ADU Contractor in Tarzana, CA

Detached new build or garage conversion?

On the wide lots south of the boulevard, a detached backyard ADU is usually the better long-term investment — purpose-designed, with real separation from the main house. A garage conversion is faster and costs less because the shell exists, but the slab and framing must be brought to current code and the footprint is fixed.

Hillside and fire-zone considerations

Hillside parcels can trigger Baseline Hillside Ordinance review for grading and height, and fire-zone lots require ember-resistant vents and ignition-resistant exterior materials. We check hillside status and fire-zone mapping before design so the requirements are in the estimate.

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.

• Tarzana is within the City of Los Angeles; ADU permits are issued by LADBS under state ADU law and the City’s ADU ordinance. LADBS offers pre-approved ADU standard plans that can shorten plan check when the design fits your lot.
• 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 south of Ventura Boulevard toward Mulholland can fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, which affects grading and height, and hillside parcels may sit in mapped fire hazard severity zones with ignition-resistant construction requirements. Both are checked at feasibility.
• We prepare the drawings, submit for LADBS plan check, respond to corrections and schedule every inspection. Requirements change; we confirm them with LADBS on every project.

Timeline

Feasibility and design take a few weeks; LADBS 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.