Home services in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles at a glance

Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s and 1920s fill neighborhoods like Highland Park, West Adams and Eagle Rock. LA's soft-story retrofit ordinance has required thousands of wood apartment buildings with tuck-under parking to be strengthened. The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged buildings across the Valley and changed how the region approaches retrofits.

LADWP is the largest city-owned utility in the country, supplying both water and electricity. Older homes often have raised wood foundations over a crawl space, while newer ones sit on concrete slabs. Summers are dry and hot, especially in the Valley, while the coast stays milder under the marine layer.

Santa Ana winds in the fall raise fire danger, and hillside areas in very high fire hazard zones have brush clearance rules. Accessory dwelling units, many of them garage conversions, have gone up across the city since state law eased the rules.

Local utilities and rules

LADWP supplies water from the Los Angeles Aqueduct, local groundwater and supplies imported through the Metropolitan Water District. Wastewater goes to LA Sanitation, which runs the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supplies electricity, and natural gas comes from SoCalGas. Building permits are handled by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.