Maximize your property value and generate rental income. We navigate LA’s complex zoning laws to deliver fully compliant, beautifully designed accessory dwelling units.
Turning an existing garage into a legal accessory dwelling unit is one of the fastest ways to add rentable square footage in Los Angeles, because you're building inside a structure that's already standing instead of starting from bare dirt. Apex Build handles garage conversion ADUs across LA from design through final LADBS sign-off: custom plans, permits, framing, plumbing, electrical, and finishes.
Apex Build is licensed, bonded, and insured to perform residential construction work in Los Angeles. We serve homeowners across the city and surrounding LA County communities, and every garage-to-ADU project goes through LADBS plan check and permitting before we break ground.
A garage conversion ADU project with Apex Build covers:
Site evaluation and feasibility review of your existing garage (attached or detached)
Custom architectural and structural plans, drawn and stamped for LADBS submission
Permit filing and plan check coordination with the LA Department of Building & Safety
Foundation and slab assessment, with upgrades where the existing structure needs them
Full framing, insulation, and drywall
Plumbing and electrical rough-in and finish work
HVAC installation
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures, cabinetry, and finishes
Title 24 energy code compliance
Final inspection and walkthrough
We also build junior ADUs (JADUs), a smaller conversion category of 500 square feet or less that can share water, sewer, and electrical connections with the main house instead of running entirely separate utility lines.
1. Consultation and feasibility review. We walk your property, look at your existing garage's condition, and talk through what you want the finished space to do, whether that's a rental unit, a guest suite, or space for a family member.
2. Custom plans and permit filing. This is where garage conversions differ from new, ground-up ADUs. LADBS runs an ADU Standard Plan Program that lets some projects use pre-approved architect plans for a faster permit path, but that program applies to new, detached structures only. Converting an existing garage requires custom plans from a licensed architect or engineer submitted through LADBS's standard plan-check process. Any page or contractor telling you a garage conversion qualifies for the pre-approved track is wrong, and it's worth confirming with whoever you hire before you sign a contract.
3. Plan check and permit issuance. Standard LADBS plan check for a garage conversion typically runs 2 to 4 months. An expedited plan check option can shrink that to 4 to 8 weeks for an added fee of roughly $2,000 to $5,000. Once plans are approved, compliant ADU applications are entitled to a ministerial (non-discretionary) 60-day decision under state law, meaning the city cannot subject a code-compliant project to discretionary review or public hearings.
4. Construction. Framing, structural upgrades, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, and finish work happen on-site, with inspections at each major milestone.
5. Final inspection and walkthrough. LADBS signs off, and we walk the finished unit with you before handoff.
Construction for a custom-plan garage conversion generally runs 3 to 6 months depending on scope. Most garage-to-ADU conversions in LA run 4 to 6 months from design start to move-in, noticeably faster than a new detached ADU, which typically takes 6 to 10 months and can stretch to 11 months on a full timeline.
Most garage-to-ADU conversions in LA fall in the $100,000 to $220,000 range, depending on your garage's existing condition, its size, and the finish level you choose. That range holds up across multiple Los Angeles cost analyses and reflects the full scope: design, permits, structural work, and finishes, not just labor.
Size drives most of the variation:
1-car garage (roughly 240 sq ft): typically $80,000 to $140,000 for a full conversion, depending on finish level
2-car garage (roughly 400-480 sq ft): typically $100,000 to $195,000
JADU (500 sq ft or less): typically $80,000 to $150,000, often lower because it can share utility connections with the main house
Cost per square foot for garage conversions generally runs $250 to $400, which is usually less than a comparable new detached ADU because the walls, roof, and foundation are already there.
Within that budget, plumbing is typically the single largest line item, running $15,000 to $40,000 depending on how much new plumbing the conversion requires. City permits and fees have historically added another $8,000 to $22,000, though recent state impact-fee exemptions can reduce that (see the section below).
