ADU plans you can take anywhere
Many Los Angeles homeowners want to start with the plans: a clear design, a permit-ready set of drawings, and the freedom to decide how to build from there. That is exactly what this service is. We design your accessory dwelling unit, produce 3D renderings and permit-ready construction documents, and hand you a complete set of plans you can take forward however you choose.
You can build with us, or you can bid the finished plans to any contractor you like, including us. There is no obligation either way. If you do invite us to bid, we arrive already fluent in the design, because we drew it and we already know how we intend to build what we drew.
Why ADU plans drawn by a builder are different
Most ADU plans are drawn by someone who will never build them. The result is often a design that looks right on paper but runs into trouble at plan check or comes back from contractors far over budget. Our plans are different because of who draws them.
Our ADU designs are shaped by Matt Thompson, a general contractor with decades in the field, alongside Michael Gross, an accomplished building designer. The two have worked together for 13 years. Every line is tested against structure, cost, and code before it ever reaches your city's plan check counter, so contractors can price your plans with confidence and your building department can approve them without endless rounds of corrections.
What your ADU plan set includes
Your plan set is drawn to fit your lot, your intended use, and local code. It includes floor plans, elevations, sections, and construction details prepared to your local building department's submittal requirements.
You also receive photorealistic 3D renderings, so you can see materials, light, and proportion before anything is built. Renderings make design decisions easier and help when you are sharing the project with family, neighbors, or a lender. If you would like, we can also submit the permit package and manage the process with the city on your behalf.
Every kind of ADU
We design detached ADUs, attached ADUs, garage conversions, and junior ADUs across the Los Angeles area, on flat lots, tight lots, and hillsides. Whether the unit will house a family member, serve as a guest house or home office, or produce rental income, the design is shaped around how you intend to use it.
Thinking about converting an existing garage? It is often the most cost-effective path to a fully permitted ADU. See our page on garage conversion ADUs.
Designing to a real budget
Because we build as well as design, we plan your ADU with construction cost in view from the very first sketch. As a general guide, and never as a quote, most of our ADUs range from $300,000 to $1.5 million to build, and junior ADUs start from about $225,000. Where your project lands depends on size, site conditions, finishes, and the complexity of the design. Our ADU cost guide explains what drives the number.
How it works
Every project begins with a consultation at your property, where we talk candidly about what your lot allows, what you hope to build, and what your budget can do. From there we develop the design and renderings with you, refining until it feels exactly right, and then prepare the permit-ready construction documents.
When the plans are complete, the choice is yours: continue straight into construction with the same team, or take your plans to bid. We are selective about the projects we take on, and we will be honest with you from the first conversation. If we are not the right team, we will tell you.
Common questions
Can I hire you for ADU plans only and use a different contractor?
Yes. Design and plans only is a standard way we work. You receive permit-ready construction documents and 3D renderings, and you are free to bid the project to any contractor, including us.
Why have a builder draw my ADU plans?
Because plans drawn by people who build are priced and permitted with fewer surprises. We already know how we intend to build what we drew, so structure, cost, and code are considered before the plans reach plan check, not after.
What is included in an ADU plan set?
Floor plans, elevations, sections, and construction details prepared to your local building department's submittal requirements, plus 3D renderings so you can see the unit before it is built. We can also submit and manage the permit process for you.
How much does it cost to build an ADU in Los Angeles?
Every lot and design is different, so we only speak in wide ranges, never quotes. Most of our ADUs range from $300,000 to $1.5 million, and junior ADUs start from about $225,000. Planning the design around your budget from the first sketch is part of the work.
Related: ADU design and construction, Guide to building an ADU in Los Angeles, Design-build vs. architect and contractor.