ADU and home addition questions, answered.

Tell us about your project using the form or by phone. We pass your request to a licensed local general contractor who specializes in ADUs and additions, and they contact you to schedule a free consultation and site visit. If you decide to build, you contract directly with the contractor.

Yes. There is no charge to submit a request or for the initial consultation and site visit, and no obligation to go ahead.

Garage-to-ADU conversions often take around three months of construction once permits are issued. A new detached ADU usually takes longer because it needs a full foundation, framing and roof. Design and permitting come first and vary by city; California requires local agencies to act on a complete ADU application within 60 days.

It depends mostly on the type of project and the site: a garage conversion reuses an existing slab and walls, while a detached ADU or a second story starts from scratch. Sewer distance and depth, electrical panel capacity, foundation type and how closely the work must match the existing house all move the number. Our ADU and addition cost guide walks through every cost driver.

An ADU is a separate, complete dwelling with its own kitchen and entrance, which suits rental income or a family member who wants independence. An addition enlarges your own home. Our ADU vs. home addition guide compares cost, permits, property tax and resale.

All of Ventura County, including Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ojai, Santa Paula, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Port Hueneme, plus Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and Malibu. See all service areas.

Use the Contractors State License Board's free license lookup. Enter the license number to see the business name, classification, status, bond and workers' compensation information. Always check before you sign a contract.

An ADU is a complete independent dwelling that can be detached, attached or converted from existing space such as a garage. A junior ADU (JADU) is limited to 500 square feet and is created inside the existing home; it needs at least an efficiency kitchen and may share a bathroom with the main house. Many lots can have one of each.

Yes. ADUs are commonly rented long-term. State law lets cities prohibit rentals shorter than 30 days, and many do, so plan on long-term rentals unless your city says otherwise.

Conversions often take around three months of construction once permits are issued. Design and permit time comes first and depends on the city and whether the lot is in a coastal zone.

No. Under California law, a city or county cannot require replacement off-street parking when a garage, carport or covered parking structure is converted to an ADU.

Cities must allow at least an 800-square-foot ADU (measured as interior livable space) on a qualifying lot, and local maximums can be no lower than 850 square feet for a studio or one-bedroom or 1,000 square feet for two or more bedrooms. Many cities allow up to 1,200 square feet. Local rules vary.

State law limits required side and rear setbacks to no more than 4 feet for a new ADU. Front setbacks and other local standards can still apply.

Many cities limit attached ADUs to 50 percent of the primary dwelling's floor area, but state law guarantees at least 800 square feet on a qualifying lot regardless.

Yes. An ADU must have independent exterior access. A junior ADU also needs its own exterior entrance, though it may also connect to the main house.

Up to 500 square feet, within the walls of the existing single-family home.

No. A JADU may share a bathroom with the main home, as long as there is interior access between them. It does need its own exterior entrance and an efficiency kitchen.

A single-story primary suite and kitchen expansion can take around four months of construction. Timing depends on size, foundation type and whether the work includes a second story or roof deck. Design and permits come first.

Often not. Much of the work happens outside the existing house until the final connection is made. Kitchen and bathroom work, or opening major walls, can make a short move-out worthwhile.

Many can, but it takes a structural engineer's evaluation of the foundation and framing to know. Upgrades to footings and shear walls are common.

Often for part of the project, especially when the roof is removed and the stair opening is cut.

A suite combined with a kitchen expansion can take around four months of construction. A suite on its own can be faster.

Usually yes, if the lot has room behind or beside the house within setbacks.