Frequently Asked Questions - ADU
Straight answers on ADU cost, timeline, permits, and the building process in Los Angeles. If you don't see your question here, call us at (254) 602-5618 and we'll talk it through.
Pricing & Cost FAQs
An attached ADU in Los Angeles typically runs $120,000 - $220,000, while a detached unit usually lands between $180,000 and $350,000 depending on size, foundation work, and finish level. Garage conversions sit at the lower end, often $90,000 - $180,000. Los Angeles soil conditions and seismic requirements add cost that other California markets don't face. Russ Delmar and the team provide a written line-item price before any work starts, so you know exactly where every dollar goes. Call (254) 602-5618 for a free estimate on your specific lot.
Los Angeles building costs run higher because of seismic engineering, hillside foundation work, and city permit fees that are among the highest in the state. A hillside lot in Silver Lake or Echo Park often requires caissons or retaining walls, which can add $30,000 - $70,000 to the foundation alone. Flat lots in the Valley are typically less expensive to build on. School district fees, utility connection charges, and Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety plan-check time also add cost and schedule. We give you a written price that accounts for all of it before construction begins.
A garage conversion is the least expensive ADU path in Los Angeles, typically $90,000 - $180,000, because the structure, foundation, and roof already exist. You're paying for insulation, drywall, electrical, plumbing, and finishes rather than new construction. The next most affordable option is an attached ADU that shares walls and utilities with the main house. Detached new construction is the most expensive route. Our team walks you through all three options with real numbers for your specific property before you commit to anything.
No. We put The Kingswell Guarantee in writing, and that starts with the price. You get a written quote before any work begins, and that number doesn't change unless you change the scope. If you add square footage or upgrade finishes mid-project, we write a change order with its own price before proceeding. No surprise line items at the end. That's the entire reason we exist: homeowners who've been burned by a price that changed at the door deserve better. Call (254) 602-5618 and we'll show you what a real written estimate looks like.
No, estimates are free. We come out, look at your lot, talk through what you want, and give you a written number. That estimate is yours to keep whether you build with us or not. There's no obligation and no pressure. The only thing we ask is that you have a realistic sense of your budget so we can guide you toward the ADU type that fits it. Call (254) 602-5618 to schedule yours.
Most Los Angeles homeowners finance an ADU through a home equity line of credit, a cash-out refinance, or a renovation loan. Some use CalHFA's ADU grant program, which provides up to $40,000 toward pre-construction costs like permits and plans. Others pay cash or use construction-to-permanent loans. We don't originate loans, but we've worked with enough lenders to point you toward the ones who understand ADU construction timelines. The good news: an ADU typically adds immediate equity and rental income potential. Ask us for a realistic budget range before you talk to a lender.
Service & Process FAQs
The process has five clear phases: feasibility and budget, design and engineering, permit submittal, construction, and final inspection. You'll start with a site visit where we assess access, utilities, and setback requirements. Then we create plans, submit to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and wait for plan check. Once permits are issued, construction typically takes four to six months for a detached unit. We pull permits, schedule inspections, and keep you updated throughout. Every phase has a written price before work in that phase begins.
A garage conversion usually takes three to four months from permit to final inspection. A detached new-build ADU typically takes five to seven months. Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety plan check can add one to three months on the front end, and that's before a single shovel hits dirt. The biggest variables are site conditions, utility upgrades, and the speed of city inspections. We give you a written timeline at the start and a real arrival window throughout, so you're never left guessing when the crew will show up.
No, you don't. Most of our Los Angeles clients keep living in their main house while we build the ADU in the backyard. We coordinate access, keep the job site fenced and clean, and communicate by phone and text. You'll need to be available for a few key decisions, like finish selections and walkthroughs, but the day-to-day construction doesn't require you on site. We leave the place cleaner than we found it, every single day. That's one of the five commitments in The Kingswell Way.
We handle design and engineering in-house. You don't need to hire a separate architect unless you have very specific design needs. Our team produces plans that meet California Building Code and Los Angeles zoning requirements, and we handle structural engineering for seismic and soil conditions. If you already have plans from an architect, we're happy to build from them and will review them for constructability before quoting. Most clients come to us with an idea and a budget, and we turn both into a buildable ADU.
A detached ADU in Los Angeles typically needs its own electric panel or a subpanel, and often its own water and sewer connections. The cost for these utility runs depends on how far the ADU sits from existing lines. A unit in the back corner of a deep lot runs more than a garage conversion that's already connected. We include utility work in the written estimate, so there's no surprise when the trenching starts. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Bureau of Sanitation both have requirements we handle for you.
Brands & Parts FAQs
We recommend James Hardie fiber cement siding for most Los Angeles ADUs. It stands up to sun, Santa Ana winds, and the occasional heavy rain better than wood, and it doesn't warp or rot. The termite resistance matters in LA, where drywood termites are a constant concern. For interior finishes, we use materials that hold up to rental wear if you plan to lease the unit: solid-core doors, quality vinyl plank flooring, and fixtures from established manufacturers. We'll walk you through material choices at your estimate, with real prices for each option.
