Reference index · 22+ answers
The FAQ map — every question, every California ADU answer.
A single page that connects every editorial answer to the deeper guide that owns it, organized by region and by service so you can land on the exact answer you came in with.
By region · pillar guides
San Francisco Bay Area
Bay Area ADU reference
Permit authority: city-by-city review
- What a Bay Area ADU actually costs in 2026, line by line
- LA vs. Bay Area ADU costs: a $42,000 gap, explained
- San Francisco ADU permitting rules: planning, building, and the surprises
- Oakland ADU permitting: rules, fees, and timeline
- San Jose ADU permitting: the South Bay playbook
- What Bay Area ADUs actually rent for in 2026
- Bay Area ADU permit timeline, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles ADU reference
Permit authority: LADBS
- The anatomy of an LA ADU build, line by line
- The 2025 LA ADU permitting rulebook, decoded
- The LA ADU permit timeline, week by week
- What an ADU actually rents for in LA in 2025
- Hillside ADUs in LA: soils, grading, and the geo report
- LADWP, SoCalGas and your ADU: the utility connection map
- Will your ADU trigger a property tax reassessment?
By service × region
Every California construction service we offer, mirrored across both regional desks — pick a row and land on the exact city + service surface, with its localized FAQ baked in.
ADU & Conversions
Detached ADUs, garage conversions, JADUs.
ADU Builder
Garage Conversion
JADU Builder
Ground-Up Construction
New construction and hillside builds.
New Home Construction
Hillside Construction
Development & Investor
Small multifamily and 2–6 unit feasibility.
Small Multifamily & 2–6 Unit
Renovation & Additions
Home additions, kitchens, baths, whole-home.
Home Additions
Kitchen Remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling
Whole Home Remodeling
Trades & Building Systems
Roofing, siding, decks, foundation, framing, retrofits.
Roofing
Siding & Stucco
Decks & Outdoor Living
Concrete & Flatwork
Windows & Doors
Foundation Repair & Replacement
Framing & Structural Work
Seismic Retrofit
Commercial & Property Services
TI buildouts, HOAs, property management — by request.
Commercial Tenant Improvement
HOA Construction Services
Property Management Construction
By topic · editorial questions
The reference desk, reorganized by the topic readers actually search for. Each question links to its exact anchor on the desk; each "Read deeper" chip points at the pillar guide that owns the answer.
Cost & budget
Timeline & schedule
Permits & policy
Rental & ROI
SB-9 & lot strategy
Cross-region · universal guides
Design · 6 min
Detached, attached, or conversion: choosing the right ADU typeA decision framework for picking the configuration that fits your lot, budget, and rental strategy — with the trade-offs builders rarely volunteer.
Design · 6 min
Designing an ADU you actually want to live inTwelve design moves that separate a great 700 sq ft ADU from a generic one — most cost nothing extra, all of them protect your re-sale and rental value.
Finance · 8 min
Financing an ADU without overpaying for the privilegeHELOC, cash-out refi, renovation loan, or cash: a side-by-side on the four real paths LA homeowners use — and the rate math that decides between them.
Finance · 9 min
HELOC, cash-out, renovation loan: the ADU money decisionA practical comparison of the four ways LA homeowners actually pay for an ADU — including the one product (renovation loan) that lets you borrow against the finished value.
Design · 10 min
Title 24 for ADUs: what actually triggers complianceCalifornia's energy code is the single biggest design constraint after setbacks. Here's what Title 24 Part 6 requires for new ADUs in 2025 — heat pumps, fenestration, envelope, and the CF1R signoff.
Permitting · 8 min
ADU vs SB9 lot split: which path actually fits your lotTwo state laws now let LA homeowners add density. SB9 splits the lot and creates a separately sellable parcel; ADU law adds a unit. The decision turns on three numbers — and one local opt-out.
Process · 8 min
How to vet any LA ADU contractor in 8 minutesA repeatable protocol for verifying license, bond, insurance, and complaint history before you sign anything — using only free public databases.
Cost · 7 min
How we estimate ADU costs (the calculator methodology)Every number in our cost calculator is anchored to real 2025 California ADU project data. A transparent walk-through of the model.