Reference index · 22+ answers
The FAQ map — every question, every California ADU answer.
A single page that connects every editorial answer to the deeper guide that owns it, organized by region and by service so you can land on the exact answer you came in with.
By region · pillar guides
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles ADU reference
Permit authority: LADBS
- The anatomy of an LA ADU build, line by line
- Los Angeles ADU permitting rules: what applies now
- The LA ADU permit path, phase by phase
- How to research an ADU rent scenario in Los Angeles
- Hillside ADUs in LA: soils, grading, and the geo report
- LADWP, SoCalGas and your ADU: the utility connection map
- Will your ADU trigger a property tax reassessment?
By service × region
Every California construction service we offer, mirrored across both regional desks — pick a row and land on the exact city + service surface, with its localized FAQ baked in.
ADU & Conversions
Detached ADUs, garage conversions, JADUs.
Ground-Up Construction
New construction and hillside builds.
New Home Construction
Hillside Construction
Development & Investor
Small multifamily and 2–6 unit feasibility.
Small Multifamily & 2–6 Unit
Renovation & Additions
Home additions, kitchens, baths, whole-home.
Home Additions
Kitchen Remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling
Whole Home Remodeling
Trades & Building Systems
Roofing, siding, decks, foundation, framing, retrofits.
Roofing
Siding & Stucco
Decks & Outdoor Living
Concrete & Flatwork
Windows & Doors
Foundation Repair & Replacement
Framing & Structural Work
Seismic Retrofit
Commercial & Property Services
TI buildouts, HOAs, property management — by request.
Commercial Tenant Improvement
HOA Construction Services
Property Management Construction
By topic · editorial questions
The reference desk, reorganized by the topic readers actually search for. Each question links to its exact anchor on the desk; each "Read deeper" chip points at the pillar guide that owns the answer.
Cost & budget
Timeline & schedule
Permits & policy
Rental & ROI
SB-9 & lot strategy
Cross-region · universal guides
Design · 6 min
Detached, attached, or conversion: choosing the right ADU typeA property-first framework for comparing detached, attached, and conversion paths without guessing parcel eligibility, cost, or timing.
Design · 6 min
Designing an ADU you actually want to live inTwelve design moves that separate a great 700 sq ft ADU from a generic one — most cost nothing extra, all of them protect your re-sale and rental value.
Finance · 12 min
A California homeowner’s guide to funding an ADUCompare cash, home equity, refinance and construction funding by liquidity, lien position, draw rules, reserves and written lender terms—not an advertised rate alone.
Finance · 9 min
HELOC, cash-out, renovation loan: the ADU money decisionA practical comparison of the four ways LA homeowners actually pay for an ADU — including the one product (renovation loan) that lets you borrow against the finished value.
Design · 10 min
Title 24 for ADUs: what actually triggers complianceWhat California's Title 24 Part 6 energy code means for a new ADU: compliance paths, heat pumps, fenestration, envelope and the CF1R documentation.
Permitting · 8 min
ADU vs SB9 lot split: which path actually fits your lotTwo state laws now let LA homeowners add density. SB9 splits the lot and creates a separately sellable parcel; ADU law adds a unit. The decision turns on three numbers — and one local opt-out.
Process · 11 min
How should I compare contractors and construction bids?A California homeowner workflow for checking a contracting entity and comparing scope, allowances, exclusions, responsibilities, payment milestones and unknowns.
Cost · 7 min
How we estimate ADU costs (the calculator methodology)A transparent planning method for organizing ADU cost assumptions, exclusions and property-specific unknowns without presenting an estimate as a quote.