Frequently Asked Questions
Everything homeowners ask us before they sign – pricing, permits, timelines, guarantees, and how we handle garage conversions, detached ADUs, and room additions across Los Angeles. Short answers first, then the detail. If your question isn’t here, call us at (361) 315-4177 and a live person will pick up.
Key Takeaways
- Garage conversions in Los Angeles typically run $85,000 – $140,000 before permit fees; detached new-construction ADUs typically run $220,000 – $400,000 depending on size, site access, and finish level.
- Every project gets a written price before any work starts, and every project is covered by a written one-year guarantee – if the work fails inside 365 days, we come back and correct it at no charge.
- We handle design, permitting, and construction in-house, so you’re not the one chasing the plan checker at LADBS.
- Calls are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pricing & Estimates
How much does an ADU cost in Los Angeles?
An ADU in Los Angeles typically costs between $85,000 and $400,000 depending on the type, size, and site conditions. A garage conversion sits at the low end because the foundation, roof, and four walls already exist. A detached new-construction ADU sits at the high end because you’re building a full structure from the slab up, running new utilities, and often dealing with hillside grading or tight alley access. These ranges are before permit fees, which vary by jurisdiction and project scope.
Here’s a realistic line-item view of what drives the number:
| Project type | Typical range (before permits) | What drives the range |
|---|---|---|
| Garage conversion ADU | $85,000 – $140,000 | Slab condition, ceiling height, whether the garage shares a wall with the house, plumbing distance to main |
| Junior ADU (interior conversion) | $65,000 – $110,000 | Existing square footage, egress window requirements, kitchenette vs. full kitchen |
| Detached new-construction ADU (500 – 800 sq ft) | $220,000 – $340,000 | Site access, foundation type, utility trenching distance, finish level |
| Detached new-construction ADU (800 – 1,200 sq ft) | $300,000 – $400,000 | Structural complexity, roofline tie-in, MEP runs, custom cabinetry and tile |
| Prefab / modular ADU (Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab) | $150,000 – $320,000 installed | Platform chosen, crane vs. forklift access, site prep, utility connections, delivery window |
The prefab route can compress the schedule significantly because the unit is built in a factory while your site work happens. But the site work – foundation, utilities, crane day, final connections – is where prefab budgets quietly blow up, and it’s the part most homeowners don’t price out before they sign with the factory. We price the whole thing, site work included, before you commit. Call (361) 315-4177 for a written estimate on your specific lot.
Do you offer free estimates?
Yes. We give free written estimates on every ADU, garage conversion, and room addition we’re asked to bid. You get a number in writing, broken into line items, so you can see what you’re paying for. The price you approve on day one is the number on the final invoice. If something changes scope mid-build, you get a written change order before the work proceeds. No verbal “we’ll figure it out later.” No surprise line at the door.
Is it cheaper to convert my garage or build a detached ADU?
Converting your garage is almost always cheaper than building detached, usually by $100,000 or more, because you’re reusing an existing foundation and roof structure. The trade-off is square footage and layout flexibility: a garage conversion is typically 350 – 450 square feet, while a detached ADU can be 800 – 1,200 square feet. If you need rental income and the garage is in decent shape, convert. If you need real living space for family, build detached. We’ll walk your property and give you both numbers side by side so you’re comparing apples to apples.
Are there financing options for an ADU in Los Angeles?
Most of our Los Angeles clients pay cash, use a HELOC, or take a construction loan, and some use California’s CalHFA ADU grant program if they qualify. We don’t sell financing, but we’ll hand you a written scope and price document that lenders accept, which speeds up underwriting. We also work with prefab platforms like Abodu and Cover that sometimes have their own financing partners attached to a purchase.
Service & Scheduling
Do you offer emergency ADU service?
We don’t run emergency service for ADUs the way a plumber or electrician does, because ADU work is planned construction, not a same-night repair call. What we do offer is something most contractors don’t: a live person answers our phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If water is coming through a wall at 11 p.m. or a framing issue needs eyes on it immediately, you call and you get a human, not a voicemail box. We’ll triage it on the phone and get someone out as fast as the situation requires.
How fast can you respond to a call or estimate request?
