What does an ADU cost to build in Los Angeles?

Detached new construction in LA County typically runs $300–$425 per sq ft all-in (soft costs, hard costs and contingency). A turnkey 800 sq ft detached ADU lands around $250K–$425,000 depending on lot conditions, finishes and site work.

How long does the entire process take, from contract to keys?

Plan on 9–13 months for a detached new build: 14–22 weeks from signed agreement to permit-in-hand, then 18–28 weeks of construction. Garage conversions compress that to 6–10 months. We publish week-by-week breakdowns under Process.

Do I need to live in the primary house to build an ADU?

No. California state law removed the owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs permitted between 2020 and 2025, and most LA-area cities have aligned with the state rule. JADUs (junior ADUs inside the primary home) still typically require owner occupancy.

Will building an ADU reassess my property taxes?

Only the new ADU is reassessed at current market value — your existing home keeps its Prop 13 protected base. On a $325K detached ADU that translates to roughly $3,400–$4,000 of additional annual property tax depending on your jurisdiction.

What rental income can an ADU realistically produce?

Long-term: 1-bed/600 sq ft units rent for $1,900–$3,100/mo across LA depending on neighborhood. After 10–12% management and a 5% vacancy assumption, net yield-on-cost typically lands 10–16%.

What's the first step to get a real number for my lot?

Submit your address through Contact for a free 30-minute feasibility call. Within one business day of the call we send a written brief: viable ADU types, estimated cost band, permit timeline and a fixed fee for full schematic design.

Did the 2025 California ADU rules change anything for LA homeowners?

Yes. AB 1033 lets cities allow ADUs to be sold separately as condos, AB 976 made the no-owner-occupancy rule permanent, and SB 1211 raised the cap to up to 8 detached ADUs on multifamily lots. LADBS aligned its bulletins in early 2025 — most single-family lots can now permit one ADU and one JADU ministerially.

How do I verify my LA ADU contractor is actually licensed?

Look up the license number on the California Contractors State License Board portal at cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices. Confirm the classification is B (general building) or B-2 (residential remodeling), the bond is current, and the workers' compensation policy is active. Cross-check with BBB and LA County Consumer Affairs for complaint history.

Now booking · Spring 2026

California's quietest ADU builder.

From Los Angeles backyards to Bay Area hillside lots, we design, permit, and build accessory dwellings, garage conversions, and rental-ready backyard homes across California's most demanding housing markets.

Licensed · Bonded · Insured · CSLB #1098432 · BBB A+ Accredited · 120+ ADUs Delivered

Begin an LA project→Begin a Bay Area project→or browse the catalog→

A 20-minute feasibility review of your lot. No cost, no obligation.

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California desks

Two desks. One construction standard.

Different cities. Different permit rooms. A single licensed California contractor behind both.

Desk 01 · Southern California

Los Angeles ADU Desk

Garage conversions, detached ADUs, JADUs, and rental-ready backyard cottages across Los Angeles County. Built around LADBS, LA County, and Southern California lot conditions.

Phone: (323) 555-0140
Studio: 8484 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 515Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Los Angeles
Beverly Hills
Santa Monica
Pasadena
Long Beach
Burbank
Glendale
Culver City

Open Los Angeles desk→Start a brief

Desk 02 · Northern California

Bay Area ADU Desk

Detached ADUs, garage conversions, additions, and rental-ready units across the San Francisco Bay Area. Built for dense lots, hillside conditions, high-value rental markets, and complex local review.

Phone: (415) 555-0184
Studio: 1 Sansome St, Suite 3500San Francisco, CA 94104

San Francisco
Oakland
Richmond
Berkeley
Walnut Creek
Fremont
San Jose
Palo Alto
Sunnyvale
Livermore

Open Bay Area desk→Start a brief

I'm looking for

What does an ADU cost to build in Los Angeles?
Detached new construction in LA County typically runs $300–$425 per sq ft all-in (soft costs, hard costs and contingency). A turnkey 800 sq ft detached ADU lands around $250K–$425,000 depending on lot conditions, finishes and site work.
Cost breakdown →Where the budget goes →
What rental income can an ADU realistically produce?
Long-term: 1-bed/600 sq ft units rent for $1,900–$3,100/mo across LA depending on neighborhood. After 10–12% management and a 5% vacancy assumption, net yield-on-cost typically lands 10–16%.
ROI calculator →Financing options →
Will building an ADU reassess my property taxes?
Only the new ADU is reassessed at current market value — your existing home keeps its Prop 13 protected base. On a $325K detached ADU that translates to roughly $3,400–$4,000 of additional annual property tax depending on your jurisdiction.
Run the ROI math →Cost breakdown →
How do I verify my LA ADU contractor is actually licensed?
Look up the license number on the California Contractors State License Board portal at cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices. Confirm the classification is B (general building) or B-2 (residential remodeling), the bond is current, and the workers' compensation policy is active. Cross-check with BBB and LA County Consumer Affairs for complaint history.
How to vet any contractor →Our license & insurance →

