ADU Before & After in Glendale, CA
We have completed more than 900 ADU projects since 2015, and every one started with a problem someone was living with and ended with a permitted, inspected solution. The photo records we deliver show exactly what we found, what we did, and how it looked when we left. Here is what that progression looks like on real Glendale jobs.
Recent Transformations
Garage Conversion ADU: Two-Car Garage to 480-Square-Foot Rental Unit in Rossmoyne
The homeowner had collected three written estimates that ranged from $89,000 to $147,000 for what was supposedly the same scope. We provided a Free Second Opinion and found that two of those bids had omitted the required fire-rated separation between the ADU and the remaining garage storage area, a Glendale-specific amendment to the California Building Code that adds roughly $8,500-$12,000 when the garage stays partially in use. Our written price of $118,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection, included that separation, the 4-inch slab moisture mitigation the others had ignored, and the dedicated meter that Glendale Water and Power requires for any ADU intended as a rental. The existing slab was 4 inches, within range for a conversion; here is what that meant for the foundation line item: we ground, sealed, and floated rather than demoed and repoured, saving three weeks and about $14,000. The client received the full permit set, a documented photo record on every visit, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise backed in writing. The unit now rents for $2,400 monthly.
New Detached ADU: Backyard Studio for Aging Parent in Adams Hill
Adams Hill lots run steep, and this one dropped 8 feet from the house to the back fence. The client needed a ground-level bedroom and bath for a parent with mobility limitations, which meant ADU Site Prep & Utilities became the controlling line item before we ever talked about square footage. We brought in a soils report that showed expansive clay, specified a pier-and-grade-beam foundation rather than a slab-on-grade, and ran a new sewer lateral uphill to the main at the street, a 42-foot shot that required a pump station. The written price was $214,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection, and it held. Under Clause 5 (No Surprises), the scope was locked at signing; no door-side upsells, no scope creep. The prefab option the client first asked about, a Boxabl Casita, would have required crane access through a neighbor’s driveway and a variance for the 14-foot module height. We explained why site-built made more sense here, and the documented photo record shows every footing pour and retaining wall tie-back. The parent moved in 11 months after permit submission.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion: Attached Studio from Existing Bedroom in Verdugo Woodlands
Verdugo Woodlands has some of Glendale’s older stock, 1920s bungalows with small footprints and no garage to convert. This client had a ground-floor bedroom that opened to the side yard, and the city allows Junior ADUs up to 500 square feet within the existing walls. The catch: the bathroom had to be entirely within the JADU footprint, not shared. We reconfigured the bedroom and an adjacent storage closet into a 340-square-foot studio with a wet-bar kitchenette, a 32-inch shower stall, and a tankless water heater mounted exterior. The written price was $67,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection. Because this was a Junior ADU & Interior Conversion, we did not need to run new utilities to the property line, which kept the project feasible on a modest budget. The photo record documents the asbestos-containing vinyl tile we found under the carpet, the abatement we coordinated, and the new subfloor that went down after. The client uses the unit for short-term rental under Glendale’s accessory dwelling unit provisions.
ADU Design & Permitting: Prefab Coordination for Narrow Lot in Sparr Heights
Sparr Heights lots are narrow and deep, and this client had been told by two other firms that a detached ADU was impossible. We evaluated eight prefab and modular brands, including Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, Tuff Shed, and James Hardie, and specified the Abodu One for its 14-foot transport width, which matched the street-to-site path we surveyed. The ADU Design & Permitting phase took four months, including a setback variance, the extra distance the city requires between the new ADU and the property line, which we reduced from 4 feet to 3 feet with fire-rated exterior sheathing. The written price of $156,000 all-in covered the Abodu unit, foundation, crane rental, utility tie-ins, and our coordination under one contract. The module arrived on a flatbed at 6:00 AM, was craned over the main house, and set by noon. The photo record shows the lift, the set, and the final utility connections. The client received the permit set, the documented photo record, and the written warranty.
ADU Site Prep & Utilities: Full Service Package for Detached Unit in Chevy Chase Canyon
Chevy Chase Canyon has some of the most restrictive oak tree ordinances in Glendale, and this site had a coast live oak with a 36-inch trunk diameter squarely in the proposed footprint. We worked with an arborist and the city’s Community Development Department to redesign the pad location, specifying a segmental retaining wall that avoided the critical root zone while maximizing buildable area. The ADU Site Prep & Utilities package, priced at $87,000 all-in as a standalone scope, included the tree report, the retaining wall, the graded pad, a new 400-amp service upgrade, and rough-in for water, sewer, gas, and electrical to the future structure location. The client paused at this point to finalize financing for the structure itself, but the site is permitted and ready. The photo record shows every tree-protection fence placement, every footing excavation, and the pressure test on the new sewer lateral. When the client is ready for the New Detached ADU, the structure contract will reference the same written price model and the same Haven Standard clauses.
Garage Conversion ADU: Fire-Damaged Structure to Code-Compliant Rental in Tropico
The existing structure was a total loss from an electrical fire that started in a space heater cord. The slab was structurally sound but heat-spalled, requiring a polymer overlay before flooring. Because this was a Garage Conversion ADU in a fire-rebuild scenario, Glendale required full current code compliance rather than the partial allowances sometimes granted for existing conditions. We priced the written quote at $134,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection, which included the fire-rated ceiling assembly, the hardwired interconnected smoke detection, and the egress window the previous structure had lacked. The client had an insurance settlement in hand and brought us a competing estimate that was $23,000 lower. Our Free Second Opinion identified that the lower bid had omitted the required fire sprinkler system for any rental unit over 400 square feet in Glendale, a $9,500 line item, and had specified vinyl flooring that does not meet the thermal barrier requirements for a garage conversion. The client chose our scope, and the documented photo record shows the slab overlay cure, the sprinkler rough-in, and the final inspection sign-off. The unit rents for $2,100 monthly, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers any deviation from the permitted drawings.
Want Results Like These?
Every project on this page started with a phone call and a site visit, followed by a written price before any work started, per Haven Standard Clause 1. If you have a written estimate already, we will provide a Free Second Opinion. If you are starting from scratch, we will name a dollar range for your specific site and goals. Call (424) 325-4322 to schedule your free estimate. A live person answers calls 24/7, and Nadia Ellery reviews every scope personally.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Glendale, serving Glendale since 2015.