We respond to estimate requests the same business day, and site visits are typically scheduled within a week of that call. Construction start depends on permitting and material lead times – a garage conversion can break ground in six to ten weeks after contract signing, while a detached new-construction ADU or a prefab delivery runs longer because LADBS plan check and factory lead times set the clock, not us. We give you a real calendar with dates on it, not a verbal “sometime in spring.”
How long does an ADU take to build in Los Angeles?
A garage conversion typically takes 3 – 5 months from contract to final inspection, and a detached new-construction ADU typically takes 7 – 12 months. Prefab and modular builds can land in the 5 – 8 month range depending on the platform and factory schedule. The single biggest variable in Los Angeles is plan check at LADBS, which can run several months on its own. We submit complete, correct packages the first time to avoid the resubmittal loop that adds months to a project.
Can you come out today?
Same-day site visits aren’t always possible, but same-day phone response is, and we’ll book your walkthrough at the earliest opening. Call (361) 315-4177 and you’ll speak to a live person who can look at the calendar with you right then. For urgent structural or water issues on a project we built, we move immediately.
Licensing, Permits & Trust
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Fielding ADU Builders is a licensed, insured, and bonded contractor operating in Los Angeles, and we’re part of the Garrison Partners family, which has been building to The Garrison Standard since 2006. We’ll provide current certificate documentation on request before you sign anything. Every crew member who sets foot on your property is background-checked and arrives in uniform, so you know who is on your site and why they’re there.
Do you handle ADU design and permitting?
Yes. We handle design, drafting, structural engineering, and permitting from start to finish, and you don’t have to set foot in a permitting office. That includes LADBS plan check, zoning review, and, where needed, a setback variance (the city’s written permission to build closer to the property line than the standard rule allows). We also manage Coastal Commission review for properties in coastal zones and hillside ordinance requirements for slope lots. Getting the permit package right the first time is the single most valuable thing we do for your schedule.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, and it’s in writing. Every ADU, garage conversion, and room addition we build is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise – a full year of written coverage on workmanship. If something we built fails inside that year, we come back and make it right at no charge. That’s not a handshake; it’s spelled out on paper: what it covers, how long it runs, and exactly how we correct a defect. Most contractors won’t put a guarantee in writing. We do it on every job.
What is The Garrison Standard?
The Garrison Standard is the operating code behind every project we build, and it comes down to five things: show up in the window, put the price in writing, build by the book, leave the site clean, and stand behind it for a year. Garrison Partners has held to it since 2006. It’s the reason our clients aren’t calling us to ask where the crew is – they already know.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept check, ACH bank transfer, and major credit cards. Payment is tied to project milestones, not calendar dates – you pay as work is completed and inspected, and the schedule is written into your contract. We don’t ask for large upfront cash deposits. Every payment is documented against a written scope item so you always know what you’re paying for and what’s already done.
ADU Types & Services
Do you handle garage conversion ADUs?
Yes, garage conversions are one of our most common Los Angeles projects. A garage conversion reuses the existing slab, walls, and roof, which keeps the cost down and the schedule short – typically $85,000 – $140,000 before permits and 3 – 5 months to build. The details that decide whether it’s straightforward or complicated: ceiling height, whether the garage shares a wall with the main house, how far the plumbing has to travel to tie into the main drain, and whether the existing slab meets current code. In older Los Angeles neighborhoods, we regularly find garages built on shallow footings that need reinforcement before the conversion starts – worth knowing before you budget, not after.
Do you handle new detached ADUs?
Yes. A detached ADU is a full structure built from the ground up in your backyard, typically 500 – 1,200 square feet, and it’s the option that adds the most usable living space. These builds involve a new foundation, new roof, full utility runs, and often site work for grading, drainage, or hillside support. We construct both conventional stick-built detached ADUs and modular units from Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, and Plant Prefab. The right choice depends on your lot, your budget, and how fast you want it standing.
Do you handle junior ADUs and interior conversions?
Yes. A junior ADU (JADU) is a conversion inside your existing home – a spare bedroom with a kitchenette, up to 500 square feet, and it doesn’t require a new structure at all. JADUs are typically the cheapest way to add a legal rentable or family unit, generally $65,000 – $110,000 before permits. The requirements differ from a standard ADU: you’ll need egress, a kitchenette, and often a door separating the JADU from the main house. We handle the whole package, from design through final inspection.
