The American Home Magazine: SoCal Home and Outdoor Guides

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Remodeled backyard with a stepping-stone path, drought-tolerant plants, a lounge area and an outdoor dining table (design concept)

Hiring a Pro

How to Plan a Backyard Remodel, Step by Step

A backyard remodel goes smoother when the big decisions come before the first shovel. Here is the order to make them in.

Spanish-style home behind a low white picket fence and a low stucco wall with an iron railing (design concept)

Outdoor Living

Fence Rules in Los Angeles: Height Limits and Permits

Most Los Angeles front yards allow fences up to 3½ feet, side and rear yards allow more, and some walls need a building permit. Here is how the rules fit together.

Hillside succulent garden with agave, gravel paths and low drought-tolerant plants above the coast (design concept)

Outdoor Living

Fire-Resistant Landscaping: Plants and Layout for Southern California Yards

No plant is fireproof, but the right plants, spacing and upkeep make a yard much harder for embers and flames to cross. Here is how to plan one.

How to Save Money on a Home Remodel Without Cutting Corners

Mid-century modern ranch home with a water-wise front yard of ornamental grasses, agave and an olive tree behind a low stucco planter wall (design concept)

10 Front Yard Ideas for Southern California Homes That Use Less Water

Backyard patio with a modern pergola, wood coffee table and outdoor sofa in daylight (design concept)

12 Backyard Ideas from Southern California Homes

Small white board-and-batten backyard cottage with a porch, lemon tree and gravel path in daylight (design concept)

Building an ADU in Los Angeles: 2026 Costs, Rules and Timelines

Single-story stucco house with a gravel border and pavers in the first five feet

Zone 0 and Fire-Resistant Homes: What Southern California Homeowners Should Know

Covered patio with a wood dining table, wicker chairs and drought-tolerant plants in daylight (design concept)

Outdoor Living Costs in Los Angeles: 2026 Ranges for Patios, Pergolas and Outdoor Kitchens

Bathroom with a freestanding tub under a window, oak vanity and patterned cement tile floor (design concept)

Bathroom Remodel Cost in Los Angeles: 2026 Ranges and What Drives Them

Spanish-revival kitchen with blue-green cabinets, terracotta floor and plaster range hood (design concept)

Kitchen Remodel Cost in Los Angeles: 2026 Ranges and What Drives Them

Images are design concepts, not completed projects, unless noted.

The backyard is the new living room

From backyards to rooflines