Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions Los Angeles homeowners ask us most, answered the way we’d explain them across a kitchen table: plainly, with real numbers and real timelines. If your question isn’t here, call (707) 383-5338 and a live person will pick up, day or night, and talk it through with you. No voicemail tree, no waiting until the next business day.
Key Takeaways
- Detached ADUs in Los Angeles generally run $180,000 to $420,000; garage conversions $95,000 to $180,000; junior ADUs $55,000 to $110,000.
- Every Seedling project gets a written price before any work begins. No surprise line items after crews arrive.
- Every completed job is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
- We work with Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, Tuff Shed, and James Hardie, so the product fits your lot, not our sales goals.
- Crews are background-checked, uniformed, and leave a photo of the clean-up before they go.
Pricing & Estimates
How much does an ADU cost in Los Angeles?
A livable detached ADU in Los Angeles typically runs $180,000 to $420,000 depending on size, foundation work, utility runs, and finish level. A garage conversion generally lands between $95,000 and $180,000. A junior ADU inside existing square footage usually costs $55,000 to $110,000. Those ranges reflect the Los Angeles market specifically: hillside lots in Echo Park or Silver Lake can add $40,000 or more in grading and pier foundation work, while a flat lot in Van Nuys or Northridge rarely does. We give you a written price before any work starts, so the number you see is the number you plan around. Call (707) 383-5338 for an exact quote on your address. Estimates are free.
What does a garage conversion ADU cost compared to a new detached build?
A garage conversion in Los Angeles usually costs $95,000 to $180,000, roughly half of what a new detached ADU runs. You already own the footprint, the roof line, and often the utility connection points, so the money goes into insulation, mechanical systems, and finish work rather than excavation. The catch is that older garages in neighborhoods like Highland Park or Culver City were often built slab-on-grade with no vapor barrier, and we frequently need to pour a new slab or add a raised subfloor before framing. That’s typically a $12,000 to $28,000 line item, and we flag it during the written estimate rather than after the crew has already moved your storage out. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll walk your garage with you.
Are there Los Angeles permit fees I should budget for separately?
Yes – LA Department of Building and Safety plan check and permit fees for an ADU commonly run $4,000 to $12,000, plus separate school district fees and any utility connection charges from LADWP. These are paid to the city and county, not to us, and we itemize them in your written estimate so nothing feels hidden. A 600-square-foot detached unit on a flat lot typically sits at the lower end; a hillside property with a retaining wall review sits higher. We handle the submittal and the back-and-forth with plan checkers as part of the build. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll give you a permit estimate for your specific property.
Do you offer free estimates?
Yes. Every estimate is free, and it comes in writing with line items, not a single lump figure. We’ll walk your lot, check your setbacks against the current LA zoning rules, and tell you what’s realistic for your address before you spend anything. That walk-through usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, and you’ll leave it knowing what your ADU will cost and roughly when it will be finished. Call (707) 383-5338 to schedule one.
How do I pay, and can I phase the work?
We accept check, ACH bank transfer, and major credit cards, and payments are tied to project milestones rather than front-loaded. A typical schedule runs a deposit at signing, a draw at foundation and framing, a draw at rough mechanical and electrical inspection, and the balance at final walkthrough. We don’t collect the full amount up front, because you shouldn’t be financing our materials before they’re on your lot. If you want to phase a garage conversion over two calendar years to spread the cost, that’s a conversation we’re glad to have during the estimate. Call (707) 383-5338 to go over payment options.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace an old garage before converting it?
Replacing the structure is usually the better value if your garage has termite damage, a cracked slab, or a roof that’s already sagging – patching those problems often costs 40% of a rebuild without fixing the underlying issue. In the San Fernando Valley, we see a lot of 1940s garages with soft sill plates from decades of irrigation runoff, and those are candidates for a full rebuild before conversion. If the framing is dry and the slab is sound, converting in place saves real money. We’ll tell you which one your garage is after a 20-minute inspection. Call (707) 383-5338.
