★★★★★
ADU build in Sherman Oaks. Permits pulled, inspections passed, project completed in 14 weeks. They were transparent about every step. We're renting the unit already — it's beautiful and fully up to code.
ADU Construction · Garage ConversionsGarage Conversion ADUs
Garage Conversion ADUs
in Los Angeles
Turn an existing garage into a permitted rental or family unit — LADBS or Burbank permits, no replacement parking, one fixed-price contract, across the San Fernando Valley.
Garage conversion ADU cost in Los Angeles (2026): $130K–$200K in Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village; $135K–$210K in Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana and Woodland Hills; $145K–$220K in Encino; $160K–$240K in Toluca Lake. Plan on 6–10 weeks of design and plan check, then 3–5 months of construction; a garage conversion is the fastest ADU path.
Permits: LADBS inside the City of Los Angeles, the City of Burbank Building & Safety Division in Burbank. No replacement parking is required when a garage becomes an ADU, and units under 750 sq ft pay no City impact fees. Licensed general contractor, CSLB #1021284, based in Valley Glen.
Right Image Builders converts attached and detached garages into permitted ADUs across the San Fernando Valley from our office in Valley Glen: a licensed architect draws the plans, a structural engineer stamps them, we file with LADBS or the City of Burbank, and our own crew builds the unit through final inspection and the Certificate of Occupancy. Licensed & insured, CSLB #1021284. Free feasibility visit: (818) 210-4544.
The Right Image ApproachThe Fastest Legal Unit
Request Free ADU Feasibility Visit
The Fastest Legal Unit
on a Valley Lot
A standard two-car garage is about 400 sq ft, and under California ADU law it can become a studio or one-bedroom unit with a full kitchen and bath. No replacement parking is required for the spaces you lose, an existing structure converted in place is exempt from the new-construction setbacks, and because most conversions come in under 750 sq ft they pay no City of Los Angeles impact fees.
What the conversion actually involves: a new or repaired slab where the garage floor is thin or sloped, framing for insulated walls and a ceiling, egress windows and an entry door, full electrical on its own sub-panel, plumbing for a kitchen and bath tied to the house sewer lateral, a mini-split for heating and cooling, fire separation from the house when the garage is attached, and finishes. The garage-door opening becomes a wall with windows or a glass slider.
Two things decide the budget: the structure you start with and the utility runs. A detached garage with a sound slab and a short run to the sewer is the low end; a garage that needs a new slab, a long sewer trench or a service upgrade for the main house is the high end. We confirm both at the free feasibility visit before you pay for drawings.
What We BuildWhat the Project
What the Project
Includes
01
Feasibility & Lot Check
Zoning and lot area on ZIMAS (or the Burbank parcel map), the sewer lateral route, the main panel's amperage, and the condition of the slab and framing, checked at the free visit.
02
Plans & Engineering
A licensed architect draws the conversion; a structural engineer stamps the slab, header and shear work; Title 24 energy calculations are included.
03
LADBS or Burbank Permit
Ministerial ADU review, no public hearing; we file, answer the corrections and schedule every inspection.
04
Foundation, Framing & Envelope
Slab repair or replacement, insulated walls and ceiling, egress windows, the new entry, and the infill of the garage-door opening.
05
Kitchen, Bath & Systems
Efficiency or full kitchen, a full bath on a proper waterproofed pan, a dedicated sub-panel, plumbing to the lateral, and a mini-split.
06
Final Inspection & Certificate of Occupancy
Signed-off permit, separate address where applicable, and a unit that is legal to rent on a 30-day-or-longer lease.
Where We BuildWhere We Convert Garages,
Where We Convert Garages,
and Who Permits Them
Inside the City of Los Angeles — Van Nuys, Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, North Hollywood, Valley Village, Tarzana and Woodland Hills — the conversion is permitted through LADBS at the Van Nuys Development Services Center on Van Nuys Boulevard. Burbank permits through its own Building & Safety Division under its own ADU ordinance, and Toluca Lake addresses fall on one side or the other of the city line; we confirm the jurisdiction on the parcel map at the first visit.
The 1940s–50s R1 tracts of Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village have the easiest garages: detached, at the back of a flat lot, often with alley access. Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Encino add the hillside question south of Ventura, where the garage pad is sometimes the only level ground and an ADU over the garage keeps the yard. Burbank's Magnolia Park garages are older and smaller, and the Rancho's horse-keeping setbacks affect placement.
