Most of Los Angeles' mansion market sits inside the City of Los Angeles, in Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Beverly Crest and Beverly Park, where Measure ULA takes 5.5% of any sale from $10.9 million: $2.75 million on a $50 million house. Typical values sit far below estate prices; Zillow's figure for Bel Air was $4,140,242 in September 2026, while Elliman's luxury tier for Greater LA started at $9.49 million.
You're comparing mansions across Los Angeles and the Westside and need to know which areas are in the City of LA, what the hillside rules let you build and how far asking prices bend.
At a glance
| Main estate areas in the City of LA | Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Beverly Crest, Beverly Park |
|---|---|
| Measure ULA (from July 1, 2026) | 4% over $5.4M; 5.5% from $10.9M |
| Bel Air (ZIP 90077) | Entirely in the City of Los Angeles |
| Hillside rules | Baseline Hillside Ordinance, 2011 |
| Elliman luxury entry, Greater LA (Q4 2025) | $9,490,000 single-family |
Where are the mansions in Los Angeles?
The City of LA's best-known estate areas sit in the Westside hills between Sunset Boulevard and Mulholland Drive. The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council covers that ground from Laurel Canyon to Sepulveda, with more than 35 residential associations, and its area stops at the Beverly Hills city line. So the first fact about any LA mansion is which side of that line it's on.
Bel Air mansions
Alphonzo Bell bought 1,700 acres in 1922 and filed the first Bel-Air tract, 128 lots, in 1923. The Bel-Air Association now counts more than 2,000 properties between Mulholland, Sunset, Beverly Glen and Sepulveda, and the whole 90077 ZIP lies in the City of Los Angeles. Many of the city's record sales are here; see our Bel Air homes guide.
Holmby Hills mansions
Arthur Letts laid out Holmby Hills on 400 acres of the old Wolfskill Ranch, between the City of Beverly Hills, Beverly Glen and Sunset. Its zoning guaranteed large lots, and the city designed a street lamp for it alone in the 1920s. Zillow has no Holmby Hills series, and the 90024 ZIP mixes it with Westwood, so its $1,333,696 typical value says nothing about an estate. The Holmby Hills page covers what does.
Beverly Crest and the Beverly Hills Post Office
About 60.5% of the 90210 ZIP's land lies in the City of Los Angeles, per the 2020 Census, so a Beverly Hills address often hides a Los Angeles parcel. The city's Bel Air-Beverly Crest Community Plan covers the canyons above Beverly Hills, including Coldwater, Franklin and Benedict canyons. Zillow's typical value for Beverly Crest was $2,759,470 in September 2026.
Beverly Park and Mulholland Estates
These are the private estate enclaves on the ridge. The Census geocoder puts North Beverly Park's entrance in the City of LA despite its Beverly Hills address. Mulholland Estates began as a 1982 City of LA plan for 185 acres north of Mulholland Drive in Sherman Oaks. Read our pages on Beverly Park estates and Mulholland Estates.
Brentwood and Pacific Palisades
West of the 405, Zillow's typical value was $2,828,959 in Brentwood (up 5.6% over a year) and $2,968,093 in Pacific Palisades (down 5.9%) in September 2026. The Palisades Fire of January 2025 destroyed 6,845 structures, according to CAL FIRE, so check rebuild status and insurance on any Palisades listing.
Estates outside the City of LA
Three markets nearby aren't in the city. Malibu holds California's three priciest home sales. Hidden Hills is a gated city whose community association oversees 658 home sites, where Redfin's median sale price was $11,244,645 in September 2026, on just four sales. And the City of Beverly Hills has its own zoning, covered in our Beverly Hills mansions guide, with citywide prices on Beverly Hills real estate. None of the three pays ULA.
LA mansion prices: what the figures cover
No public series tracks mansions alone. Each figure below measures something narrower or broader, so use them to rank areas, not to price a house.
| Measure | Area | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow typical home value | Bel Air (Zillow neighborhood) | $4,140,242 | September 2026 |
| Zillow typical home value | ZIP 90077 | $3,061,985 | September 2026 |
| Redfin median sale price | ZIP 90077 (25 sales) | $3,322,524 | September 2026 |
| Elliman median sale price | Bel Air and Holmby Hills, single-family (26 sales) | $4,640,000 | Q4 2025 |
| Elliman luxury entry (top 10%) | Greater Los Angeles, single-family | $9,490,000 | Q4 2025 |
| Zillow typical home value | City of Los Angeles | $927,891 | September 2026 |
Why ZIP medians miss mansion prices
With 25 sales in a month, one estate can swing a ZIP median, or vanish from it. Elliman's Bel Air and Holmby Hills figures show the problem: in Q4 2025 the average sale price fell 46% from a year earlier while the number of sales rose 23.8%. A shift in which houses sold can move the average that far, and neither figure says what a 2-acre estate is worth.