All questions

Now booking — Spring 2026120+ ADUs deliveredLicensed · Bonded · InsuredBBB A+ AccreditedFixed-price contracts6–12 month typical buildFree 20-min feasibility reviewServing LA · Beverly Hills · Santa Monica · PasadenaNow booking — Spring 2026120+ ADUs deliveredLicensed · Bonded · InsuredBBB A+ AccreditedFixed-price contracts6–12 month typical buildFree 20-min feasibility reviewServing LA · Beverly Hills · Santa Monica · Pasadena

Featured · Field Report

A backyard studio
in Silver Lake.

"We wanted a quiet place for my mother that didn't feel like a tacked-on box. They drew it, permitted it, and built it — start to finish in sixteen weeks."

Footprint: 580 sqft
Build: 16 weeks
Neighborhood: Silver Lake, CA
Permit: LADBS · 2025

View the full record→

Featured Los Angeles ADU project — a 580 sqft backyard studio in Silver Lake — Photograph — Studio ADU, Silver Lake. Completed Spring 2025.

The Catalog · Three Formats

We build three things,
and we build them well.

Every Los Angeles lot is different. These three formats cover the permit envelope of nearly every parcel in the county.

01400 – 600 sqft

Studio

From $185,000

A self-contained single room for a tenant, a parent, or a writer. The smallest footprint we build, and often the fastest to permit through LADBS.

02600 – 850 sqft

One-bedroom

From $265,000

A separated bedroom, full kitchen, and proper living space. Our most-requested format for long-term LA rental income.

03850 – 1,200 sqft

Two-bedroom

From $345,000

A small house, in everything but name. Built for multi-generational families and the LA market for premium rentals.

Market Pulse · Los Angeles ADU Desk

Live · LA Desk

—

ADU·RENT·1BR

$2,648

Median asking rent for a new 1-bedroom LA ADU.

LADBS·PERMIT·DAYS

Average LADBS standard-plan ADU permit issuance time.

BUILD·COST·PSF

$385

Typical turnkey detached ADU build cost per finished sq ft.

ADU·CASH·ROI

13.6%

Owner cash-on-cash ROI assuming 25% down, current rates.

BACKYARD·INQUIRIES

Inbound homeowner consults per week, citywide.

OPEN·SLOTS

8 wk

Weeks until next available crew start across LA ADU builders.

Feed · last 24h

07:11LADBSStandard plan queue cleared faster than 30-day avg — turnaround tightening.
10:28RENTSilver Lake 1BR ADU asks crossed $2,800 — 3rd weekly print above trend.
13:45COSTLumber index −1.8% w/w; framing bids softening across LA County.
16:02RATESHELOC blended rate held at 8.6% — financing window stable.
19:19DEMANDMar Vista & Culver inquiries up 14% — empty-nester cohort.
22:36WARNConcrete supplier lead times stretched to 11 days — schedule risk.
01:53POLICYAB 1033 condo-conversion: detached ADU starts +22% YoY in LA City.

Demonstration desk — values seed from realistic LA County ADU ranges and drift client-side. No live connections.

Dispatches · From the Field

All articles →

Permits

A short field guide to the LADBS Standard Plan ADU process

What actually happens between submitting a pre-application and pulling the framing permit — written for owners, not for architects.

April 2026 · 8 min read

Finance

HELOC vs. construction loan: which is right for an LA ADU?

March 2026 · 6 min

Investment

The math behind a 12–16% LA ADU return

March 2026 · 5 min

Design

Five quiet design moves that make a 480 sqft unit feel like a home

February 2026 · 4 min

Press & Reviews · Public Record

163 verified reviews,
a 4.9 weighted average across 7 platforms.

Every link below opens our public profile on the platform itself — no curation, no edits, no removed reviews.

Better Business Bureau

A+ Accredited

View profile →

CSLB #1098432·8484 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 515, Beverly Hills, CA 90211·(323) 555-0140

Platform	Rating	Reviews	Weight	Contribution	Open profile
Google	5.0 ★	52	31.9%	+1.60	→
Houzz	5.0 ★	18	11.0%	+0.55	→
Yelp	4.9 ★	31	19.0%	+0.93	→
Porch	5.0 ★	14	8.6%	+0.43	Public profile
Thumbtack	4.9 ★	22	13.5%	+0.66	Public profile
BuildZoom	5.0 ★	9	5.5%	+0.28	Public profile
Angi	4.8 ★	17	10.4%	+0.50	Public profile
Weighted average	4.9 ★	163	100.0%	= 4.9

Weight = a platform's share of total reviews · Contribution = rating × weight. The sum equals the 4.9-star aggregate published in the structured data Google ingests.

