The short answer
Casita, granny flat, backyard cottage, guest house, in-law suite: in Los Angeles these all describe the same permitted thing, an accessory dwelling unit. The words matter less than the intent behind them, which is usually housing a parent, an adult child or a long-term guest rather than chasing a rental yield.
Typical cost in Los Angeles
$400 to $600 per sq ft
Typical 600 sq ft casita: $240,000 to $360,000 all-in
Casita, granny flat, backyard cottage, guest house, in-law suite: in Los Angeles these all describe the same permitted thing, an accessory dwelling unit. The words matter less than the intent behind them, which is usually housing a parent, an adult child or a long-term guest rather than chasing a rental yield. That changes the design brief, and it should.
Designing for a parent, not a tenant
- Zero-step entry and a 36-inch front door, worth doing even if nobody needs it yet
- Curbless shower with blocking already in the walls for future grab bars
- Wider hallways at 42 inches, which costs almost nothing at framing stage
- Rocker light switches and lever handles throughout
- A clear sight line from the main house to the casita entrance
Designing for an adult child
- Real acoustic separation, staggered studs or resilient channel on shared walls
- In-unit laundry, which removes the main reason for daily trips into the house
- Wired ethernet, not just Wi-Fi, if they work from home
- Its own outdoor space, however small, so the yard is not shared by default
- A layout that converts cleanly to a rental later, because it usually does
What the words actually mean
- Casita: Spanish for little house, used across Southern California for a detached ADU
- Granny flat: the older term, generally a detached unit for a family member
- Backyard cottage: the same thing, more common in Pacific Northwest planning language
- Guest house: historically an unpermitted structure without a kitchen; an ADU has one
- In-law suite: usually attached or a JADU rather than free-standing
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Common questions
Is a casita the same as an ADU?
In Los Angeles, yes. Casita, granny flat, backyard cottage and guest house all describe what the city permits as an accessory dwelling unit. The permit path and the rules are identical.
Can I build a guest house without a kitchen?
You can, but it is not an ADU. Without a kitchen it is an accessory structure, cannot be legally rented as a dwelling and adds far less to the property's value. Almost nobody should build one.
What size casita suits an aging parent?
Five hundred to 700 sq ft is typically right. Large enough for a real bedroom, a proper bathroom and a living space, small enough to stay easy to move around and cheap to heat and cool.
Do I need a separate address for a family member?
It gets one automatically as a permitted ADU. Whether they use it for mail is up to you, but the address exists and it is what makes the unit rentable later.
Can I convert it to a rental afterwards?
Yes, and most people eventually do. Building it to rentable standard from day one, with in-unit laundry and real acoustic separation, costs little extra and preserves that option.
Related ADU types
Comparing options? A garage conversion is the cheapest path to a legal unit, a detached ADU earns the most, and the JADU stack can put both on one lot. Cost figures for every type are in the LA cost breakdown.
Areas we build in
Sherman Oaks / Van Nuys / Pasadena / Glendale / Burbank / Santa Monica / Long Beach / Torrance / North Hollywood / Studio City / Woodland Hills / Encino / Northridge / Culver City / Inglewood / Silver Lake and across Los Angeles County.