Small apartment
buildings.
Small apartment buildings — usually 5 to 30 units on infill parcels — are the workhorse of California's middle housing supply. Most are Type V wood frame on slab or Type V over Type I podium when parking sits below grade. The construction is conventional; the win is sequencing the entitlement, financing, off-site improvements, and per-unit lease-up so the project pencils for an owner-operator rather than a syndicated capital stack.
CA Lic. #1145233
“Small apartment is a cash-flow business with a construction project attached. The construction has to serve the cash flow.”
What we mean by small apartment building contractor.
SA-01 · 5–10 unit Type V on slab
- Size
- Site-dependent
- All-in
- $380 – $650 / sqft
- Schedule
- 16 – 24 months build
Most common configuration for owner-operator infill. Conventional Type V wood frame on slab. Surface parking.
SA-02 · 11–20 unit Type V on slab
- Size
- Site-dependent
- All-in
- $400 – $700 / sqft
- Schedule
- 20 – 28 months build
Larger Type V wood frame on slab. Common stop tank, possibly elevator. Plan check noticeably longer than smaller projects.
SA-03 · Type V over Type I podium (15–30 units)
- Size
- Site-dependent
- All-in
- $450 – $800 / sqft
- Schedule
- 24 – 36 months build
Wood-frame residential over concrete podium for parking. Common in dense urban infill where surface parking is not feasible.
SA-04 · Density-bonus small apartment
- Size
- Per program
- All-in
- $400 – $700 / sqft
- Schedule
- 24 – 36 months build
Density Bonus Law unlocks extra units and waivers in exchange for affordable set-asides. Often the only way to make a small infill project pencil.
Real California cost ranges.
All-in 2026 small apartment costs in California run $380–$700/sqft for Type V on slab and $450–$800/sqft for Type V over Type I podium. Bay Area sits at the top of every band. Soft costs (architecture + structural + Title 24 + CALGreen + civil + entitlements + permits + financing fees) run 14–20% of hard-cost subtotal.
Configuration
Type V on slab: $380–$700/sqft. Type V over Type I podium: $450–$800/sqft. Wrap-around parking with Type V: $420–$750/sqft.
Off-site + civil
Sidewalk reconstruction, ADA ramps, utility trench, storm-water detention, transformer pad — $150k–$800k depending on parcel and city.
Fire / life safety
NFPA 13R sprinklers throughout, alarm system per NFPA 72, emergency egress lighting. $4–$8/sqft of building.
Accessibility (CBC 11A + ADA)
Type A units in larger projects, full common-area ADA, leasing office accessibility. $5k–$25k per unit.
Title 24 + CALGreen
Heat pumps, PV per CEC 2022, battery readiness, EVCS at 10–25%+ of parking. $35–$80/sqft above 2019-code.
Soft costs
14–20% of hard cost. Density bonus and SB 423 projects often higher due to entitlement legal.
The permit path.
Small apartment projects are permitted under CBC (R-2) by the local building department. Plan check on 5+ unit projects typically runs 4–10 months in California, longer in LADBS, SF DBI, and Oakland. Density bonus and SB 423 projects are ministerial but still need full building-permit review.
- Building permit (architectural + structural)
- MEP permits
- Fire sprinkler + alarm permits (NFPA 13R + 72)
- Title 24 energy compliance
- CALGreen worksheet (Tier 1 / Tier 2 depending on jurisdiction)
- Accessibility plan review (CBC 11A + ADA)
- EVCS per CALGreen 4.106.4
- Civil engineering (grading, storm-water)
- Density bonus / SB 423 determination (when applicable)
- Off-site improvements (sidewalks, ramps, transformer)
How California code shapes the work.
California 5+ unit small apartment is governed by CBC (R-2), Title 24, CALGreen, Subdivision Map Act (rare for rental), Density Bonus Law, SB 423, and locally-adopted amendments. Rent stabilization, just-cause eviction, and tenant relocation ordinances apply if existing housing is being replaced.
