Question 1

What is an ADU?

Accepted Answer

An ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a secondary, independent living space on the same lot as your primary home, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance. California law requires most cities to allow them on single-family lots.

Question 2

How much does an ADU cost in Orange County?

Accepted Answer

It depends on type. Junior ADUs typically run $60,000-$150,000 and garage conversions $80,000-$185,000, since both reuse existing structure. Attached ADUs run $170,000-$350,000, and ground-up detached ADUs run $200,000-$440,000 or more. These are typical Orange County market ranges, not a KDB quote. We'll give you a real number after we've seen your property.

Question 3

How long does an ADU take, start to finish?

Accepted Answer

Permit approval typically runs 8-16 weeks depending on your city. Total project timelines (design through certificate of occupancy) usually land between 5 and 18 months depending on ADU type and city review speed.

Question 4

Do I need a permit to build an ADU?

Accepted Answer

Yes, every ADU in California requires building permits, and most require a separate utility connection or sub-meter. We pull every required permit for you. You don't deal with the city directly.

Question 5

Does building an ADU increase my property taxes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only on the value the ADU adds. California's Proposition 13 protections mean your existing home's assessed value isn't reassessed. The county adds the ADU's value to your bill going forward, not a full reassessment.

Question 6

Can I keep my ADU under 750 square feet to save money?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's worth knowing before you finalize a size: California exempts ADUs at 750 sq ft or less from most municipal impact fees, often a $10,000-$20,000 savings, with the same break for JADUs up to 500 sq ft. Go bigger and fees apply proportionately, scaled to how your ADU's square footage compares to your main house's. Water and sewer connection fees are handled separately: agencies can't treat your ADU as a brand-new residential hookup unless it's being built at the same time as a new primary home. We'll walk through the sizing trade-off, and what applies to your city, during design.

Question 7

Can I rent out my ADU?

Accepted Answer

In most Orange County cities, yes. Some cities restrict short-term rentals (under 30 days) on ADUs specifically. We'll flag what applies to your address during the discovery call, before you've committed to anything.

Question 8

What's the difference between a JADU and a full ADU?

Accepted Answer

A Junior ADU (JADU) is smaller, up to 500 sq ft, and built within your existing home's walls, often keeping an interior connection to the main house. A full ADU can be attached or fully detached and has no size cap that small.

Question 9

Is SB-9 the same thing as an ADU?

Accepted Answer

No — but they can work together, and that combination is worth understanding.

SB-9 lets you split one single-family lot into two, with each resulting lot eligible for up to two new primary homes ("SB-9 units"), approved through the same fast, no-hearing process as an ADU. An ADU is a secondary unit on the lot you already have, no split required.

If you split the lot, each resulting parcel caps out at two total units — two SB-9 homes, or one SB-9 home plus an ADU or JADU, but never more than two per parcel.

If you don't split, you can still add up to two SB-9 homes on top of whatever ADU or JADU your lot already qualifies for, which can add up to more total units than either law allows alone. The one catch: if your ADU plans alone would already put more than four units on the lot, the city doesn't have to approve an SB-9 split on top of that.

We'll walk through whether a split, an ADU, or both actually fits your property and goals.

Question 10

Can I build an ADU if I have a small lot or an existing pool?

Accepted Answer

Often, yes. California ADU law overrides most local lot-coverage and setback rules that used to block this. A pool changes the layout conversation, not whether an ADU is possible. We'll walk your actual lot with you during the on-site visit before assuming anything is or isn't workable.

Question 11

Can my city's setback rules block my ADU?

Accepted Answer

Not entirely, no. Cities can require up to a 4-foot setback from your side and rear property lines for an attached or detached ADU, and if you're converting an existing structure or building in the same footprint as one, no setback applies at all. Front-yard setbacks are more protected: your city can require one, but it can't use it to block an ADU of at least 800 square feet, even if that means the ADU sits partly or fully inside the normal front setback. We'll check your specific lot's setbacks with you during the on-site visit.

Question 12

Can my HOA stop me from building an ADU?

Accepted Answer

No. Any HOA rule (a CC&R) that prohibits or effectively blocks an ADU or JADU is legally void. An HOA can apply limited, reasonable design standards, like materials or architectural style, as long as they don't functionally make the ADU too expensive or difficult to build, and it can't charge fees for that review. What an HOA can never do is insert itself into your city's permit approval, which is required by law to stay ministerial, meaning no discretionary sign-off from anyone, HOA included. If an HOA tries to review or approve your application directly, that's the city violating state law, not a real hurdle for you to clear.

Question 13

Does an ADU need its own utility meter?

Accepted Answer

Usually a separate electrical sub-panel at minimum; a fully separate meter depends on your city and whether you plan to rent the unit. We handle this as part of permitting, and it's one of the first things we scope during design.

Question 14

Can family live in the ADU instead of renting it out?

Accepted Answer

Yes: aging parents, adult kids, a caretaker. It's one of the most common reasons Orange County homeowners build one, and it doesn't change the construction process at all, just what you do with the space once it's done.

Question 15

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Click "Start My Project" below, or call us directly at (714) 202-7684. We'll set up a short call to hear about your property and goals, and walk you through which ADU type makes sense before you spend anything on design.

ADU Type	What It Is	Typical Range
Junior ADU (JADU)	Converted space within your existing home footprint	$60,000 - $150,000
Garage Conversion	Built inside your existing garage structure	$80,000 - $185,000
Attached ADU	A new addition built onto your existing home	$170,000 - $350,000
Detached ADU	A standalone structure, built from the ground up	$200,000 - $440,000+

An ADU you
can be proud of.

Most ADU horror stories aren't about the building. They're about the permit.

Orange County is building more ADUs than ever, and fewer single-family homes.

What ADUs typically cost in Orange County.

Four ways to build one.

Detached ADU

Attached ADU

Garage Conversion

Junior ADU (JADU)

Three steps. So you're never wondering what's next.

Tell us what the ADU is actually for.

See the real permit path and design before you commit.

Move in, on the schedule we gave you.

One team, from design to certificate of occupancy.

You see it before we start.

We handle every permit.

Open-book pricing throughout.

A one-year workmanship warranty.

Things people ask before they build.

You dream it.
We build it.

An ADU youcan be proud of.