Custom home planning resource · Los Angeles County and the South Bay
Planning a custom home in West Hollywood
West Hollywood is fully electronic: Planning and Building and Safety accept applications only through the City's Permit & License Portal, with accounts for both applicant and owner. The City also publishes post-entitlement submittal information for new detached single-family homes, so an owner can see what Building expects after Planning approval before the design is fixed.
KB Remodeling takes new-home inquiries from owners planning here. Share the lot and the project; KB reviews scope, licensing and location for each inquiry before suggesting a next step.
Planning sequence
01
Create portal accounts for applicant and owner
Planning Counter Services requires accounts for both if they differ; paper plans are not accepted.
Official resource: West Hollywood · Planning counter servicesCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
02
Read post-entitlement requirements early
The City's post-entitlement page (per AB 2234, from January 1, 2024) covers detached single-family homes; use it to plan the construction set.
Official resource: West Hollywood · Residential post-entitlement submittalsCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
03
Submit plan check electronically
Building and Safety plan check is electronic only through the same portal.
Official resource: West Hollywood · Building and Safety plan check servicesCity-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
Each step links to the official page it comes from. Requirements differ by parcel; confirm with the agency.
Who reviews a new home here
West Hollywood is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County.
City of West Hollywood — Community Development: Current and Historic Preservation Planning and Building and Safety.
Local planning journey
Which planning question to resolve first here, and why it shapes the brief. Each answer comes from the cited City page or stays a question for staff.
Question 1
Are applicant and owner portal accounts set up?
Planning accepts only electronic submittals through the Permit & License Portal and requires both accounts when they differ.
source: West Hollywood · Planning counter servicesQuestion 2
Which Planning application applies, and is the building historic?
Ask Current and Historic Preservation Planning before design.
source: West Hollywood · Planning counter servicesQuestion 3
What does Building need after entitlement?
The post-entitlement page (AB 2234, from January 1, 2024) covers detached single-family homes.
source: West Hollywood · Residential post-entitlement submittals
Finding the current official checklist
Read the post-entitlement page before design so the construction set is planned from the start.
Owner evidence to gather first
- Portal accounts for applicant and owner
- Historic status of the existing building
- Shared-wall and access record
West Hollywood: entitlement, then post-entitlement
| Stage | Where |
|---|---|
| Planning application | Permit & License Portal (electronic only) |
| Post-entitlement building submittal | Same portal; requirements on the post-entitlement page |
Source: West Hollywood · Residential post-entitlement submittals
Local issues and the budget lines they touch
| Local issue | Budget line it affects |
|---|---|
| Entitlement | Planning drawings before construction set |
| Tight lots | Staging and neighbor protection |
No dollar amounts or local premiums are implied.
Cost drivers to confirm before pricing
| Issue | Fact that confirms it | Who answers | What a proposal should list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic review | Staff identification | Preservation planner | Historic documentation only if required |
| Shared walls | Existing-condition survey | Structural engineer | Neighbor protection and shoring lines |
Hypothetical: owners replacing a small house between two close neighbors plan staging and shoring with the engineer before Planning submittal, so post-entitlement drawings don't change the footprint.
What shapes the budget here
- Planning entitlement before construction drawings
- Shared-wall, staging and access planning on tight lots
- Historic review, only if staff identify a historic resource
These items affect cost; none is a price. See how to build a realistic budget: Custom home budget guide
Parcel questions to answer first
- Which Planning application applies to a new house on this parcel?
- Is the existing building a historic resource?
- What does the post-entitlement list require for this project type?
Gather before a first conversation
- Address or APN and recent site photos
- Survey, title report and prior permits if available
- Architect drawings, or a written list of rooms and priorities
- Target timing and how you plan to finance construction
Related guides: Buying land to build · Lot utility due diligence · Choosing a custom-home builder · 2025 Energy Code for new homes
Official sources
Each source shows what it covers and whether its passage was checked in our review.
- West Hollywood · Planning counter services
Electronic-only Planning submittals; applicant and owner accounts.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency - West Hollywood · Residential post-entitlement submittals
AB 2234 transparency page; includes detached single-family.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency - West Hollywood · Building and Safety plan check services
Electronic plan check through the portal.
City-wide guidance · Passage checked · supporting excerpt read through search results from the official page; confirm current instructions with the agency
3 of 3 official source passages checked (latest October 13, 2026).
Page content last updated:
Nearby places worth comparing
- Custom home planning in Beverly Hills — Neighboring city with its own review
- Custom home planning in Los Angeles — Surrounding City of LA