What we do differently
The soils review and the sewer camera happen before you sign
A fixed price quoted without a soils report and a sewer camera inspection is not fixed. Expansive clay means a deeper footing. A root-invaded clay lateral means trenching to the main. Both are five-figure items and both are knowable in week one. We do that work first and price the foundation and the utility line from the actual findings, which usually produces a higher number than the competing quote and a more honest one.
Payments track inspections, not the calendar
Every draw is tied to a passed LADBS inspection. If the framing has not been signed off, the framing draw is not due. It aligns our interest with yours on the one thing that matters most, which is momentum.
You never talk to a plan checker
We file the submittal, track it, and clear every correction cycle. Owners who self-manage permits routinely lose two to three months, because corrections come back in code language and each reply cycle costs weeks.
How a project runs
Lot check
48 hours, free
You send the address. We pull the parcel, the zoning, the setbacks and the overlays, and tell you what size ADU actually fits and what it will roughly cost. No site visit needed and no obligation.
Site visit and feasibility
Week 1
We walk the lot, find the sewer lateral and the electrical service, check crane and equipment access, and confirm ceiling heights on any structure you want to convert. You get a written feasibility report.
Design and engineering
Weeks 2 to 6
Full architectural set, structural calculations, Title 24 energy compliance. You approve the layout and the elevations before anything is filed. This is where changes are cheap.
LADBS plan check
Months 2 to 5
We file, we track, and we clear every correction cycle. You do not talk to a plan checker. Expect four to eight weeks for the first response and one to two correction cycles after it.
Construction
Months 5 to 11
Eight inspected stages from footing to final. One superintendent on site daily, a weekly photo log, and a written schedule update every Friday. Payments are tied to passed inspections, not calendar dates.
Final sign-off and handover
Closing week
Certificate of occupancy, a separate mailing address, all warranty documentation, appliance manuals and the as-built set. If you are renting it, we hand over photos sized for the listing.
What we will tell you not to do
- Do not convert a garage with under 7 ft 6 in of clear height without pricing the roof raise first
- Do not build unpermitted. It adds far less value and creates a disclosure problem at sale
- Do not order a prefab module before the crane access study is done
- Do not spend the budget on finishes. Spend it on laundry, acoustics and a private entrance
- Do not start design before the sewer lateral has been camera inspected
Free 48-hour lot check
The easiest way to find out if we are a fit.