ADU Company in Altadena, CA
Lodgewick ADU Builders handles accessory dwelling units, garage conversions, and home additions across Altadena under The Kingswell Guarantee: a written price before any work starts, a defined arrival window, a clean job site, and a written guarantee on every project. Altadena projects are not Pasadena projects. The parcels here route through LA County planning, the fire-safety codes are stricter, and many lots are now being rebuilt after the Eaton Fire. If you are weighing an ADU on your Altadena property, call (254) 602-5618 and we will walk you through what the County actually requires.
Why Altadena Homes Are Different
Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, which means every ADU permit goes through the LA County Department of Regional Planning and LA County Building & Safety, not a city planning counter. Crews that do most of their work in Pasadena or Arcadia routinely get this wrong. They assume the same plan-check reviewers, the same fee schedule, the same expedite path at the counter. None of that exists for Altadena parcels. Miss it and you lose months to resubmittals.
The housing stock adds another layer. Altadena runs heavily to 1920s through 1960s Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revivals, and mid-century ranch homes on lots that are genuinely large by LA standards. Detached garages are common and they make strong JADU and ADU conversion candidates. But the Eaton Fire in January 2025 cleared significant portions of residential parcels, so a lot of the ADU work happening now in Altadena is ground-up construction on previously improved lots, often integrated into primary-residence rebuilds under the County’s expedited fire-rebuild pathways. That is a very different job than a garage conversion in a flatland suburb.
Most of Altadena also sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone because of its exposure at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. New ADUs have to meet ignition-resistant construction standards: Class A roofing, ember-resistant vents under CA Building Code Chapter 7A, and non-combustible exterior cladding within required setbacks. Those material upgrades add real cost compared to ADU builds in flatland LA County communities. We plan for them from the first estimate, not as a surprise change order.
Our Main Altadena Services
These are the three jobs Altadena homeowners call us about most often. Each has its own page with local pricing and project detail.
Home Addition Contractor in Altadena
A home addition in Altadena often means tying new square footage into a 70-year-old ranch or a Craftsman with plaster walls and a foundation that has shifted. The County reviews the structural plans and the fire-safety requirements together, which changes the plan-check sequence versus a neighboring incorporated city. We have worked on additions alongside Eaton Fire rebuilds where the homeowner wanted to add a primary suite while the main house was already under reconstruction. You can read more on our Home Addition Contractor in Altadena page.
Garage Conversion Contractor in Altadena
Detached garages are everywhere in Altadena, and many are older than the houses they sit behind. A garage conversion here usually means working with a structure that was never insulated, may have a cracked slab, and sits within a fire-hazard zone that dictates what cladding and vents the finished ADU can use. That is a different scope than a drywall-and-paint job. Our Garage Conversion Contractor in Altadena page covers the full process and the price ranges we see.
ADU Builders in Altadena
In Altadena right now, an ADU is often part of a ground-up rebuild on a fire-cleared parcel, which means the County is reviewing it under fire-rebuild pathways alongside the primary residence. The expedited path can work, but only if the plans meet Chapter 7A standards the first time. We match each lot to the right construction approach, including prefab manufacturers where that fits the timeline and budget. Details are on our ADU Builders in Altadena page.
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 Altadena
We are hands-on with leading ADU manufacturers and materials, including Abodu, Cover, and Dvele. The right choice depends on the lot, the fire-code requirements, and how fast the homeowner needs the unit permitted and built. See our brands for the full range we work with.
Pricing for ADU Company in Altadena, CA
| Service | Typical range in Altadena |
|---|---|
| ADU feasibility consultation | $150 – $300 |
| Detached ADU (permit + build) | $180,000 – $380,000 |
| Garage conversion ADU | $120,000 – $260,000 |
| Prefab ADU (unit + site work) | $160,000 – $340,000 |
| JADU conversion | $90,000 – $180,000 |
| Home addition (room + bath) | $140,000 – $320,000 |
| Primary suite addition | $110,000 – $240,000 |
| Second-story addition | $220,000 – $450,000 |
What pushes a price toward the top of these ranges in Altadena is usually fire-code compliance: Chapter 7A cladding, ember-resistant vents, and Class A roofing all add material cost that a flatland build would not carry. A hillside or canyon-edge parcel can also change foundation and access costs. Whatever the number, we put it in writing before work begins and it does not change at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Altadena
We work across Altadena, from the flats near Lake Avenue up to the streets that back into the San Gabriel foothills. Each area carries its own permit and fire-code profile, but the routing through LA County is the same everywhere in town.
- The Meadows
- PresidentStreets
- Altadena Crest
- West Altadena
- Northeast Altadena
For most of Altadena, we can be on site for an estimate within a few days of your call. Scheduling runs through our Los Angeles office, but the crews and the estimators work Altadena parcels directly.
Service Area – Cities Near Altadena
While this page covers Altadena, our crews also work the surrounding San Gabriel Valley communities. Homeowners in Pasadena, CA, La Canada Flintridge, CA, San Marino, CA, and Sierra Madre, CA deal with different planning departments and different fire zones, so the scope and pricing shift accordingly.
Serving Altadena, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Altadena 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 Altadena
Plan check through LA County Building & Safety typically runs three to six months for a standard ADU, assuming the plans are complete and meet Chapter 7A fire standards on the first submission. Fire-rebuild pathway projects can move faster. The biggest delay we see is resubmittal caused by plans that were prepared as if Altadena were an incorporated city, which it is not.
Yes. Most of Altadena sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so new ADUs and conversions must meet ignition-resistant construction standards: Class A roofing assemblies, ember-resistant vents, and non-combustible exterior cladding within required setbacks. These are County code requirements, not optional upgrades.
Yes. Many Altadena homeowners are integrating an ADU into a primary-residence rebuild under the County’s expedited fire-rebuild pathways. The sequencing matters, because the ADU has to clear the same fire-safety review as the main house. Call (254) 602-5618 and we will tell you what the County will need from your specific parcel.
For a straight answer on what an ADU, garage conversion, or home addition will cost on your Altadena lot, call (254) 602-5618. The estimate is free and the price goes in writing before any work starts.
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 Altadena Customers Say
"The ADU came out beautiful and the permitting, which terrified me, was handled start to finish. They kept me updated every week so I was never wondering what was happening."
- Shauna Mills"A whole backyard ADU from scratch. Terrified me going in, but they kept me updated weekly and there were no nasty surprises. Quality work and a fair price."
- Noreen Fletcher"Built a backyard unit for my mother in law. They handled the permits, gave me a real timeline, and stuck to it within a few days. The written price is what we paid, which anyone who's done construction knows is rare."
- Dennis Fairchild