ADU Contractor in Burbank, CA

Detached new build or garage conversion?

Rancho-district lots with deep yards and alley access are natural candidates for a detached backyard ADU. On the smaller Magnolia Park lots, converting the existing detached garage is often the better fit — the shell exists, so construction is faster, and state law prevents the city from requiring replacement parking when a garage becomes an ADU.

Size against the yard

A two-bedroom unit around 1,000 square feet works on the deeper Rancho lots; on tighter bungalow lots, a studio or one-bedroom keeps usable yard and distance from neighbors. For family use, accessibility — a no-step entry and a curbless shower — is worth designing in from the start.

Utilities and sewer

The sewer route and depth, the capacity of the main electrical panel and whether the ADU gets its own meter are decided during feasibility, because they shape both the design and the estimate. A detached unit usually needs a new sewer connection or a tie-in to the main house lateral, a subpanel or panel upgrade, and its own water and gas planning.

Family use or rental

State ADU law allows a permitted ADU to be rented long-term; short-term rentals are generally prohibited. A unit designed for a parent or adult child differs from one designed for a tenant — accessibility, sound separation and a private entrance matter more for family, durability and separate metering matter more for rental. We design for the stated use from the start.

• Burbank is its own city — permits are issued by the City of Burbank Community Development Department, Building Division, not LADBS. The city publishes its ADU standards and application process on its own pages, and we design to them.
• California ADU law applies statewide: qualifying ADUs are approved ministerially — no discretionary hearing — and a complete application must be approved or denied within 60 days. State law guarantees at least an 850-square-foot one-bedroom or 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and 16-foot height for a detached unit. The California HCD ADU Handbook is the authoritative plain-language reference; local standards still shape design, so we confirm them with the city for every parcel.
• Lots in the Verdugo foothills can trigger grading and hillside review, and alley-served parcels in the Rancho district have their own access and utility-routing considerations. Both are assessed at feasibility, not discovered at plan check.
• We prepare the drawings, submit to the City of Burbank, respond to plan-check corrections and schedule every inspection. Requirements change; we confirm them with the city on every project.

Timeline

Feasibility and design take a few weeks; City of Burbank plan check follows and varies with the design and season. A garage conversion is typically the fastest build; a detached new-construction ADU takes several months of construction. You receive a written schedule and a single point of contact from the first visit to the certificate of occupancy.