A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable Garage Conversion Contractor Across Burbank
Garage conversion in Burbank typically runs $95,000 to $185,000 before permit fees, and the single biggest cost driver here is the foundation work. Most detached garages in this city were built before 1979 on slab-on-grade with no continuous footing, which means the slab almost never passes engineering review for habitable space. If you’re searching for a Garage Conversion Contractor who understands Burbank’s older housing stock, that’s us. We’re Fielding ADU Builders, an independently owned member of the Garrison Partners family, and we’ve handled enough Burbank garage conversions to know exactly what the structural review will flag before you spend a dollar. Call (361) 315-4177 for a free estimate and we’ll walk your property with a written scope in hand.
Our crews serve Burbank from our Los Angeles metro office, and every technician who steps onto your property is background-checked and in uniform. You’ll know who’s on site, you’ll have a written price before any work starts, and you’ll get a one-year written guarantee on the finished conversion.
Why Fielding ADU Builders Is Burbank’s Preferred Garage Conversion Contractor Company
We’re not the cheapest bid in Burbank, and we won’t pretend to be. What we offer is a written price before any work starts, a one-year written guarantee called The Garrison Standard, and a crew that shows up when we say we will. We’ve been building to this standard since 2006, and the Garrison Partners organization behind us holds every project to the same rule: show up in the window, price in writing, by the book, leave it clean, stand behind it for a year.
The homeowners we work with in Burbank have usually been burned once already. They’ve had a contractor move the price after demo, or leave the permit board blank, or just stop answering the phone. That’s why our process starts with a structural evaluation, not a handshake. We name the scope, price it in writing, and pull every permit the city requires. If something fails inside that first year, we return at no charge and make it right. Written guarantee. Not a verbal promise.
Reed Calloway leads Fielding ADU Builders, and the standard he holds the crew to is the same one he’d want on his own garage. That’s the whole job.
Garage Apartment Conversion in Burbank
Garage Apartment Conversion in Burbank is a different animal than it is in Glendale or North Hollywood, and the reason is the housing age. Most detached garages here were built before 1979 on slab-on-grade with 2×4 walls and no continuous footing. Converting one into a permitted apartment means the slab almost always gets saw-cut and replaced, the walls reframed to 2×6, and the roof load reevaluated. The conversion itself typically runs $110,000 to $185,000 here once the foundation scope is included.
What the Work Actually Involves
A garage apartment conversion in Burbank means turning a structure built for cars into a dwelling that meets current building code for insulation, egress, electrical, plumbing, and seismic. That’s not a cosmetic job. The city will want a structural evaluation, an engineered foundation detail, and a recorded covenant before you get a Certificate of Occupancy.
Why Burbank Garages Need More Work Than Expected
When we opened up a 1940s two-car garage on North Whitnall Highway in the Rancho neighborhood, the slab had no vapor barrier. The 2×4 walls could not carry the new roof load. We saw-cut the slab, poured a new continuous footing and 4-inch slab with a 6-mil vapor barrier, framed 2×6 perimeter walls, and finished the new exterior with James Hardie siding so it matched the house. That detail, the foundation replacement, is the thing that surprises homeowners who got a cheaper bid from someone who skipped the structural review.
Garage Conversion Permit in Burbank
Garage Conversion Permit in Burbank is not a quick counter stamp. It’s a full plan review that involves Building & Safety, Planning, and often the Burbank Fire Department when the converted garage sits within 10 feet of a neighboring structure or shares a property line with an alley. Plan review and permit issuance typically takes four to eight months from submittal to approval, and final inspection adds more time after construction.
The Permit Scope Most Contractors Miss
Burbank requires a recorded covenant on the property when the garage becomes an ADU. The city also requires separate utility metering or sub-metering, and a Certificate of Occupancy before the space can be legally rented. Skip any of these and you cannot pull a rental license. Our permit set includes all of it, and we pull the permits ourselves. You don’t chase the counter.
Fire Department Review
If your garage shares a property line with an alley or sits close to a neighbor, Burbank Fire will review access and clearance. Sometimes that triggers a residential fire sprinkler review. That review can add months to the permit timeline if it’s discovered late. We flag it in the first week, not after demo.
