ADU Before & After in West Hollywood, CA
Photos don’t lie. A garage stuffed with storage becomes a rental unit with a kitchenette. A cracked driveway becomes the foundation for a studio. We document every phase so you can see what actually changes, not what we claim changed.
Recent Transformations
Garage Conversion ADU - Spaulding Square Neighborhood
The garage had good bones but bad concrete. The slab was 3.5 inches, under the 4-inch minimum for a conversion under West Hollywood’s adopted CBC standards. We broke out the old slab, poured new with a vapor barrier, and reframed with fire-rated drywall where the structure sits within 3 feet of the property line. The owner now rents it at $2,400. We delivered the permit set, the photo record, and the final inspection sign-off under one contract at one written price.
New Detached ADU - Norma Triangle, Tight Setback
The lot was only 40 feet wide at the buildable zone. Standard setback is 4 feet side and rear, but this property needed a variance to 3 feet on the north side due to an encroaching neighbor’s foundation. We filed the variance application with West Hollywood Planning in month one, ran the geotechnical report for the pier system, and specified a Cover unit modified to 12-foot modules for crane access through the front driveway. Total project: $187,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection. The variance added 6 weeks. We told them that upfront in writing.
Junior ADU - West Hollywood West, Interior Conversion
The owner wanted to keep the main house as primary residence and generate income from the attached space. Junior ADUs in West Hollywood don’t require parking replacement if the original structure predates 1990, which this one did. We ran a new electrical subpanel, added a tankless water heater sized for one unit, and sound-rated the shared wall to STC 50 per code. The owner uses it for short-term rental now, legal under West Hollywood’s specific JADU hosting rules. We gave her the written scope, the photo record of every rough-in, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise in the same envelope.
ADU Site Prep & Utilities - Sierra Vista, Hillside Grading
This was prep work only, but it’s the phase that kills most ADU projects in the Hollywood Hills. We brought in a soils engineer, found the fill was uncontrolled and unsuitable for bearing, and designed a tiered retaining wall system with imported engineered fill. The sewer run was 80 feet at 2% grade, which meant tunneling under an established oak root zone. We documented every cubic yard with photos, got the geotechnical sign-off, and left the pad ready for the prefab unit the owner is sourcing separately. Our contract covered only the prep and utilities, no design-build on the structure itself, and the price was locked at signing under Haven Standard Clause 1.
Garage Conversion with Prefab Coordination - Kings Road, Design-Build
The owner wanted speed. We could have stick-framed in 14 weeks, but she needed rental income by Q2. We specified an Abodu One, modified the module height to clear the 8-foot alley access constraint, and rebuilt the slab with a level pad and French drain system. The module arrived on a flatbed at 6 a.m., was set by 10 a.m., and we spent 3 weeks on utility tie-ins and finish carpentry. Total timeline: 11 weeks from permit to certificate of occupancy. The written price was $164,000 before any work started. She has the photo record of the crane pick, the module landing, and every MEP connection.
ADU Design & Permitting - Multiple West Hollywood Zones
We’ve pulled permits in every West Hollywood zone. R1 near Doheny requires design review for any structure over 15 feet. R2 along Santa Monica Boulevard has commercial adjacency rules that trigger additional fire separation. R3 near Fountain Avenue has density bonuses that actually help ADU square footage calculations. This particular owner had started a garage conversion without permits, got red-tagged, and called us to fix it. We documented the as-built condition, hired the structural engineer to certify what was salvageable, revised the drawings to meet code, and got the violation cleared. The permit set included 12 sheets, the photo record showed every as-built measurement, and the owner paid the written price for design and permitting only, no construction. Under Haven Standard Clause 5, no surprises, the scope was locked at signing.
Want Results Like These?
Every project starts with a free estimate, written before any work begins. Call (213) 329-7167 to schedule yours. We’ll walk your property, identify the zoning constraints that actually apply to your lot, and give you a real number, not a range that doubles later. Estimates are free. Second opinions are free too, if you already have a written estimate in hand.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio West Hollywood, serving West Hollywood since 2015.