The Young Builders Adding Housing to Los Angeles

The final inspection sign-off on an 18-unit apartment complex is a quiet moment. There are no ribbon cuttings, no fanfare. For Albert Muradyan and Armen Petrosyan, the co-founders of Priority One Builders, that moment at 14810 Delano Street in Van Nuys carried real weight. It represented years of hands-on work, careful permitting, and a promise kept. It also signaled something larger: two young builders were proving they could deliver both the housing Los Angeles needs and the commercial spaces its businesses rely on.

An Owner-Led Contractor Rising in Los Angeles

Priority One Builders is a licensed general contractor and design-build firm (CSLB #1063233) based in Pasadena, California. The firm serves residential and commercial clients across Greater Los Angeles, including the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, LA County, and Ventura County. Albert Muradyan, 31, and Armen Petrosyan, 37, lead the company together as co-founders.

What sets the pair apart is simple. They stay involved. In a city where many contractors either operate too small to handle serious projects or too large to give clients personal attention, Priority One Builders offers both capability and closeness. The co-founders are directly engaged in every job, from a single bathroom remodel to a multifamily building.

"Every project we take on has our names on it, whether it's a bathroom remodel or an 18-unit building," Albert says. "That's why we stay hands-on from the first drawing to the final inspection."

Building Through the Housing Shortage

Los Angeles urgently needs more housing. The demand is well documented, yet the supply continues to lag behind. Priority One Builders sees this gap not as an abstract statistic but as a call to action.

The recently completed 18-unit apartment complex in Van Nuys stands as the firm's largest project to date. It is a milestone that demonstrates something important: a young, owner-led team can take on serious multifamily development while still giving every homeowner and client personal attention. Delivering a project of that scale requires discipline, coordination, and a deep understanding of how Los Angeles building departments operate.

"Los Angeles doesn't have a shortage of ideas for housing," Armen explains. "It has a shortage of builders who can get projects permitted and built efficiently. That's the gap we're working to fill."

That focus on permitting expertise matters. Navigating code compliance and city approvals can create costly delays for the unprepared. Priority One Builders has built its reputation, in part, on knowing how to move projects forward without those setbacks.

Commercial Work That Goes Beyond Housing

Housing is only part of the story. Priority One Builders also delivers commercial and hospitality projects, including the renovation of Café Sheera in Beverly Hills.

Renovating an existing commercial space presents challenges different from ground-up residential construction. Existing building conditions, mechanical and electrical systems, code compliance, and material selection must all be weighed alongside the experience the space is meant to create for customers.

The firm’s commercial work also includes restaurant improvements, office renovations, retail spaces, and tenant improvements, giving business owners, investors, and developers a single builder from concept to completion.

A Design-Build Approach That Starts Before Construction

Priority One Builders believes successful construction begins long before crews arrive on site. Rather than treating design, permitting, and construction as disconnected stages, the firm coordinates feasibility, design coordination, engineering, permitting, and construction as one integrated process.

Working with architects, engineers, and other professionals, the team helps clients understand the costs and constraints of a project before committing to major expenses. In Greater Los Angeles, where zoning rules, site conditions, and city approvals can reshape a project’s scope, that early involvement can prevent costly surprises.

The approach is simple: involve the builder early, understand the project thoroughly, and make informed decisions before construction begins.

A Full Range of Services Under One Roof

Priority One Builders handles projects from feasibility and design coordination through final inspection. The portfolio spans kitchen and bathroom remodels, home additions, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), garage conversions, and custom homes. It also includes restaurant, hospitality, and commercial tenant build-outs, along with ground-up multifamily construction.

The team works across Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Van Nuys, Chatsworth, Santa Monica, and surrounding communities. This range allows homeowners, property investors, and developers to work with a single builder they can trust from the first plan review to the final inspection.

Clients are not handed off to a rotating cast of salespeople or layers of project managers. Instead, they work directly with the people who run the company. That structure keeps communication clear and accountability high.

Recognition Built on Results

The firm's approach has earned meaningful recognition. The Consumer Ratings Institute named Priority One Builders Contractor of the Year Los Angeles, a distinction that reflects the company's growing reputation across the region.

Just as telling is the firm's 5.0-star rating across overall customer reviews. That consistency speaks to a track record of doing what was promised, on schedule and on budget. For a construction company, few metrics carry more meaning than clients who would recommend the work without hesitation.

Behind the ratings is a philosophy centered on transparency. Priority One Builders provides clear estimates, honest timelines, and regular communication from start to finish. Clients know where their project stands at every stage, which removes much of the anxiety that often accompanies construction.

Why Clients Choose Priority One Builders

The value the firm offers goes beyond craftsmanship, though craftsmanship remains central. It comes from a combination that is genuinely difficult to find in Los Angeles construction: hands-on ownership paired with the ability to deliver large, complex projects.

Homeowners gain a builder who treats their home as more than a job site. Business owners gain a builder who understands that a renovation affects their operations and customers. Property investors gain a partner who understands both budgets and timelines. Developers gain a team capable of ground-up multifamily construction without the impersonal handoffs common at larger firms.

"Our clients aren't just hiring a contractor," Albert says. "They're trusting us with their home, their investment, or their business. We take that seriously."

That sense of responsibility runs through every decision the co-founders make. It is the reason they remain involved in the details, the reason they prioritize communication, and the reason their names stay attached to every project. For Albert and Armen, reputation is not a marketing exercise. It is the foundation of everything they build.

The Road Ahead

The story of Priority One Builders is still being written. Two Armenian-American builders, still early in their careers, are steadily growing a firm that Los Angeles needs. Each completed project adds not only to their portfolio but also to the city’s housing supply and commercial landscape, one project at a time.

Their trajectory suggests a clear pattern. Start with quality craftsmanship. Stay directly involved. Communicate honestly. Deliver on time and on budget. Then repeat, on projects of increasing scale. It is a straightforward formula, yet executing it consistently is what separates a trusted builder from the rest.

For anyone across Greater Los Angeles considering a remodel, an ADU, a custom home, a commercial build-out, or a multifamily development, Priority One Builders offers a rare combination of personal attention and proven capability. Whether the goal is renovating a Beverly Hills café, transforming a single kitchen, or adding much-needed housing to the city, the firm brings the same commitment to every square foot.

For those planning a project and seeking a builder who will treat it as if their name depended on it, because it does, Priority One Builders welcomes the opportunity to connect. Explore the full range of services, review past work, and start a conversation with the people who will actually build the project. Visit the website, follow along on Instagram, or call the Pasadena office to schedule a consultation and see how an owner-led team can bring a vision to life on time and on budget.

Explore More About Priority One Builders

Connect with Priority One Builders, Company Instagram, and Albert on Instagram.