Design & Plans
Three design conversations, two revisions, and a stamped set ready for plan check. We design for the permit reviewer first and the Instagram photo second.
Design is where most ADU projects quietly fail — beautiful renderings that won't survive plan check. We work in three deliberate phases: schematic (where it sits), design development (how it's built), and construction documents (what gets stamped). Every sheet is drafted with LADBS plan check comments in mind.
What happens, in order
- 02.01
Schematic design
Two or three site/floor-plan options against your priorities. Setbacks per LAMC §12.22 A.33, height per state law (16′ detached, 18′ near transit), and FAR per local ordinance.
- 02.02
Design development
We freeze the floor plan, select envelope and finish systems, and route plumbing and electrical with the existing house in mind. Window placement honors privacy setbacks for neighboring properties.
- 02.03
Title 24 & structural
California Energy Code Title 24 Part 6 compliance (envelope, HVAC, lighting, PV when triggered). Structural engineering to CBC 2022 with seismic detailing appropriate to your soil class.
- 02.04
Construction documents
Stamped architectural, structural, and MEP sheets. Specifications, schedules, and details sufficient for an LADBS plan checker to approve and a contractor to bid without ambiguity.
LADBS & code references
- LAMC §12.22 A.33 — setbacks, height, FAR, parking exemptions for ADUs.
- California Building Code (CBC) 2022 — structural, fire, and life-safety basis.
- Title 24 Part 6 — energy compliance; ADUs over 700 sq ft typically trigger PV requirements.
- LAFD requirements for hillside parcels — sprinklers may be required even when CBC does not require them for the ADU itself.
What homeowners ask us during design & plans.
- How tall can my ADU be under LADBS rules?
- State law allows detached ADUs up to 16 feet, or 18 feet if your parcel is within a half-mile of a major transit stop (and 25 feet for two-story ADUs in qualifying zones). LAMC §12.22 A.33 mirrors the state floor. Hillside parcels add height-from-grade limits that we model in design development.
- Do I need to provide parking for my ADU?
- No, in almost every LA case. Per state law (Government Code §65852.2) and LAMC §12.22 A.33, parking cannot be required for ADUs within a half-mile of transit, in historic districts, or when part of an existing structure conversion — which covers the vast majority of LA parcels.
- Will my ADU trigger Title 24 solar (PV) requirements?
- Detached new-construction ADUs over roughly 700 sq ft typically trigger California Energy Code Title 24 Part 6 solar PV requirements. Garage conversions, JADUs, and additions to existing structures usually do not. We confirm the trigger during energy modeling.
Have a question we haven't answered? See the full FAQ or ask the studio directly.