What the schedule actually looks like.
- Step 014 – 8 weeks
Feasibility + pro forma
Eligibility, parking, utility, pro forma, financing.
- Step 0212 – 36 weeks
Entitlement (if discretionary)
Planning Commission, CEQA if applicable. SB 423 / density bonus may skip discretionary.
- Step 0312 – 18 weeks
Schematic + DD
Plan layout, structural, MEP, fire / life safety.
- Step 0410 – 16 weeks
Construction documents
Full permit set + civil.
- Step 0516 – 40 weeks
Plan check + permit
Building + fire + utility + civil in parallel.
- Step 068 – 16 weeks
Sitework + utilities
Grading, civil, transformer, sewer / water main work.
- Step 0714 – 28 weeks
Foundation + structure
Podium pour (if applicable), then Type V framing.
- Step 0828 – 44 weeks
MEP + finishes
Per-unit MEP, fire / alarm, finishes, common areas.
- Step 098 – 16 weeks overlap
Lease-up coordination
Final inspections per unit; lease-up can start before building-wide CofO in some jurisdictions.
How we run this work.
We start every small apartment project with a feasibility + pro forma memo — eligibility, unit count, parking, off-site improvements, hard cost range, soft cost range, financing scenarios. The pro forma decides whether the project goes forward.
Entitlement and financing strategy run in parallel. Density bonus and SB 423 projects bypass discretionary review but require objective-standards compliance. Construction loan terms set the schedule pressure for delivery to stabilization.
Construction runs on a design-build or CM-at-risk contract with named subcontractors, in-house permit runner, and weekly schedule reporting. Owner-operators usually want the leasing timeline coordinated tightly with final inspections — we sequence accordingly.
Frequently asked.
- What is the smallest apartment building you will build?
- 5 units is the smallest project we treat as an apartment / multifamily build. Below that the project is a duplex, triplex, or fourplex (separate pillars). 5+ crosses into commercial financing and full Group R-2 regulatory layer.
- Type V on slab versus Type V over Type I podium — which do I want?
- Type V on slab is cheaper and faster. Use it when the parcel can absorb surface parking without giving up too many leasable feet. Type V over Type I podium puts parking below grade and frees the ground floor for residential or amenity — costs more, takes longer, but works on tight urban lots.
- How long does plan check take on a 12-unit apartment in LA?
- Plan check on a 12-unit Type V project in LADBS typically runs 6–10 months including 2–4 correction cycles. SF DBI and Oakland run similar or longer. Smaller suburban jurisdictions can clear in 4–6 months.
- Will I need to pay prevailing wage?
- California prevailing wage applies on most multifamily projects receiving public funding, in cities that have adopted local prevailing-wage ordinances, and on projects above certain unit thresholds. We confirm the prevailing-wage status during feasibility.
- Can I do my own off-site improvements (sidewalks, ramps, transformer)?
- Off-site improvements are permitted under separate encroachment / public works permits and built per city standards. We carry them as part of the project; the owner does not need to coordinate separately.
- How does the financing work?
- 5+ unit multifamily is commercial — construction loan + permanent take-out. Common structures: regional bank construction loan converting to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac small-balance multifamily permanent at stabilization. We coordinate progress draws against schedule.
- Can I phase a 20-unit project?
- Sometimes — depends on lot geometry and city. Site work and shared utilities are usually one package; if the project has multiple structures, each can be permitted and CofO'd separately. Phasing single-building projects is less common and usually drives cost up.
Start with a feasibility memo.
Tell us about the parcel and the program. We'll come back with a written feasibility memo before any design work starts.
Want a real number for your Small Apartment Building Contractor job?
- We open the books on similar jobs from the last 24 months
- Hand-built estimate, not a software auto-quote
- Includes permits, finishes, and the boring stuff
3-day turnaround · Free