Junior ADU (JADU)
Up to 500 sq ft carved inside your existing home — the simplest permit path and often the fastest to income.
Junior ADU (JADU) across Los Angeles, Orange & Ventura Counties.
A Junior ADU is built within the walls of your existing home — usually a bedroom or garage-adjacent room converted into a private 500-sq-ft unit with its own exterior entrance, efficiency kitchen, and (often) private bath.
JADUs are the fastest permit path in California ADU law: often exempt from impact fees, faster to plan-check, and dramatically cheaper than a detached build. Perfect for aging parents, adult kids, or supplemental rental income.
Typical timeline is 3–5 months on site.
Ways homeowners use this addition.
Bedroom-to-JADU
Convert a spare bedroom + closet + hallway into a JADU with its own entry, efficiency kitchen, and bath access.
JADU with private bath
Includes a full private bath — the higher-end configuration for rental.
JADU with shared bath
Shares a bath with the main house — cheaper, faster, still fully compliant.
In-law suite JADU
Interior-connected JADU with a locking door — perfect for aging parents.
JADU + garage conversion
Combine a JADU inside the house with a full ADU in the garage — max out unit count on one lot.
Studio JADU
Open plan with living, sleeping, and kitchen in one room. Cheapest configuration.
What's included in every HomeAdd project.
A realistic schedule, phase by phase.
- 1Design & feasibility2–3 weeks
Room selection, entry location, kitchen layout.
- 2Permit set2–3 weeks
Drawings, MEP, permit package.
- 3Plan check & permits4–6 weeks
JADU plan-check submittal — usually fast.
- 4Demo & wall changes1–2 weeks
Selective demo, new door opening, framing changes.
- 5MEP rough1–2 weeks
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC rough.
- 6Drywall & finishes2–3 weeks
Drywall, paint, flooring, cabinetry.
- 7Kitchen & fixtures install1 week
Efficiency kitchen, plumbing fixtures, appliances.
- 8Final inspection & handoff3–5 days
Building final, punch list, warranty.
What it costs in LA, Orange & Ventura Counties.
Preliminary planning ranges vary by jurisdiction, site conditions, design, utilities, and finish level. A written proposal follows feasibility and design.
Bedroom or study converted with efficiency kitchen and private entry.
Full private bath plus efficiency kitchen — the higher-rent config.
One JADU inside the house plus a garage-conversion ADU on the same permit set.
Filed, corrected, inspected — by us.
We submit to LADBS, LA County DPW, and every OC and Ventura jurisdiction weekly. You never touch a portal, sit on hold, or drive to a counter.
- JADU permit
- Building permit for exterior entry
- Plumbing permit (if private bath / kitchen)
- Electrical permit
- Mechanical / ventilation permit
- Sound insulation compliance
- Deed restriction filing (state JADU requirement)
- Final building inspection
What this scope typically looks like.
Representative planning images of the kind of build described above.
Answers we give on most first calls.
Still have questions? Call (877) 544-1543 or request a callback — a HomeAdd project advisor will walk your address on Google Earth with you on the phone.
What's the difference between an ADU and a JADU?+
A JADU is built inside the walls of your existing home, capped at 500 sq ft, with an efficiency kitchen. A full ADU is a separate unit (attached or detached) up to 1,200 sq ft with a full kitchen. JADUs are faster, cheaper, and often exempt from impact fees.
Can I have both a JADU and an ADU?+
Yes — California law allows one JADU plus one ADU per single-family lot. It's the fastest way to legally add two rental units.
Does a JADU need its own bathroom?+
No — JADUs can share a bath with the main house. That said, JADUs with a private bath rent for meaningfully more and appraise better.
What's the owner-occupancy rule?+
Under state law, JADUs require owner-occupancy of either the main house or the JADU. This is stricter than the current ADU rule. We record the deed restriction as part of permit issuance.
How much rent can I expect?+
In the SFV, JADUs typically rent $1,600–$2,400/month depending on size and whether the bath is private. Lower than a full ADU but with far lower construction cost.
Do I lose a bedroom count?+
Only in the sense that the room is now the JADU. Many clients convert a rarely-used guest room or downstairs office. Appraisers count the JADU as its own unit, which typically offsets any bedroom count loss.
Other ADU options for your lot.
Ready to plan your junior adu (jadu)?
We'll walk your property, pull the zoning, and give you a real budget and timeline — before you spend a dollar on design.