ADU Company in Pasadena, CA
Adding an ADU to a Pasadena home usually means working with a 1910s to 1930s Craftsman bungalow on a deep lot with an alley-accessed garage, and that changes the whole job. Our crews know the knob-and-tube wiring, the cast-iron drains, and the Historic Preservation Commission reviews that come with this territory. Russ Delmar leads Lodgewick ADU Builders, the ADU company of the Kingswell family, and our approach in Pasadena is built around one thing: putting the real number in writing before any work starts. Call (254) 602-5618 to talk through your lot.
Why Pasadena Homes Are Different
Pasadena sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and that geography shows up in the work. Summer heat events regularly push past 105°F, so an undersized mini-split or thin insulation in a detached ADU is not a comfort nuisance, it’s a failure waiting for August. Northern foothill parcels can fall inside Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which brings Chapter 7A requirements for ember-resistant vents and roofing into the scope. Those are real line items, and homeowners deserve to see them before signing.
The housing stock is its own challenge. The dominant lot in Pasadena is 50×150 or larger with an original detached garage off the alley. That’s the textbook setup for a garage conversion ADU, but those garages were built when knob-and-tube wiring and cast-iron drain lines were standard. A Certificate of Occupancy will not issue until those systems are brought to code. Add the fact that so many Pasadena homes sit in historic districts, and the permitting path here simply does not look like it does in Glendale or Alhambra. Local design review matters, and it matters early.
Our Main Pasadena Services
Pasadena homeowners most often call us about two things: converting an existing structure into living space, and adding square footage to a house that no longer fits the family. Each service below has its own Pasadena page with pricing and project detail.
Home Addition Contractor in Pasadena
A home addition in Pasadena is rarely a simple bump-out. The existing house is often a Craftsman or Spanish Colonial Revival with rooflines and window proportions that a new addition needs to respect, especially if the property sits in or near a historic district. Deeper lots help, but we’re still working around mature trees, setback lines, and the same aging plumbing and electrical that runs through the original structure. The work becomes a careful match between new framing and old bones. See Home Addition Contractor in Pasadena for full pricing and the Pasadena-specific process.
Garage Conversion Contractor in Pasadena
The alley-accessed detached garage is the most common conversion starting point in Pasadena, and it’s also the one with the most hidden costs. Knob-and-tube wiring, a mudsill foundation, and a cast-iron drain line can each add real money to the job. In historic districts like Bungalow Heaven, the exterior of a converted garage may need to match the main house’s roofline pitch and window proportions, which can extend design review. The result is a self-contained unit that rents or houses family, but the prep work is not optional. Learn what’s involved at Garage Conversion Contractor in Pasadena.
ADU Builders in Pasadena
Detached ADUs in Pasadena must clear two hurdles that the coast never deals with: historic district design guidelines and heat that demands serious HVAC. In Bungalow Heaven, the city’s design standards require the new structure’s roof pitch, exposed rafter tails, window proportions, and exterior cladding to echo the contributing primary house. That level of review surprises experienced LA-area builders and sends first submissions back to redesign more often than anyone likes. We work those guidelines into the plan from day one, and we pair the design with insulation and cooling sized for 105°F afternoons. Full details live on our ADU Builders in Pasadena 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 Pasadena
We work directly with established prefab and material lines because Pasadena’s historic-review and climate demands narrow the field. James Hardie siding handles Chapter 7A ember requirements in the foothills, while Abodu, Cover, and Dvele offer prefab ADU shells that can be matched to Craftsman rooflines with the right detailing. See our brands for the full list and what we keep locally available.
Pricing for ADU Company in Pasadena, CA
| Service | Typical range in Pasadena |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (prefab shell, one bedroom) | $180,000 – $260,000 |
| Detached ADU (custom build, two bedrooms) | $280,000 – $400,000 |
| Garage conversion ADU (existing structure) | $120,000 – $185,000 |
| JADU (junior ADU within existing home) | $80,000 – $130,000 |
| Home addition (single room bump-out) | $90,000 – $150,000 |
| Home addition (primary suite addition) | $150,000 – $240,000 |
| Whole-home addition (two plus rooms) | $250,000 – $400,000 |
| Foundation repair / mudsill replacement | $8,000 – $25,000 |
| Full electrical rewire (knob-and-tube removal) | $12,000 – $30,000 |
| Cast-iron drain line replacement | $6,000 – $18,000 |
| HVAC sizing and installation for detached ADU | $7,000 – $15,000 |
| Historic district design review package | $4,000 – $9,000 |
What pushes a Pasadena price up is usually not the ADU itself, it’s what we find when we open the walls: knob-and-tube wiring, a rotted mudsill, or a Cast-iron drain line that predates the Eisenhower administration. The Kingswell Guarantee means you get a written price before any work begins, and that price does not change at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Pasadena
Our crews move across all of Pasadena, and the historic districts are where the schedule tightens because design review runs on city time, not contractor time. A typical calendar estimate for the whole process, from first site visit to permitted plans, runs six to ten weeks in a historic district versus four to six weeks outside one.
- Bungalow Heaven
- Madison Heights
- Linda Vista
- San Rafael
- East Washington Village
Service Area – Cities Near Pasadena
Lodgewick serves Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley cities. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our Los Angeles office, with local crews working across the area. We also serve San Marino, CA, South Pasadena, CA, Altadena, CA, and San Gabriel, CA. If you’re on the edge of Pasadena and unsure which service area you fall into, call and ask.
Serving Pasadena, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Pasadena 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 Pasadena
Yes, if your property sits within a designated historic district like Bungalow Heaven, your ADU will likely go through design review. The commission checks roofline pitch, window proportions, rafter tails, and cladding against the contributing primary house. That process can add four to eight weeks to permitting, and it’s a big part of why our Pasadena process starts with a design review package. Call (254) 602-5618 and we’ll confirm whether your address falls within a district.
Most Pasadena ADU projects run five to eight months total. Design and permitting typically take six to ten weeks inside a historic district and four to six weeks outside one. Construction on a detached unit runs three to five months depending on whether it’s prefab or custom build. Schedule a free estimate and we’ll give you a written timeline for your specific lot.
Yes, we work across Pasadena including northern foothill parcels in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Those jobs require Chapter 7A ember-resistant vents and roofing, which we include in the written scope from the first price. Call (254) 602-5618 for a free estimate at your address.
Ready to get a real number for your Pasadena ADU, garage conversion, or home addition? Call (254) 602-5618 to schedule a free estimate. Russ Delmar and our Pasadena crews will walk the lot with you, tell you exactly what we see, and put the price in writing before any work begins.
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 Pasadena Customers Say
"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"Garage conversion into an office and guest room. Fair written price, finished close to on schedule, and they fixed a small drywall crack under warranty months later without any hassle."
- Diana Cho