Brentwood Construction Company

As a trusted Brentwood construction company, Elcano builds custom homes, major additions, and whole-home renovations. We combine expert project management with craftsmanship tailored to canyon lots, the San Vicente flats, and surrounding hills.

About Brentwood, CA

Brentwood is a Westside neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The area is known for elegant, tree-lined streets, village-scale retail along San Vicente Boulevard, and canyon living in Mandeville and Sullivan Canyons. The neighborhood’s primary zip code is 90049.

Hollywood Hills Lifestyle & Highlights

Hollywood Hills features some well-known landmarks, such as:


  • Hollywood Bowl — An iconic outdoor amphitheater nestled in the Hills, open since 1922 and home to world-class concerts and events. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023
  • Yamashiro Historic District — A Japanese-inspired villa built in 1914, featuring ornate gardens and panoramic views, now operating as a beloved restaurant and cultural landmark
  • The Wisdom Tree — A lone pine that survived the 2007 Barham fire near the Hollywood Sign. It has become a symbol of resilience and a popular hiking destination
  • Hollywood Cross — A 32-foot steel cross atop Cahuenga Peak, visible from the 101 freeway that has been designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument


The area has also long been home to celebrities, musicians, and artists, including:


  • Christina Aguilera — Singer and actress
  • Chris Evans — Actor
  • Emily Blunt — Actress
  • Kevin Costner — Actor and director
  • Tim Allen — Actor and comedian
  • Anna Kendrick — Actress


Brentwood new home construction

Brentwood Lifestyle & Highlights

Everyday Brentwood can be described as green and gracious. A typical day could include eucalyptus-lined walks, hillside trailheads, and neighborhood parks. Evenings often center around San Vicente’s restaurants and patios. Below are some noteworthy landmarks in Brentwood:


  • The Getty Center - hilltop art museum and gardens at 1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049 with tram access and panoramic views
  • Skirball Cultural Center - museum and event campus at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 near the Sepulveda Pass
  • Barrington Recreation Center - neighborhood park and sports complex at 333 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049
  • Brentwood Country Club - private club and open green edge for the neighborhood at 590 S. Burlingame Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049
  • Brentwood Town Center / San Vicente - the walkable shopping and dining core along San Vicente Boulevard


Brentwood has been home to quite a few celebrities. Some well-known examples are:


  • Arnold Schwarzenegger has maintained a residence in Brentwood
  • Jennifer Garner owns a custom-built Brentwood home
  • LeBron James has owned multiple Brentwood properties
  • Gwyneth Paltrow owned a Mandeville Canyon (Brentwood) home that she purchased in 2012 and sold in 2025
  • Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart maintain an LA residence in Mandeville Canyon

Architecture in Brentwood

Brentwood blends classic and contemporary: mid-century and ranch houses on generous lots, Spanish and Mediterranean revival homes nearer the flats, and modern hillside residences emphasizing indoor-outdoor flow, especially in Mandeville Canyon and the surrounding ridgelines. What you see across the area includes:

Spanish & Mediterranean Revival - Stucco, red clay tile, arches, courtyards; prevalent in 1920s–30s Westside development and echoed in Brentwood Park and the flats

Traditional Revivals  - Tudor and Georgian notes on larger lots, especially near Brentwood Park and along estate streets off San Vicente 

Ranch & Mid-Century - Low rooflines, indoor–outdoor plans, post-and-beam; common in Mandeville Canyon and adjacent hillsides, with many 1950s–60s homes updated rather than replaced

Contemporary Hillside Modern - Glassy volumes, terraces, and high-performance envelopes tuned to wildfire and slope conditions in the canyons

Cultural Landmark Modernism - The Getty Center’s travertine-and-aluminum hilltop campus by Richard Meier anchors Brentwood’s architectural identity even beyond residential work.

