What an apartment building costs in Sherman Oaks (2026)

Building a duplex, a fourplex, a 12-unit walk-up or a mid-rise in Sherman Oaks? Or adding ADUs to an apartment building you own? Hemisphere A&E checks how many units your lot allows, then designs, permits and builds it. Here are typical numbers, the laws that can add units, and your next step.

Typical apartment numbers in Sherman Oaks

• A 12-unit walk-up with 750 sq ft units costs about $4.8 million to build, or about $401,000 a unit, all in: building, parking, site work, city fees, design and construction loan interest. Land is extra.
• New units in areas like Sherman Oaks rent for about $4.80 per sq ft, or about $3,600 a month for 750 sq ft.
• To be worth more than it costs, a new building here needs rents of about $5.34 per sq ft a month.
• Adding 4 ADUs to an apartment building you own costs about $1 million and could add about $854,644 more in value than it costs.

Run the free apartment cost and unit count calculator for Sherman Oaks

Permits and laws that can add units in Sherman Oaks

Who runs permits

LA Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) handles building permits. LA City Planning handles zoning and CHIP.

More units on the same lot

The state density bonus can add up to 50% more units, and up to 100% with more affordable units. SB 684 and SB 1123 allow up to 10 small homes on one lot. AB 2011 allows apartments on many commercial lots. SB 79 allows taller buildings near major transit. SB 1211 allows up to 8 detached ADUs on a lot with existing apartments. In the City of LA, CHIP adds more.

What can slow you down

• Parking adds $25,000 to $45,000 or more per space. Near major transit it is often not required.
• Tearing down rent-controlled units can trigger replacement and tenant rules.
• Hillside, fire zone and historic rules can lower the unit count.

Free lot check in Sherman Oaks

Send Hemisphere A&E your address. We look up your zoning and lot size, what fits (ADU, junior ADU, SB 9, new home, apartments, remodel or business space), red flags like fire zones or hillside rules, and a rough cost range. No cost, no pressure. Email info@hemisphereae.com or call (619) 762-7144.

More cost guides for Sherman Oaks

• What an ADU costs in Sherman Oaks
• What a new home costs in Sherman Oaks
• What a restaurant, shop or office build-out costs in Sherman Oaks

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