Licensing, Insurance & Trust
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Seedling ADU Builders is a state-licensed contractor and carries both general liability and workers’ compensation coverage on every job. We’ll send the certificate of insurance directly to you or your lender before work begins, and we’re happy to be listed as an additional insured if your lender requires it. Seedling is also an independently owned and operated member of the Cedarwell family of companies, which operates under the Cedarwell Care Promise – shoe covers and drop cloths inside your home, pet-safe products where there’s a choice, and a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves. Call (707) 383-5338 if you’d like copies of our credentials before you decide.
Who will actually be in my house and my yard?
The same background-checked, uniformed technicians show up to every visit, and you’ll know their names before they arrive. That matters when you have a three-year-old napping at 1 p.m. or a rescue dog who doesn’t love strangers. We text you the crew list the day before, and if someone new is joining the job, you’ll hear about it first. Our crews also carry shoe covers and drop cloths on every visit without being asked – it’s part of the Cedarwell Care Promise, not an add-on.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes. Every ADU, garage conversion, and home addition we build is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise – if something isn’t done right within a year of completion, we make it right, in writing. That covers workmanship issues like a sticking door, a slow drain, or a settling crack in the drywall. We also handle the manufacturer warranty paperwork for the ADU brands we install, including Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, and Tuff Shed, so you’re not chasing a warranty number on your own. Call (707) 383-5338 if you want the promise in writing before you sign anything.
Do you use prefab and modular ADU brands?
Yes, and we work with several so you can match the product to your lot and your budget rather than the other way around. We install units from Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, and Plant Prefab, and finish with James Hardie siding and trim on both prefab and site-built work. Prefab units often trim three to five months off a build timeline because the shell is fabricated off-site while we prepare your foundation and utility trench. They also reduce the number of days a crew is in your backyard, which families with pets and young kids tend to appreciate. We build ADUs across Los Angeles County and can walk you through which brand fits your property. Call (707) 383-5338.
Service & Scheduling
How fast can you respond?
We typically respond to estimate requests within one business day, and a live person answers our phone line 24/7 throughout an active project – no voicemail tree, no waiting until morning. For clients already in a build, that matters when a question comes up at 8 p.m. about tomorrow’s concrete pour. Estimate scheduling usually depends on how many site walks we already have on the calendar, but we can often get to a Los Angeles property within a week. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll give you a real date, not a window.
Do you offer emergency ADU service?
We handle urgent calls on active job sites around the clock, and a live person answers the phone at any hour to triage the situation. If a water line breaks during a build, or a temporary power issue needs attention, we’ll get someone out the same day. For completed ADUs that are already past the one-year mark, our 365-Day Done Right Promise has typically covered the issue before it became urgent. Call (707) 383-5338 and describe what’s happening – we’ll tell you honestly whether it needs same-day attention.
How long does an ADU project take from start to finish?
Most Los Angeles ADU projects run six to ten months from signed contract to move-in, with permitting alone taking three to five months on a typical city review. A garage conversion often finishes in four to six months. A junior ADU built inside existing square footage can be done in three to four months. Prefab units can compress the build phase to a few weeks on-site, but the plan check timeline stays roughly the same.
- Site walk and written estimate – 1 visit, usually within a week of your call.
- Design and plan set – 3 to 6 weeks, depending on how much you customize.
- Permit submittal and plan check – 3 to 5 months with LA Building and Safety.
- Site prep, foundation, and utility trenching – 2 to 4 weeks.
- Build or prefab set – 8 to 20 weeks depending on method and size.
- Finishes, final inspection, and walkthrough – 3 to 6 weeks.
Call (707) 383-5338 for a schedule shaped around your address.
Will the crew be at my house every day of the project?
No – there are quiet stretches where nothing happens on your property, and we tell you in advance which ones those are. Plan check is the longest of them; your yard stays untouched while the city reviews. During the actual build, we work standard daytime hours and quietly near bedrooms or a home office when someone is working or sleeping on the other side of the wall. If a day needs to shift because of an inspection or a material delivery, you’ll get a call, not a surprise.
What areas do you serve?
We serve Los Angeles and the surrounding communities, including the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and neighborhoods like Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Culver City, and Northridge. If you’re inside LA County, we can reach you. If you’re not sure whether your address is in our service area, call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Specific Services
Do you handle ADU design and permitting?