Do you build room additions too?
Yes. Alongside ADU work, we build room additions across Los Angeles – primary suites, kitchens, family rooms, and in-law suites attached to the main house. Room additions follow a different permit and structural path than a detached ADU, and we handle that too. If you’re deciding between an addition and an ADU, we’ll lay out both costs and both timelines so you can choose based on how you’ll actually use the space. Our Room Addition Contractor in Los Angeles page covers that side of the business in detail.
What prefab ADU platforms do you work with?
We work with Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, and Plant Prefab, and we build conventional ADUs using James Hardie siding and Tuff Shed-style structures where those fit the lot and budget. We’re platform-agnostic on purpose: the right build method depends on your lot access, your timeline, and your budget, not on which factory we’re aligned with. If a crane can’t reach your backyard, that changes the plan. If your lot slopes, that changes the foundation. We match the method to the site, and we price the whole job – factory unit plus site work – in one written number.
Working With Fielding ADU Builders
What areas do you serve?
We serve homeowners throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding communities, including the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and the South Bay. If you’re not sure whether your address is in our service area, call (361) 315-4177 and we’ll tell you straight. We’d rather turn down a job outside our range than send a crew that doesn’t know the local permitting office.
What does the ADU process actually look like, step by step?
Every project follows the same sequence, and we put dates on it before you sign:
- Site walk and written estimate. We walk the property, look at your lot, utilities, and access, then hand you a written price with line items. No work starts before you approve it.
- Design and engineering. We draft the plan, run structural calcs, and prepare the permit package, including any setback variance or hillside review your property requires.
- Permit submittal and plan check. We submit to LADBS and manage the review process, including responding to any corrections the plan checker raises. You don’t go to the counter.
- Construction. Background-checked, uniformed crews build to the approved drawings. Milestone payments are tied to completed and inspected work.
- Inspections and final walkthrough. We schedule and pass inspections, then walk the finished unit with you and address every item on your list before we call it done.
- 365-day guarantee window. Your written one-year guarantee starts at completion. If anything we built fails inside that year, we come back and fix it at no charge.
Why do homeowners pick Fielding ADU Builders over a cheaper bid?
Because the cheaper bid isn’t cheaper – it just moves the cost. The contractor who quotes low and then adds line items at the door, or leaves the permit board blank to save a fee, ends up costing more than the honest number would have. Our clients have already lived through that once. What they get from us is a written price before any work starts, permitted work done by the book, background-checked crews in uniform, and a written one-year guarantee. The number we quote is the number you pay. That’s the whole pitch, and it’s the reason people call us back for a second project.
What should I have ready before I call for an estimate?
Have your property address, a rough idea of the square footage you want, and any survey or plot plan you already have on hand. If you don’t have a survey, that’s fine – we’ll pull the public records. The most useful thing you can tell us is how you plan to use the space: rental income, aging parents, a returning adult kid, or a home office. That answer shapes the design more than anything else, and it changes the price range we quote you.
Do you handle ADU projects on hillside or coastal properties?
Yes, and those are the projects where local knowledge matters most. Hillside lots in Los Angeles often trigger additional geotechnical review and foundation requirements, and coastal-zone properties may need Coastal Commission review on top of LADBS approval. We’ve worked through both, so we build the extra review time and the extra engineering into the schedule and the written price from day one. Surprises are expensive; planning for them isn’t.
Still Have Questions?
If your question isn’t answered above, the fastest thing you can do is pick up the phone. A live person answers at any hour, and you’ll get a straight answer about your project, your lot, and what it costs – not a sales script. Estimates are free and always in writing.
You can also start from our home page to see how we build, or read more about our room addition work in Los Angeles if your project is attached to the main house rather than a separate structure.
Contact Fielding ADU Builders
Call (361) 315-4177 for a free written estimate on your ADU, garage conversion, or room addition in Los Angeles. Someone answers every call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll walk your property, price the whole job in writing before any work starts, and back it with a one-year guarantee when it’s done. That’s The Garrison Standard, and it’s been the way we work since 2006.
Written by Reed Calloway, Owner at Fielding ADU Builders, serving Los Angeles since 2006.
Have a question we didn’t cover? Call Fielding ADU Builders at (361) 315-4177.
