SB9, JADU, garage-to-ADU — designed for the property, the primary residence, and long-term value. Under one team accountable from concept to certificate of occupancy.
Led by Jacob, Owner-PM · CSLB # 1096552
An ADU is the easiest way to add value to a Los Angeles property — and the easiest way to do it badly. Most ADUs are stamped from a catalogue. Ours are designed.
Within the engagement, we design and build:
The difference between an 800 and 1,200 sq ft ADU is not just cost — it is livability, rentability, and resale. We design for actual use, not maximum allowable square footage. Smaller, better-organized often wins.
An ADU that looks bolted onto the property reduces the value of both. Same materials, complementary volume language, considered detailing — the ADU reads as part of a single property, not an outbuilding.
LA ADU rules are layered: state ADU/JADU/SB9 framework, city ADU ordinance, neighborhood overlays, sometimes coastal or historic. We have worked through them. You do not spend weekends decoding LADBS.
Each project documented with the design intent, structural decisions, and material choices that shaped the outcome.
We don't bid against general contractors at the back end. The fee is structured up front, the budget is tracked weekly, and the model rewards cost discipline — not change orders.
Discovery includes ADU-specific feasibility — zoning, setback envelope, separate-meter requirements, parking impact, neighborhood overlays. Fixed-fee, refundable against the design contract.
Architectural design plus the full ADU permit drawing set. Hourly with a not-to-exceed cap by phase. You see plans before they go to engineering, selections before they go to permit.
Build is cost-plus with a negotiated fee. You see every subcontractor bid, every line item, weekly budget tracking. Same superintendent through certificate of occupancy.
Discovery and design typically run 2–4 months combined. Permit cycles in LA add 1–3 months depending on neighborhood and overlay. Construction runs 4–8 months for a detached ADU, 3–5 months for a garage conversion. Plan on 9–15 months total from first conversation to certificate of occupancy.
Most detached ADUs we build land between $400 and $700 per square foot. Garage conversions run lower because the structure exists. JADUs are typically the lowest cost per square foot but smaller in scope. Discovery produces a high–low range tied to your property and ADU type.
Often no, under current state ADU law. Properties within a half-mile of transit, in historic districts, or already short on parking are typically exempt. We confirm parking obligation as part of Discovery feasibility — before any design work begins.
Yes — long-term and short-term rentals of ADUs are legal in Los Angeles, subject to local short-term rental rules in some neighborhoods. We design with rentability in mind: separate entrance, separate utility meter where required, sound separation from primary residence.
ADU = a separate dwelling unit on your lot, up to roughly 1,200 sq ft. JADU = a smaller unit (up to 500 sq ft) carved out of the primary residence with internal connection to the main house. SB9 = a state law allowing lot splits and two-unit construction on lots zoned for single-family. Discovery determines which path produces the best outcome for your property and goals.
A conversation, a site walk, and a feasibility brief — fixed-fee, refundable against design.
Book a Project Consultation