All Six ADU Types · One Licensed Contractor
ADU Builder in Los Angeles — All ADU Types, One Licensed Contractor
CSLB #1071589Feasibility Before DesignLA DBS & LA County DPW
Start With the Property
The Right ADU Type Starts With the Right Property Review
US LA Home Remodeling builds all six ADU types in Los Angeles under CSLB License #1071589.
We start every project with an ADU feasibility study — a property-level review that determines which ADU types are permitted on your specific lot, what size limits apply, and which permit track applies before design begins.
Los Angeles homeowners searching for an ADU builder often already have a type in mind. A backyard cottage. A garage conversion. A unit above the garage. Sometimes that type works perfectly for the lot. Sometimes the property’s zoning, existing structures, or utility connections point toward a different option. Getting that determination right at the beginning — before drawings are commissioned — is how you avoid a permit application that comes back for corrections.
We build garage conversions, detached ADU new builds, attached ADUs, JADUs, above-garage ADUs, and multi-family ADUs. Each type follows a different permit track under Los Angeles County code. Each has different setback rules, height limits, and utility requirements. One licensed contractor who builds all six can match your property to the right type from the start.
Dual Jurisdictions
Los Angeles ADU Projects Require Dual-Jurisdiction Awareness
Where your property sits in Los Angeles determines which permit agency reviews your ADU application.
Properties inside the City of Los Angeles use LA DBS — the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Properties in unincorporated LA County use LA County DPW. The rules are similar in broad strokes. The review timelines, fee schedules, and specific application requirements differ.
US LA Home Remodeling dispatches ADU construction crews from our Tarzana office across the full Greater Los Angeles service area. We file permits directly with both agencies as the licensed contractor of record. A homeowner in Silver Lake and a homeowner in Altadena are in different permit jurisdictions — sometimes on the same street if the city boundary runs through it. We have navigated both. That experience matters at the application stage, where a submission formatted for the wrong agency gets returned and restarts the review clock.
Here is what most homeowners do not realize about LA ADU permitting: the plan check timeline for a detached new build at LA DBS currently runs three to five months before a permit is issued. The construction itself often takes less time than the permit review. Knowing that going in means your move-in date or rental income start date is built around a realistic timeline — not an optimistic one.
A Field Example
Matching the Property to the ADU Type — A Field Example
I’m Uzi Ezra, founder of US LA Home Remodeling. I want to walk through how an ADU type determination works in the field.
It’s the part of the process most homeowners haven’t thought through before they call.
We received a call from a homeowner in the west San Fernando Valley. She had a detached two-car garage at the back of the lot and assumed a garage conversion was the right move. It made sense on the surface. The structure was already there. Conversion tends to be faster and less expensive than new construction.
When we pulled the parcel data, the picture changed. The garage sat within four feet of the rear property line — right at the limit for a conversion under AB 2221’s setback provisions — but the foundation was not engineered for habitable use. Bringing it to code for occupancy would have required a foundation replacement and full re-framing of the exterior walls. The existing structure was not saving money. It was adding cost.
We looked at what the lot actually allowed. The setback geometry left room for a detached new build in a different position on the lot — a small footprint, purpose-built unit that would meet current energy code without the retrofit complications. The homeowner had been planning around the garage. The property pointed toward something else entirely.
That is the value of the feasibility study before design begins. We identified the right ADU type for that specific lot — not the assumed type — before a single drawing was commissioned. The project moved forward on a clean permit track. No corrections. No redesign after submission.
That scenario plays out differently on every property. The feasibility study is how we read the specific conditions of your lot before committing to a type and a design direction.
— Uzi Ezra, Founder & CEO, US LA Home Remodeling Inc
Financing & Income
ADU Financing and Rental Income — Plain Answers to Common Questions
A permitted ADU is a dwelling unit that can produce documented rental income.
That matters for financing. Here is how the two most common ADU financing paths work.
HELOC
A HELOC — a Home Equity Line of Credit — is a revolving credit line secured by your existing home equity. Los Angeles home values have given many established homeowners significant equity. A HELOC lets you draw against that equity to fund ADU construction and repay it on a flexible schedule.
PACE Financing
PACE financing — Property Assessed Clean Energy financing — is a California-specific option that ties ADU construction costs to your property tax assessment. Repayment runs through your property tax bill rather than a separate monthly loan payment. It is available through state-approved lenders and does not require separate credit qualification.
On the income side: a permitted ADU supports a rental income projection — an estimate of monthly rent based on current market conditions in your specific Los Angeles neighborhood. A permitted ADU creates a documented income stream. Lenders recognize it when you refinance. That is a different position than an unpermitted unit, which cannot be counted toward loan collateral or rental income documentation.
We are not a lender or financial advisor. We can tell you what your property supports and what a finished ADU is likely to command in your neighborhood. The financing decision is yours. The information to make it should come from the feasibility stage.
Our Standards
Our Standards Across All Six ADU Types
Every ADU we build meets current California code — engineered, permitted, and inspected.
Our standards do not change based on ADU type.
1
Feasibility Before Design
Every project starts with a property review. We confirm the applicable ADU type, jurisdiction, permit track, and utility connection requirements before drawings begin.
