Hidden Hills, Los Angeles County
Beams, footings and remodels in Hidden Hills
When a Hidden Hills wall comes out, Aspenwell Construction sizes the beam, posts and footings, and plans ember-resistant details where the fire maps reach.
Can the wall between the kitchen and the living room come out, and what will carry the ceiling once it is gone? That question is worth settling before a Hidden Hills remodel gets drawn. Our answer starts at the top of the wall and works down: the joists or rafters resting on it, a beam an engineer has sized, a post at each end, and concrete under each post that can take the weight.
Following the weight to the ground
Once a bearing wall is gone, its load no longer spreads along the floor. It collects in the beam and drops through the posts, so each post lands as a point of concentrated weight. A slab poured for an ordinary floor is usually too thin to take that, which is why we open a small patch at each post location and measure the concrete and what lies below it. If the lot slopes, the engineer also checks how a new pad meets the grade. The drawings then show every connection, from the beam hanger down to the anchor in the footing.
Ember rules where the fire maps reach
Where a Hidden Hills lot sits on a mapped fire hazard zone, an exterior wall opened for a beam or post may need to be closed again under ember-resistance rules. In practice that points to vents with fine metal mesh, siding that will not burn near the ground, and eaves boxed in solid. We look up the parcel on the fire hazard maps before the drawings are finished, so those details are on the sheets from the start. The building department serving this Los Angeles County city then reviews the structural set, and an inspector sees the beam, posts and footings while they are still open.
What we build in Hidden Hills
Structural work comes first on this list, and every service starts with a look at the framing and foundation.
Cities close by
Plan structural work in Hidden Hills
Send the form and we will arrange a visit, then put the scope in writing.