These figures are a starting point, not a quote. Every garage has a different foundation, framing, and utility situation, and the only way to get an accurate number is a site visit.
No. California state law (AB 68) prohibits cities, including Los Angeles, from requiring replacement parking when an existing garage or carport is converted into an ADU. If your property sits within a half-mile of public transit, parking isn't required at all for a new ADU, converted or otherwise. LADBS's own guidance confirms the same rule: if you remove existing covered parking to build an ADU, you don't have to replace it. This is one of the more common misconceptions homeowners bring to us, and it's a real, sourced part of state ADU law, not a workaround.
Yes, and rental income is one of the strongest financial arguments for converting a garage instead of leaving it as storage. Reported rental ranges for LA garage conversion ADUs run $1,800 to $2,800 a month, with a broader citywide range of $1,800 to $4,200 a month depending on neighborhood and size. Westside properties tend to land at the higher end, roughly $3,000 to $4,200 a month, while San Fernando Valley locations run closer to $1,800 to $2,800.
A one-bedroom ADU in LA can command $2,200 to $3,000 a month, which works out to roughly $25,000 to $36,000 a year before expenses. Against a typical conversion cost of $100,000 to $220,000, that rental income is what makes a garage conversion pencil out for a lot of homeowners, especially compared to leaving an underused garage as storage.
State law guarantees every residential property in California the right to build at least one 800 sq ft ADU, regardless of lot size or how big the main house is. Cities also have to allow at least 850 sq ft for a one-bedroom ADU and 1,000 sq ft for a two-or-more-bedroom unit, and can't impose a smaller cap than that (though they can allow larger). Most garage conversions land well under these ceilings simply because they're limited by the existing garage footprint.
On fees: under SB 543, ADUs with 750 sq ft or less of interior living space, and JADUs with 500 sq ft or less, are exempt from local development impact fees. Larger ADUs get charged fees proportionate to the primary home's square footage rather than a flat rate. ADUs and JADUs under 500 sq ft are also exempt from school fees. Since most garage conversions fall under that 750 sq ft threshold, this exemption applies to a lot of our projects and can meaningfully cut the $8,000-$22,000 that permits and fees used to add to a job.
We get the permit path right. The single biggest accuracy trap in this space is the claim that garage conversions can use LADBS's pre-approved standard plans. They can't. We draw custom plans from the start, which avoids a rejected plan check and a wasted design fee.
We separate garage-conversion numbers from detached-ADU numbers. A lot of cost guides blend the two, which leaves homeowners budgeting off the wrong figure. Every range on this page is specific to converting an existing garage.
Licensed, bonded, and insured. We carry the credentials LA requires for residential construction, and every project runs through LADBS plan check and permitting before we start work.
Local crews, one point of contact. You work with the same project lead from consultation through final walkthrough, not a rotating cast of subcontractors.
Garage conversions are one part of what we build. If your project needs new ground-attached square footage rather than converting an existing structure, see our room additions page. If you're planning a detached ADU or other new structure from scratch, see new construction. For updating the rest of the house alongside your ADU project, see home remodeling.
Apex Build serves homeowners across the City of Los Angeles and surrounding LA County communities, including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mid-City, West LA, Mar Vista, Venice, Culver City, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Van Nuys, and Woodland Hills.
The permit process described on this page (LADBS plan check, the Standard Plan Program limitation, and City of LA-specific timelines) applies to properties inside the City of Los Angeles. If your property sits in unincorporated LA County or in another city within our service area, that jurisdiction's own building department governs permitting, and the process and timelines may differ. Tell us your property's location during the consultation and we'll confirm which permit authority applies.
Have questions? We've got answers. Here are some of the most common questions we receive from our customers.
Get a clear estimate and a realistic timeline before you commit to anything. We'll walk your property and tell you exactly what the work involves.
Request a no-obligation estimate based on your home and needs.
We're based in Los Angeles for fast response and scheduling.
We pull permits and manage inspections, so the paperwork doesn't land on you.
Consistent finishes that hold up over time
