ADU Construction in Woodland Hills
ADUs in Woodland Hills drawn with the lot's existing buildings documented for LADBS, so plan check sees the older house, the garage and the unit clearly.
Plan check for a Woodland Hills ADU begins with the lot as it stands today. LADBS wants every existing building on the site plan with its permitted use: the older main house, any detached garage, a shed or a covered patio. If the record and the ground disagree, the reviewer asks about it. We measure each structure, compare it with the permit history, and draw the new unit into that picture so review starts from an accurate lot.
Permit history and what the record shows
We pull the permit record for the address before drawing. It lists what was approved on the lot, and we compare it with what we measure. A garage converted long ago or a room added without a permit can surface here. State law limits how far an ADU approval can hinge on older nonconforming zoning conditions, though a safety hazard the reviewer finds still has to be fixed, so we document what exists and keep any required change to the main house small.
Drawing the older house accurately
The main house is drawn with its real footprint, roof edges and window openings on the side facing the unit. Those openings matter because the gap between buildings sets whether the ADU wall needs a fire rating. Drawing them right also lets us place the unit so it leaves the main house's light and its original windows alone. We record the trim, siding and roof pitch while measuring, since the same notes later guide the unit's exterior. A careful drawing of the house also speeds answers when plan check sends corrections.
About our ADU Construction serviceEverything we do in Woodland Hills
ADU Construction in Woodland Hills: common questions
The utility plan sits on the same sheets the reviewer reads. We check the main panel and service drop for capacity, film the sewer lateral, and read the water meter size, then show the LADWP service point and each new route. When the panel cannot carry both buildings, the drawings show either an upgrade or a second meter.
Yes, when the shell can meet dwelling standards, and the permit record matters here too. If the garage was permitted as a garage, the conversion changes its use and goes through review like a new unit. We check its slab, framing, anchor bolts and roof, and a sound shell becomes the body of the ADU.
We measure the main house while documenting the lot, so the same notes serve both jobs. The unit repeats the house's roof form, siding type and window shapes at a smaller scale, with trim and color taken from the original. From the street, the ADU should read as part of the same property.
ADU Construction in other cities
Other work we do in Woodland Hills
Talk to us about your house in Woodland Hills
Send the details and we will set up a walk-through and a written scope.