ADU Contractor · Tarzana, CA

ADU Builder & Contractor
in Tarzana, CA

Large-lot detached ADUs, garage conversions, and JADUs on Tarzana lots — flat and hillside — with LADBS permits, Standard Plans, and the Hillside Ordinance handled by one local team.

Tarzana ADU cost (2026): JADU $95K–$160K; Garage Conversion $140K–$210K; Detached ADU $260K–$450K+. Garage conversion or JADU: 6–10 weeks of design and plan check, then 3–5 months of construction, about 5–8 months in all. Detached ADU: 3–5 months of design, engineering and plan check, then 6–9 months of construction, 9–14 months to the Certificate of Occupancy.

Permits: LADBS, City of Los Angeles, with Baseline Hillside Ordinance review south of Ventura Boulevard. One fixed price after a free on-site estimate from a licensed general contractor, CSLB #1021284, based in Valley Glen about 20 minutes from Tarzana.

Updated October 2026 · Right Image Builders project team · CSLB #1021284 · 5.0★ Google (45 reviews) · 4.9★ Angi (103 reviews)

Right Image Builders is a licensed ADU contractor building across Tarzana — from the big level lots on the north flats and the Vanalden area to the hillside lots in the Tarzana hills south of Ventura. We handle detached ADUs, garage conversions, and Junior ADUs, through LADBS permits, Standard Plans, and Hillside Ordinance requirements to final inspection. Licensed & insured, CSLB #1021284, based in Valley Glen a straight drive east. Free feasibility visit: (818) 210-4544.

The Right Image Approach

Big Lots Make
Great ADUs

Few Valley neighborhoods are as ADU-friendly as Tarzana, and the reason is the land. The flats north of Ventura Boulevard sit on big, level lots — exactly the kind of parcel where a full-size detached ADU up to 1,200 sq ft is genuinely feasible, with room left over for the yard. It's a different starting point from the tight lots elsewhere in the Valley.

South of Ventura, the streets climb into the Tarzana hills. Those lots are larger and more valuable, and they make excellent ADU sites too — but they're governed by the City of LA Hillside Ordinance, which brings grading, retaining, drainage, and access into the design. Both sides of the boulevard are strong ADU opportunities; they just call for different expertise.

In Tarzana an ADU is permitted through LADBS (City of Los Angeles) at the Van Nuys Development Services Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd, and power and water connections go through LADWP; the typical site is a big level lot north of Ventura with room for a full-size detached unit, or an RA Melody Acres parcel where horse-keeping setbacks apply, which is what decides between a garage conversion, a JADU and a detached unit. One contract covers design, LADBS, City of Los Angeles, with Baseline Hillside Ordinance review south of Ventura Boulevard and construction; the project lead who does your estimate at home runs the build, and the itemized fixed-price proposal follows within 3–5 business days.

Based in Valley Glen, a straight drive east, we'll tell you at the free feasibility visit exactly what your Tarzana lot supports — a full detached unit on the flats, a hillside build to the south, or a cost-effective garage conversion — before you spend a dollar on plans.

Request Free ADU Feasibility Visit
Detached ADU built by Right Image Builders
Representative detached ADU; Tarzana unit photos follow as each project completes.
What We Build

Three Paths
to a Second Unit

01

Detached ADUs

A standalone backyard home up to 1,200 sq ft. Tarzana's big level lots on the flats north of Ventura make a full-size two-bedroom detached unit very feasible, and hillside lots to the south support them too with the right engineering — designed to complement the main home.

02

Garage Conversions

Convert an existing detached or attached garage into a legal ADU — foundation and slab upgrades, framing, insulation, windows, a full kitchen and bath, and code systems. The most cost-effective path on many Tarzana lots, often with room to spare for a detached unit too.

03

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.

04

Hillside Design & Site Work

For the hillside lots south of Ventura: grading, retaining walls, drainage, and access designed and permitted under the Hillside Ordinance — the specialized site work that makes a Tarzana hillside ADU possible instead of stalled.

05

LADBS Standard Plans

On the flatter north-of-Ventura lots, we use the City of LA's pre-approved ADU Standard Plan Program where it fits to shorten plan check and reduce design cost — a faster, more predictable route to permits.

06

Design, Permits & Build

One contract from concept to keys: a licensed architect draws the plans, a structural engineer stamps them, we file with LADBS, and our own crew builds through final inspection and the Certificate of Occupancy.

Building in Tarzana

The Lot Decides
the Strategy

In Tarzana, ADU strategy comes down to which side of Ventura Boulevard you're on. North — the flats and the Vanalden area — the lots are big and level, which makes a full-size detached ADU very feasible and a strong candidate for LADBS Standard Plans. There's genuine room here for a comfortable 1,000–1,200 sq ft unit without crowding the yard.

