New Construction in Hidden Hills, Measured Against Embers
A new Hidden Hills house that starts with a measured walk around the planned walls, so ember-resistant ground, vents and eaves are priced from day one.
Our tape comes out first on a cleared Hidden Hills parcel, marking the ground that will touch the new walls before any price is written. Some parcels in Hidden Hills lie within mapped fire hazard zones, and a lot inside one may carry ember-resistance requirements beyond the standard code. What we record on that walk, from planting beds and fence lines to a deck footprint or a firewood spot, shows how far those rules reach into the house and yard.
The ground next to the walls
Embers that drift ahead of a fire tend to gather in corners and against the base of a wall, where dry leaves and mulch catch them. On a rebuild we plan that first stretch of ground as a noncombustible surface such as concrete, pavers or rock, kept free of shrubs and bark. A wood fence that would meet the house ends in a metal or masonry panel, so flame has no path along it to the siding. Gates, bins and the hose bib are placed with the same care, and the site plan shows every piece so the hardscape sits inside the written scope.
What the walk changes on the house
Our measurements shape the building itself too. Eaves over planted ground are drawn enclosed, and a deck near the walls gets a decking material that meets the code's ignition-resistance tests, with the area below left open to sweep. Attic and crawlspace openings get listed ember-resistant vents. Exterior wall coverings come from materials the wildfire chapter of the building code accepts, such as stucco or fiber cement, and each window gets tempered glass in at least one pane. The plan reviewer at the building department that serves Hidden Hills compares each of these items with the code that applies to the parcel.
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Start with whether the parcel shows up on the state fire hazard maps, since that sets how far the ember rules reach. The boundary survey, any soils work and a sketch of the earlier house, with its water, power and gas connections, come next. Any city design standards or homeowners association rules belong in the same packet.
Pricing arrives as a pair of written numbers. Planning takes in design coordination, engineering, the ember-resistant detailing and the permit. Construction, drawn from the approved plans, runs from the foundation upward, and each stage waits for the one before it to pass inspection. A short written note marks every handoff.
Our office books and sequences each of them. The surveyor maps the parcel, the soils engineer sites borings from that map, and the structural engineer works from the two reports. Should the fire department want to see access or water supply for the parcel, we put that package together as well and keep everyone on one calendar.
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