Mar Vista Conversion
Mar Vista, LA
1950s detached garage rebuilt to a permitted JADU with skylight and walk-in.
- Type
- Garage Conversion
- Size
- 420 sq ft
- Cost
- $165K
- Permit-to-CofO
- 6 mo
01 — Brief
The brief.
1950s detached garage rebuilt to a permitted JADU with skylight and walk-in.
The owner came to the studio with a 420 sq ft program and a hard cost ceiling. We responded with a fixed-fee feasibility document inside one business day, then locked the contract at $165K and delivered the Certificate of Occupancy in 6 mo.
Architecture, structural and Title 24 engineering, plan check management, and construction were all handled in-house under a single P&L — no coordination tax, no finger-pointing on corrections.
02 — Cost
Where the $165K went.
Allocation derived from the contract budget and reconciled against the studio's published methodology — see the full cost breakdown for category-by-category methodology.
Soft costs
$20KShare12%Design, structural + Title 24 engineering, plan check and city fees.
Site & utilities
$23KShare14%Excavation, foundation, sewer/water taps, sub-panel and trenching.
Hard construction
$109KShare66%Framing, envelope, MEP rough-in, finishes, fixtures and appliances.
Contingency held
$13KShare8%Reserved for unforeseen conditions; unspent balance returned at close.
03 — Timeline
6 mo, four phases.
The breakdown below tracks the actual permit-to-CofO calendar. Read more about the studio's standard schedule on the process page.
- Phase 01
Feasibility & design
6 wk
Site survey, schematic design, structural concept, fixed-fee proposal.
- Phase 02
Plan check & permit
6 wk
LADBS plan check, corrections cycle, school + utility fee clearance.
- Phase 03
Construction
10 wk
Foundation, framing, envelope, MEP rough-in, finishes and fixtures.
- Phase 04
Inspections & CofO
3 wk
Final inspections, punch list, owner orientation, Certificate of Occupancy.
04 — Neighborhood
Mar Vista, LA.
Mar Vista, LA sets the constraints for this build — setbacks, mature-tree protection, and the rhythm of the surrounding street frontages all shape the massing. The garage conversion reads as quiet from the curb and generous inside, which is the brief we hold to on every conversion we deliver in the area.
See the city desk for Mar Vista →05 — Field notes
What we'd repeat — and what we'd revisit.
First-hand notes from the project lead, recorded at closeout. Published as part of our standing commitment to ship lessons, not just photos.
- Repeat
Re-use the existing slab
Salvaging the original slab on this garage conversion cut roughly two weeks off site work and kept demolition under one container. We'd specify the same scope verification on day one for any conversion of this footprint.
- Revisit
Order long-lead finishes earlier
Two finish materials arrived inside the punch-list window, which compressed final inspections. We're now placing finish POs at the start of construction on builds of this scope.
- Owner brief
Allow one design review per phase
Owners who held a single, prepared review per phase — feasibility, plan check, construction, closeout — kept the schedule and budget inside the contract. The reverse pattern (frequent informal changes) is the most common cost driver we see.
06 — Plates