Los Angeles Building
Design
& Permit Plans
Where Vision Meets Structure
Decade-proven expertise in residential and commercial building design. Over 1,500 projects delivered across Los Angeles County — from custom homes to multi-family developments to ground-up commercial spaces.
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Most Clients Find Us
When Something’s Wrong
In the last decade, we’ve designed and permitted over 1,500 projects across Los Angeles County. A significant number of those started with a phone call from someone whose project was stuck, failing, or rejected. These are the problems we solve every week.
Plans Rejected at Plan Check
Your plans have been through multiple rounds of corrections and the list keeps growing. We take over stalled projects, identify the real code issues, and get them approved.
Difficult Hillside & Slope Lots
Other designers said it can’t be built. We’ve gotten ADUs and homes approved on slope lots, at the toe of hillsides, and on sites most firms walk away from.
Commission & Design Review Boards
Mount Washington, historic overlays, specific plan areas — we know the procedural requirements and submission formats that get projects through discretionary review.
Unpermitted Additions & Legalization
Unpermitted work threatening a sale or refinance? We prepare as-built documentation, analyze code compliance, and navigate the legalization process.
Zoning & Code Misunderstandings
Misclassified building types, incorrect setback calculations, overlooked overlay zones — the technical mistakes that kill projects before they start.
Taking Over From Another Designer
We regularly inherit projects mid-stream. We assess what’s salvageable, fix what’s broken, and finish what someone else couldn’t.
Built on a Decade
of Delivering
Design 1 Studio didn’t become one of LA County’s most trusted design firms by accident. For over ten years, we’ve been the team that owners, developers, and investors call when the project has to be done right — and done completely. We don’t walk away. We don’t hand off. We see every single project through from first concept to final approval.
While other firms come and go, we’ve remained a constant in this industry because we understand something fundamental: your project is your livelihood, your investment, your future. We treat it that way. With over 1,500 residential and commercial projects behind us, we bring the kind of experience that can’t be faked or fast-tracked.
We’re not a one-person operation working out of a spare bedroom. Design 1 Studio Inc. is a fully established, incorporated design firm with the track record, the expertise, and the staying power to prove it.
A Decade of
Delivered Projects
From modern ADUs to Spanish Revival estates, every project reflects our commitment to thoughtful design and meticulous execution.
Full-Scope Design
Services
From initial sketches to permit-ready construction documents, we handle every phase of the design process for residential and commercial projects throughout Los Angeles County.
Custom Home Design
Ground-up residential design for single-family homes, from modern minimalist to Mediterranean revival. Complete plans engineered for LA County permitting and construction.
ADU & Guest House Design
Pioneers in Accessory Dwelling Unit design since California’s landmark legislation. Garage conversions, detached units, and junior ADUs — we’ve done them all, hundreds of times over.
Multi-Family & Multi-Story
Duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings, and mixed-use developments. We understand density, zoning, and how to maximize value on every square foot of your lot.
Commercial Tenant Improvements
Restaurants, retail, offices, and industrial spaces. We create functional commercial environments that meet code requirements and reflect your brand identity.
Home Remodels & Additions
Room additions, second stories, kitchen and bath redesigns, and whole-home renovations. We seamlessly blend new construction with existing structures.
Permit & Plan Check
We prepare complete construction document packages and navigate the plan check process with LA County, City of LA, and surrounding jurisdictions. No surprises, no delays.


LA’s Most
Experienced
ADU Design Firm
When California passed its groundbreaking ADU legislation, most firms were scrambling to figure out the rules. We were already drawing plans. Design 1 Studio was among the very first to specialize in Accessory Dwelling Units, and we’ve been at the forefront of every regulatory update since.
From 400-square-foot junior ADUs to two-story detached units, from garage conversions to new construction — we’ve designed hundreds of ADUs across virtually every city and jurisdiction in LA County. We know the setbacks, the height limits, the parking exemptions, and the utility requirements inside and out.
Start to Finish
Every project follows our proven four-phase process — a system refined over ten years and 1,500+ projects to eliminate guesswork and keep your build on track.
We listen first. Free initial consultation to understand your vision, evaluate your property, and discuss feasibility, budget, and timeline.
Preliminary layouts, site plans, and design concepts developed in close collaboration with you. We refine until it’s exactly right.
Complete, permit-ready plan sets including structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordination. Engineered and ready for submission.
We submit, we handle plan check corrections, and we support you through construction. We don’t disappear after the plans are drawn.
This Is Not a Side Hustle
Design 1 Studio was built to last. We’ve been here for ten years, we’ll be here for ten more, and every project we take on gets the full weight of our experience and commitment. Period.
100% project completion rate. Every project. Every time. We don’t abandon timelines and we don’t leave clients hanging.
A decade navigating LA County’s building codes, zoning laws, and permitting processes. We know what gets approved and what doesn’t.
Incorporated. Insured. Established. We put our name on everything we produce because we stand behind the quality of our work.
Every Corner of
LA County & Beyond
We’ve submitted plans to virtually every jurisdiction in Los Angeles County. We know the plan check process, the local code interpretations, and the specific submission requirements for each. When your city has quirks — and they all do — we’ve already navigated them.
City of Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Inglewood, Hawthorne
Long Beach, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Carson, Lakewood, Cerritos, La Mirada, Norwalk, Downey, Whittier, Bellflower, Paramount, Compton, Gardena
Pomona, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Diamond Bar, Walnut, Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Baldwin Park, West Puente Valley, Irwindale, Industry
Don’t see your city? Call us. If it’s in LA County — or neighboring counties — we’ve almost certainly worked there.
Let’s Build
Something
Ready to move forward? Whether you have a fully formed vision or just the seed of an idea, we’re here to help you develop it into a reality. Your first consultation is free.
Pasadena · Arcadia · Glendale · Long Beach · and 80+ more cities
Weekends by appointment
