Meet the Irvine Team Behind Ellery ADU Studio Irvine
Every ADU we’ve drawn, permitted, and built in Irvine since 2015 started with this crew walking the property first. We’re not a sales team that hands off to subcontractors you’ve never met. Nadia Ellery, our owner, built this studio on the idea that the people who measure your garage slab should be the same people who sign off on the final inspection photo record. That continuity is what keeps our permit approval rate high and our change orders near zero.
Our People
Nadia Ellery, Owner & Lead Designer
I started Ellery ADU Studio in 2015 after spending six years watching design firms and builders blame each other when projects went sideways. I hold a California contractor’s license and spent my early career on commercial tenant improvement sites in Costa Mesa, which taught me that the permit set either predicts every problem or it doesn’t, and there’s no middle ground. I still walk every initial site visit in Irvine myself, because I’ve learned that a 6-inch grade change in Turtle Rock reads differently on paper than under your boots. I grow zucchini in my backyard in Northwood and I am perpetually trying to give it away to clients during framing walkthroughs. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, I personally sign the written price on every contract before any work starts.
Marcus T., Lead Technician & Permit Coordinator
Marcus has been with us since 2018 and manages our relationship with Irvine’s Community Development Department, which means he knows the difference between how the city interprets setback rules in Orchard Hills versus Woodbridge. He’s certified in Title 24 energy compliance documentation and handles our HERS rater coordination on every project. Before joining us, he spent four years as a plan checker for a structural engineering firm in Tustin, so he reads comment letters the way some people read horoscopes, with deep skepticism and occasional vindication. He keeps a spreadsheet of every city’s average plan check turnaround time, updated weekly, and he will mention it unprompted if you ask about scheduling.
Dana L., Senior Installer & Site Supervisor
Dana runs our field crews on garage conversions and new detached ADUs across Irvine, from the flat lots in Westpark to the steeper grades in Shady Canyon. She’s a licensed C-10 electrical contractor and does our rough electrical inspections personally rather than subbing them out, which saves most clients a week on the schedule. She started in residential framing in Lake Forest in 2012 and joined us in 2019 after running her own small remodeling crew. She has a photographic memory for slab conditions and once identified a gas line location from a 1987 aerial photo she found on the city’s GIS portal. She also makes the crew stop for proper lunch breaks, which she considers a safety issue, not a suggestion.
Raj P., Service Coordinator & Client Liaison
Raj is the voice you’ll hear when you call (657) 233-9738, and he’s the reason a live person answers 24/7, not a voicemail queue. He schedules our site visits, tracks permit status across Orange County’s multiple portals, and sends clients the documented photo record after every visit. He holds a certification in project management from Cal State Fullerton and previously coordinated logistics for a commercial concrete supplier, which explains why he can tell you the exact lead time on a 30-yard ready-mix pour in Irvine on any given Tuesday. He plays cricket on weekends with a team in Great Park and he will remember your dog’s name from the first site walk.
Jordan K., Apprentice Installer & Prefab Specialist
Jordan joined us in 2022 after completing the construction technology program at Irvine Valley College, and they’ve become our in-house expert on prefab and modular system integration. They handle the initial coordination with Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, Tuff Shed, and James Hardie, translating manufacturer specs into our permit sets so nothing arrives on site that doesn’t match the approved drawings. Jordan grew up in Northwood Point and still lives two miles from their parents, which means they have strong opinions about parking regulations in Irvine’s older neighborhoods. They’re working toward their contractor’s license and currently manage our utility rough-in documentation on junior ADU conversions.
One Standard, Every Job
The Haven Standard isn’t a poster on the wall here. It’s the checklist we run on every job, whether we’re converting a garage in Woodbridge or building a new detached unit in Portola Springs. Clause 1 means Nadia signs the written price before we break ground. Clause 5 means the scope is locked at signing, no door-side upsells. Every visit produces a documented photo record that goes straight to the client, not a summary of how it felt. And our 365-Day Done Right Promise means if the finished ADU doesn’t match the permitted drawings, we make it right, in writing, before the project starts. That’s the standard whether you’ve worked with us since 2015 or you’re calling for your free second opinion today.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Irvine, serving Irvine since 2015.