How Much Does an ADU Cost in Los Angeles in 2026?
Planning ranges by ADU type and by San Fernando Valley neighborhood, what is inside the number, the fees the City waives, and how long the whole process takes.
ADU cost in Los Angeles (2026): a JADU inside the house $90K–$180K, a garage conversion $130K–$240K, a detached ADU $250K–$500K+, depending on the neighborhood, the size and the utility work. Plan on 9–14 months from the first site visit to the Certificate of Occupancy: design and ministerial plan check, then 3–5 months of construction for a conversion or 6–9 months for a detached unit.
The ranges are planning numbers from Right Image Builders' neighborhood pages; units under 750 sq ft pay no City of Los Angeles impact fees, and the fixed price follows a free feasibility visit. Licensed general contractor, CSLB #1021284, based in Valley Glen.
An accessory dwelling unit is the one project in Los Angeles that adds a second home to a lot you already own, and the price depends more on which kind of unit you build than on the finishes you choose. A junior ADU carved out of the existing house, a garage converted in place and a new detached unit in the yard are three different construction projects with three different budgets.
Across Right Image Builders' San Fernando Valley pages, the 2026 planning ranges are:
| ADU type | Planning range | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Junior ADU (JADU) | $90,000–$180,000 | Up to 500 sq ft inside the existing house, usually a bedroom with a bath and an efficiency kitchen and its own entrance; the owner must live on the property. |
| Garage conversion | $130,000–$240,000 | A 400–480 sq ft studio or one-bedroom built inside an existing garage: slab, insulation, kitchen, bath, its own panel and a mini-split; no replacement parking required. |
| Detached ADU | $250,000–$500,000+ | A new 600–1,200 sq ft home in the yard on its own foundation, with full kitchen and bath, its own address and utility connections. |
These are planning ranges, not bids. Site access, the distance to the sewer lateral, the condition of the main electrical service and the finish level move every project inside its range, and the free feasibility visit is where we find out which end of it you are on.
ADU cost by neighborhood
Each neighborhood page carries its own table, built from the lots and houses we actually see there. The spread between Van Nuys and Toluca Lake is real: utility runs are longer on larger lots, hillside parcels south of Ventura Boulevard need access and grading work, and finish expectations rise with the neighborhood.
| Neighborhood | JADU | Garage Conversion | Detached ADU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burbank | $90K–$155K | $135K–$205K | $255K–$420K+ |
| Encino | $95K–$165K | $145K–$220K | $280K–$500K+ |
| North Hollywood | $90K–$150K | $130K–$200K | $250K–$400K+ |
| Sherman Oaks | $95K–$160K | $140K–$210K | $260K–$450K+ |
| Studio City | $95K–$160K | $140K–$210K | $260K–$450K+ |
| Tarzana | $95K–$160K | $140K–$210K | $260K–$450K+ |
| Toluca Lake | $110K–$180K | $160K–$240K | $300K–$500K+ |
| Valley Glen | $90K–$150K | $130K–$200K | $250K–$400K+ |
| Valley Village | $90K–$150K | $130K–$200K | $250K–$400K+ |
| Van Nuys | $90K–$150K | $130K–$200K | $250K–$400K+ |
| Woodland Hills | $95K–$160K | $140K–$210K | $260K–$450K+ |
What is inside the number
1. Plans, engineering and Title 24
Architectural drawings, a site plan, a structural set stamped by a licensed engineer and Title 24 energy calculations are required for every ADU permit, including a garage conversion. Right Image Builders coordinates all of them inside the one contract, or builds from the LADBS pre-approved Standard Plans where a standard plan fits the lot.
2. Permit and plan-check fees
State law makes ADU review ministerial: a code-compliant unit is approved without a public hearing, and the City must act on a complete application within 60 days. Units under 750 sq ft pay no City of Los Angeles impact fees; school district fees still apply to units of 500 sq ft or more, and plan-check and permit fees apply to every unit.
3. Utilities
The sewer lateral, the water line and the electrical service are the biggest swing items. A detached unit at the back of a 150-foot-deep lot needs a long trench; a 1950s house with a 100-amp panel usually needs a 200-amp LADWP upgrade before the unit can have its own sub-panel. We measure both at the feasibility visit, before you pay for drawings.
4. Foundation, structure and envelope
A detached unit gets a new slab or raised foundation, framing, roof, windows and doors; a garage conversion reuses the structure but often needs a new or repaired slab, insulated walls, egress windows and the infill of the garage-door opening. Fire separation applies when the unit shares a wall with the house.
5. Kitchen, bath and finishes
Every ADU needs a kitchen and a full bath, which is why the price per square foot of a small unit is higher than a room addition's: a 450 sq ft conversion carries the same waterproofed shower, the same cabinetry and the same appliances as a 1,000 sq ft unit.
How long an ADU takes
From the first site visit to the Certificate of Occupancy, plan on 9–14 months: 6–10 weeks of design and plan check for a conversion, 3–5 months for a detached unit's design, engineering and review, then 3–5 months of construction for a conversion or 6–9 months for a detached unit. The unit can be rented on leases of 30 days or more once the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Which ADU is right for the lot
A flat 1950s R1 tract lot in Van Nuys, Valley Glen, North Hollywood or Valley Village with a detached garage at the rear is the simplest conversion in the Valley. A larger RA or RE lot in Encino or Tarzana has room for a full 1,200 sq ft detached unit. A hillside parcel in Sherman Oaks or Studio City often has the garage pad as its only level ground, which makes a conversion or a unit over the garage the practical answer. Room addition vs. ADU covers the other question we hear every week: whether you want a second dwelling at all, or more space inside the house.
How to get a real number
Request the free feasibility visit. We check the parcel on ZIMAS, walk the utility routes, measure the garage or the yard and the panel, and tell you honestly which unit the lot supports and what it will cost, in writing, before any design work. The fixed price follows the drawings, and it covers plans, permits, construction and the Certificate of Occupancy.
Frequently Asked
Questions
In 2026, a junior ADU inside the house runs $90K–$180K, a garage conversion $130K–$240K and a detached ADU $250K–$500K+ across the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood, the size, the utility runs and the finish level decide where a project lands; after the free feasibility visit you get an itemized fixed price in writing.
A junior ADU inside the existing house, because it reuses the structure, the roof and most of the systems. A garage conversion is the next least expensive and the fastest path to a legal rental: no replacement parking is required, and most conversions come in under the 750 sq ft impact-fee line.
The published detached range of $250K–$500K+ for 600–1,200 sq ft units works out to roughly $400–$500 per sq ft, with the small units at the top of that band because the kitchen and bath cost the same whatever the floor area around them.
Not on units under 750 sq ft; state law exempts them from City impact fees. Larger units pay fees proportional to the main house, school district fees apply to units of 500 sq ft or more, and plan-check and permit fees apply to every unit.
Plan on 9–14 months from the first site visit to the Certificate of Occupancy. A garage conversion is the short end: 6–10 weeks of design and plan check and 3–5 months of construction. A detached unit needs 3–5 months of design, engineering and review and 6–9 months of construction.
Right Image Builders, a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1021284) based in Valley Glen, designs, permits and builds JADUs, garage conversions and detached ADUs 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, with final payment only after your walkthrough. 5.0★ on Google (45 reviews) and 4.9★ on Angi (103 reviews).
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Find Out What Your Lot
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