Infinity pool, covered patio, and outdoor kitchen overlooking the ocean at South Shores Home in Rolling Hills Estates

Residential

Rolling Hills Estates backyard remodel.

Infinity pools, outdoor kitchens, covered patios, and landscape on Rolling Hills Estates lots, designed around the city's view rules and built by one licensed team.

Why rolling hills estates backyard remodel

A backyard remodel built for Rolling Hills Estates

Rolling Hills Estates has some of the most generous lots on the Peninsula: room for a pool, an outdoor kitchen, a covered patio, and still a lawn, often with an ocean or canyon view. A backyard remodel in Rolling Hills Estates goes through two reviews and the city's view rules. DECOMA designs and builds the whole yard under one license and plans for both from the first sketch.

We've built one here. South Shores Home has a black-tiled infinity pool facing the ocean, a covered patio framing it, an outdoor kitchen with a stone island and bar seating, a glass-railed deck, and a side-yard outdoor shower. The photos on this page are from that project.

Two review tracks: the city and Willdan

Rolling Hills Estates doesn't run its own building department. Planning is handled at City Hall, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, and plan check and inspection go through Willdan. A pool, a covered patio, or an outdoor kitchen with gas and electrical goes through both. We submit one package drawn to satisfy both reviews, so corrections come back in one round instead of several.

Views and neighborhood compatibility

New structures and additions in Rolling Hills Estates are reviewed under the city's View Preservation and Neighborhood Compatibility ordinances. A pergola, pool house, or raised deck that might block a neighbor's view can trigger an inspection and a Planning Commission hearing. We design height, placement, and railings against neighbors' sightlines, which is also why South Shores uses glass railings: they keep the view open for everyone.

Peninsula lots and equestrian neighborhoods

Lots here slope, so pools and terraces need soils reports, engineered retaining, and drainage that sends water somewhere safe. In the equestrian neighborhoods, fencing, trail easements, and the look of any outbuilding come with their own expectations. We build to match them and plan staging so the job doesn't take over a lane that horses use.

What we build in Rolling Hills Estates

Infinity-edge and custom pools and spas. We've built more than 1,000 pools.
Outdoor kitchens and fire features.
Covered patios, pergolas, and glass-railed decks.
Hardscape, retaining walls, and drainage on sloped lots.
Landscape, irrigation, and low-voltage lighting.
Pool houses, outdoor showers, saunas, and cold plunges.

See the full outdoor living program, or pools and outdoor kitchens. We also serve the rest of Rolling Hills Estates, plus backyards in Palos Verdes Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes.

From the field

South Shores Home, Rolling Hills Estates.

Recent photos from current DECOMA jobs — in progress and finished, not stock.

Black-tiled infinity pool facing the ocean.
Outdoor kitchen with a stone island and bar seating.
The covered patio frames the pool and the view.
Glass-railed deck that keeps the ocean view open.
Side-yard outdoor shower behind a slatted gate.

How we run it

Scope to sign-off.

01
Walk the lot
Slope, soils, access, and views from your house and the neighbors'. Larger Rolling Hills Estates lots leave room for a full program, and placement decides how well it works.
02
Design in 3D
Pool, kitchen, covered patio, and landscape are modeled with the house, and structures are placed against neighbors' sightlines before drawings go in.
03
Planning & Willdan review
City planning and Willdan's building review run in parallel. We submit one package drawn to satisfy both.
04
Build
Pool, hardscape, kitchen, structures, lighting, and planting by one crew on one schedule.

Why DECOMA

One license, three disciplines, forty years.

Family-run South Bay general contractor since 1978. We design, build, and manage — under one license — so the team you start with is the team that hands you keys and the team that answers the phone when something needs fixing in year ten.

Years building: 48+
Projects delivered: 3,000+
Repeat clients: 300+
CSLB Class: A/B

FAQ

Common questions.

Who reviews building permits in Rolling Hills Estates?

Rolling Hills Estates is a contract city. Planning is handled in-house at City Hall, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, and building plan check and inspection go through Willdan. A backyard with a pool, structures, or new gas and electrical goes through both, and we prepare one submittal for both reviews.

Can a pergola or pool house affect my neighbors' views in Rolling Hills Estates?

It can, and the city takes that seriously. Additions and new structures are reviewed under its View Preservation and Neighborhood Compatibility ordinances. If a structure might impair a view, the site can be inspected and the matter sent to the Planning Commission. We set height and placement against neighbors' sightlines before submitting.

What backyard have you built in Rolling Hills Estates?

South Shores Home: a black-tiled infinity pool facing the ocean, a covered patio, an outdoor kitchen with a stone island and bar seating, a glass-railed deck, turf, and a side-yard outdoor shower. The photos are on this page.

Can you work around horse trails and equestrian properties?

Yes. Equestrian neighborhoods have their own expectations about fencing, trail easements, and how outbuildings look. We design to match them and plan deliveries and staging so the job doesn't block a lane that horses use.

How much does a backyard remodel cost in Rolling Hills Estates?

It depends on the program and the lot. A vanishing-edge pool on a slope with an outdoor kitchen is a different budget from a spa and patio on a flat pad. For scale, a new pool starts at roughly $100,000 for the pool alone. We give you a real range once the layout is drawn.

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