4,200 sq ft Hillside Rebuild — Caisson Foundation, Highlands

A steep hillside lot, a complex foundation, and a family that needed to come home

The Highlands lot was one of the most technically complex fire rebuild projects we managed in 2025–2026. The lot drops nearly 40 feet from street to rear property line. The previous home used a partial caisson foundation — a system that worked for decades but needed to be redesigned from scratch to meet current grading and seismic standards.

We commissioned the soils and geology report on day one — before design began, before permits were discussed. The geotechnical report took 10 weeks. During those 10 weeks, the architectural design was finalized, structural engineering was completed, and permit applications were prepared. When the soils report arrived, the foundation design was ready to incorporate it immediately. The result: zero waiting time between report delivery and permit submission.

We submitted simultaneously to LADBS, the LA County Grading Division, and the HOA. Grading Division review — which many contractors submit to after LADBS approval — ran in parallel and was approved 3 weeks before the LADBS building permit.

The construction — what a hillside rebuild actually involves

Hillside construction in the Palisades is fundamentally different from flat-lot work. Access to the rear of the lot required a temporary construction road cut into the slope — permitted and restored as part of the grading scope. Material delivery required crane lifts for the caisson steel and ready-mix concrete for the grade beams.

The framing crew worked in phases from the lowest point of the lot upward — each level needing to be structurally complete before the next could be started. Temporary shoring throughout the process. All exterior framing used fire-retardant-treated lumber per the WUI code requirements for the wall assemblies.

The finished home has canyon views from every level. The primary suite on the top floor has a private deck overlooking the mountains. The ground floor opens to the rear yard on the downslope side — a layout that was impossible in the original 1970s home but achievable in the rebuild.

Completed exterior from the street — fiber cement cladding, Class A tile, mountain views

Caisson foundation under construction — 32 caissons drilled to bedrock

Canyon and mountain views from the primary suite deck