Trusted Brands We Service in Burbank
We work with the modular and prefab platforms Burbank homeowners are already researching: Abodu, Cover, and Dvele. If your lot and budget fit a prefab garage ADU, we can spec it. If conventional framing makes more sense, we build that too, typically with James Hardie siding on the exterior. We also handle Tuff Shed-style structures where the city will accept them. The point is we match the build method to your lot and budget, not to our inventory. For Burbank homeowners, that means a straight answer on which approach costs less and which one gets through plan review faster.
Common Garage Conversion Contractor Problems We See in Burbank Homes
- Slab failure discovered after demo. Burbank’s pre-1979 garages sit on slabs with no continuous footing and often no vapor barrier. An engineer requires a new footing and slab, and the budget moves by $18,000 to $35,000. We identify this before we bid, not after we demo.
- Burbank Fire clearance issues surface late. Garages near an alley or within 10 feet of a neighbor trigger fire access review, sometimes sprinkler review. Discovered late, this pushes the permit timeline by months. We run the fire check in week one.
- The rental covenant gets forgotten. Burbank requires a recorded covenant, separate utility metering or sub-metering, and a Certificate of Occupancy before the ADU can be legally rented. Owners who skip this cannot pull a rental license. Our scope includes all three.
- Roof load on old 2×4 walls gets ignored. A 1940s garage framed with 2×4 studs usually can’t carry the roof load for habitable space once insulation and drywall are added. The fix is reframing to 2×6 perimeter walls. Cheaper bids skip this until the inspector flags it.
Pricing for Garage Conversion Contractor in Burbank, CA
A full attached garage conversion to living space in Burbank runs $95,000 to $145,000. A detached garage ADU conversion runs $120,000 to $185,000. The spread depends on foundation replacement, electrical service upgrades, whether you need a fire sprinkler review, and the finish level you choose. Permit fees run separately and typically add $8,000 to $15,000 depending on project scope and city fees. We give you a written price before any work starts. The number you approve on day one is the number on the final invoice. If the engineer flags something after demo that we should have caught, that’s on us, not you.
Call (361) 315-4177 for a free estimate and we’ll give you a written line-item price for your Burbank garage conversion.
We Also Serve Cities Near Burbank
Our crews work throughout Burbank and the surrounding area, including Glendale, North Hollywood, Studio City, and La Canada Flintridge. Each city has its own permit process and structural realities, and we price and permit by the local code, not a template. If you’re near Burbank, call (361) 315-4177 and we’ll tell you straight what your garage needs.
Serving Burbank, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Burbank area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Garage Conversion Contractor in Burbank
Almost always, yes. Burbank’s pre-1979 garage stock sits on slab-on-grade with no continuous footing and often no vapor barrier. Building & Safety will not sign off on habitable space over that slab. Expect a new engineered continuous footing and a new 4-inch slab with a 6-mil vapor barrier. On a typical two-car garage in the Rancho or Magnolia Park area, that runs $18,000 to $35,000. Call (361) 315-4177 and we’ll confirm what your garage actually needs before you commit.
Plan for four to eight months from submittal to permit issuance. Construction adds another three to five months depending on foundation scope and finish level. Final inspection, including the Certificate of Occupancy, happens after that. The biggest variable is Burbank Fire review, which adds months when it’s triggered late. We submit the fire check early. Call (361) 315-4177 for a realistic calendar on your specific lot.
Yes, but only if the property has a recorded covenant, separate utility metering or sub-metering, and a Certificate of Occupancy. Burbank will not issue a rental license without all three. We include the covenant and utility separation in our permit set and see the CO through to the end. Call (361) 315-4177 and we’ll walk you through the exact paperwork path for your address.
Undiscovered structural conditions. If the slab has no vapor barrier, the walls are 2×4 where 2×6 is required, or Burbank Fire flags a clearance issue after demo, the price moves. That’s why we do a full structural evaluation before we bid. Our written price includes the work we can see and the work a competent evaluation should find. If we miss something, that’s our cost. Call (361) 315-4177 for a free estimate and written scope.
Yes for the structural engineering. Burbank plan review requires stamped engineering for the foundation, wall framing, and roof load on a garage conversion. We coordinate the engineer, the architect-level drawings, and the permit set ourselves. You sign the covenant and the checks. Call (361) 315-4177 and we’ll explain the drawing and engineering scope for your project in plain terms.
Written by Reed Calloway, Owner at Fielding ADU Builders, serving Burbank since 2006.
