Solid ADU
Your attached ADU in Sawtelle
From first idea to final inspection: Solid ADU guides the entire attached ADU process for homeowners in Sawtelle and matches you with the right licensed contractor. Free advice, clear agreements.
- One point of contact from first idea to final inspection
- Built by vetted, CSLB-licensed contractors from our network
- Compare clear fixed proposals before construction starts
No obligation · Response within 24 hours · Your details are only used to contact you.
- [YEARS] years of experience
- [PROJECTS]+ completed projects
- Response within 24 hours
- Free feasibility check
- Vetted, CSLB-licensed contractors
Solid ADU is active in Sawtelle and the immediate area, including West Los Angeles, Brentwood, Mar Vista and Rancho Park. We can guide your attached ADU too, from first advice through the final LADBS inspection, with the build done by a licensed contractor from our network.
Sawtelle, known for its Japantown history and its restaurant scene along Sawtelle Boulevard, packs a lot of life into a compact grid just west of the 405. The residential streets carry an older housing stock, 1920s and 1930s bungalows on narrow lots, increasingly mixed with newer small-lot homes and townhomes. Where the original detached garages survive, often reached from the driveway or a rear alley, they are strong candidates for conversion into a legal ADU. Renter demand here is deep and constant, driven by UCLA, Santa Monica employers and the neighborhood's own walkability, so a converted unit rarely sits empty. Narrow-lot projects live or die on the details of setbacks and access, so we start with a free feasibility check of your exact parcel before any design work. Think of 1920s bungalows on narrow lots, prewar stucco cottages, small-lot contemporary homes and duplexes and townhomes: we tailor the approach to the type of home and the condition of your lot and existing structures.
An attached ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a complete, self-contained home that shares at least one wall with your main house. It has its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and living space, so it can be rented out or used by family while everyone keeps their privacy. You can build it as a new addition on the side or rear of your house, or convert an existing part of your home, such as a rear wing or an oversized family room, into a separate unit.
Want to find out what is possible first? We get it. Feel free to call for a no-obligation consultation or leave your phone number. We respond within 24 hours and talk through your project with zero commitment.
Want to know what is possible on your Sawtelle lot?
Call now or leave your phone number. We walk through your situation for free, with no obligation.
Attached ADU in Sawtelle: what is possible
Free feasibility check
We review your lot, existing structure, setbacks and utility locations, and tell you what size and layout of attached ADU is realistic before you spend anything on design.
Design and floor plans
We help you shape the unit around how it will be used: rental, family housing or home office with living space. You review the layout and finishes before anything moves toward permitting.
LADBS plan check and permits
Your contractor's team prepares the full plan set with structural, Title 24 energy and site documents and submits it to LADBS plan check. We guide you through the process, track corrections and keep the application moving through to permit issuance.
Connecting to the existing structure
An addition has to carry its own loads and tie cleanly into your house. Your contractor handles the foundation, framing and roof connection so the new unit and the existing structure work together, verified by inspection.
Converting part of your home
Instead of building new, your contractor can turn an existing section of the house into the ADU: closing interior openings, adding the separate entrance and upgrading the space to full dwelling standards.
Private entrance
Every ADU needs its own exterior entrance. The plans place it for privacy on both sides, with its own path, address marking and lighting, so tenants never walk through your space.
Fire and sound separation
The wall and any floor or ceiling between the units are built as rated assemblies: layers of fire-resistant drywall, insulation and sealed penetrations that slow fire spread and block everyday noise.
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC
Your contractor runs new supply, drain and electrical lines, adds or extends panels where needed, and installs efficient heating and cooling, typically a ductless mini-split, sized for the unit.
Kitchen and bathroom build-out
A full kitchen and bathroom are what make it a dwelling. Your contractor builds both complete: cabinets, counters, appliances, fixtures, waterproofing and tile.
You can find the full overview on our attached ADU page.
Why invest in an attached ADU?
Most homeowners we talk to want the extra space or rental income but get stuck on the same points. Recognize any of these?
