A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in San Diego, CA
An ADU in San Diego is a second, smaller home on your existing lot – and in this city, that build usually means working with canyon edges, steep lots, and housing stock that predates modern planning rules. We’re Lodgewick ADU Builders, part of the Kingswell family of home-service companies, led by Russ Delmar. We specialize in accessory dwelling units, garage conversions, and home additions across San Diego, with every job backed by our written 365-Day Done Right Promise. Call (619) 376-2760 for a free estimate and a written price before anything gets built.
Why San Diego Homes Are Different
San Diego’s single-family neighborhoods were largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, and most homes sit on 5,000 to 7,000 square foot lots with modest rear yards. The majority are wood-frame on concrete slabs or raised foundations, finished in stucco or wood siding. That older stock is one reason so many San Diego homeowners look at their backyards and see a sensible place for an ADU. But the work changes once you get into hillside areas like Clairemont, La Jolla, and Point Loma, where topography dictates foundation design and often calls for retaining walls.
The city’s 2020 bonus ADU program and relaxed coastal height limits made San Diego one of the more permissive large cities in California for accessory units. What that means in practice: more homeowners can legally add a unit than they assume. At the same time, chaparral canyons put parts of the city inside the urban-wildland interface, so some ADUs must meet defensible space and fire-resistant construction codes. And in older neighborhoods like North Park and Normal Heights, we regularly open up a garage and find decades-old conversions done without permits. Untangling that legacy work is part of the job before new construction can begin.
Our Main San Diego Services
Most San Diego homeowners call us about one of three projects: adding square footage to the main house, converting an existing garage, or building a detached ADU in the rear yard. Each has its own page on this site because each comes with different local conditions, permitting paths, and price structures.
Home Addition Contractor in San Diego
A home addition in San Diego often means extending into a rear yard that slopes toward a canyon, which changes foundation and drainage requirements from the first drawing. On standard flat lots, additions move faster; on hillside lots in Point Loma or Clairemont, we plan for retaining walls and engineered footings from day one. Every addition starts with a written scope and a written price, and crews arrive in a defined window with the job site kept clean each day. Learn more on our Home Addition Contractor in San Diego page.
Garage Conversion Contractor in San Diego
Garage conversions in San Diego are popular because the structure already exists – you’re not paying for new walls and a roof, you’re paying to make the space livable. The catch is that many San Diego garages, especially in North Park and Normal Heights, were partially converted without permits years ago. We address that legacy work first, then handle insulation, electrical, plumbing, and the finished unit. The result is an attached or detached ADU with its own entrance and address. Details are on our Garage Conversion Contractor in San Diego page.
ADU Builders in San Diego
Detached ADUs in San Diego range from backyard cottages to factory-built units from brands like Abodu and Plant Prefab. Your lot shape, access width, and slope determine which approach costs less and fits better. We handle site prep, foundation, utilities, and finishing, and we coordinate with the manufacturer when a prefab unit makes sense. Every ADU we build in San Diego carries our written 365-Day Done Right Promise. See the full scope on our ADU Builders in San Diego page.
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 San Diego
We work hands-on with established ADU and materials brands including Plant Prefab, Tuff Shed, James Hardie, and Abodu. Siding and finish materials are matched to San Diego’s climate and, where needed, to fire-resistant code requirements. Parts and panel orders move quickly through local suppliers, so brand-specific repairs don’t stall a job. See our brands for the full list.
Pricing for ADU Company in San Diego, CA
| Service | Typical range in San Diego |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (full build) | $180,000 – $420,000 |
| Detached ADU (prefab, site prep and finish) | $90,000 – $180,000 |
| Garage conversion (attached, finished) | $80,000 – $150,000 |
| Garage conversion (detached, finished) | $110,000 – $190,000 |
| Home addition (ground-level, basic) | $150 – $350 per sq ft |
| Home addition (second-story, complex) | $350 – $600 per sq ft |
| Foundation and retaining wall work (hillside lots) | $20,000 – $70,000+ |
| Permit and plan set (minor projects) | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Permit and plan set (full ADU build) | $15,000 – $45,000 |
| Legacy unpermitted work remediation | $10,000 – $40,000 |
Prices in San Diego climb when the lot slopes, access is tight, or old unpermitted work needs to be corrected before anything new goes in. Hillside foundations and fire-resistant siding add cost that flat-lot builds don’t carry. Whatever the number turns out to be, you’ll see it in writing before we start – no price changes at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in San Diego
We serve the full San Diego metro area, from the coastal mesas to the inland valleys. Response times for estimates are typically within a few business days across the city, and our crews schedule around your street’s access constraints – a real factor in canyon and hillside neighborhoods.
- Clairemont
- North Park
- Point Loma
- La Jolla
- Normal Heights
Service Area – Cities Near San Diego
While this page covers San Diego proper, our crews also take on ADU and addition work in nearby cities. Homeowners in Coronado, CA, National City, CA, Chula Vista, CA, and Lemon Grove, CA can reach the same San Diego office at (619) 376-2760 for scheduling and estimates.
Serving San Diego, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Diego 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 San Diego
Most San Diego ADU projects move from signed agreement to plan submission within a few weeks. City plan check and permit timelines vary by project type and neighborhood, but we handle the submittal and corrections. Call (619) 376-2760 and we’ll give you a realistic schedule for your specific lot.
Yes. We prepare plans, submit for city permits, and coordinate HOA review where one applies. Some San Diego HOAs have their own ADU rules on top of city code, and we address those early so they don’t surprise you mid-project.
We inspect what’s there, document it, and bring the space to current code before we start new construction. This is common in older San Diego neighborhoods, and we fold the remediation into one written scope and price rather than treating it as a change order. Call (619) 376-2760 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 San Diego Customers Say
"Detached unit in the backyard for rental income. They handled design and permits and gave me a real schedule. Came in close to on time and exactly on the written price."
- Benjamin Stahl"Built a backyard unit for my mother in law. They handled the permits, gave me a real timeline, and stuck to it within a few days. The written price is what we paid, which anyone who's done construction knows is rare."
- Dennis Fairchild"Quality work on a home addition. It did run a few weeks longer than the original estimate, mostly waiting on the city for inspections, which they explained. The build itself was done right."
- Marcus Delgado
