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Hills & Canyons JADU Builder.

A Junior ADU carves up to 500 sqft out of an existing single-family house, typically a converted bedroom or attached garage bay. It is the lightest-touch path to a permitted rental unit in LA — and the owner can keep occupying the main house. We handle the plan set, the LADBS permit, and the build.

Hill parcels add the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, geotech, and (along the ridgeline) the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan to every permit package. The ADU itself is still ministerial, but plan-check takes longer because the structural, grading, and haul-route sheets are heavier than a flat-lot project.

Hills & Canyons cost band — 2026

$95K – $180K all-in

Existing plumbing wall proximity and whether the entrance already exists drive the band.

Hills & Canyons permit clock

12–18 weeks ministerial

Plan on 6–10 weeks for design + LADBS permit, then 8–12 weeks on-site.

Scope — start to keys.

  • Feasibility check — interior wall layout, plumbing access, exterior entry
  • Kitchenette, efficiency bath, and bedroom buildout
  • Separate exterior entrance, fire-rated demising wall if required
  • Owner-occupancy deed restriction and LADBS sign-off
  • Sub-panel, plumbing tie-in, mini-split HVAC

What changes about the permit here.

  1. BHO caps height to ~33 ft and limits grading cuts based on lot slope.
  2. Soils / geotech report required on any slope >10%.
  3. Hillside Construction Regulation permits gate haul-route hours and truck size.
  4. Beverly Hills + Bel-Air HOA / R1 design review runs parallel to building permit.

What moves the Hills & Canyons number.

  • Slope-driven foundation work commonly $80–250k above flat-lot equivalent.
  • Crane / pump days run 2–4× a Valley job — narrow streets and switchbacks.
  • Caissons on steep slopes can hit $1,500–4,000 per linear foot of depth.
  • Beverly Hills design review pushes cladding budgets up sharply.

In short.

What is a JADU and how is it different from an ADU?
A JADU (Junior ADU) is a unit up to 500 sqft built inside the footprint of an existing single-family house — usually a converted bedroom or garage. It requires owner-occupancy and is faster/cheaper to permit than a full ADU.
Can I have both a JADU and an ADU on my LA lot?
Yes — state law allows one JADU plus one ADU on most single-family lots in LA. The combination is often the best path for multi-generational living plus rental income.
How much does a JADU cost in Los Angeles?
Most LA JADUs land between $95K and $180K all-in. Existing plumbing proximity and whether the entrance already exists are the biggest swing factors.
Does the Baseline Hillside Ordinance kill my ADU?
Almost never. State ADU law overrides local FAR limits up to 800 sqft, and many hillside lots can fit a full 1,200 sqft attached ADU even under BHO.
How much does hillside geotech add?
Plan on $8–25k for the report itself. The downstream cost — caissons, retaining walls, deeper foundations — is where the real budget impact lives.

More we build in Hills & Canyons.

JADU Builder in nearby LA areas.

Got a Hills & Canyons project in mind?

Send us the address and we’ll pull Hills & Canyons zoning, setbacks, and jadu builder feasibility before you spend on drawings.

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