Los Angeles Craftsmanship, Built Around the Way You Live

From a Two-Person Carpentry Crew to a Full-Service Builder

Elliott Construction Group began in 1987 the way many of the best building companies do: with a small crew, a truck full of tools and a reputation for finish carpentry that architects and homeowners kept recommending to their friends. Those early years were spent on stair rails, built-ins and trim work in older Westside homes, where nothing is perfectly square and every detail has to be fitted by hand.

That attention to detail is what led clients to ask for more. Kitchens came next, then full bathrooms, then whole-house remodels, additions and eventually ground-up custom homes. The scale of the work has grown, but the standard has not changed. We still believe that the parts of a home you touch every day, like a cabinet door, a stair tread or a shower threshold, deserve the same care as the structure behind the walls.

Today we work across the communities that define Southern California living, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Malibu, Encino, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. Each of these places has its own building department, its own architectural character and, just as importantly, its own weather. Understanding those differences is a big part of what we do.

What Nearly Four Decades of LA Weather Has Taught Us

People think of Los Angeles as having no weather. Anyone who builds here knows better. The climate changes block by block, from foggy beachfront mornings to 100-degree afternoons in the Valley, and from still summer days to Santa Ana wind events that can turn a canyon dangerous in hours. A home that lasts is a home designed for the specific conditions around it. Here is how that shapes our work:

• Coastal homes need protection from salt and moisture. In Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica and Playa del Rey, the marine layer that locals call May Gray and June Gloom keeps surfaces damp for weeks at a time, and salt in the air corrodes ordinary metal quickly. We specify stainless steel fasteners, coated structural connectors, marine-grade hardware and finishes rated for coastal exposure, especially on decks, balconies and exterior doors.
• Canyon and hillside homes need protection from wind and embers. Santa Ana winds are hot, dry and fast, and they can carry burning embers far ahead of a wildfire. In fire hazard severity zones we build to California Building Code Chapter 7A, which means ember-resistant vents, Class A roof assemblies, tempered dual-pane glazing and ignition-resistant materials close to the house.
• Our dry season is our building season. Most of the rain in Los Angeles falls between late November and March, while May through October is usually almost completely dry. We plan roofing, framing and exterior openings for the dry months whenever we can, and we schedule interior work for the wetter months, so a house is never left exposed to a winter storm.
• Inland heat is a design problem, not just a comfort problem. In Encino, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, late-summer and early-fall heat waves regularly push temperatures past 100°F. We plan glazing, insulation, shading and heat-pump systems so new rooms stay comfortable and meet California’s 2025 Energy Code.

How We Work Differently

Most homeowners who call us have either been through a difficult remodel before or have heard the stories from friends. The complaints are almost always the same: nobody answers the phone, the price keeps changing, and the schedule slips without explanation. Our process is built specifically to prevent those problems.

One project manager, from start to finish

Every project is assigned a dedicated project manager who stays with you from the first site visit through the final walk-through. You will always know who to call, and that person will know your project in detail. There are no hand-offs between a salesperson, an estimator and a site supervisor who have never spoken to each other.

Fixed-price proposals with no surprises

Before any work begins, we provide a detailed, line-item proposal that spells out the scope, the materials, the allowances and the payment schedule. If you decide to change something during construction, the change is priced and approved in writing before it is built. You will never receive an invoice for work you did not agree to.

Permits handled for you

Permitting in Southern California is complicated because every city runs its own process. We prepare and submit permit packages to the right agency, whether that is the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the City of Beverly Hills, the City of Santa Monica, the City of Malibu, Los Angeles County or a Ventura County city such as Thousand Oaks. We also plan for Coastal Development Permits when a property sits in the coastal zone.

In-house design support

Our design consultants help you make decisions about layouts, materials, fixtures and finishes, and they keep those decisions practical by checking them against budget, lead times and code requirements. If you already have an architect or interior designer, we work alongside them and price the design as it develops, so the plans you approve are plans you can afford to build.

Respect for your home and your neighbors

Many of our clients live at home during construction. We protect floors and finished areas, set up dust barriers, keep job sites clean at the end of every day and follow local construction-hour rules. In tight neighborhoods, we coordinate deliveries and parking so the work does not become a burden on the people next door.

Our Standards for Quality and Accountability

Quality is not a single inspection at the end of a job. It is a series of checks built into every stage. We flood-test shower pans before tile is installed, photograph framing and waterproofing before walls are closed, and walk every finished room with you to build a punch list before we consider the work complete. Every project is backed by a written workmanship warranty, because our relationship with your home does not end when the last tool leaves the site.

We also encourage every homeowner to verify any contractor before hiring, including us. California’s Contractors State License Board lets you look up a license, its status and its insurance details at cslb.ca.gov. A reputable builder will always welcome that kind of due diligence.

Where We Build

Our work is concentrated on the Westside, along the Malibu coast, in the San Fernando Valley and across the Conejo Valley. Recent projects include a custom estate in Thousand Oaks, an arched spa shower in Encino, a modern staircase and interior renovation in Pacific Palisades, an oceanview deck and balcony rebuild in Malibu, and a detached garage with an ADU in Westlake Village. You can explore those projects and the communities we serve on our Service Areas page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: November 2026 by the Elliott Construction Group team. Building codes and permit rules change often; we confirm current requirements for your property before design begins.