Notable examples


  • Sturges House (1939), Frank Lloyd Wright - compact Usonian perched above Skyewiay Rd in Brentwood; a designated historic resource in the Brentwood–Pacific Palisades Community Plan Area
  • Mandeville Canyon post-war ranches - numerous mid-century ranch houses that showcase the canyon’s indoor–outdoor lifestyle. Many have been sensitively revamped in recent years
  • Getty Center (1997), Richard Meier –museum and gardens on a Santa Monica Mountains ridge are a defining late-modern complex visible across the Westside
  • Mid-century legacy under pressure - select Brentwood modernist residences have been replaced by larger new builds, illustrating the neighborhood’s evolving fabric (e.g., the 1950s Craig Ellwood “Zimmerman House” demolition reported in 2024)


Our Services in Los Angeles

What we build reflects how you live. From ground-up residences to expansions, we plan for access, soils, wildfire resilience, and performance from the start, so your project moves smoothly from concept to keys.

  • Custom Home Building

    new construction residences designed for your site and lifestyle

  • Major Additions & Whole-Home Renovations

    with our home remodeling services you can replan, expand, and elevate with minimal disruption

  • Hillside & Canyon Builds

    grading, shoring, caissons, and access logistics integrated from day one

  • Premium Exteriors

    window and door systems, weather-resistant assemblies, and energy upgrades for canyon microclimates

  • ADUs & Guest Houses

    compliant accessory dwelling units for multi-generational living or studio space

home construction company Brentwood

Building in Brentwood: Permitting & Regulations

Brentwood projects go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) using ePlanLA for digital plan check. On single-family homes, the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) and Baseline Hillside Ordinance (BHO) set limits on size, height, and grading. Many hillside parcels are mapped Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ), which add defensible-space and ignition-resistant construction requirements.


The bullets below show three main parts: permitting pathway (LADBS/ePlanLA), single-family development controls (BMO/BHO), and wildfire overlays (VHFHSZ). This helps you see what shapes a Brentwood home build.



  • LADBS & ePlanLA - electronic plan review, approvals, and permit issuance for City of LA projects
  • BMO/BHO - citywide ordinances regulating size, height, grading, and massing for single-family zones and hillsides
  • VHFHSZ - LAFD and City mapping of very high fire hazard areas that include parts of Brentwood’s hillsides


Why Choose Elcano as Your Brentwood Construction Company

We make the build process straightforward and strive for exceptional customer service. We handle permits, schedule and budget, and manage the work on site from start to finish. You get one point of contact and regular updates.

  • Local know-how: canyon access, hillside rules, and wildfire requirements in the Brentwood area
  • One team, one timeline: from pre-construction to final inspection
  • Quality control: licensed and skilled teams are supervised daily for fit and finish to ensure high-quality workmanship
  • Transparent costs: detailed estimates and clear change-order approvals
  • Clean, safe jobsites: respectful of neighbors, access, and parking
  • Clear communication: regular updates and milestone check-ins

Tailored Process & Expert Project Management


We deliver a fully integrated build process—from design and planning to completion—with a dedicated project lead guiding you through every step. Our approach helps manage considerations like terrain, view protection, and fire-zone regulations, so your project proceeds smoothly.

Building Permit & Rebuild Navigation in Fire Zones


Because of the 2025 fire, rebuilding in the Palisades requires extra sensitivity to debris removal, hazard mitigation, and updated local permitting rules. Elcano is prepared to help you work with new executive orders, fire codes, and expedited workflows to move more efficiently through approvals.

Tailored Process & Expert Project Management


A dedicated team member lead guides your construction project from zoning research, through project challenges, to final walk-through, ensuring continuity, communication, and a stress-free build.

City Expertise


From hillside foundations to coastal compliance and ADUs, our team understands LA’s codes, overlays, and review pathways.

Proven Methodology


Explore our phase-by-phase approach on the Build Process page to see how we take projects from vision to reality.