For a mansion, the comparables that count are the few recent estate sales nearby, adjusted for lot, pad and city. Our Los Angeles luxury housing market page tracks the series month by month, and the ZIP code guide shows where each ZIP crosses the city line.
Building an LA mansion: the hillside rules
Los Angeles adopted its Baseline Mansionization Ordinance for flat single-family areas in 2008 and its Baseline Hillside Ordinance in 2011, and later amended both. On a hillside lot these rules set the size of the house from the land's slope, so two lots of the same area can allow very different homes.
Floor area by slope band
The city splits a hillside lot into slope bands and gives each one a floor-area ratio, then adds them up. In some zones the flattest band (0 to 14.99% slope) gets 0.45 and land at 100% slope or more gets nothing. So 20,000 square feet of gentle land in such a zone supports up to 9,000 square feet of house, while a steep acre may add very little. Before you pay for acreage, ask an architect for a slope-band survey.
Grading limits
Cut and fill on a hillside lot is capped at 1,000 cubic yards plus 10% of the lot size, read as cubic yards, subject to maximums by zone. A 5,000 square foot lot gets 1,500 cubic yards, and a full acre gets about 5,356. Compare that with the City of Beverly Hills, which caps hillside earth moved at 3,000 cubic yards in any five years.
Substandard hillside streets
Many canyon roads are narrow. If a lot fronts a hillside street with a roadway under 20 feet wide, new construction needs a separate approval before the city issues building or grading permits. Check the street width before you buy a teardown.
What Measure ULA costs on an LA mansion
Measure ULA has applied to City of Los Angeles sales since April 1, 2023. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, it's 4% over $5,400,000 and under $10,900,000, and 5.5% at $10,900,000 or more, on the whole price. The city's 0.45% base tax and the county's $1.10 per $1,000 come on top.
| Sale price | ULA | City base tax (0.45%) | County tax | Total transfer tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000,000 | $400,000 | $45,000 | $11,000 | $456,000 |
| $25,000,000 | $1,375,000 | $112,500 | $27,500 | $1,515,000 |
| $50,000,000 | $2,750,000 | $225,000 | $55,000 | $3,030,000 |
| $100,000,000 | $5,500,000 | $450,000 | $110,000 | $6,060,000 |
On a $50 million Bel Air sale, ULA alone nearly matches Zillow's typical home value in Beverly Crest. The thresholds rise each July with inflation, and a Court of Appeal ruling upholding ULA became final in June 2026. Prices just above each bracket line can leave a seller worse off; our ultra-luxury homes guide works through the $10.9 million example. Put your own price into the ULA calculator and check the result with a CPA.
LA spec mansions and their price cuts
Spec houses are built to sell, and Bel Air's biggest have had flexible asking prices. These are reported figures, with the outlet that reported each.
| Spec house | First asking price | What happened | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Billionaire," Bel Air | $250,000,000 | Sold for $94,000,000 (62% below) | InsideHook, citing The Wall Street Journal, October 2019 |
| La Fin, Bel Air | $139,000,000 (2022) | Cut to $99,900,000 in January 2026 | Fox Business, January 2026 |
| Glass-and-steel house, lower Bel Air | $49,990,000 | Sealed-bid auction, $30,000,000 reserve, bids closed June 11, 2026 | Paramount Realty USA release, May 2026 |
Bel Air spec houses on the market
La Fin's cut was nearly $40 million, about 28% off its first ask, and it still asked $99.9 million. The lower Bel Air house went to auction with a reserve 40% under its first price. If you're buying, treat a spec house's price history as part of the listing: every cut tells you what the market already turned down.
Auctions as the exit
Three of the biggest recent Bel Air offerings went through auctions. Besides the sealed-bid sale above, The One sold at a bankruptcy auction in 2022 and Casa Encantada at a foreclosure auction in 2026; both appear in our most expensive houses in Los Angeles list. An auction sets a reserve and a deadline, and it can bring a lower price than the ask.
Finding luxury homes for sale in Los Angeles
The listing portals show only part of the LA mansion market, and the part they show takes longer to sell than it used to.
Off-market mansion sales
Miller Samuel found that about one-third of Greater LA sales over $5 million in Q1 2017 never reached the MLS. Recent deals bear it out: Laurene Powell Jobs bought a $94 million Malibu home off-market, as Robb Report listed among 2024's top sales. NAR's rules now let a seller keep a listing as an office exclusive, filed with the MLS but hidden from other members. Read about pocket listings in Los Angeles or ask for our private mansion search.
