A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in Sherman Oaks, CA
Most ADU projects in Sherman Oaks fall between $180,000 and $320,000 for a detached unit before site work, depending on size, slope, and the product line you choose. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of 1940s and 1950s single-story ranch homes on generous lots, which means many backyards can legally fit an 800 to 1,200 square foot ADU without a variance. The catch is usually the hillside: once you’re north of Ventura Boulevard, grading and retaining get real. If you’re weighing an ADU, a garage conversion, or a room addition here, call (472) 248-8213 and we’ll walk you through what your specific lot can support.
Why Sherman Oaks Homes Are Different
Sherman Oaks sits on the valley floor of the San Fernando Valley, but its northern edge climbs quickly into the Santa Monica Mountains. That change in terrain splits ADU work here into two very different animals. South of Ventura Boulevard, you’re mostly dealing with flat, rectangular lots with straightforward access. North of Ventura, streets like Valley Vista, Mulholland, and the roads off Sepulveda Pass involve hillside grading, caisson footings, and retaining walls that add real cost before the first wall goes up.
The housing stock matters too. Most homes here are single-story ranch or traditional builds from the 1940s through the 1960s. That’s good news for ADU placement because a 16-foot height limit doesn’t fight a two-story neighbor’s privacy, but it also means older sewer laterals, cast-iron drain lines, and electrical panels that need upgrading before a new unit can tie in. LA’s Department of Building and Safety has specific ADU rules: a setback (the required gap between your new structure and the property line) of 4 feet for side and rear yards applies to most detached ADUs here, and we walk every Sherman Oaks homeowner through those numbers before anyone digs.
Our Main Sherman Oaks Services
Below are the three services Sherman Oaks homeowners call us about most. Each has its own page with deeper detail, including local permit realities and line-item pricing.
Home Addition Contractor in Sherman Oaks
A home addition in Sherman Oaks usually means expanding sideways into a side yard or pushing the back of the house out into the lot. Because so many homes here sit wide on their parcels, a side addition often works where a rear addition won’t. You’ll need to plan around a few things: the 4-foot side-yard setback, tree protection if you have mature oaks, and seismic tie-ins where the new foundation meets the old. We also see a lot of additions that are really about adding a master suite or a family room to a post-war ranch. See Home Addition Contractor in Sherman Oaks for a full walkthrough.
ADU Builders in Sherman Oaks
Detached ADUs are the most common project we price here, and Sherman Oaks lot sizes make them surprisingly feasible. A 750 to 1,000 square foot one-bedroom unit typically runs $180,000 to $320,000, plus site work if you’re on a hillside. Flat-lot builds in the neighborhoods south of Ventura move faster than hillside jobs off Mulholland. We also help homeowners compare what a prefab line like Dvele or Cover can deliver against a custom stick build, because the right answer depends on your lot, not a catalog. ADU Builders in Sherman Oaks has the full breakdown.
Room Addition Contractor in Sherman Oaks
Sometimes the goal is simpler: one more bedroom, a home office, or a den off the back of the house. Room additions in Sherman Oaks run smaller than ADUs and don’t carry the same kitchen or bathroom requirements, but they still trigger the same permit process and the same foundation, electrical, and roof tie-in work. If your home is one of the many ranch-style builds here, a rear addition can often be done without touching the front elevation at all. Room Addition Contractor in Sherman Oaks is the detailed page for this work.
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 Sherman Oaks
We work with several prefab and modular ADU lines, including Cover, Mighty Buildings, and Boxabl, plus James Hardie exterior systems. Parts ordering for these brands is coordinated through our Los Angeles office, which keeps lead times predictable for Sherman Oaks projects. See our brands for the full list of product lines and what each does well.
Pricing for ADU Company in Sherman Oaks, CA
| Service | Typical range in Sherman Oaks |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (750 – 1,000 sq ft) | $180,000 – $320,000 |
| Detached ADU, site work (grading, retaining, utility trenching) | $25,000 – $60,000 |
| Garage conversion to ADU | $120,000 – $190,000 |
| Prefab ADU (Cover, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl) with foundation and utility hookup | $190,000 – $280,000 |
| Home addition (400 – 600 sq ft) | $140,000 – $240,000 |
| Room addition (single room, 200 – 350 sq ft) | $80,000 – $140,000 |
| Foundation upgrade (caissons, hillside) | $20,000 – $50,000 |
| Electrical panel upgrade | $3,500 – $6,000 |
| Permit set and structural drawings | $8,000 – $15,000 |
What pushes price up in Sherman Oaks is almost always the lot itself: hillside grading, retaining wall work, and older sewer or electrical lines that need upgrading before the new structure can tie in. Every project we price here gets a written number before work starts, so the bid you see is the number you pay.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Sherman Oaks
We work across the full Sherman Oaks footprint, from the flats south of Ventura Boulevard up into the hills south of Mulholland. Here are some of the neighborhoods we’re in regularly:
- Ventura Boulevard corridor (south side)
- Chandler Estates
- Sherman Oaks Hills (south of Mulholland)
- Valley Glen border area near Burbank Boulevard
- Fashion Square district near Woodman Avenue
Response times for estimates across Sherman Oaks are generally within a few business days, depending on how many site visits are already booked that week.
Service Area – Cities Near Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks sits at the center of several communities we serve regularly. If you’re just over the border, we also work in Van Nuys, CA, Encino, CA, Studio City, CA, and Tarzana, CA. Each of those cities has its own page with local pricing and permit details.
Serving Sherman Oaks, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks
Plan on four to eight months for plan check and permits on a standard Sherman Oaks ADU, with hillside jobs sometimes taking longer. LA’s Department of Building and Safety handles permits for the whole city, and your project’s timeline depends on how complete the drawings are when they go in. That’s a big reason we handle the permit set as part of the bid. Call (472) 248-8213 and we’ll give you a realistic window for your exact lot.
Generally no. State law gives homeowners the right to build an ADU on a single-family lot, and HOAs can’t prohibit them outright. But an HOA can still enforce architectural review, placement restrictions, and design standards. We check HOA docs as part of every Sherman Oaks estimate, because a design conflict can add weeks to your schedule if it’s caught late.
The price you sign is the price you pay, unless you change the scope. Our written quote covers everything we can see and measure before work begins, and we flag unknowns like soil conditions or hidden sewer lines in writing before you commit. If something genuinely new comes up, we price it separately and get your approval first. No silent change orders, ever. Call (472) 248-8213 for a free estimate.
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 Sherman Oaks Customers Say
"Every crew member was vetted and carried a badge, which matters when they are around your family for months. Tidy site every day."
- Daniel F."Itemized estimate with allowances laid out. Final cost was within a hair of the quote."
- Naomi R."Backyard ADU for my mother. The project manager showed ID and walked me through the permit steps, the foundation plan, and the schedule. Moved her in on time."
- Margaret C.