South of Ventura, in the Tarzana hills, the lots are larger, more valuable, and have an upscale, semi-rural feel — but they're governed by the City of LA Hillside Ordinance. Grading limits, retaining, drainage, haul routes, and access all have to be engineered and permitted correctly. Done right, a hillside ADU is a premium asset; done without that expertise, it's a stalled project. We design and permit for the slope from day one.

Everything is City of Los Angeles and permitted through LADBS. From our Valley Glen shop, a straight drive east on the Valley floor, we stay hands-on through grading, framing, and final inspection — whether your Tarzana lot is on the flats or up in the hills.

What It Costs

Tarzana ADU
Cost Ranges

ADU TypeTypical RangeWhat's Involved
JADU$95K–$160KUp to 500 sq ft carved from the existing home with an efficiency kitchen and bath. The lowest-cost legal unit.
Garage Conversion$140K–$210KConvert an existing garage to a full legal ADU — foundation/slab upgrades, framing, kitchen, bath, and code systems.
Detached ADU$260K–$450K+Ground-up standalone unit; big flat lots support a full 1,000–1,200 sq ft build, while hillside lots south of Ventura add grading, retaining, and access.

ADU costs vary widely with size, finishes, slope, and site work — hillside lots in particular. Ranges are for planning only; your fixed-price proposal follows the free feasibility visit.

How It Works

Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.

01

Free Feasibility Visit

We visit your Tarzana property, read the lot — big flat parcel or hillside — check transit-parking rules, and tell you honestly which path fits your goals, slope, and budget.

02

Design, Plans & Permits

We design the unit, use Standard Plans on flat lots or engineer for the Hillside Ordinance on slopes, and carry the LADBS submittal and corrections — with a fixed price set before construction.

03

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.

Free Feasibility Visit

Start Your Tarzana
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 — flat or hillside — before you spend anything on plans.

Prefer to talk it through?

(818) 210-4544
✓
Request Received
Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (818) 210-4544.

Your information is kept private and never shared. Privacy Policy

Reviews

What Clients Say About
Our ADU Construction Work

★★★★★

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.

Michael & Diane G.
Detached ADU · Sherman Oaks
Google
★★★★★

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.

Robert T.
ADU Construction · Sherman Oaks
Yelp
★★★★★

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.

Marcus & Tricia L.
Detached ADU · Encino
Google
Tarzana ADU FAQ

Questions We
Hear in Tarzana

Most likely yes. California ADU law lets nearly every single-family property in Tarzana add at least one ADU plus a Junior ADU. Tarzana is especially well suited to it: the big level lots on the flats north of Ventura Boulevard have room for a full-size detached unit, while south of Ventura the larger hillside lots are very buildable but bring grading and access considerations under the city's Hillside Ordinance. We confirm exactly what your specific lot allows at the free site visit.
Under current 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. The large lots common in Tarzana — especially the level parcels on the north flats — make a full 1,000–1,200 sq ft detached unit very feasible. We size the ADU to your lot, slope, and goals.
Yes — Tarzana is part of the City of Los Angeles, so your ADU is permitted through LADBS. If your home is in the Tarzana hills south of Ventura Boulevard, the Hillside Ordinance can add grading, retaining, haul-route, and access requirements to a detached ADU. We know that process and design and permit around it from the start. On the flatter lots north of Ventura we use LADBS pre-approved Standard Plans where they fit to speed plan check.
Yes. Many Tarzana homes have a detached or attached 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 on permit. A garage conversion is typically the most cost-effective path to a legal unit, and on the big flat lots there's often still room for a detached unit as well.

A garage conversion never needs replacement parking under state ADU law. A new detached unit needs no parking space when the lot is within half a mile walking distance of public transit, which covers much of Tarzana near the Metro G Line at Tampa and Reseda stations. Where a space is required, one tandem space on the existing driveway satisfies it.

A garage conversion or JADU takes 6–10 weeks of design and plan check and 3–5 months of construction, about 5–8 months in all; a detached ADU takes 3–5 months of design, engineering and plan check and 6–9 months of construction, 9–14 months to the Certificate of Occupancy. Yes, you can rent it: a standard ADU can be rented long-term (30 days or more) with no owner-occupancy requirement; only a JADU requires the owner to live on the property.

Right Image Builders, a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1021284) based in Valley Glen about 20 minutes from Tarzana, designs, permits and builds ADUs across the flats north of Ventura, Melody Acres, the Vanalden area under one fixed-price contract: design, permits through LADBS, and construction by one crew, with final payment only after your walkthrough. 5.0★ on Google (45 reviews) and 4.9★ on Angi (103 reviews).

Ready When You Are

Let's Build Your
Tarzana ADU

Free feasibility visit. Fixed-price proposal. One local team from design and LADBS permits — flat lot or hillside — through to a finished, rentable unit.

(818) 210-4544
✓
Request Received
Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (818) 210-4544.

Your information is kept private and never shared. Privacy Policy

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