How long LA luxury homes take to sell
Elliman's luxury tier spent 86 days on market in Q4 2025, up 53.6% from a year earlier. Bel Air and Holmby Hills homes spent 60 days on market, and Redfin's median for ZIP 90077 was 63 days in September 2026. Estates take longer: Casa Encantada first asked $225 million in 2019 and sold in 2026.
Choosing an agent for an LA mansion
Ask any agent for closed estate sales you can check, and for the city line on every comparable they show you. Our pick for an estate agent on the Westside lists his reported sales with sources.
LA mansion FAQs
Which LA neighborhoods have the most mansions?
The estates cluster in the Westside hills of the City of Los Angeles: Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Beverly Crest and the private enclaves of Beverly Park and Mulholland Estates. Brentwood and Pacific Palisades sit farther west. Outside the city, Malibu, Hidden Hills and the City of Beverly Hills each have their own estate areas and don't pay Measure ULA.
How much does a mansion in Los Angeles cost?
There's no mansion-only index. Elliman's luxury tier for Greater Los Angeles, the top 10% of single-family sales, started at $9,490,000 in Q4 2025 with a median of $14,250,000. Reported estate sales run much higher: the City of LA record is Chartwell in Bel Air at about $150 million, reported by Los Angeles Magazine in December 2019.
Is Bel Air part of Los Angeles?
Yes. Bel Air is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, and the 2020 Census puts all of ZIP 90077 inside the city. That means Los Angeles zoning, city services and Measure ULA on sales above $5.4 million. The City of Beverly Hills, next door, is a separate city with its own rules.
Is Beverly Park in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills?
Beverly Park has a Beverly Hills 90210 mailing address, but the U.S. Census geocoder places North Beverly Park's entrance in the City of Los Angeles. Sales there pay Measure ULA, which on a $63 million sale comes to about $3.47 million. Confirm each parcel's city on its tax bill before you price it.
How much is the mansion tax on a $25 million home in LA?
For a City of Los Angeles sale closing after June 30, 2026, Measure ULA is 5.5% of $25 million, or $1,375,000. The city's 0.45% base tax adds $112,500 and the county's tax adds $27,500, for about $1,515,000 in all. A $25 million sale inside the City of Beverly Hills pays no ULA. Check your figure with a CPA.
What is the biggest mansion in Los Angeles?
ABC7 described The One in Bel Air, about 105,000 square feet with 21 bedrooms and 42 full bathrooms, as the largest home in Los Angeles. It was listed at $295 million and sold at a bankruptcy auction in 2022 for about $141 million, including auction costs and commissions.
How big a house can I build on a hillside lot in Los Angeles?
It depends on the slope. Under the city's hillside rules, each slope band of the lot gets its own floor-area ratio, from 0.45 on the flattest land down to zero on slopes of 100% or more in some zones, and the totals are added. Grading is capped too. Ask an architect for a slope-band survey before you buy.
Sources
- Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council
- Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council Bylaws
- Los Angeles City Planning: Bel Air - Beverly Crest Community Plan
- Bel-Air Association: History
- Holmby Hills Homeowners Association: History
- Holmby Hills Homeowners Association
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZCTA5 to Place relationship file
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder: North Beverly Park entrance
- CEQAnet: Mulholland Estates (SCH 1982020514)
- Los Angeles Times Mapping L.A.: Bel-Air
- CAL FIRE: Palisades Fire incident page
- Hidden Hills Community Association
- FOX 11 Los Angeles: Jannard Malibu sale (19 Jun 2024)
- Zillow Research: Zillow Home Value Index data (September 2026)
- Redfin Data Center: market data (September 2026)
- Douglas Elliman / Miller Samuel: Elliman Report Q4-2025 Greater Los Angeles
- Los Angeles City Planning: BMO and BHO Q&A
- Los Angeles City Planning: Hillside Area Development Standards, Single-Family Zones (CP-4061)
- Beverly Hills Municipal Code Art. 25, Hillside Area (gocodebook copy)
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance: Measure ULA FAQ
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Documentary Transfer Taxes
- Burke, Williams & Sorensen: Measure ULA upheld (15 Jun 2026)
- InsideHook: 'Billionaire' sells at 62% discount (28 Oct 2019)
- Fox Business: La Fin cut to $99.9M (25 Jan 2026)
- Paramount Realty USA (PR Newswire): lower Bel Air mansion heads to auction (7 May 2026)
- ABC7 Los Angeles: The One sells at auction (8 Mar 2022)
- Los Angeles Times via DNyuz: Peter Thiel buys Casa Encantada (30 Sep 2026)
- Miller Samuel: Pocket listings in Los Angeles sales (27 Apr 2017)
- Robb Report via Yahoo: 10 most expensive US homes of 2024
- NAR: Multiple Listing Options for Sellers
- Los Angeles Magazine: Lachlan Murdoch's record purchase (12 Dec 2019)