ADU Company in Agoura Hills, CA
Lodgewick ADU Builders is the ADU company of the Kingswell family, specializing in accessory dwelling units, garage conversions, and home additions. Most Agoura Hills ADU projects are shaped by two things: fire-hardening requirements in the Santa Monica Mountains wildland-urban interface, and a housing stock of 1970s – 1990s tract homes with detached two-car garages that convert unusually well. We give every Agoura Hills homeowner a written price before work begins, because the only estimate that matters is the one you can hold us to. Call (254) 602-5618 to talk through your lot.
Why Agoura Hills Homes Are Different
Agoura Hills sits in the inland Conejo Valley, pressed against the Santa Monica Mountains, and that position changes nearly every ADU decision. Much of the city falls within or directly beside Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which means new detached ADUs must comply with California Building Code Chapter 7A: ember-resistant vents, Class A roofing, and fire-rated ignition-resistant siding. These are not optional upgrades here. The 2018 Woolsey Fire burned through parcels near the city’s wildland-urban interface, and since then, fire-hardened construction has been the dominant conversation in Agoura Hills, not a code footnote.
The housing stock makes the conversation more interesting. Most Agoura Hills homes are single-family tract builds from the 1970s through the 1990s, on lots that are comparatively generous by Los Angeles County standards. Many feature detached two-car garages that are the most natural ADU conversion candidates in the city. But hillside parcels bring steep grade changes, irregular lot shapes, and shrink-swell soils that often require a soils report and grading permits before a foundation can be designed. Add in Santa Ana wind events that channel through the Conejo Valley with very low humidity, and siting a new ADU means thinking about defensible-space clearance, not just square footage.
There is also a two-agency gauntlet unique to this area: Las Virgenes Municipal Water District requires its own capacity and connection-fee application for any ADU that adds a kitchen or bathroom. That fee can reach several thousand dollars and follows a review timeline entirely separate from the City of Agoura Hills building permit process. Homeowners routinely assume one permit covers everything. It does not, and we tell people this on the first call.
Our Main Agoura Hills Services
The three projects Agoura Hills homeowners call us about most are home additions, garage conversions, and detached ADUs. Each has its own page with local pricing, timelines, and permit details.
Home Addition Contractor in Agoura Hills
A home addition in Agoura Hills usually means extending a 1970s – 1990s ranch or two-story tract home outward, often into a hillside setback that requires grading review and careful foundation design. We handle the full scope: plans that respect Chapter 7A fire-safety requirements, structural work, tying the new roofline into the existing one, and matching siding materials like James Hardie fiber cement so the addition does not look bolted on. Hillside additions here frequently need retaining walls, drainage correction, and soils engineering before framing can start. See Home Addition Contractor in Agoura Hills for full pricing and timelines.
Garage Conversion Contractor in Agoura Hills
Agoura Hills has a high concentration of detached two-car garages, and converting one is usually the fastest path to rentable living space. The job means removing the garage door, framing and insulating the opening, and running electrical, plumbing, and HVAC into a structure that was never built for them. On hillside lots, the garage slab often sits below grade, which can mean additional drainage work. A converted garage becomes a JADU – a junior accessory dwelling unit – when it stays under 500 square feet and shares systems with the main house. See Garage Conversion Contractor in Agoura Hills for what this costs.
ADU Builders in Agoura Hills
A detached ADU in Agoura Hills is a small house on a larger property – which is what the word “lodge” means to us. These builds must meet Chapter 7A ignition-resistant standards from the first foundation pour through the final roof inspection, and that changes material choices throughout. We work with prefab manufacturers like Abodu, Cover, and Dvele when the lot and fire requirements allow, but many hillside parcels need custom foundations and grading that make panelized construction the better fit. See ADU Builders in Agoura Hills for full details on lot evaluation, permits, and pricing.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Agoura Hills
We work directly with leading ADU and materials brands, including Abodu, Cover, Dvele, and James Hardie. Our familiarity with these systems means we can match a prefab unit or cladding selection to your lot, budget, and fire-safety requirements without trial and error. See more at our brands.
Pricing for ADU Company in Agoura Hills, CA
| Service | Typical range in Agoura Hills |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (studio, 400 – 500 sq ft) | $180,000 – $275,000 |
| Detached ADU (1-bedroom, 500 – 750 sq ft) | $240,000 – $380,000 |
| Detached ADU (2-bedroom, 750 – 1,000 sq ft) | $320,000 – $480,000 |
| Garage conversion to JADU (under 500 sq ft) | $95,000 – $160,000 |
| Garage conversion to full ADU (500 – 750 sq ft) | $150,000 – $240,000 |
| Home addition (400 – 600 sq ft) | $140,000 – $220,000 |
| Home addition (600 – 1,000 sq ft) | $200,000 – $340,000 |
| Home addition (1,000+ sq ft) | $320,000 – $550,000 |
| Chapter 7A fire-hardening upgrades (retrofit) | $8,000 – $35,000 |
| LVMWD capacity and connection fees | $2,000 – $8,000 |
| Grading and soils work (hillside lots) | $10,000 – $50,000 |
| Defensible-space landscape clearing (where required) | $2,500 – $12,000 |
What pushes prices up in Agoura Hills is rarely the square footage. It is the hillside: grade changes that require retaining walls, shrink-swell soils that need a soils report and engineered foundation, and Chapter 7A fire-hardening on every opening, vent, and exterior surface. Santa Ana wind exposure also drives HVAC sizing above what a similar unit would cost in coastal LA County. Whatever the number, it is a written price before any work starts, every time.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Agoura Hills
We serve the full Agoura Hills area, from the estates off Kanan Road to the neighborhoods near Old Agoura and the communities along Chesebro Road and Liberty Canyon. Most of our Agoura Hills calls come from these areas:
- Old Agoura
- Morrison Ranch Estates
- Lake Lindero
- Chumash
- Liberty Canyon
Our crews are in Agoura Hills regularly, and most homeowners can schedule a site visit within a few days of calling.
Service Area – Cities Near Agoura Hills
Lodgewick ADU Builders serves homeowners throughout the Conejo Valley and western Los Angeles County. In addition to Agoura Hills, we work in Westlake Village, CA, Oak Park, CA, Calabasas, CA, and Thousand Oaks, CA. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Los Angeles office, with local crews serving Agoura Hills directly.
Serving Agoura Hills, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Agoura Hills area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Company in Agoura Hills
Most Agoura Hills homeowners can get a site visit within a few business days of calling. We coordinate scheduling through our Los Angeles office, and a live person answers the phone 24/7, so you will not sit in a voicemail loop. Call (254) 602-5618.
Yes. The City of Agoura Hills issues the building permit, and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District requires its own capacity and connection-fee application for any ADU that adds a kitchen or bathroom. We handle both applications and include the LVMWD fees in your written estimate.
No. Your written price is the price. If site conditions reveal something unexpected, like undocumented fill on a hillside lot, we put any adjustment in writing and get your approval before proceeding. No change orders at the door, ever. Call (254) 602-5618 for a free estimate.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local adu pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Agoura Hills Customers Say
"Garage conversion into a studio for our teenager. Honest about what was realistic and what wasn't, finished close to schedule, and cleaned up the site daily."
- Marcus Beaumont"I was nervous about adding on but they walked me through every step and every cost before we started. No surprise change orders halfway through like I'd heard horror stories about."
- Eleanor Pratt"Junior ADU conversion inside the house. They protected the rest of our place with plastic and daily cleanup. Done nearly on schedule and on the number they quoted."
- Sabrina Veld