Fast, Reliable New Detached ADU Across Van Nuys
A new detached ADU in Van Nuys typically runs $220,000-$380,000 all-in, from the first site survey through final LA City inspection, with a written price locked before any work begins. We’re the team at New Detached ADU that coordinates design, permit set, and construction under one contract, so nothing gets passed off between a designer and a builder who each blame the other. Our crews serve Van Nuys from our Los Angeles office, and we know these lots: the 1950s stucco tracts, the rear alleys, the old garages that have been informally converted twice over. Call (424) 407-8266 to schedule your free estimate.
Why Ellery ADU Studio North Hollywood Is Van Nuys’s Preferred New Detached ADU Company
Nadia Ellery founded this studio in 2015, the year California’s ADU laws opened up, and we’ve designed, permitted, and built over 900 ADUs since - every one with a written price before the first shovel and a documented photo record when the last outlet was tested. Van Nuys homeowners come to us because we’ve already solved the problems their lots present: the unpermitted electrical in a 1962 garage, the slab poured over a slab, the framing cut for a slider that was never flashed.
We answer calls live, 24/7. No voicemail queue, no callback that doesn’t materialize. A real person picks up.
Our Free Second Opinion applies to any written estimate you already have in hand. Bring us another contractor’s scope, and we’ll tell you what’s missing, what’s inflated, and what questions you should ask before you sign.
Every project is governed by The Haven Standard. Clause 1 locks your written price at signing. Clause 5, No Surprises, means the scope doesn’t expand unless you approve a written change order. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is backed in writing before we start: if the finished ADU isn’t built to the permitted drawings, we make it right.
Our New Detached ADU Services in Van Nuys
Custom Built ADU
Our Custom Built ADU service starts with a measured site survey and a geotechnical assessment of your existing conditions. In Van Nuys, that usually means a 1950s or 1960s stucco tract home on a 6,500-9,000 sq ft rectangular lot with a detached two-car garage at the rear. We design to your specific setback, not a template. The permit set includes structural calcs, Title 24 energy compliance, and cool-roof specifications sized for the Valley heat island. Typical range in Van Nuys: $260,000-$380,000 all-in.
Prefab ADU Installation
We specify and coordinate prefab systems from Abodu, Cover, and Dvele within the same single contract that covers your site prep, foundation, utility tie-ins, and permit management. Van Nuys’s flat lots and rear alley access make crane placement and module delivery straightforward on many sites. The factory build compresses the weather-dependent portion of construction, which matters when summer highs hit 105-112°F and framing crews slow down. Prefab ADU Installation in Van Nuys typically runs $220,000-$320,000, including the module, transport, set, and finish.
Modular ADU
Modular construction differs from prefab in its structural completeness: modules arrive as finished boxes, not panels. We coordinate Mighty Buildings and Dvele systems for Van Nuys clients who want minimal on-site build time. The modular route requires precise foundation prep, and we handle that in-house. Your written price includes module, transport, crane, set, utility roughs, and final finishes.
Studio ADU
A Studio ADU, 350-450 sq ft, is the most common starting point for Van Nuys homeowners testing the ADU market. We design these for independent rental or family use, with full kitchens and baths that meet LA City’s habitability standards. On alley-served lots, the Studio ADU gets its own entrance off the rear - no shared driveway, no privacy compromise with the main house. Studio ADU projects in Van Nuys typically range $220,000-$290,000.
2-Bed ADU
Our 2-Bed ADU designs, 600-750 sq ft, maximize the sq ft threshold where LA City waives impact fees entirely. Two bedrooms, one bath, full kitchen, and living space. We see strong demand for these from Van Nuys owners who want long-term rental income or multigenerational flexibility. The 2-Bed ADU typically runs $280,000-$380,000 in this market.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Van Nuys
We specify James Hardie fiber-cement siding on most custom builds for its fire rating and thermal performance in extreme heat. For prefab and modular routes, we coordinate Abodu and Cover systems - factory-built, permit-ready, delivered to your Van Nuys lot. Every brand we work with is integrated into the same single contract: no separate purchase agreements, no warranty gaps between factory and field.
Common New Detached ADU Problems We See in Van Nuys Homes
- Unpermitted electrical and plumbing in old garage conversions. Many Van Nuys garages were informally converted to rooms decades ago. We open walls and find 60-amp feeders spliced into DIY subpanels, unvented gas lines, or plumbing tied into the main house with no cleanouts. LA City won’t final a permit until these are corrected. We document every deviation, price the repair in writing, and get your signature before we touch it.
- Undersized mechanical systems for Valley heat. A mini-split sized for Santa Monica will fail in a Van Nuys July. Title 24 requires enhanced insulation, cool-roof reflectance, and right-sized HVAC. We design for 112°F, not 78°F, and we prove compliance in the permit set before construction starts.