Voices · In Their Own Words

The owners,
unedited.

Three notes from owners whose ADUs we delivered between 2024 and 2025. Each one is verifiable on a public review platform.

Their team handled the design, permits, and build. We just collect rent now.

Jake H.

Silver Lake, Los Angeles

One-bedroom ADU · 2024

A true turnkey experience. Zero stress, constant updates, tenant moved in day one.

Sarah & Tim P.

Mar Vista, Los Angeles

Two-bedroom ADU · 2024

Smooth from start to finish. Passive income every month without lifting a finger.

Linda C.

Pasadena, Los Angeles County

Garage conversion · 2025

The Record · By the Numbers

120+
Projects delivered: 7
Years building: 98%
Satisfaction rating: $50K
Bond on file

California Contractor License · CSLB #1098432 · BBB A+ Accredited

Elsewherefollow along

Or, the old way(323) 555-0140

Our Commitment · Causes We Stand Behind

We build homes here.We stand with those who served.

Every year, our country loses far too many veterans, first responders, and neighbors who needed someone in their corner. We don't route donations through our company — we point you straight to the organizations doing the work, so 100% of your support reaches them.

Golden State ADU is not affiliated with these organizations and does not collect or process donations on their behalf. Links go directly to each nonprofit's official website so contributions reach them in full.

Before you book a call

The questions homeowners ask first

Quick answers on cost, timeline, occupancy and ROI. Deeper Q&A lives on each topic page.

What does an ADU cost to build in Los Angeles?
Detached new construction in LA County typically runs $300–$425 per sq ft all-in (soft costs, hard costs and contingency). A turnkey 800 sq ft detached ADU lands around $250K–$425,000 depending on lot conditions, finishes and site work.
Cost breakdown →Where the budget goes →
How long does the entire process take, from contract to keys?
Plan on 9–13 months for a detached new build: 14–22 weeks from signed agreement to permit-in-hand, then 18–28 weeks of construction. Garage conversions compress that to 6–10 months. We publish week-by-week breakdowns under Process.
Five-stage process →Service types →
Do I need to live in the primary house to build an ADU?
No. California state law removed the owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs permitted between 2020 and 2025, and most LA-area cities have aligned with the state rule. JADUs (junior ADUs inside the primary home) still typically require owner occupancy.
JADU + ADU services →
Will building an ADU reassess my property taxes?
Only the new ADU is reassessed at current market value — your existing home keeps its Prop 13 protected base. On a $325K detached ADU that translates to roughly $3,400–$4,000 of additional annual property tax depending on your jurisdiction.
Run the ROI math →Cost breakdown →
What rental income can an ADU realistically produce?
Long-term: 1-bed/600 sq ft units rent for $1,900–$3,100/mo across LA depending on neighborhood. After 10–12% management and a 5% vacancy assumption, net yield-on-cost typically lands 10–16%.
ROI calculator →Financing options →
What's the first step to get a real number for my lot?
Submit your address through Contact for a free 30-minute feasibility call. Within one business day of the call we send a written brief: viable ADU types, estimated cost band, permit timeline and a fixed fee for full schematic design.
Book a call →Compare services →
Did the 2025 California ADU rules change anything for LA homeowners?
Yes. AB 1033 lets cities allow ADUs to be sold separately as condos, AB 976 made the no-owner-occupancy rule permanent, and SB 1211 raised the cap to up to 8 detached ADUs on multifamily lots. LADBS aligned its bulletins in early 2025 — most single-family lots can now permit one ADU and one JADU ministerially.
2025 permitting rulebook →Permit & design step →
How do I verify my LA ADU contractor is actually licensed?
Look up the license number on the California Contractors State License Board portal at cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices. Confirm the classification is B (general building) or B-2 (residential remodeling), the bond is current, and the workers' compensation policy is active. Cross-check with BBB and LA County Consumer Affairs for complaint history.
How to vet any contractor →Our license & insurance →

Begin

Begin your projectin twenty minutes.

A short feasibility review of your lot — what you can build, roughly what it costs, and how long it will take. Free of charge. No sales call afterwards unless you ask for one.

Get started→or call (323) 555-0140

No obligation
◆
Reply within 24 hours
◆
BBB A+ Accredited

California's quietest ADU builder.

Two desks. One construction standard.

A backyard studio
in Silver Lake.