Burbank ADU Contractor | Right Image Builders

The Right Image Approach

Burbank ADUs,
By Burbank's Own Rules

Building an ADU in Burbank starts with one fact most contractors miss: Burbank is its own city. Your unit is permitted through the City of Burbank's Building Division under Burbank's own ADU ordinance and fee schedule — not through the Los Angeles system, and not using LA's pre-approved Standard Plans. State ADU law still gives you the right to build; Burbank just administers it on its own terms.

An ADU is a complete small home — foundation, framing, a full kitchen and bath, its own systems and address — so the local permitting and utility coordination matter as much as the construction. We manage all of it as one contract with one point of contact: design, City of Burbank submittal, corrections, utilities, the build, and final inspection.

Burbank's older lots reward it. Many 1920s–40s homes have a detached garage ideal for conversion, and the flatter lots suit ground-up detached units. In the Rancho equestrian district, horsekeeping setbacks add a wrinkle we design around. Based a short drive west in Valley Glen, we'll tell you at the free feasibility visit exactly what your Burbank lot supports — before you spend on plans.

Request Free ADU Feasibility Visit →

Detached ADU in Burbank — Right Image Builders

Recent ADU · Burbank, CA

What We Build

Three Paths
to a Second Unit

Detached ADUs

A standalone backyard home up to 1,200 sq ft, designed to complement Burbank's traditional and Spanish architecture. On typical Burbank lots most detached units land in the 600–1,000 sq ft range. [VERIFY size limits with Burbank code.]

Garage Conversions

The most cost-effective Burbank path. We convert an existing detached garage into a legal ADU — foundation and slab upgrades, framing, insulation, windows, a full kitchen and bath, and code systems, all permitted through the City of Burbank.

Junior ADUs (JADUs)

A JADU up to 500 sq ft carved from the existing house with an efficiency kitchen — the lowest-cost way to add a legal, rentable unit without new square footage.

Rancho District Site Planning

In Burbank's equestrian Rancho District, horsekeeping and its setback rules shape where an ADU can sit. We design placement around those local standards so the unit is both legal and livable on an equestrian lot.

Utilities & Site Work

Water, sewer, and electrical connections; addressing; grading and drainage; and the exterior work that ties the ADU into the property — the coordination that quietly makes or breaks an ADU timeline, handled in-house.

Design, City Permits & Build

One contract from concept to keys: design and engineering, City of Burbank submittal and corrections under its ADU ordinance, construction, and final inspection — a single team accountable for the whole unit.

Building in Burbank

Its Own Ordinance,
Its Own Counter

The defining fact of a Burbank ADU is jurisdiction. Burbank is an independent city, so your unit is reviewed under Burbank's own ADU ordinance and permitted at the City of Burbank Building Division — not LADBS, and not with LA's Standard Plans. State law guarantees your right to build; Burbank sets the local development standards and fees. A contractor who assumes the LA process will hit a wall at Burbank's counter.

The neighborhoods shape the work. Magnolia Park and Burbank's traditional streets have older lots with detached garages that convert cleanly. The Rancho District is Burbank's equestrian enclave, where horsekeeping setbacks affect where an ADU can go. The Media District near the studios draws professionals building rental and guest units.

Location can help too: parts of Burbank sit near Metrolink and Amtrak service around the Downtown Burbank station, which can waive added-parking for an ADU within a half-mile of transit — subject to Burbank's rules for your exact address. [VERIFY transit proximity and Burbank parking rules.] Based a short drive west in Valley Glen, we permit Burbank correctly the first time.

What It Costs

Burbank ADU
Cost Ranges

ADU Type	Typical Range	What's Involved
JADU	$90K–$155K	Up to 500 sq ft carved from the existing home with an efficiency kitchen and bath. The lowest-cost legal unit.
Garage Conversion	$135K–$205K	Convert an existing garage to a full legal ADU — foundation/slab upgrades, framing, kitchen, bath, and code systems.
Detached ADU	$255K–$420K+	Ground-up standalone unit, typically 600–1,000 sq ft on a Burbank lot, including utilities and site work.

ADU costs vary widely with size, finishes, site conditions, and City of Burbank fees. Ranges are for planning only; your fixed-price proposal follows the free feasibility visit. [VERIFY — owner to confirm current ADU cost ranges before publish.]

How It Works

Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.

Free Feasibility Visit

We visit your Burbank property, confirm what your lot allows under Burbank's ADU ordinance, check any Rancho setbacks and transit-parking rules, and recommend the right path — detached, garage conversion, or JADU.

