Burbank Remodeling Contractor works in Toluca Lake, California, a neighborhood of roughly 10,000 people sitting two miles southwest of central Burbank along Riverside Drive. It is the closest neighborhood to our base and one where the work is generally at the higher end of what we do.
One thing to sort out before anything else: Toluca Lake straddles the Burbank border. Some parcels are City of Burbank and some are City of Los Angeles, and the two have completely different permitting paths. We check the parcel rather than the mailing address. Call (747) 330-0305 and we will confirm which jurisdiction your house is actually in.
Remodeling 1920s to 1950s Estate Homes in Toluca Lake
The housing here is mostly built between the 1920s and the 1950s: American Colonial, English Tudor, Spanish and Mediterranean Revival, alongside ranch homes by Robert Byrd, the designer often credited with inventing the California ranch. The oldest houses in the neighborhood go back to the mid-1920s.
That era means plaster walls, original steel casement windows, clay tile roofs and framing done by carpenters who worked to a standard. It also means knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines and, on many of these houses, a foundation that has never been bolted. A good Toluca Lake remodel preserves the first list and replaces the second, and telling the difference is most of the skill.
Building on Large Lots Without Sidewalks
Toluca Lake keeps a deliberately rural streetscape: wide streets with no curbs, no sidewalks and no streetlights, and many lots exceeding 11,000 square feet. That combination is unusual this close to two major studios and it shapes the projects.
The large lots make substantial additions, pool houses and detached structures genuinely feasible in a way they are not on a standard Valley parcel. The lack of curbs and sidewalks changes site logistics: staging happens on the property or it does not happen, and drainage has to be handled on site rather than into a gutter. On a street with no curb, where the runoff from a new roof and hardscape goes is a design question, not an afterthought.
Working Discreetly in a Studio Neighborhood
This has been a celebrity enclave for close to a century, from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby onward, and it is within walking distance of Warner Bros. and Universal. A meaningful share of the households here work in production, keep unusual hours, and value privacy considerably more than they value a contractor's yard sign.
In practice that means no photographs without written permission, no address in any marketing, crews briefed on discretion, a job site kept tight and clean, and deliveries scheduled so trucks are not parked across the street all afternoon. It also means the finish work has to be genuinely good, because these clients have seen a lot of construction.
What We Build in Toluca Lake
- Whole-house remodels of 1920s through 1950s Revival and ranch homes
- Large rear additions and primary suites on lots that can carry them
- Kitchen and bathroom gut remodels with period-appropriate detail
- Pool houses, guest suites and detached backyard structures
- Restoration of plaster, steel casement windows and original millwork
- Home theaters, screening rooms and soundproof edit and mix rooms
Talk to a Burbank general contractor about your project
Tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a straight answer on scope, permits, timeline and price.
Call (747) 330-0305Frequently asked questions
Is Toluca Lake in Burbank or Los Angeles?
Both, depending on the parcel. The neighborhood straddles the city line, so some addresses permit through the City of Burbank and others through LADBS. It changes the process, the fees and the timeline, so we verify the jurisdiction from the parcel record before quoting anything.
Can you match original steel casement windows?
Existing steel casements can usually be restored, reglazed and weatherstripped, which is generally the better outcome on a period Toluca Lake house. Where replacement is genuinely necessary, steel replacements matching the original sightlines exist, though they carry both a cost and a lead time worth knowing about early.
How do you handle privacy on a project?
No photographs without written permission, no addresses in any marketing, and crews briefed on discretion. We keep the site tight, schedule deliveries so trucks are not sitting on the street, and can work with a household's schedule when someone is keeping production hours.
How large an addition will a Toluca Lake lot take?
Many lots here exceed 11,000 square feet, which leaves substantial room compared with a standard Valley parcel. What governs is setbacks, lot coverage and floor area limits under the applicable jurisdiction, and since the neighborhood spans two of them, that answer depends on which side of the line you are on.