ADU Construction in Arcadia
Arcadia ADUs planned from the first tape measure on the lot: depth, side yard, soil, sewer lateral and panel, with a design drawn from the older house.
Before any sketch, a measuring tape crosses an Arcadia backyard from the main house's rear wall to the back property line. That distance, less the rear setback and a sensible gap from the house, tells us how deep a detached unit can be. Next comes the side yard, which sets the width and the way materials get in. Only then do we turn to the older house itself: its panel, its sewer cleanout and the rooflines the unit should echo.
Probing below the surface
After the tape measure come a probe and a camera. We push a soil probe where footings would go to look for loose fill or soft ground, and we run a camera down the sewer lateral from its cleanout to see whether it is clay, cast iron or plastic, and whether roots have opened the joints. A cracked lateral under a new slab is far harder to reach later. The main panel cover comes off too, so we can note its amp rating and any old fuse circuits, since that rating sets how much of the service the unit can borrow.
Drawing the unit for the city's review
The city's building department reviews the drawings against state ADU rules and its own standards for height, setbacks and design. We draw the unit with the roof pitch, siding and window shapes of the older main house, so the reviewer has a clear reference to compare. Original trim on the house is left alone, and any wall opened for new wiring is closed with plaster patched to match. The plans package is quoted on its own, and construction follows in a separate written scope once the permit is issued.
About our ADU Construction serviceEverything we do in Arcadia
ADU Construction in Arcadia: common questions
Through the same panel, water service and sewer lateral that serve the house, if they can take the load. We size each one with the unit's fixtures and appliances added. Where the house has a small panel, galvanized supply pipe or a tired clay lateral, the scope lists the upgrade and where it falls in the order of work.
If the shell is solid, conversion is a good option and keeps the existing footprint without new setback questions. We check the slab for thickness and cracks, look for real footings under the walls, and inspect the roof framing for sag. A garage that fails those checks is better replaced with a new unit on a proper foundation.
Take the house's best lines and repeat them smaller. That means the same roof slope and eave reach, siding with a matching reveal, windows of the same shape and trim as wide as the original casing. Colors are lifted from the main house, so the unit looks like part of the property from the day it is finished.
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Other work we do in Arcadia
Talk to us about your house in Arcadia
Send the details and we will set up a walk-through and a written scope.