From your project leadEvery Friday until you move in
Your first Friday note comes from us the week we start.
Before that comes the yard visit. Book it online, or call and tell us the address.
Week 1 to move-in
ADU construction in Los Angeles, with a Friday note every week
Every building stage ends with a city inspection. Every Friday afternoon you get the week in writing, with photos of the work as it stands.
On every build
- Every FridayPhotos and the week's work in writing
- Yard visit to move-inOne project lead, one direct number
- Before day oneA note to the neighbors on each side
- Month elevenWe come back and walk it with you
We build the back houses we draw, from the first trench to the final inspection. Your project lead writes to you every Friday afternoon.
The build, stage by stage
- Foundation. Trenches, forms, rebar and the plumbing that runs under the slab, then the concrete pour. The foundation inspection comes before the pour, while the rebar and the pipes are still open.
- Framing. Walls, roof, windows and the outside doors. By the end of this stage it looks like a house from your back step, and the roof and wall sheathing inspection closes it.
- Rough-ins. Plumbing, wiring, the sub-panel, and the heating and cooling lines, all run while the walls are still open, then the rough-in and frame inspections.
- Walls and finishes. Insulation and drywall first, each inspected. Then the kitchen and the bathroom, floors, paint and fixtures.
- Final inspection. We book the final and walk the inspector through. When it passes, the city issues the certificate of occupancy.
What the Friday note tells you
- What was done this week
- Which inspection passed, and which one comes next
- What happens next week
- Anything you need to decide before the walls close, like where the TV goes
- Photos of the work as it stands
- Whether a payment is due, or the next date on your schedule
If a date moves, that Friday's note says which one and why.
The first step is a free yard visit.
About an hour at your house, and it costs nothing. Three working days later the price reaches you in writing, with a schedule of the work and payment dates.
Living next to the build
You keep living in the main house the whole time. The water or the power goes off only when we tie the new lines in, and the Friday note the week before tells you which day. Trees you want to keep are fenced off before we dig. The bin sits on your driveway and gets swapped before it overflows, and materials go along the side yard, covered at the end of each day.
Your neighbors live with the build too. Before we start, the houses on each side get a note from us with the loud days and the project lead's direct number. On pour morning the pump hose runs up the driveway, and everyone knows the date a week ahead.
What the price depends on
- The size of the back house, and one story or two
- The foundation, and how the ground slopes where it goes
- How the pump truck and the deliveries reach the back of the lot
- How far the sewer, water and power lines travel from the main house
- Whether the main panel needs an upgrade before the new unit can be fed
- The roof, the windows, the kitchen, the bathroom and the finishes you choose
The sewer run and the panel can move the number as much as the finishes do. City fees go from you to the city, outside our price.
After you move in
The warranty runs one year from the day the city issues the certificate of occupancy. It covers the work we did and the materials we put in. Appliances are covered by their maker's own warranty.
In month eleven we come back, walk every room with you and write down anything that needs work. Everything on that list gets fixed under the warranty, even if the work runs past month twelve.
Questions about ADU construction
Who do I call during the build?
Your project lead, on the number from your proposal. It's the same person who writes the Friday note. You can also call (310) 857-2520 and we'll put you through.
What happens if an inspection doesn't pass?
We fix what the inspector asked for and book the inspection again. That Friday's note tells you what was asked for and when the inspector comes back.
Can I still choose finishes once building starts?
Yes, until each one has to be ordered. The Friday note says what has to be decided next, so nothing is closed in before you've picked it.