- You are not sure whether your lot even qualifies for an attached ADU, or how big it could be.
- You need rental income or space for family, but a detached backyard unit does not fit your lot.
- The permit process feels like a black box: plan check, corrections, inspections, all with their own rules.
- You have talked to an architect and a contractor separately and got two stories that do not line up.
- You do not know how to vet a contractor, or which quote you can actually trust.
- You worry the addition will look bolted on and hurt the value of your home.
What happens after you reach out
- 1
Free feasibility check
Call us or leave your number, and we respond within 24 hours. We look at your lot, your garage or backyard, and your utilities, and we talk through what you want: rental income, space for family, or a home office. You get an honest picture of what is possible before you spend anything.
- 2
Matched with the right contractor
We match you with vetted, CSLB-licensed contractors from our network whose track record fits your type of ADU, your lot and your budget. We verify licenses, insurance and past work, so you do not have to.
- 3
Compare clear fixed proposals
You receive clear fixed proposals with the scope, schedule and price spelled out. No fine print and no surprise costs. You compare, ask us anything, and pick the contractor you feel confident with, at your own pace.
- 4
Plans and LADBS permits
Your contractor's team prepares the complete permit set: architectural plans, structural calculations and the energy compliance documents California requires. We guide you through the LADBS permit process and keep you posted on plan check and corrections. Nothing is submitted until you approve the design.
- 5
Your contractor builds, we stay involved
Your licensed contractor builds your ADU and schedules every required city inspection along the way. We stay involved as your single point of contact, so you always know where things stand.
Attached ADU costs in Sawtelle
What an attached ADU costs depends heavily on the route you take. Converting an existing part of the house that already has a roof and slab is a different project from building a new addition with its own foundation. That is why you will not find standard prices here: for your situation they would almost always be too high or too low.
- New addition or conversion of existing space
- The size and layout of the unit (studio, one or two bedrooms)
- Foundation and structural work needed to tie into the existing house
- The condition of the existing structure, slab and roof at the connection point
- How far water, sewer and electrical lines must be extended, and whether the panel needs upgrading
- The fire and sound separation assemblies between the two units
- Kitchen and bathroom scope and the finish level you choose
- Matching the exterior: stucco, siding, roofing and windows
Get a free feasibility check for your project
Leave your phone number and we will call you back within 24 hours.
A project nearby: Mar Vista
A licensed contractor from our network completed this project in Mar Vista, in the same part of Los Angeles as Sawtelle.
Want a similar result on your property?
Talk your project through with us. Free, and with no strings attached.
Also serving the area around Sawtelle
We also guide attached ADU projects in West Los Angeles, Brentwood, Mar Vista, Rancho Park and the rest of Westside.
Frequently asked questions about attached ADU in Sawtelle
Do I need to know exactly what I want?
No. You do not need to have chosen a layout, materials or finishes yet. During a free consultation we walk through the options and help you decide what fits your property and your goals.
What happens after I leave my details?
We call you back within 24 hours to briefly go over your plans. After that, if you want, we run your free feasibility check and set up a site visit with a vetted contractor from our network.
Do you visit the property first in Sawtelle?
Yes. For most projects the licensed contractor we match you with starts with a free site visit at your property in Sawtelle. That way your lot and the existing structure are properly assessed, and the proposal you receive is realistic.
How soon can you start in Sawtelle?
That depends on your contractor's schedule, the size of your project and the LADBS plan review, which we guide you through. After your request we contact you within 24 hours and map out a realistic timeline right away.
Do you serve all of Sawtelle?
Yes, our network covers all of Sawtelle and also nearby neighborhoods such as West Los Angeles, Brentwood, Mar Vista and Rancho Park. Not sure whether your address falls within our service area? Just call and you will know right away.
Is my request really no-obligation?
Yes. A phone consultation, a site visit and a feasibility check never commit you to anything. You decide if and when you want to move forward.
Ready for your attached ADU in Sawtelle?
Call now or leave your name and phone number. We discuss your project with no obligation and you hear from us within 24 hours.
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