“Lior is very personable and has many decades of construction experience. We appreciated his sincere evaluation of our project.”
Ann AnterasianHouzz · April 2019
Home remodeling · Hidden Hills, CA
Estate Remodeling
Inside the Hidden Hills Gates
Mediterranean, Spanish, and Tudor estates in an equestrian city with three layers of approval — we manage County, City, and HHCA so you don't have to. Insured and licensed since 2010 — CSLB #972213.
Free Estimate · No Obligation
Get a Free Hidden Hills Home Remodel Estimate
Outline the project — expect our reply within 24 hours.
CSLB LicensedLicense #972213
5.0 on Houzz17 verified reviews
Family-OwnedLicensed since 2010
24-Hour ResponseFree in-home estimate
Hidden Hills PermitsCity + HHCA · in-house
Local conditions
Three Approvals, One Gated City
A Hidden Hills remodel answers to the County, the City, and the community association at the same time. Knowing which track owns which decision — before design starts — is most of the battle.
City permit, City planning, HHCA review
The building permit and inspections come from the City of Hidden Hills Building and Safety Department, whose plan check, permit issuance and inspection services are provided under contract by Transtech. City of Hidden Hills Planning holds zoning and site design review. The HHCA's architectural review, rooted in the CC&Rs, covers whatever is visible from the common areas, the gates, or the equestrian trail corridor. We run all three in parallel.
Estate scale changes the first question
Hidden Hills homes are estate properties — Mediterranean, Spanish, and Tudor stock in an equestrian-zoned, gated community — and the first planning decision is usually scope, not style: one comprehensive project, or a sequence of rooms. Our comparison of whole-house remodels versus room-by-room projects lays out how homeowners make that call.
The buildable envelope
Protected specimen trees — oak, sycamore, and other natives — require tree-protection planning before staging, foundation work, or trenching near root zones. R-1 setback, lot-coverage, and floor-area-ratio rules define what can be added; hillside blocks add grading and slope-design standards. We pull the tree survey and zoning envelope for every address during design.
Why Hillstar
Why Hidden Hills Estates Choose Hillstar
Licensed since 2010, 5.0 on Houzz, and practiced at moving three approval tracks on a single schedule.
A Timeline That Survives Review
Approval steps are built into the schedule from day one, then tracked with the same discipline as the build itself.
Costs on the Table Early
The itemized written quote lands before work starts; scope changes are priced and signed before they happen.
Estate-Grade Materials
Luxury fixture lines, imported stone, and custom millwork suited to estate properties, sourced from trusted vendors.
Inside Knowledge of the Gates
The City of Hidden Hills building process, HHCA architectural review, the gated streets, and the community's equestrian-zone Mediterranean, Spanish, and Tudor estates — all familiar ground.
A Written Guarantee
Hillstar's workmanship warranty is part of every Hidden Hills contract — on paper.
One Team at the Table
Design, permits, construction, and inspections stay with the same in-house crew and one contact.
Our process
How an Estate Remodel Proceeds
Four stages, with the three-track approvals folded in.
1
Free In-Home Consultation
We tour the estate with you, measure, and map which approvals the scope will touch.
2
Design & Permits
Drawings and materials develop in-house alongside the County, City, and HHCA submittals.
3
Build & Inspections
Our crew builds; inspectors are scheduled and met by us at every stage.
4
Walkthrough & Warranty
A joint final walkthrough, punch-list closure, and the written workmanship warranty in hand.
Design examples
Home Remodel Design Examples
Examples of whole-home remodel styles and layouts.
Reviews
Client Words, Verified on Houzz
Houzz-verified reviews from Hillstar homeowners.
“Lior is a fantastic general contractor. He has tremendous work ethic and strong attention to detail.”
J. GlaserHouzz · June 2017
“Hillstar's crew was courteous, prompt, and worked hard to make every detail exactly what we wanted.”
Hillstar ClientHouzz · Verified
5.0 · 17 verified reviews on Houzz
FAQ
Hidden Hills Remodel Questions, Answered
The approvals, the trees, the timeline — what Hidden Hills owners want to know.
Who approves a Hidden Hills remodel — the city, the County, or the HHCA?
All three, in parallel. Hidden Hills is a small incorporated city whose Building and Safety, Planning and Engineering services are provided under contract by Transtech, so the building permit and inspections run through the City of Hidden Hills Building and Safety Department. Zoning and site design review belongs to City of Hidden Hills Planning. And because the community's CC&Rs give the Hidden Hills Community Association (HHCA) architectural authority, exterior work goes through HHCA review as well. Hillstar carries the County, City, and HHCA tracks together so the project moves on one timeline.
Which parts of a whole-home remodel draw HHCA architectural review?
Anything the community can see. A whole-home remodel usually touches the exterior — new windows or altered fenestration, stucco recoloring, siding or cladding changes, roof replacement, front-yard hardscape, entry-gate redesign, landscape integration — and significant exterior-visible changes on R-1 properties commonly trigger HHCA architectural review and/or the city's Single-Family Residential design-review pathway. A change visible from the common areas, the gates, or the equestrian trail corridor goes through HHCA. We determine the pathway during design and handle the submissions.
Do trees, setbacks, or lot-coverage rules limit what we can build?
They shape it. Hidden Hills protects mature specimen trees — oak, sycamore, and certain other natives — so staging, foundation work, and utility trenching near root zones need a tree-protection plan before construction. Front-yard setbacks, lot-coverage limits, and floor-area-ratio rules for R-1 properties define the buildable envelope, and hillside blocks layer grading and slope-design standards on top. We pull the protected-tree survey and the zoning envelope for every address at design, so the plan is drawn inside what's permissible.
Is living at home through the remodel realistic?
On phased scope, yes — a wing at a time or a floor at a time, with dust barriers, sealed work zones, protected finished areas, and a clean site at day's end. On a full estate-wide rebuild that pulls plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all the way back to rough-in, most Hidden Hills families choose between relocating for the noisy months and a livable-wing plan set before demolition. Either way, the decision gets made at the consultation with realistic expectations.
What goes into the price of a Hidden Hills whole-home remodel?
Scale, design, property condition, the three-track review scope, materials, and finish level. Once we have walked the property, you get an itemized written cost breakdown, so the design can be weighed against your priorities line by line.
Hillstar services for Hidden Hills
Estate and home remodeling nearby
Bring Us the Idea; We'll Bring the Map
A free consultation covers scope, the County-City-HHCA pathway, and an itemized written estimate.