In Los Angeles, exterior paint on a typical house runs $8,000 to $20,000, re-stucco $15,000 to $40,000, window replacement $900 to $2,000 per window installed, a new composition roof $15,000 to $35,000, and a full facade transformation with new openings and cladding $75,000 to $250,000 or more.
The best return per dollar
Paint, a new front door, exterior lighting, house numbers and cleaned-up landscaping edges. That package changes how a property reads from the street for a fraction of what structural work costs. On an apartment building, the same refresh supports better rents at turnover.
What needs a permit
Roofing. New or enlarged openings. Decks over 30 inches. Retaining walls over a certain height. Anything structural. Paint, gutters and retrofit windows in the same opening generally do not.
Los Angeles County figures, reviewed 2026-10-29 by America General Contractors, California contractor licence CSLB 1083262. Planning ranges, not a quote, and not legal advice. We confirm the current rules for your parcel before anything gets drawn.
