Every ADU type we build in Los Angeles
Detached ADU
A detached ADU is a free-standing home in your back yard with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and address. It is the highest-value ADU you can bui
Garage conversionGarage Conversion
A garage conversion in Los Angeles is the cheapest legal path to a rental unit, because the slab, the walls and the roof already exist. State law prot
AttachedAttached ADU
An attached ADU shares one or more walls with your existing house but has its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom. It suits deep, narrow Los Angeles lo
JADUJunior ADU (JADU)
A junior ADU, or JADU, is a unit of up to 500 sq ft carved out of the existing walls of your house. It needs an efficiency kitchen and its own entranc
Ground-upGround-Up Construction
This is the construction side of an ADU project: what happens after the permit is issued and the ground gets broken. ADU construction in Los Angeles r
Floor plansADU Floor Plans
ADU floor plans have to solve two problems at once: fit the setbacks on your actual lot, and lay out well enough that someone will pay rent to live in
PrefabPrefab / Modular ADU
A prefab ADU in Los Angeles is built in a factory and set on a foundation you pour on site. The unit itself is faster and the price is fixed, but roug
Design & permitsDesign & Permits
An ADU permit in Los Angeles is where most projects lose three to six months. LADBS has to approve the drawings, Building and Safety has to clear stru
FinancingFinancing & Returns
ADU financing in Los Angeles is the first real hurdle, because an ADU is a $100,000 to $300,000 decision and almost nobody pays cash. The financing qu
CasitaCasita / Granny Flat
A granny flat in Los Angeles goes by many names: casita, backyard cottage, guest house, in-law suite. Here these all describe the same permitted thing
Two-storyTwo-Story ADU
A 2 story ADU in Los Angeles exists for one reason: the footprint does not fit but the floor area is still wanted. On a narrow Los Angeles lot, a 600
Above garageADU Above Garage
An ADU above the garage is the only configuration that adds a dwelling without losing a single parking space or a square foot of yard. The catch nobod
LegalizationUnpermitted ADU Legalization
An unpermitted ADU is not a rare problem here. Los Angeles has tens of thousands of unpermitted garage conversions and backyard units, and the law has
MultifamilyMultifamily ADU
A multifamily ADU is the most underused right in Los Angeles, and it belongs to duplex and apartment owners. A duplex, triplex or apartment building c
Not sure which one fits?
That is what the free lot check is for. Send the address and we will tell you which of these your parcel actually supports, at what size, and roughly what it costs.
Free 48-hour lot check
One address is all we need.
Questions before choosing an ADU type
Which ADU type gives the best return per dollar?
A detached unit of 600 to 800 sq ft. It rents highest, appraises best and carries no shared-wall complications with the main house. A garage conversion costs less up front but rents lower and adds less to the appraised value.
Which ADU type finishes fastest?
Prefab, because the unit is built in a factory while the site work and permits run in parallel. Garage conversions come second at roughly three months less than a detached build. Two-story and above-garage units take the longest because of the structural engineering.
How do I know which of these types my lot can take?
Lot geometry decides it. Deep rear yards suit detached units, narrow lots suit attached, an existing garage with adequate ceiling height suits a conversion, and a lot with no spare footprint suits a JADU carved from the main house. Send the address and we tell you which ones fit.
Do the parking rules differ by ADU type?
Garage conversions never require replacement parking anywhere in California. New detached, attached and two-story units are exempt within half a mile of a transit stop, which covers most of Los Angeles. A JADU inside the existing footprint never triggers a parking requirement.
Is there a different size cap for each type?
Detached units go to 1,200 sq ft. Attached units are capped at 50 percent of the main house area, or 800 sq ft, whichever is larger. A JADU is capped at 500 sq ft. A garage conversion is limited to the existing footprint unless you add on.
Where we build
Sources and official references
Every rule, limit and code reference on this page comes from the sources below. Verify anything before you sign a contract.