Nick Yahoodain • January 1, 2024

What You Need to Know Before Starting Hillside Construction in Los Angeles, CA

There's something alluring about building a home on a hillside. It opens up so many different design options and allows you to build something truly unique. 


There are also challenges that come with building on sloped land. As long as you learn about these issues in advance, you can incorporate solutions into your design.



Know the Grade and Shape of the Slope

Before you begin to design your hillside construction in Los Angeles, you must know the grade and shape of the hill. In addition to helping your contractor comply with codes and regulations, this information will help in designing your foundation walls. 


Additionally, you'll need enough soil or gravel to fill in support for the foundation. This requires knowing how much space you will need to fill. If you don't have enough fill material, the entire construction can get delayed.


Test the Soil Texture for Your Hillside Construction in Los Angeles

Evaluating the soil texture involves measuring the amount of sand, clay, and other soil types in the ground. The most important reason for doing this is to determine how soil texture will affect your foundation.


Additionally, knowing the soil texture will help you with your landscaping plans. Grass, flowers, and foliage all require specific types of soil. The soil texture will determine whether the ground has the right density, moisture, and nutrients to support your landscaping plans.


Determine Whether You Face Risks of Mudslides or Flooding

The risks of flooding and mudslides are more serious when doing hillside construction in Los Angeles. That's because a mudslide or flood can destroy a hillside home. Work with your contractor to determine these risks.


Factors that increase the risks for mudslides and flooding are:

  • Nearby water sources, such as streams or rivers
  • Poor soil texture
  • Weather performance (i.e., heavy rainfall) over the most recent seasons


These factors will help determine whether you can move forward with the construction. For this reason, these are factors to consider before buying sloped land for development.


Trust Our Experienced Home Building Team

Advanced Builders and Contractors have built many hillside homes during our 17 years in the industry. We'll help you build a beautiful hillside home that will stand the test of time. Contact us to request an estimate.


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