- Slab conditions that don’t match the drawings. The original garage slab may be 3.5 inches, cracked, or poured over a previous pour with no vapor barrier. Our geotech assessment catches this in pre-construction, not mid-framing. If we find it after walls are open, we stop, document, price, and get written approval.
- Setback and easement conflicts on rectangular lots. Van Nuys’s post-WWII lots are deep and narrow. A detached ADU needs 4-foot side and rear setbacks per LA City code, plus clearance from any recorded utility easement. We pull the preliminary title report and survey before we draw, not after.
Pricing for New Detached ADU in Van Nuys, CA
A new detached ADU in Van Nuys runs $220,000-$380,000 all-in, depending on size, construction type, and site conditions. Here’s how that breaks:
- Studio ADU (custom build): $220,000-$290,000
- 1-Bed ADU (custom build): $250,000-$340,000
- 2-Bed ADU (custom build): $280,000-$380,000
- Prefab ADU (Abodu, Cover, Dvele): $220,000-$320,000
- Modular ADU (Mighty Buildings, Dvele): $240,000-$350,000
What moves the number: foundation condition, utility distance from main house, unpermitted work that must be corrected, and Title 24 mechanical upgrades for Valley heat. Every project is quoted with a written price before any work begins, per Haven Standard Clause 1. No “call for pricing.” No verbal estimates that shift at permit. Call (424) 407-8266 for your free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Van Nuys
Our crews work throughout the Valley and adjacent neighborhoods. We also build New Detached ADU in Van Nuys for clients in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, and Tarzana. Each city has its own municipal jurisdiction and code requirements, and we permit accordingly.
Serving Van Nuys, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Van Nuys area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - New Detached ADU in Van Nuys
Yes, but the unpermitted work must be brought into compliance before LA City will final your new ADU permit. We encounter this on roughly half the Van Nuys lots we survey. Our process: document every deviation with photos, price the correction as a written change order, and get your signature before we modify anything. The original informal conversion doesn’t disqualify you; it just adds a correction line item that we price upfront. Call (424) 407-8266 for an exact scope - estimates are free.
Van Nuys sits in the San Fernando Valley heat island and routinely records summer highs of 105-112°F, 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the LA coastline on the same day. Title 24 energy code responds with mandatory cool-roof reflectance, enhanced wall and ceiling insulation, and right-sized mechanical cooling. These aren’t upgrades we recommend; they’re code minimums we must design into the permit set. The equipment, insulation, and roof specs cost more than a comparable build in Venice or Santa Monica. We price this into your written quote from day one.
We stop work, photograph everything, and price the repair as a written change order before touching another stud. This is Haven Standard Clause 5: No Surprises. On a 1950s stucco tract house off Sylmar Avenue near Hazeltine, we tore into a detached rear garage for a 2-bed ADU and found the old slab had been poured over, the original 60-amp feeder was spliced into a DIY subpanel, and the back wall framing had been cut for an unpermitted slider that was never flashed. Our tech documented every deviation in the inspection report, priced the framing repair, new 200-amp feeder, and James Hardie re-sheathing as written change orders, and got the owner’s signature before touching a single stud. Because the alley behind the lot gave us a clean rear access point, the finished unit got its own independent entrances with no shared driveway with the main house - and the permit closed without a single correction notice. Call (424) 407-8266 and we’ll explain how we build contingencies into your contract.
Yes. A large share of Van Nuys streets are served by rear alleys, which means detached garage ADUs can be designed with a fully independent street address-style entrance off the alley - no shared driveway conflict with the main house, no privacy issues. This is a selling point we use constantly that is far less available in denser, alley-scarce neighborhoods like Sherman Oaks or Studio City just to the south. The alley access also simplifies construction staging: materials and crews move through the rear, not your front yard. We factor this into every Van Nuys site plan.
Yes, and Van Nuys homeowners are well-positioned for this. Because Van Nuys sits within the City of Los Angeles jurisdiction - not an independent municipality like neighboring Burbank or Glendale - a detached ADU here can be permitted straight from LA’s pre-approved standard plan program with impact fees waived under 750 sq ft. But a large share of the rear-garage footprints these plans drop onto already carry decades-old unpermitted electrical, plumbing, or framing that has to be corrected before the permit can be finaled. We evaluate your specific garage against the pre-approved plan’s assumptions, identify any conflicts, and price the corrections in writing. The pre-approved route saves design time and soft costs, but only if the existing conditions match the plan. Call (424) 407-8266 for a free site assessment.
Ready to price your project? Call (424) 407-8266 to schedule your free estimate. A live person will answer, 24/7. Bring us any written estimate you already have - our Free Second Opinion will tell you what’s solid, what’s missing, and what questions to ask before you sign.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio, serving Van Nuys since 2015.