01
Site and existing conditions
Expose property work before it becomes a construction surprise.
- Survey and records review
- Demolition and hazardous-material review
- Grading, drainage and access
- Soils, foundation and concealed conditions
Project planning · no market-price assumptions
A project budget should show what is known—and what is not.
Start with the property, scope and current documents. Then identify each cost as known, an allowance, excluded or still unknown. A total is useful only when those labels, assumptions and responsibilities are visible.
Direct answer
Do not compare totals until the scopes match.
For an ADU, garage conversion, custom home, addition or whole-home remodel, the useful first budget is not a universal price per square foot. It is a traceable list of site work, utilities, design and consultants, agency fees, construction, and contingency.
Every line should identify its source, date, scope and status. Unknown conditions remain unknown until an investigation, decision or agency response resolves them; an allowance is not the same as a known cost; and an exclusion does not disappear from the owner’s overall budget.
Project budget worksheet
Working budget
Build the number from evidence.
Choose the closest project type, then classify every line before comparing totals. Your selections stay on this page only.
RSA Development · Project budget worksheet
Planning framework only · no price or proposal
2 · Give every line a status
- Known
- Supported by a current proposal, agency statement or completed investigation.
- Allowance
- A stated placeholder for a defined item whose final selection or quantity is unresolved.
- Excluded
- Outside the current scope; identify who owns it and whether it still affects the project.
- Unknown
- Cannot be priced responsibly until a condition, decision or agency requirement is confirmed.
3 · Review the complete cost stack
02
Utilities
Separate capacity verification from the physical work that may follow.
- Electrical service and load
- Water service and metering
- Sewer lateral or septic
- Gas, communications and temporary services
03
Design and consultants
List every discipline needed to define and coordinate the permit and construction scope.
- Architecture and documentation
- Structural, civil and MEP engineering
- Energy and green-code documentation
- Specialty studies and consultants
04
Agency fees and reviews
Use the current reviewing agencies and fee schedules for the property—not a generic percentage.
- Planning and building review
- Permit and inspection charges
- Applicable impact or school-facility fees
- Utility review, connection or capacity charges
05
Construction
Tie pricing to drawings, specifications, quantities and written assumptions.
- Structure and enclosure
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
- Interiors, fixtures, equipment and appliances
- Exterior work, restoration and closeout
06
Contingency and changes
Keep uncertainty separate from owner-requested scope changes.
- Risk-based contingency
- Unresolved-condition log
- Owner decision deadlines
- Written change process and authorization
4 · Checklist
Questions that resolve unknowns
- Which jurisdiction and agencies review this address?
- What is existing, permitted and intended to remain?
- Which site, structural and utility conditions have been investigated?
- Which drawings, specifications and finish decisions are complete?
- Which fees have written, current agency support—and which still need confirmation?
- What is excluded, who owns it and when must it be resolved?
5 · Checklist
Documents to gather
- Property address, assessor or parcel information, and current survey if available
- Existing plans, permits, correction notices and records for prior work
- Current design drawings, consultant reports and utility correspondence
- Written proposals with issue dates, assumptions, allowances and exclusions
- Finish, fixture, equipment and appliance decisions already made
- Current agency fee statements or schedules used in the budget
ADU fee distinction
One “fees” line can hide different rules.
California Government Code § 66311.5 distinguishes impact fees, school-facility fee treatment, and water or sewer connection and capacity charges. It does not make every ADU fee-free.
- Impact fees: an ADU with 750 square feet or less of interior livable space, or a JADU with 500 square feet or less, is exempt from the impact fees identified by the statute. A larger ADU may be charged proportionately.
- School-facility fees: for Education Code § 17620, an ADU or JADU under 500 square feet is treated as not increasing assessable space by 500 square feet. Confirm the current district determination for the actual scope.
- Connection and capacity charges: these are a separate category. The statute generally bars them for an ADU unless it is constructed with a new single-family dwelling; utility work itself may still be required.
Choose the right starting point
Project-specific scope guidance.
ADU planning
Understand the ADU paths before fixing scope.
Open guideGarage conversions
Investigate the existing structure before relying on conversion assumptions.
Open guideCustom homes
Define the program, site and systems for a ground-up budget.
Open guideResidential services
Compare planning and delivery paths for additions and whole-home work.
Open guideBudget questions
Questions to settle before comparing totals
Use these answers to identify assumptions, exclusions and unresolved property conditions before relying on a number.
Why doesn't this page publish one market price?
Lot conditions, design, systems, finish scope, utility capacity, reviewing agencies and the completeness of the documents can change multiple budget lines. This page therefore provides a planning workflow, not a quote or a market-price claim. A property-specific proposal should state its source information, assumptions, allowances, exclusions and unresolved conditions.Does this breakdown include the city permit and impact fees?
Permit, plan-check, consultant and utility costs should be listed explicitly in a property-specific budget. Applicable agencies, fee rules and utility work vary, so a general diagram is a planning framework rather than a statement of what a future proposal includes.What might sit outside a construction proposal?
Common items to confirm include financing, taxes, temporary conditions, utility upgrades, off-site work, landscaping, furnishings and work outside the defined project area. The final inclusions and exclusions belong in the written proposal for the property.How should contingency be set?
Contingency should reflect identified uncertainty rather than a universal percentage. Existing structures, concealed conditions, slope, access and incomplete investigations can justify different treatment. The budget should state what contingency is for, who controls it and how its use is documented.Can I lower the cost by acting as my own GC?
Acting as an owner-builder changes responsibility for coordination, contracts, safety, schedule, liens and warranty administration. Review California requirements and obtain legal, insurance and tax guidance before choosing that role.How should financing appear in the project budget?
Treat financing costs and conditions as a separate owner-side category unless a written proposal expressly includes them. Confirm loan fees, interest, draw administration, appraisal, insurance and reserve requirements directly with the chosen licensed lender and advisers.What does a garage conversion really cost in Los Angeles in 2026?
A garage-conversion budget depends on the existing structure, legalization history, foundation, moisture, utilities, fire separation, energy work and finish scope. Compare proposals line by line and require every assumption, exclusion and unresolved condition to be written down.Why is Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach so much more expensive than Long Beach?
Coastal properties can involve additional planning, design and agency coordination that inland properties may not. The exact path depends on the address, local coastal program, project scope and appeal jurisdiction; confirm those facts before comparing budgets between cities.Where in LA County do ADUs pencil best in 2026?
No city reliably guarantees the best return or fastest approval. Compare current rents, total project scope, financing, operating costs, local rules and property-specific constraints. Treat citywide averages as screening inputs, not an investment conclusion.What's the existing-structure scope I should budget on a pre-1978 home?
Older homes may require electrical-service, sewer, foundation, seismic, and energy-envelope investigation. These conditions should be studied before the construction scope is finalized rather than discovered during framing.
Property-specific planning
Bring the address, intended scope and available records.
The form will carry the closest available project type for ADU. You can change that choice before sending. An inquiry is not a quote, feasibility determination or permit outcome.