Quick answer: Los Angeles has more than 30 designated Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), concentrated in neighborhoods like Angelino Heights, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, West Adams, Highland Park, and Whitley Heights — plus Pasadena’s separately-administered historic districts like Bungalow Heaven. If your property sits inside one, exterior changes need extra review. APLA Construction (CA Lic #1136359) renovates homes in HPOZs throughout Greater Los Angeles.
An HPOZ doesn’t freeze your house in time or block you from renovating — it adds a design review step for changes visible from the public right-of-way. Interior renovations are almost always unaffected. For the cost and process side of a historic renovation, see our historic home renovation cost guide; this guide focuses specifically on where LA’s HPOZs are, so you can find out early whether your property — or one you’re considering buying — falls inside one.
This is a representative list, not the complete citywide inventory — if you’re not sure whether your specific property is inside an HPOZ boundary, APLA can help you confirm it with LA City Planning before you invest in design work.
Remember that several LA-area cities run their own planning departments entirely separate from the City of LA’s HPOZ program (see our building permit guide for the full list of independent cities). Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven is one of the best-known historic districts in the entire region, and Pasadena has several other designated districts as well. Long Beach maintains historic districts including Rose Park and Bluff Park. Each city runs its own review process, separate from LA City Planning’s HPOZ Board.
LA City Planning maintains the official list and boundary maps for all designated HPOZs, searchable by address. APLA checks this as part of the initial site evaluation for any renovation project on an older home, since it affects both the design approach and the permit timeline.
No. It means exterior changes visible from the street go through an additional design review step — a Certificate of Appropriateness — before or alongside your building permit. Interior work generally isn’t affected at all.
It adds a review step beyond standard plan check, though the exact timeline varies by the scope of exterior work proposed. APLA accounts for this in the project schedule from the start rather than treating it as a surprise mid-project.
The construction itself isn’t inherently more expensive, but matching historic materials and details (period-appropriate windows, siding profiles, trim) can add cost compared to standard modern materials. See our historic home renovation cost guide for typical ranges.
APLA Construction has experience renovating homes inside LA’s HPOZs and Pasadena’s historic districts, and can help you understand what design review will involve before you commit to a project.
Call: (818) 818-4419
Email: info@aplaconstruction.com
CA General Contractor License #1136359