Proven Reputation & Client Satisfaction


Reviews by our clients underscore our professionalism, clear communication, and craftsmanship, even in complex projects. See what some of our clients have to say about us.

“Stefano from Elcano construction assisted me with an extremely difficult renovation project at my apartment building. He and his team were extremely professional, and we passed all inspections on the first time around. His workmanship exceeded my expectations.”


— Mike W.

“Elcano Construction went above and beyond! Their professionalism and attention to detail were outstanding. They kept me informed throughout the project and delivered exceptional results on time and within budget. Highly recommend them!”


— Nathan M.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Stefano and his team and have been thoroughly impressed with their operation, start to finish, top to bottom. Excellent communication, fast response times, a wide range of skill sets and most importantly, top‑notch workmanship & a finished product. Just a real talent and a breath of fresh air, in an industry that is filled with mediocrity. Frankly a 5‑star rating does not do your operation proper justice! … Thank you, Stefano & Elcano for being truly exceptional! Keep up the great work!”


— Allen R Sotheby’s International Realty

“We have been working with Stefano and the Elcano team for over a year now and cannot say enough great things about our experience. They have been among the most professional and easy to work with construction companies, that we’ve ever worked with! This is even through the extremely stressful times that LA has recently encountered. I highly recommend Elcano Construction!”


— Michael S. 

Brentwood Construction FAQs

  • Do you build in both the Brentwood flats and the hillside canyons?

    Yes. We plan for access, grading, shoring, and caissons in canyons like Mandeville, and we manage scale, massing, and neighborhood context on the San Vicente flats.

  • What permits do Brentwood projects typically require?

    Single-family projects are permitted through LADBS using ePlanLA, with additional reviews based on scope. The Baseline Mansionization Ordinance and Baseline Hillside Ordinance often apply, and many hillside parcels fall within Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which adds wildfire-resilient requirements

  • How long does LADBS plan check take before RTI?

    Timelines vary by scope and corrections. We streamline submittals and outside clearances to reach RTI (Ready-To-Issue) then pull the permit so construction can begin

  • Do you handle ADUs and guest houses in Brentwood?

    Yes. We are ADU contractors and we design and build detached, attached, or garage-conversion ADUs that comply with Los Angeles zoning rules and building code

  • What is RTI?

    RTI means Ready-To-Issue: your permit has cleared plan check and outside sign-offs, and can be issued to a licensed general contractor so your residential building construction can start.

  • Do Brentwood hillsides require special wildfire measures?

    Many hillside parcels are mapped in VHFHSZ by the City of Los Angeles. We coordinate defensible space, ignition-resistant construction details, and LAFD-related clearances as part of permitting

  • What does “fit and finish” mean?

    “Fit and finish” is how well things come together and how good they look and feel once installed.

    • Fit: parts align, meet cleanly, and work smoothly. i.e. doors hang square, reveals are even, tile lines up, cabinets are flush, hardware operates without rubbing
    • Finish: surfaces and details are completed to a high standard. i.e. paint is uniform, stain tone matches, caulk lines are neat, grout joints are consistent, trim corners are tight

    Why it matters

    • Better durability and fewer callbacks
    • A cleaner, more cohesive look
    • Smooth day-to-day use of the space

    How we manage it at Elcano

    • Detailed shop drawings and mockups before install
    • Laser layout and templates for alignment
    • Daily supervision of trades with punch lists by room
    • Final quality walk-through to catch and correct small imperfections

Ready to Build in Brentwood?

As your Brentwood construction company, Elcano brings seasoned project management and local know-how to every build, from early feasibility and budgeting through LADBS plan check, RTI, and final walk-through. Whether you’re planning a ground-up custom home, a thoughtful addition, or a home property renovation, we coordinate the details, communicate clearly, and deliver craftsmanship you can feel every day. Ready to talk about your site and goals?


Contact us for a consultation today and let’s bring your Los Angeles vision to life.