Design, Plans & City Permits

We design the unit and carry the submittal and corrections through the City of Burbank's Building Division — with a fixed-price proposal set before construction.

Build & Deliver

One crew builds to final inspection sign-off, utilities connected and address issued. You get a rentable, legal second home — final payment only after your walkthrough approval.

See Our Full Process →

Free Feasibility Visit

Start Your Burbank
ADU

Tell us about your lot and your goals and we'll get back to you within 4 business hours. We'll confirm what your property allows under Burbank's ordinance before you spend anything on plans.

Prefer to talk it through?

📞 (888) 357-9992

✓

Request Received

Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (888) 357-9992.

Burbank ADU FAQ

Questions We
Hear in Burbank

Can I build an ADU on my lot in Burbank?+

Most likely yes. California ADU law applies statewide, so nearly every single-family lot in Burbank can add at least one ADU plus a Junior ADU. What's specific to Burbank is the local process: the city adopts its own ADU ordinance and reviews applications through its own Building Division. In the Rancho equestrian district, horsekeeping setbacks can also affect placement. We confirm exactly what your specific Burbank lot allows at the free site visit. [VERIFY local ordinance specifics.]

How big can my ADU be in Burbank?+

Under California rules, a detached ADU can generally be built up to 1,200 sq ft, and a Junior ADU (JADU) is capped at 500 sq ft within the existing home. Burbank applies these state limits along with its own local development standards. On typical Burbank lots most detached units we build land in the 600–1,000 sq ft range. We size the ADU to your lot and goals. [VERIFY exact size limits with owner/current Burbank code.]

Do you handle permits, and does Burbank use LADBS?+

We handle all of it — and no, Burbank does not use LADBS. Because Burbank is its own city, your ADU is permitted through the City of Burbank's Building Division under Burbank's own ADU ordinance and fee schedule, not through the Los Angeles system or its Standard Plans. We know Burbank's process and manage submission, corrections, and inspections for you.

Can I convert my Burbank garage into an ADU?+

Yes, and it's one of the most cost-effective paths in Burbank. Many of the city's 1920s–40s homes have a detached garage that converts well into a legal ADU — we upgrade the foundation and slab as needed, frame new walls, add insulation, windows, a full kitchen and bath, and bring electrical and plumbing to code, all permitted through the City of Burbank. A garage conversion typically costs less than a ground-up detached unit.

Do I need to add parking for an ADU in Burbank?+

Sometimes not. State law waives the added-parking requirement for an ADU within one-half mile of qualifying public transit, and parts of Burbank sit near Metrolink and Amtrak service around the Downtown Burbank station. Whether your specific address qualifies depends on its distance to transit and Burbank's local rules, which we confirm during planning. [VERIFY transit proximity and Burbank parking rules per address.]

How long does an ADU take, and can I rent it out?+

California reviews ADU applications ministerially, generally within about 60 days, and building a detached unit typically runs several months depending on size and site work; Burbank processes its own reviews on the city's schedule. Yes, you can rent it out — a Burbank ADU is a strong rental-income and multigenerational-housing asset. We give you a realistic combined permitting-and-build timeline at proposal. [VERIFY current Burbank approval timelines.]

Ready When You Are

Let's Build Your
Burbank ADU

Free feasibility visit. Fixed-price proposal. One local team from design and City of Burbank permits through to a finished, rentable unit.

📞 (888) 357-9992

✓

Request Received

Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (888) 357-9992.

ADU Constructionin Burbank, CA

Burbank ADUs,By Burbank's Own Rules

Three Pathsto a Second Unit

Detached ADUs

Garage Conversions

Junior ADUs (JADUs)

Rancho District Site Planning

Utilities & Site Work

Design, City Permits & Build

Its Own Ordinance,Its Own Counter

Burbank ADUCost Ranges

Three Steps.Zero Surprises.

Free Feasibility Visit

Design, Plans & City Permits

Build & Deliver

Start Your BurbankADU

Questions WeHear in Burbank

Let's Build YourBurbank ADU

ADU Construction
in Burbank, CA

Burbank ADUs,
By Burbank's Own Rules

Three Paths
to a Second Unit

Its Own Ordinance,
Its Own Counter

Burbank ADU
Cost Ranges

Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.

Start Your Burbank
ADU

Questions We
Hear in Burbank

Let's Build Your
Burbank ADU