Van Nuys ADU Contractor | Right Image Builders

The Right Image Approach

Van Nuys Is
ADU Country

If there's one neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley built for ADUs, it's Van Nuys. The 1950s R1 tract lots that define the area — flat, rectangular, with a driveway or alley and a detached garage out back — are almost purpose-made for a second unit. It's why Van Nuys is one of the busiest ADU and garage-conversion markets we work in.

An ADU is a different animal from a remodel. It's a complete small home: foundation, framing, a full kitchen and bath, its own electrical and plumbing, and its own address. That means the permitting and utility coordination matter as much as the construction. We manage all of it — design, LADBS submittal, the pre-approved Standard Plan path where it fits, utility connections, and the build — as one contract with one point of contact.

Whether you're building a detached unit for rental income, converting the garage to house a family member, or adding a JADU inside the existing footprint, we'll tell you at the free site visit exactly what your Van Nuys lot allows and what it realistically costs — before you spend a dollar on plans.

Request Free ADU Feasibility Visit →

Detached ADU in the San Fernando Valley — Right Image Builders

Recent ADU · San Fernando Valley, CA

What We Build

Three Paths
to a Second Unit

Detached ADUs

A ground-up standalone home in the backyard — up to 1,200 sq ft, one or two bedrooms, its own entrance and address. On typical Van Nuys R1 lots we most often build in the 600–1,000 sq ft range, sized to the yard and your budget. [VERIFY size limits.]

Garage Conversions

The most cost-effective Van Nuys path. We convert your existing detached or attached garage into a legal ADU — foundation and slab upgrades, framing, insulation, windows, a full kitchen and bath, and code electrical and plumbing, all permitted.

Junior ADUs (JADUs)

A JADU (up to 500 sq ft) carved out of the existing house — often a converted bedroom or garage-adjacent space with an efficiency kitchen. The lowest-cost way to add a legal, rentable unit without building new square footage.

LADBS Standard Plans

Where it fits your lot, we use the City of LA's pre-approved ADU Standard Plan Program to shorten plan check and reduce design cost — a faster, more predictable path to permits than a fully custom set of drawings.

Utilities & Site Work

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

Design, Permits & Build

One contract from concept to keys: design and engineering, LADBS submittal and corrections, construction, and final inspection sign-off. You get a single team accountable for the whole ADU, not a designer, an expediter, and a builder pointing fingers.

Building in Van Nuys

Why Van Nuys Lots
Work for ADUs

The Van Nuys advantage is the lot itself. Across Kester Ridge, the Van Nuys / Kester corridor, and the flats toward Lake Balboa, the standard 1950s R1 tract parcel is flat and rectangular with rear access and an existing garage — exactly the conditions that make an ADU straightforward instead of a fight against the site.

Van Nuys is City of Los Angeles, so your unit is permitted through LADBS — Valley submittals run through the Van Nuys Development Services Center on Van Nuys Boulevard. Where the lot fits, we use the city's pre-approved ADU Standard Plans to move plan check faster than a custom design would.

Location helps too. Much of Van Nuys sits near Metro service, including the G Line busway corridor, which can waive the added-parking requirement for an ADU within a half-mile of transit — meaning you may not have to sacrifice yard for a parking pad. We confirm the transit distance and the exact rules for your specific address before design begins. [VERIFY transit proximity per address.]

What It Costs

Van Nuys ADU
Cost Ranges

ADU Type	Typical Range	What's Involved
JADU	$90K–$150K	Up to 500 sq ft carved from the existing home with an efficiency kitchen and bath. The lowest-cost legal unit.
Garage Conversion	$130K–$200K	Convert an existing garage to a full legal ADU — foundation/slab upgrades, framing, kitchen, bath, and code systems.
Detached ADU	$250K–$400K+	Ground-up standalone unit, typically 600–1,000 sq ft on a Van Nuys lot, including utilities and site work.

ADU costs vary widely with size, finishes, site conditions, and utility runs. 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 Van Nuys 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.

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.

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.

See Our Full Process →

Free Feasibility Visit

Start Your Van Nuys
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 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.

Van Nuys ADU FAQ

Questions We
Hear in Van Nuys

Can I build an ADU on my lot in Van Nuys?+

Almost certainly. Van Nuys is largely 1950s R1 single-family lots, and California ADU law lets nearly every single-family property add at least one ADU plus a Junior ADU. Van Nuys is one of the highest-volume ADU and garage-conversion areas in the Valley precisely because these tract lots have the room and the alley or driveway access to make it work. We confirm exactly what your specific lot allows at the free site visit.

How big can my ADU be in Van Nuys?+

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 and must be within the existing home. On typical Van Nuys R1 lots, most detached units we build land in the 600–1,000 sq ft range — a comfortable one or two-bedroom. We size the ADU to your lot, your budget, and whether you're housing family or renting. [VERIFY exact size limits with owner/current code.]

Do you handle the permits, and does Van Nuys use LADBS?+

Yes — Van Nuys is City of Los Angeles, so your ADU is permitted through LADBS, with Valley submissions handled at the Van Nuys Development Services Center on Van Nuys Boulevard. We manage the whole process, and where it fits we use the LADBS pre-approved Standard Plan Program to speed plan check. You don't deal with the counter or the corrections — we do.

Can I convert my Van Nuys garage into an ADU?+

Yes, and it's one of the most cost-effective paths in Van Nuys. These tract homes have detached or attached garages that convert 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 typically costs less than a ground-up detached unit.

Do I need to add parking for my ADU?+

Often not. State law waives the added-parking requirement for an ADU within one-half mile of public transit, and much of Van Nuys sits near Metro service, including the G Line busway corridor. When your property qualifies, you don't have to give up yard space for a parking pad. We confirm the transit distance for your specific address during planning. [VERIFY transit proximity per address.]

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

ADU applications in California are reviewed ministerially, generally within about 60 days, and construction of a detached unit typically runs several months depending on size and site work. Yes, you can rent it out — a Van Nuys ADU is one of the strongest rental-income and multigenerational-housing moves available on an R1 lot. We give you a realistic combined permitting-and-build timeline at proposal. [VERIFY current approval timelines.]

Ready When You Are

Let's Build Your
Van Nuys ADU

Free feasibility visit. Fixed-price proposal. One local team from design and LADBS 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 Van Nuys, CA

Van Nuys IsADU Country

Three Pathsto a Second Unit

Detached ADUs

Garage Conversions

Junior ADUs (JADUs)

LADBS Standard Plans

Utilities & Site Work

Design, Permits & Build

Why Van Nuys LotsWork for ADUs

Van Nuys ADUCost Ranges

Three Steps.Zero Surprises.

Free Feasibility Visit

Design, Plans & Permits

Build & Deliver

Start Your Van NuysADU

Questions WeHear in Van Nuys

Let's Build YourVan Nuys ADU

ADU Construction
in Van Nuys, CA

Van Nuys Is
ADU Country

Three Paths
to a Second Unit

Why Van Nuys Lots
Work for ADUs

Van Nuys ADU
Cost Ranges

Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.

Start Your Van Nuys
ADU

Questions We
Hear in Van Nuys

Let's Build Your
Van Nuys ADU