2
Permit Applications Prepared Correctly at First Submission
Correction requests restart the plan check clock. We submit complete applications.
3
Title 24 Energy Compliance Included
California’s energy code applies to all new ADU construction and most conversions. It is part of every project scope.
4
Licensed Subcontractors for All Trade Work
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work is performed by licensed tradespeople whose work is inspected and approved at each required inspection stage.
5
Dual-Jurisdiction Permit Experience
We file with both LA DBS and LA County DPW depending on the parcel’s location.
6
CSLB License #1071589
Verifiable in real time at cslb.ca.gov.
How We Build
How We Build an ADU in Los Angeles
Three phases: feasibility and type determination, design and permit application, then construction through certificate of occupancy.
Phase 1: ADU Feasibility Study and Type Determination
The first step is a property-level review. We pull parcel data, confirm the zoning classification, identify the applicable jurisdiction, and assess existing structures and utility connections. This review determines which ADU types are permitted, what size limits apply, where the unit can be placed, and which permit track applies.
For properties in the City of LA, the permit track runs through LA DBS. For unincorporated parcels, it runs through LA County DPW. The applicable state law provisions — AB 2221, SB 897, or the multi-family ADU statutes — are identified at this stage. The feasibility study is the output. It guides every decision that follows.
Phase 2: Design, Engineering, and Permit Application
Once the ADU type is confirmed, architectural drawings begin. Structural calculations, a Title 24 energy compliance report, and a site plan are prepared concurrently. For above-garage ADUs, lateral load resistance engineering — the structural analysis required when a second story is added to an existing garage structure — is included in this phase.
The permit application is submitted to the correct agency as a complete package. Our goal is a first submission that does not come back for corrections. Correction requests — written responses from LA DBS identifying items that need revision — each restart a portion of the review clock. A complete, accurate first submission is the fastest path to permit issuance.
Phase 3: Construction, Inspections, and Certificate of Occupancy
Construction begins after the permit is issued. Rough inspections — conducted after framing, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems are installed but before walls are closed — are scheduled in sequence as each phase completes. Final inspection follows construction completion.
A closed permit and a certificate of occupancy are the end products. The permit record is permanently attached to the property address. It is visible to future buyers, lenders, appraisers, and title companies. A completed, inspected ADU is an asset the property carries permanently.
Areas We Serve
Areas We Serve
US LA Home Remodeling builds ADUs across Greater Los Angeles.
We serve communities throughout the City of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and surrounding areas within Los Angeles County. Our Tarzana office gives us direct access to projects across the full metro area.
City of Los AngelesSan Fernando ValleyWestsideSilver LakeAltadenaTarzanaLos Angeles County
Next Step
Start With a Feasibility Review — Not a Design
The fastest path to a finished ADU is confirming the right type for your property first.
Design built on the wrong type assumption costs time and money to unwind. A feasibility study costs neither.
Call US LA Home Remodeling at 800-508-0259, email us at info@uslaremodeling.com, or submit your property address through our contact page. We will confirm which ADU types apply to your lot and what the permit track looks like before you commit to anything.
info@uslaremodeling.com · 5530 Corbin Ave, Tarzana, CA 91356
FAQ
Common Questions About Building an ADU in Los Angeles
How do I know which ADU type my property allows?
That’s what the ADU feasibility study answers. It’s a property-level review that pulls parcel data, confirms the zoning classification, identifies the applicable jurisdiction, and assesses existing structures and utility connections. The review determines which ADU types are permitted, what size limits apply, where the unit can be placed, and which permit track applies — all before drawings are commissioned.
Which agency reviews my ADU permit application in Los Angeles?
It depends on where the property sits. Properties inside the City of Los Angeles go through LA DBS. Properties in unincorporated LA County go through LA County DPW. The rules are similar in broad strokes, but review timelines, fee schedules, and application requirements differ — and a submission formatted for the wrong agency gets returned and restarts the review clock. We file directly with both.
How long does ADU plan check take in Los Angeles?
The plan check timeline for a detached new build at LA DBS currently runs three to five months before a permit is issued. The construction itself often takes less time than the permit review. Knowing that going in means your move-in date or rental income start date is built around a realistic timeline rather than an optimistic one.
How can I finance an ADU in Los Angeles?
The two most common paths are a HELOC and PACE financing. A HELOC is a revolving credit line secured by your existing home equity, repaid on a flexible schedule. PACE — Property Assessed Clean Energy financing — is a California-specific option that ties construction costs to your property tax assessment, with repayment through your property tax bill and no separate credit qualification. We are not a lender or financial advisor; the financing decision is yours.
Does a permitted ADU help when I refinance?
Yes. A permitted ADU creates a documented income stream that lenders recognize at refinance, and it supports a rental income projection based on current market conditions in your specific Los Angeles neighborhood. An unpermitted unit is a different position — it cannot be counted toward loan collateral or rental income documentation.
What do I end up with when the ADU is finished?
A closed permit and a certificate of occupancy. The permit record is permanently attached to the property address and is visible to future buyers, lenders, appraisers, and title companies. A completed, inspected ADU is an asset the property carries permanently.