A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in Santa Monica, CA
Adding an ADU in Santa Monica usually means either converting a 1920s alley garage or building new behind a Spanish Colonial or Craftsman home, and the city’s design review process is stricter here than almost anywhere else in Los Angeles County. The coastal climate changes what materials make sense, the narrow lots change what fits, and the rent-control market changes why so many homeowners build in the first place. At Lodgewick ADU Builders, we handle every part of that puzzle under The Kingswell Guarantee: a written price before work begins, a defined arrival window, a clean job site, and a written guarantee on every project. Call (213) 698-7116 to talk through your lot with a real person, any hour.
Why Santa Monica Homes Are Different
Santa Monica’s housing stock skews heavily toward single-family homes built between 1920 and 1945, and most of them sit on 50-foot-wide lots with detached garages opening onto alleys. That footprint sounds simple until you consider the city’s setback rules, preservation overlays in neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Ocean Park, and the coastal zone review that applies to a large share of the city. A garage conversion that sails through permitting in another city can get flagged here for a roofline that doesn’t match the original house or a window placement that’s out of character with the block. The city wants ADUs that respect the low-rise, Spanish and Craftsman character of the surrounding street, and design review means the plans matter as much as the framing.
The marine layer is another quiet factor. Santa Monica gets morning fog for much of the year, which means exterior metal flashing, fasteners, and hardware corrode faster than homeowners expect. We specify corrosion-resistant materials on every Santa Monica build because something as small as the wrong screws on a roof flashing can fail in five years this close to the salt air. And because most of these homes predate modern building codes, we check for knob-and-tube wiring and shallow garage foundations before quoting a conversion. A 1920s garage slab often wasn’t engineered for living space, and knowing that before we price the job keeps the number we write down from changing later.
Our Main Santa Monica Services
The three calls we get most from Santa Monica homeowners are garage conversions, new detached ADUs, and additions to the main house. Each has its own permitting path and its own quirks in this city, so we’ve given each one its own page with local pricing and specifics.
Home Addition Contractor in Santa Monica
A Santa Monica addition almost always has to work within a tighter building envelope than homeowners expect, thanks to floor-area-ratio limits and the city’s design standards for older neighborhoods. We’ve added bedrooms, family rooms, and primary suites to Spanish Colonial and Craftsman homes across the city, matching rooflines and window proportions so the addition reads as part of the original house, not a box bolted to the back. Russ Delmar leads every estimate in person so the number you get reflects your actual lot conditions, setback realities, and foundation condition. Home Addition Contractor in Santa Monica
Garage Conversion Contractor in Santa Monica
Garage conversions are the most common ADU type in Santa Monica because so many homes already have a detached garage on the alley. The catch is that most of those garages were built in the 1920s or 1930s with a slab that was never meant to hold a living space, and many still have unpermitted electrical from decades ago. We inspect for knob-and-tube wiring and check the foundation before we write a price, so you don’t get a change order two weeks into the job. Garage Conversion Contractor in Santa Monica
ADU Builders in Santa Monica
Santa Monica’s rent-control market makes a detached ADU a genuine income asset, and high land values mean building on your existing lot is usually far cheaper than buying a second property. The trade-off is the city’s design review process, which favors units that fit the street’s architectural rhythm. We work within those constraints every day and know what gets approved in neighborhoods like Sunset Park versus what stalls in review. ADU Builders in Santa Monica
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 Santa Monica
We work hands-on with prefab manufacturers including Abodu, Cover, and Dvele, and we stock common parts locally so warranty work doesn’t stall waiting on a shipment. That matters in Santa Monica, where coastal moisture shortens the life of cheaper hardware. See our brands for the full range we service and install.
Pricing for ADU Company in Santa Monica, CA
These ranges reflect what we see on Santa Monica jobs, including local permit fees along with design review for protected neighborhoods. Your written quote comes before any work starts, and the number doesn’t change unless you change the scope.
| Service | Typical range in Santa Monica |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (new build, prefab) | $180,000 – $310,000 |
| Detached ADU (new build, site-built) | $220,000 – $380,000 |
| Garage conversion (400 sq ft) | $95,000 – $165,000 |
| Garage conversion (600 sq ft) | $145,000 – $245,000 |
| Attached JADU conversion | $75,000 – $130,000 |
| Home addition (400 sq ft) | $130,000 – $220,000 |
| Foundation work (garage conversion prep) | $8,000 – $24,000 |
| Electrical upgrade (old panel, knob-and-tube) | $4,500 – $13,000 |
| Coastal-zone permit support | $3,000 – $9,000 |
What pushes price up in Santa Monica is site access on narrow alleys, foundation upgrades on pre-1940 garages, and any required design review revisions. What doesn’t push it up is surprises: the written price you get from Lodgewick is the price you pay unless you ask to change the scope.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Santa Monica
We work across the full city of Santa Monica, from the alley-loaded blocks of Sunset Park to the hillside streets near the northern boundary. Each neighborhood has its own rhythm for permitting and its own mix of house styles, and we schedule crews accordingly.
- Sunset Park
- Ocean Park
- Mid-City
- Pico District
- Wilshire-Montana
Most Santa Monica projects are scheduled within a week of the estimate, with a defined arrival window on the day of work.
Service Area – Cities Near Santa Monica
We serve Venice, CA and Culver City, CA to the south and east, along with Manhattan Beach, CA and Lawndale, CA further down the coast and inland. Each city has its own permitting quirks, and we know them all well enough to price accurately the first time.
Serving Santa Monica, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica
Most Santa Monica projects begin within one to two weeks of a signed contract, after we pull permits and lock your materials order. Design review in protected neighborhoods can extend the timeline on the city’s end. Call (213) 698-7116 for a specific start window on your lot.
Yes. We prepare plans that anticipate Santa Monica’s design standards, submit on your behalf, and manage revisions if the city asks for changes. The permit line item in your quote covers this work, and we don’t bill extra for routine back-and-forth.
It can. Coastal zone projects sometimes require additional review, and corrosion-resistant materials are standard on our Santa Monica builds regardless of zone. Those materials are already priced into our quotes, so the written number accounts for coastal conditions from day one.
Call (213) 698-7116 to schedule your free estimate, or reach out for a straight answer about your Santa Monica lot. A live person answers, day or night.
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 Santa Monica Customers Say
"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"Converted our garage into a rental studio. The crew was respectful of the neighbors and kept the site clean. It's bringing in rent now and paid for itself faster than I expected."
- Grace Yoon