We're familiar with Abodu, Cover, and Dvele, and we've evaluated prefab panels from all three. For some Los Angeles lots, particularly tight-access properties in neighborhoods like West Adams or Highland Park, a panelized system can save time and crane costs. But prefab isn't always cheaper, and it doesn't always fit the aesthetic of older Los Angeles homes. We recommend the right approach for your specific lot, not the one that's trending. If prefab makes sense for your project, we'll say so. If stick-built is the better value, we'll tell you that too.
We install Milgard and Andersen windows, solid-core Masonite or Jeld-Wen doors, and Delta or Moen plumbing fixtures, among others. The exact brand depends on your budget and the look you want. We don't lock you into one product line; you choose from options we've vetted for quality and warranty service. Every brand we install carries a manufacturer's warranty, and our workmanship is covered by The Kingswell Guarantee. Ask us during your estimate and we'll show you samples with prices attached.
Licensing & Insurance FAQs
Every pro working under the Lodgewick ADU Builders name is required to hold the license and insurance the state requires for their trade. That's non-negotiable across every location. We carry general liability and workers' compensation coverage on every job, and we can provide certificates of insurance before work starts. No unlicensed subcontractors, ever. It's part of the Kingswell standard: say the price before the work, show up in the window we gave, and leave the place cleaner than we found it. The paperwork backs that up.
We do. We pull all permits through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, schedule every inspection, and don't call the job done until the final sign-off is in hand. That includes building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits, plus any grading or hillside permits your lot requires. If an inspector flags something, we fix it and reschedule on our dime. You never stand in line at the permit counter. This is one of the biggest reasons homeowners choose a builder over DIY: we handle the City of Los Angeles bureaucracy so you don't have to.
Yes, if it's permitted and built to code. Los Angeles allows ADUs to be rented for terms of 30 days or longer, but not for short-term rentals like Airbnb. Your ADU must have its own entrance, kitchen, and bathroom to be legal as a separate rental. We build every unit to meet those requirements, with permits pulled and final inspections passed. If your goal is rental income, tell us up front and we'll design for it: separate utility metering, sound separation, and durable finishes that handle tenant turnover.
Emergency & Response FAQs
ADU construction is planned work, not emergency response, so we don't offer same-day emergency ADU repair service. What we do offer is a real arrival window and a commitment to show up when we said we would. If something fails inside your guarantee period, we come back and fix it, and we prioritize those callbacks ahead of new estimates. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sunday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Call (254) 602-5618 and a live coordinator will connect you with the local team that covers your address.
Most estimate requests get a response within one business day. When you call (254) 602-5618, you'll speak with a live coordinator who takes your information and connects you with the Lodgewick ADU Builders location that covers your part of Los Angeles. From there, the local team schedules a site visit at a time that works for you. We don't do automated text bots or call centers that leave you hanging. You get a real person, a real appointment, and a real written estimate.
We cover Los Angeles and surrounding communities including Long Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, and the broader LA basin. Every Lodgewick ADU Builders location is an independent local business that agreed to work to the Kingswell Guarantee, and each one serves a defined territory. When you call (254) 602-5618, the coordinator routes you to the location that covers your specific address. You get a local team that knows the zoning quirks, permit offices, and soil conditions in your area.
Warranty & Guarantees FAQs
It's our written promise, and it has four parts: a written price before any work starts, a real arrival window, a clean job site, and a written guarantee on the work. If a repair or build fails inside the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge. Period. It's not a marketing slogan; it's stamped on every contract and spelled out on a terms page. Russ Delmar has built Lodgewick ADU Builders on this standard because homeowners have been let down too many times by companies that talk big and deliver small. We put it in writing.
Our workmanship is covered by The Kingswell Guarantee, and the written guarantee you receive spells out exactly what's covered and for how long. Beyond that, every material we install carries its own manufacturer's warranty: James Hardie siding has a 30-year limited warranty, Milgard windows carry lifetime coverage, and major appliances have standard manufacturer terms. We walk you through every warranty at contract signing and hand you a folder with all the paperwork at project close. Nothing verbal, nothing vague. Written.
You call us. If it's covered under The Kingswell Guarantee, we come back and fix it at no charge. If it's outside the guarantee window or beyond the scope of coverage, we give you a written price to repair it before any work begins, just like we did on the original build. "Come back if it fails" is one of the five commitments in The Kingswell Way, and it's the one we hear about most from clients who've been burned by builders who disappear after the final check clears. We don't disappear.
Yes. When we pull permits and pass final inspections, the permit record belongs to your property, and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety maintains that record permanently. If a permit issue surfaces later, we handle it. If the city requires a correction, we make it. That's part of the written guarantee. A permitted ADU holds its value and passes a buyer's inspection; an unpermitted one becomes a liability when you sell. We build every unit the legal way, the first time, and we stand behind it.
Ask for a written, line-item price before any work starts. Ask who pulls the permits. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long, in writing. Ask for proof of license and insurance. Ask about change order policy. Ask for references from completed ADU projects in Los Angeles. Ask what happens if the job runs over schedule. If a builder hesitates on any of those, walk away. We answer all of them in our initial consultation, and we put the price and the guarantee in the contract. You can call (254) 602-5618 right now and ask us yourself.
Written by Russ Delmar, Owner at Lodgewick ADU Builders, serving Los Angeles and surrounding communities since 2010.
Still Have Questions?
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