San Diego's Most Trusted ADU, Design & Permit Team — One Point of Contact, Start to Finish

Detached ADU

Detached ADUs

A standalone structure in the yard — most privacy, most rent, and the most involved permitting path.

Detached ADU

How it compares to the other two.

Carved out inside the existing house

Shares at least one wall with the main house.

Detached ADU

A standalone structure in the yard.

Plans that fit

What this looks like on paper.

A floor plan is not attached-only or detached-only — many layouts can be built either way, and which fits depends on your lot, not the drawing. A sample across our size range:

Home exterior & yard

Estate aerial view

Living room with fireplace

One we built

The same unit, front and back.

A detached ADU we designed, permitted and built in San Diego County — photographed from both sides so you can see the whole thing, not a flattering angle.

Front

Rear

Rules that apply.

Limits vary by jurisdiction. These are the levers that decide what fits on your lot — we confirm every one of them against your city before design starts.

  • Smallest a city may cap you at850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft with 2+ bedroomsGov. Code §66321
  • Height a city must allow16 ft, or 18 ft near a major transit stopGov. Code §66321
  • Allowed at 4 ft side and rear setbacksAt least 800 sq ftGov. Code §66321
  • KitchenFull and independent

These are California state minimums — the floor every city has to allow. Your jurisdiction may permit more, and applies its own setbacks, height and design rules on top. We confirm all of it against your address before design starts. See regulations by city. Statutes reviewed 4 August 2026.

Feasibility → design → permit → build — the same four steps as every project we run. See how the process works.

Start with a free consultation.

Under an hour, no pressure — we talk through what your lot allows and give you a ballpark for your property. No charge, and no obligation to go further.