Frequently Asked Questions

From signed contract to certificate of occupancy, most Irvine ADUs take 12-18 months. Design and permitting consume 4-7 months, construction another 8-11 months. The Irvine Planning Department's ADU track is more predictable than Santa Ana's or Anaheim's, but fire department review can add 3-4 weeks if your lot is in a wildland-urban interface zone near Laguna Canyon. We give you a real schedule with named milestones, not a sales estimate.

Irvine accepts ADU applications through the Orange County One-Stop Portal, with initial plan check typically completed in 8-12 weeks. The city requires a site plan, floor plans, elevations, structural calculations, Title 24 energy compliance, and a landscape plan if you're disturbing more than 2,500 square feet. We handle the entire submittal as part of our design-build contract. The permit set we produce is the same set we build from, so there's no handoff gap between designer and builder.

No. Ellery ADU Studio is a design-build studio, meaning the architectural drawings, structural engineering, and construction contract come from one source. The ADU projects that fail are almost always the ones where the architect and contractor can each blame the other for a mismatch between drawing and field condition. Since 2015, we've kept design and build under one roof and one written price.

We visit your property, measure setbacks and utilities, run a preliminary title check, and produce a written feasibility report with three elements: what you can legally build, what it will cost, and what the schedule looks like. The report takes 5-7 business days and costs nothing. If you move forward, that feasibility becomes the foundation of your permit set. If you don't, you keep the report. Call (657) 233-9738 to schedule.

Usually yes, though construction access and noise ordinances apply. In Irvine's older neighborhoods like University Park and El Camino Real, narrow side yards sometimes require us to stage materials in the driveway, which means coordinating parking. We specify all access requirements in the written contract, including work hours (typically 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays per Irvine noise code). Haven Standard Clause 2 requires we give you a real window and text when the crew is en route.

We specify James Hardie fiber-cement siding on most of our Irvine ADUs. It handles the combination of intense UV, occasional Santa Ana wind, and marine layer moisture better than vinyl or wood composites in this climate. For roofs, we use standing-seam metal or cool-roof shingles rated for Title 24 compliance. Every material choice is documented in your contract with manufacturer warranty terms, not just our installation warranty.

We have installed units from Abodu and Dvele on Irvine lots where the site conditions matched their module dimensions and crane access requirements. Prefab can compress the construction schedule by 2-3 months, but the savings disappear if you need extensive site grading or utility extensions. We evaluate prefab versus stick-built during feasibility and recommend whichever delivers the documented outcome at the lower total project cost. Cover's system is intriguing for tight urban lots, though we haven't yet installed one in Orange County.

We specify mini-split heat pumps on nearly every Irvine ADU. They're efficient for the mild climate, don't require ductwork that eats into headroom, and qualify for SCE rebates. In larger detached units over 800 square feet, we sometimes add a small energy-recovery ventilator for air quality. The exact load calculation comes from your Title 24 report, not a rule of thumb.

Every professional working under our name in Orange County is required to hold the California contractor license and insurance that state law requires. We don't make first-person warranty claims about our crews' employment status or background checks; we document that each trade carries current workers' compensation and general liability, and we list license numbers in your contract. Haven Standard Clause 3 is "Verified crews," and the verification is available for your review.

We pull all permits as the contractor of record. The permit is in our name, which means we're responsible for passing inspection. In Irvine, that includes planning review, building inspection, fire sprinkler inspection if applicable, and final utility connection sign-off. You receive copies of every approved inspection card and the final certificate of occupancy. This is standard for us; it should be standard for any ADU builder you consider.

Notify your homeowner's insurer that you're adding an ADU; most policies require endorsement for "residence under construction." Our general liability and builder's risk coverage protects against construction defects and jobsite injury, but it doesn't replace your own policy. We provide a certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured before work begins. If your current agent is unfamiliar with ADU projects, we can describe the coverage you'll need to request.

True emergencies are limited: active water intrusion from a failed roof or plumbing connection, electrical hazard from exposed wiring, or structural compromise from foundation failure or wind damage. These are rare in new ADU construction but can occur in garage conversions where existing conditions were concealed. If you're experiencing any of these, call (657) 233-9738; our phone is answered 24/7 and a coordinator will connect you with the local team. We do not treat scheduling questions or permit delays as emergencies.

We can pause work and secure the site, but the contract governs what happens to payments already made. Haven Standard Clause 1 requires a written price before we start, and part of that written agreement is a payment schedule tied to completed milestones, not calendar dates. If you need to pause, we document the condition of the work and store materials safely. We've done this for Irvine clients who faced unexpected medical expenses or job changes. The key is communication, not avoidance.

Call (657) 233-9738. A live coordinator answers around the clock and will route your concern to the project manager or, if warranted, to Nadia Ellery directly. For non-urgent items, we prefer a text or email with photos, which creates the documented record Haven Standard Clause 4 requires. Either way, you'll get a response with a specific next step, not a voicemail black hole.

Our workmanship warranty covers defects in installation for one year from certificate of occupancy. Manufacturer warranties run longer: James Hardie siding carries a 30-year limited warranty, most mini-split systems carry 10-12 years on the compressor. The distinction matters. If your Hardie siding fails because we installed it wrong, that's on us. If the factory pigment fades prematurely, that's a manufacturer claim we help you file. Everything is specified in writing before we start, under Haven Standard Clause 1.

Haven Standard Clause 5 prohibits scope creep, door upsells, and "while we're in here" additions without your written approval and a written change order with price. If we open a wall and find termite damage, we stop, photograph it, and present you with a fix and a price before continuing. We don't proceed on verbal okay and bill you later. The only surprises in our ADU projects are the ones we find and document, not the ones we create.

Yes. We maintain a documented record of every job since 2015, including photos, permit numbers, and final inspection dates. For Irvine specifically, we can show you completed projects in Northwood, Woodbridge, Turtle Rock, and Orchard Hills, with owner permission. We don't publish addresses online, but we'll arrange a site visit or video walkthrough during your feasibility meeting. Our promise is 900+ ADUs designed, permitted, and built, every one with a written price before we started and a documented record when we left.

Change orders happen, but they're not casual. Any modification to the written scope requires a signed change order with price and schedule impact before the work proceeds. In Irvine, changes that affect setbacks or lot coverage may also require a revised planning approval, which can add 4-6 weeks. We flag this during design so you're not tempted by mid-project "improvements" that derail the timeline. The flat price in your contract is a mutual commitment.

Call (657) 233-9738 or text to schedule a free feasibility visit. Nadia Ellery or a member of the local team will walk your property, answer specific questions about your lot and goals, and deliver a written feasibility report within a week. There's no deposit, no commitment, and no pressure. We've found that homeowners who've done their research, read our three-star reviews, and want the price on the page before they commit are the ones we work with best.

Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Irvine, serving Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Santa Ana, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Orange, Laguna Beach, Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Huntington Beach since 2015.