A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in Koreatown, CA
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a second, fully independent home built on a lot you already own, and in Koreatown that usually means converting a detached garage, finishing a basement, or adding a compact second story behind an existing courtyard building. Koreatown is one of the densest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, full of 1920s and 1930s apartment buildings, duplexes, and small courtyard complexes, so nearly every project here is about maximizing a tight footprint while navigating strict zoning and historic preservation rules. That’s exactly the kind of work Lodgewick ADU Los Angeles does every week. If you’re wondering whether your Koreatown lot can support an ADU, call (213) 698-7116 and we’ll walk you through what’s realistic.
Why Koreatown Homes Are Different
Koreatown’s housing stock doesn’t look like the rest of Los Angeles. Most of the neighborhood was built between 1920 and 1940, and the typical property is a stucco apartment building or duplex wrapped around a central courtyard, with a detached garage at the back of the lot and sometimes a basement that was never finished. Those old garages are often the single best ADU opportunity in Koreatown, but they come with a catch many homeowners don’t discover until the permit stage: a lot of them were built with unreinforced masonry or simple wood framing that needs seismic retrofitting before any conversion work can start. That’s a real cost, and it’s one we flag in writing during the estimate so it doesn’t surprise you later.
The climate works in your favor here. Koreatown has a mild Mediterranean pattern, warm and dry in summer, mild and wet in winter. ADUs in Koreatown rarely need heavy HVAC systems because the heating and cooling loads are modest, which keeps mechanical costs down. The bigger concern is water. These older foundations and flat-roofed garages have been absorbing winter rain for close to a century, so waterproofing and drainage details matter more here than in newer parts of the city. We plan for that from the first site visit.
Koreatown’s density also shapes what’s actually permitted. Many properties sit in historic preservation overlay zones, which means the city reviews exterior changes carefully, and lot coverage rules are tighter than in single-family suburbs. In practice, garage conversions and basement ADUs tend to be the most viable path to rentable square footage here, because they use space that already exists instead of adding a new footprint to an already tight lot. Our team knows which Koreatown blocks trigger preservation review and which ones don’t, and we factor that into every written price.
Our Main Koreatown Services
Koreatown homeowners most often call us about two things: adding living space to an existing structure, or turning an underused garage or basement into a legal, rentable ADU. Each service has its own Koreatown page with full pricing and project details.
Home Addition Contractor in Koreatown
Adding square footage in Koreatown means working with old buildings, tight setbacks, and, in many cases, a preservation review that dictates what the addition can look like from the street. A home addition here usually involves extending a ground-floor unit into courtyard space, building a second story over an existing duplex, or finishing a basement into livable rooms. Before we write a price, we check the foundation condition, the existing framing, and the zoning envelope, because those three factors drive cost more than anything else in this neighborhood. See Home Addition Contractor in Koreatown for typical ranges and timelines.
Garage Conversion Contractor in Koreatown
A garage conversion is often the fastest, most cost-effective way to add a legal ADU in Koreatown, because the structure already exists and you’re not expanding the building’s footprint. The catch is that many Koreatown garages were built decades before current seismic codes, so the job frequently starts with retrofitting the masonry or wood frame, then moves into insulation, electrical, plumbing, and a new foundation pour where the garage door used to be. Those steps are all included in our written price, with no change orders at the door. Full details are on the Garage Conversion Contractor in Koreatown page.
ADU Builders in Koreatown
Some Koreatown lots can support a detached ADU, and in those cases we help you choose between a site-built structure and a prefab unit from a manufacturer we know well, then handle the foundation, utilities, and finishing work. Detached ADUs on Koreatown’s small lots usually mean a compact one-bedroom footprint, and we work through the setback and height rules early so the design fits the lot on paper before any money is spent on construction. Our Koreatown ADU team covers everything from the first lot feasibility check through final inspection. See ADU Builders in Koreatown for pricing and options.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Koreatown
We build with and service prefab ADU systems from Abodu, Cover, and Dvele, matching the right manufacturer to your Koreatown lot, budget, and timeline. Because units are ordered before framing begins, we can usually give you a firm delivery window at the contract stage. More detail is on our brands page.
Pricing for ADU Company in Koreatown, CA
| Service | Typical range in Koreatown |
|---|---|
| Garage conversion (attached, minor) | $70,000 – $105,000 |
| Garage conversion (detached, with seismic retrofit) | $115,000 – $185,000 |
| Basement ADU finish-out | $95,000 – $160,000 |
| Detached one-bedroom ADU (site-built) | $180,000 – $275,000 |
| Detached one-bedroom ADU (prefab, including site work) | $155,000 – $240,000 |
| Home addition, ground-floor extension | $90,000 – $210,000 |
| Home addition, second-story over existing structure | $210,000 – $390,000 |
| Seismic retrofit only (pre-conversion) | $12,000 – $35,000 |
| Foundation replacement under existing garage | $18,000 – $42,000 |
| Permit set and architectural drawings | $6,500 – $18,000 |
What pushes a Koreatown job toward the high end is usually the condition of the existing structure, an unreinforced masonry garage that needs full seismic retrofit, or a preservation review that requires custom exterior detailing. The opposite is also true: a garage in good shape on a clear-title lot can land near the bottom of these ranges. Either way, you get a written price before any work starts, and that number doesn’t change at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Koreatown
We work across Koreatown from the Wilshire corridor up to Beverly Boulevard and from Vermont Avenue west toward Western. Crews are typically able to reach most Koreatown addresses within about 30 to 45 minutes for site visits and active job check-ins.
- Wilshire Park
- Hobart Boulevard corridor
- Oxford Square
- Country Club Park (southern edge)
- Little Bangladesh (eastern Koreatown)
Service Area – Cities Near Koreatown
Our Koreatown crews also take on ADU, garage conversion, and home addition work in surrounding communities. If your property is just outside the neighborhood, we serve Los Angeles, CA, Culver City, CA, West Los Angeles, CA, and Santa Monica, CA. Scheduling is coordinated through our Los Angeles office, and the same written-price guarantee applies everywhere we work.
Serving Koreatown, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Koreatown area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Company in Koreatown
Most estimates in Koreatown are scheduled within a few business days of your call, and our crews reach most addresses in the neighborhood within 30 to 45 minutes for site visits and ongoing check-ins. Call (213) 698-7116 and a live person will set a specific window for the visit.
Many do. Koreatown has several historic preservation overlay zones, mostly concentrated around Wilshire and the older courtyard districts, and if your property falls inside one, the city will review exterior changes before issuing permits. We check this early and include any required review time in your written timeline.
Yes. A large share of Koreatown garages built before 1940 were constructed with unreinforced masonry or light wood framing that doesn’t meet current seismic standards, so retrofitting is often the first step of a conversion. We bundle the retrofit into one written price with the conversion itself, so you’re not dealing with two contractors and two change-order risks.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local adu pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Koreatown Customers Say
"A whole backyard ADU from scratch. Terrified me going in, but they kept me updated weekly and there were no nasty surprises. Quality work and a fair price."
- Noreen Fletcher"Good builders and a good result. Communication went quiet for a week during inspections and I had to chase them, which was the one frustration. Once rolling they were great."
- Hank Ocampo"Added a bedroom and bath for our growing family. Honest from day one about what was possible and what it would cost. Showed up when they said and the work has held up great."
- Troy Benavidez
