Built for homeowners, not contractors.

How we collect city data

Permit fees, processing windows, impact-fee policies, and notable local rules come directly from each city's planning department portal. We re-verify every published city quarterly (most recently May 2026). If you spot a stale number, email us — corrections land within 48 hours.

How we benchmark costs

Per-square-foot build costs for the three ADU types (detached, attached, garage conversion) at the three finish tiers (basic, standard, luxe) are calibrated against published HCD data, the AARP ADU Guide, and recent contractor pricing surveys for the LA-area market. The estimator adds your selected city's permit fees, conservative soft costs (5–8% of build), utility connections ($8k–$14k), and a 10% contingency line.

Cost figures are estimates, not bids. They reflect the project envelope — your actual cost will depend on contractor selection, finish choices, site conditions, and financing terms.

How we summarise law

The 2026 statute summaries on this site are plain-language paraphrases of the operative provisions of each cited bill. Citations link to the California Legislature's public bill record. We've focused on bills that materially change the financial or procedural calculus for a typical homeowner — not exhaustive coverage of every ADU-adjacent enactment.

What we don't do

• We don't visit your site or survey your lot.
• We don't run ad-network code, tracking pixels, or behavioural analytics.
• We don't sell, resell, or share lead data — see the privacy page.
• We don't accept payment from builders to feature them in search-result lists.

Who pays for this site

Revenue comes from two sources, both clearly labelled when present:

• Builder lead matching. When a homeowner requests matches, we hand-pick three vetted local builders and email both sides. Builders pay a modest referral fee only when a homeowner becomes a paying client.
• Plan-provider partner links. Listings marked SPONSORED · PARTNER are paid placements. Editorial content (city dossiers, law summaries, cost benchmarks, FAQ) is never sponsored and never altered by partner relationships.