
Permits, Lots & What’s Specific to Northridge
Most of Northridge is flat tract neighborhoods where the LADBS permit is the only gatekeeper, with a few overlays worth checking before design. Here is what that means for an ADU.
Permit jurisdiction
Northridge is part of the City of Los Angeles, so an ADU permit here is an LADBS permit — plan check, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and final inspection. LADBS describes an ADU as a small, separate living space on the same property as a single-family home that can be attached to the main house or a separate structure such as a converted garage or backyard cottage, and it runs a Standard Plan Program that shortens plan check for pre-approved ADU designs. We confirm at the site visit whether a standard plan or a custom design is the better fit for your lot.
Lot & housing patterns
Northridge is home to the campus of California State University, Northridge, and most of its residential streets are ranch, mid-century and traditional single-family homes on rectangular lots. That pattern gives two realistic ADU paths: a detached unit in the rear yard, or a conversion of the existing garage. State ADU law caps required side and rear setbacks at four feet for a new unit and requires no setback for an existing garage or accessory structure converted in place, and it does not let the City require replacement parking when a garage is converted for an ADU.
Overlays you may see here
Northridge sits on the San Fernando Valley floor, and most of its lots fall outside the City’s mapped Hillside Area, so the Baseline Hillside Ordinance typically does not apply. Hillside status is set by an official City map, not by how a lot looks, so we confirm your parcel against that map before design starts. A small number of gated streets also carry HOA architectural review for exterior-visible scope.
Our work
Hillstar ADU Work
Real Hillstar Construction Inc projects, finished and in progress. Photographs are from Hillstar jobsites in the Los Angeles area; the finish level and design on your Northridge lot are set with you at the consultation.
Reviews
Homeowners on Working With Hillstar
Verified Houzz reviews from Hillstar Construction Inc clients.
“Hillstar was great! We did a garage conversion and Lior was the best. He helped us plan every detail.”
Jeffrey RhodesHouzz · January 2019
“Lior was such a pleasure to work with for our guest house remodel. He was so easy to get in touch with, incredibly responsive and finished the job early.”
Amy ChristineHouzz · February 2019
5.0 · 17 verified reviews on Houzz
FAQ
Northridge ADU — FAQ
Lot fit, garage conversions, the LADBS process, solar, renting, and hillside zones.
Does my Northridge lot qualify for an ADU?
Most single-family lots do. State law requires an ADU permit application to be considered ministerially, without discretionary review or a hearing, and the permitting agency must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days when there is an existing home on the lot. What changes lot to lot is which type fits — detached, attached, garage conversion or junior ADU — and we confirm that at the first site visit.
Garage conversion or detached ADU on a Northridge tract lot?
Both are common here. A conversion keeps the existing footprint, so state law requires no setback for it and the City cannot require you to replace the parking you lose. A detached new-build takes four-foot side and rear setbacks and gives you a fresh structure sized to the yard. We check the existing garage’s slab, framing and ceiling height before recommending either path.
Who issues the permit for a Northridge ADU?
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Northridge is in the City of Los Angeles, so the permit is an LADBS permit. Hillstar Construction Inc prepares the submittal, responds to plan-check corrections and coordinates the inspections, and our team typically files at LADBS’s Van Nuys office as a matter of our own practice.
Will my Northridge ADU need solar panels?
LADBS states that detached ADUs built from scratch must have solar panels. A garage conversion inside the existing footprint is a different permit category, so we confirm which energy requirements apply to your specific project during design rather than assuming.
Can I rent out a Northridge ADU?
State law does not allow a local agency to impose an owner-occupant requirement on an ADU, although a local agency may require that the unit be rented for terms of 30 days or longer. Junior ADUs are different: owner-occupancy is required when the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the main house. We walk through the rules for your unit type at the consultation.
Is any part of Northridge in a hillside zone?
Most of Northridge sits on the San Fernando Valley floor and falls outside the City’s mapped Hillside Area, so the Baseline Hillside Ordinance typically does not apply. Hillside status is set by an official City map, not by how flat a lot looks, so we confirm your parcel against that map before design starts — this matters most near the Porter Ranch or Granada Hills line, where adjacent communities do carry hillside review.
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About Hillstar
A licensed Los Angeles general contractor.
Hillstar Construction Inc is a family-owned, licensed general contractor (CSLB #972213) serving Los Angeles since 2010, led by founder Lior Mazor, who brings over 40 years of hands-on construction experience. Licensed since 2012. WC Insured. The owner attends every estimate and stays involved through the build.
Plan a Northridge ADU With Us
Free in-home feasibility visit — lot walk, garage check, and a written recommendation.