What It CostsGarage Conversion
Garage Conversion
Cost by Neighborhood (2026)
| Neighborhoods | Typical Range | What Drives It |
|---|---|---|
| Van Nuys · Valley Glen · North Hollywood · Valley Village | $130K–$200K | Flat 1950s tract lots, detached garages, short sewer runs; the simplest conversions in the Valley. |
| Burbank · Sherman Oaks · Studio City · Tarzana · Woodland Hills | $135K–$210K | Older or hillside garages, Burbank's own ordinance, longer utility runs; finishes trend higher. |
| Encino | $145K–$220K | Large two- and three-car garages that become true one-bedrooms; estate-lot utility distances. |
| Toluca Lake | $160K–$240K | High-finish units matched to 1930s–50s homes, on either side of the LA/Burbank line. |
Planning ranges compiled from our neighborhood pages (updated October 2026); the exact number depends on size, finishes, site access and utility runs. After the free on-site visit you get an itemized fixed price in writing.
How It WorksThree Steps.
Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.
01
Free Feasibility Visit
We visit your property, confirm what your R1 lot allows, check transit-parking rules, and tell you honestly which path — detached, garage conversion, or JADU — fits your goals and budget.
02
Design, Plans & Permits
We design the unit, use LADBS Standard Plans where they fit, and carry the submittal and corrections through plan check — with a fixed-price proposal set before construction.
03
Build & Deliver
One crew builds the ADU to final inspection sign-off, utilities connected and address issued. You get a rentable, legal second home — final payment only after your walkthrough approval.
Free Feasibility VisitGet Your Free
Get Your Free
Consultation
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 before you spend anything on plans.
Prefer to talk it through?
(818) 210-4544Request Received
Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (818) 210-4544.
ReviewsWhat Clients Say About
What Clients Say About
Our ADU Construction Work
★★★★★
We had a complex ADU project that other contractors kept turning down or quoting absurd prices. Right Image Builders handled permits, design, and construction seamlessly. This is the most professional contractor I've ever worked with in 15 years of owning property in LA.
★★★★★
We had tried two other contractors who couldn't navigate the LADBS permit process for our ADU. Right Image Builders had the permit in hand within six weeks of starting design and delivered a beautiful unit on the exact date promised. It's now generating $2,800 a month in rental income. Best investment we've made in this property.
FAQQuestions We
Questions We
Hear Every Day
Garage conversion ADU cost in Los Angeles (2026): $130K–$200K in Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood and Valley Village; $135K–$210K in Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana and Woodland Hills; $145K–$220K in Encino; $160K–$240K in Toluca Lake. Plan on 6–10 weeks of design and plan check, then 3–5 months of construction; a garage conversion is the fastest ADU path. The exact figure depends on size, finishes and site conditions; after the free on-site visit you get an itemized fixed price in writing.
No. State ADU law removed the replacement-parking requirement for garage conversions; the City of Los Angeles and Burbank both follow it. A new detached unit may need one space unless the lot is within half a mile of transit, but a conversion never does.
Yes. An attached garage converts the same way; the extra items are the fire separation between the unit and the house (a rated wall and door assembly) and separating the unit's systems so it can be metered and rented on its own.
Yes. It is permitted through LADBS inside the City of Los Angeles and through the City of Burbank in Burbank, under ministerial ADU review that approves a code-compliant unit without a hearing. A garage that was converted without permits can usually be legalized; California's amnesty rules for unpermitted ADUs built before 2020 make that path easier than it used to be, and we handle it.
Plan on 6–10 weeks for design and plan check, then 3–5 months of construction; a detached garage with a sound slab is at the short end. You get the schedule in the fixed-price proposal before we start.
Yes, on leases of 30 days or more. A standard ADU has no owner-occupancy requirement; only a Junior ADU inside the main house requires the owner to live on the property.
Right Image Builders, a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1021284) based in Valley Glen, converts garages across Van Nuys, Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Burbank, Tarzana, Valley Village and Woodland Hills under one fixed-price contract, from plans and permits to the Certificate of Occupancy, with final payment only after your walkthrough. 5.0★ on Google (45 reviews) and 4.9★ on Angi (103 reviews).
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Ready When You AreLet's Talk About
Let's Talk About
Your Project
Free feasibility visit. Fixed-price proposal. One local team from design and LADBS permits through to a finished, rentable unit.
(818) 210-4544Request Received
Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (818) 210-4544.