ADU Contractor in Van Nuys, CA

Convert the garage or build detached?

Van Nuys alleys make garage conversions especially attractive: the converted unit gets its own entrance and utility access without touching the main house, and the shell already exists. A detached new build costs more and delivers a purpose-designed unit — worth it on the deeper lots where yard space is not scarce.

Size and layout for the use

A one-bedroom layout around 600–750 square feet is the common rental answer here; a studio costs less and rents faster to a single tenant. For family use, accessibility — a no-step entry, wider doors 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.

• Van Nuys is within the City of Los Angeles; ADU permits are issued by LADBS — frequently through the Van Nuys district office — 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.
• Alley-served lots have their own considerations: the alley gives the unit its own entrance and a clean utility path, but drainage, utility locations and fence lines are confirmed 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.