Yes. We handle the full design and permitting process – drafting the plan set, submitting to LA Department of Building and Safety, and answering plan checker comments until the permit is issued. You don’t need to hire a separate architect or manage the city yourself. We’ll also flag ADU-specific rules that affect your design early, like the four-foot side and rear setback allowance for ADUs in LA and the parking exemption that usually applies when you’re within half a mile of a transit stop. Call (707) 383-5338 to start a design conversation.
Do you handle garage conversion ADUs?
Yes, garage conversions are one of our most common projects, and they’re often the most practical way to add a livable unit without giving up yard space. We take a detached or attached garage and turn it into a code-compliant ADU with a new slab or subfloor where needed, insulation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire separation from the main house. A common reality in Los Angeles: many older garages were never permitted in the first place, so we check the record before we quote and tell you if a legalization step is needed. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll pull what we can before we visit.
Do you handle new detached ADUs?
Yes, we build new detached ADUs from the ground up, either site-built or as a prefab install. Detached units give you the most flexibility on size – up to 1,200 square feet in many LA zones – and the most privacy for a renter or family member. They also require the most site work: grading, foundation, utility trenching from the main house, and often a new meter. Those are the line items that separate a $190,000 build from a $340,000 one, and we break them out in the written estimate rather than burying them. Call (707) 383-5338 for a site-specific quote.
Do you handle junior ADUs and interior conversions?
Yes, we build junior ADUs and interior conversions inside your existing home. A JADU is capped at 500 square feet, must have its own entrance or a lockable door to the main house, and can share a bathroom with the primary residence. The appeal is cost – usually $55,000 to $110,000 – and the relatively light permitting path. The tradeoff is that the unit lives inside your house, so sound isolation and a separate entry matter more than they would in a detached build. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll tell you whether your floor plan can support one.
Do you build home additions too?
Yes, we build home additions alongside ADUs, and they often make sense when you’d rather extend the main house than add a separate structure. Typical projects include a primary suite bump-out, an expanded kitchen, or a second-story addition over an existing single-story home. Additions share the same permitting pipeline as ADUs, so we can run both under one plan set if you’re doing them at the same time. Our team at Seedling ADU Builders home addition contracting in Los Angeles handles the structural, mechanical, and finish work as a single scope. Call (707) 383-5338 to talk through what an addition would look like on your lot.
What happens to my yard, pets, and kids during construction?
We protect the areas we can and tell you upfront which areas we can’t. Drop cloths and shoe covers go in on every visit, we use pet-safe products wherever there’s a choice, and we photograph the clean-up before the crew leaves each day. For families with dogs, we plan the fence line and gate routine during the site walk so nobody slips out. For kids, that usually means scheduling loud work – sawing, nailing, demolition – away from nap windows when we can. These aren’t extras; they’re what the Cedarwell Care Promise looks like in practice.
Can an ADU be used as a rental in Los Angeles?
Yes, an ADU on a single-family lot in Los Angeles can generally be rented, and current state law limits how cities can restrict ADU rentals. That said, short-term rental rules differ from long-term, and some HOAs and specific overlays add their own conditions. We aren’t attorneys, and we won’t pretend to be – we’ll point you to the current city guidance and let you make the call. For most of our clients, the rental question is part of the financing math rather than the build itself. Call (707) 383-5338 and we’ll talk through what we’ve seen work.
Ready to Talk Through Your Project?
An ADU is a new home on your lot – lasting, purposeful, grown from a small start – and it deserves to be planned with care, not pressure. Every project starts with a written price and a walk-through, and every finished job is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If you’re weighing a detached ADU, a garage conversion, a junior unit, or a home addition anywhere in Los Angeles, call (707) 383-5338 for a free estimate. A live person answers, day or night, and Ben Ortega’s team will tell you exactly what your property can hold, what it will cost, and when it will be done.
Written by Ben Ortega, Owner at Seedling ADU Builders, serving Los Angeles.
Have a question we didn’t cover? Call Seedling ADU Builders at (707) 383-5338.