Custom Home Builder in Los Gatos

Los Gatos has one of the most diverse housing stocks in the South Bay. The downtown core and surrounding flatland neighborhoods feature Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Revival cottages, and modest ranches dating from the 1920s through the 1960s. Farther up into the hills, you find larger mid-century modern homes, contemporary estates, and newly built custom residences on wooded lots of an acre or more. This range of architectural character is part of what makes the town so appealing: no two blocks look the same, and there is room for both restoration and ground-up new construction.

Kitchen remodeling and whole-home renovations are the most common projects in Los Gatos proper, where homeowners want to modernize aging floor plans while preserving the exterior charm of their homes. ADU construction has surged in recent years as property owners take advantage of California's streamlined ADU laws to add rental income or multi-generational living space. In the hillside neighborhoods, custom home building and major additions dominate, with homeowners investing in designs that capture valley views and integrate indoor-outdoor living.

Building in Los Gatos requires careful navigation of the town's Hillside Development Standards, which apply to sloped properties and trigger geotechnical reports, grading plans, and additional setback requirements. Downtown and historic-adjacent areas also fall under the Architecture and Site Application review process for new construction and significant exterior changes. Tree removal permits are required for protected species, and the town takes landscaping and neighborhood compatibility seriously during plan review.

Homeowners invest heavily in Los Gatos real estate because the combination of top-rated schools, walkable downtown dining and shopping, and proximity to the Santa Cruz Mountains creates lasting demand. Properties that have been thoughtfully remodeled or custom built consistently outperform the market. With median home values near $2.8 million, even a well-executed kitchen remodel or ADU addition delivers strong returns relative to the cost of construction.