Encino, CA
ADU Construction in Encino
Garage conversions, detached units and junior ADUs, planned around Encino hillside rules and built from permit to final inspection.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 60 Google reviews
Planning ADU construction in Encino starts with a map, not a floor plan. More than half of the Encino and Tarzana community plan area is hillside, and on those lots the hillside rules decide what you can build.
Get that step right and the rest of the project is ordinary. Get it wrong and a finished design can stall in plan check.
Who Handles ADU Construction in Encino?
Master in Design handles ADU construction in Encino from our Tarzana office, right next door. We design, permit and build garage conversions, detached backyard units and junior ADUs on flat and hillside lots. Projects run $75,000 to $400,000, and construction takes 12 to 20 weeks once LADBS issues the permit.
At a glance
Two Kinds of Encino Lots
Encino sits in the southern San Fernando Valley, on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Sepulveda Basin, Lake Balboa and Reseda border it to the north, Sherman Oaks to the east and Tarzana to the west.
That geography splits Encino in two:
| Lot type | Where you find it | What usually works |
|---|---|---|
| Flat lot | North of the hills, toward the Sepulveda Basin | Garage conversion or detached unit in the backyard |
| Hillside lot | South, up the slope of the Santa Monica Mountains | Junior ADU, attached unit, or a small detached unit if the street qualifies |
Just west, our Tarzana ADU builder page covers the same split on that side of the line.
The Hillside Rule That Shapes Many Encino ADUs
LA City Planning reports that hillsides make up over 50 percent of the Encino-Tarzana Community Plan area. It also says most of those hillside areas fall in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4) restricts ADUs on lots that sit in both a Hillside Area and a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. City Planning’s current guidance, ZA Memo 143, says that restriction is not enforced on state-law ADU types:
- Conversions of a garage or other existing space
- Junior ADUs inside the main house
- New detached units up to 800 square feet
Larger ADUs built under the city’s own rules still face the restriction. The city no longer enforces its sprinkler and parking conditions where they conflict with state law, but a street dedication can still be required.
That is why we look up the lot on the city’s ZIMAS zoning map before any design work. If a larger detached unit is off the table, a state-law ADU type often is not.
ADU Types for Encino Homes
Garage conversions
On flat Encino lots with a detached garage, a conversion is the fastest route to a permitted unit. The existing slab, walls and roof stay. The work is insulation, plumbing, electrical, egress windows, a kitchen and a bath.
Detached backyard units
A standalone unit of 400 to 1,200 square feet. On a flat lot with a deep yard, it gives the most privacy for a renter or a family member.
Junior ADUs
Up to 500 square feet inside the existing home, with its own entry and an efficiency kitchen. On hillside lots, this is often the type that clears every rule.
Attached units
Built onto the side or back of the house. An attached unit can share a wall and a foundation edge, which helps on a lot where a separate building will not fit.
Every type follows the design, permit and build process on our main ADU construction page.
Encino, CA
Free estimate
Planning an ADU in Encino? Get a free estimate from our team.
What Encino Homeowners Say About Our Work
Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 60 Google reviews, with 42 more on Yelp.
★★★★★“Master in Design has been my go-to company for all my home projects. From the kitchen remodel, room addition, garage conversion and repairing my roof due to a fallen tree through the years.”
Vanessa Garcia
verified Google review
★★★★★“Barak arrived well prepared with copies of the company’s license and permits and all required paperwork.”
Michal R.
verified Yelp review
★★★★★“The constant communication and progress updates from the crew were a huge difference, and every inspection passed on the first pass.”
Debby M.
verified Google review
Who runs your project
Avi “Danny” Vaknin, owner
Avi Vaknin owns Master in Design, the Tarzana design-build firm serving the San Fernando Valley since 2012. Most clients know him as Danny.
Reviews describe him on site during the build and back at the house when something needs attention, sometimes years after the job is done.
What Does ADU Construction Cost in Encino?
Our ADU projects run $75,000 to $400,000. Garage conversions sit near the low end, and detached new builds near the top.
On Encino lots, these items move the price most:
- Hillside work: grading, retaining walls and engineered foundations
- Utility runs from the main house, especially on deep flat lots
- Separate meters, if you want the unit billed apart from the main house
- Finish level, which on a rental is usually where owners save
We give a written line-item estimate after the design phase, so the number is set before construction starts.
Encino ADU Permits and Timeline
Encino is part of the City of Los Angeles, so every ADU here is permitted through LADBS. State law gives the city 60 days to act on a complete application. Avi “Danny” Vaknin, who owns Master in Design, keeps the permit file in-house, so plan check corrections come back to us.
Construction takes 12 to 20 weeks once the permit issues. Hillside sites with retaining walls sit at the long end.
We already work in Encino. Our before and after photos include kitchen and bathroom remodels here.
Areas We Serve in Encino
We build across ZIP codes 91316 and 91436. That includes the flat streets near Lake Balboa and the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, homes around Los Encinos State Historic Park, and hillside streets climbing south toward the Santa Monica Mountains.
For kitchens, baths and whole-home work, see our Encino remodeling page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Encino homeowners ask before building an ADU.
What is the cheapest option for an ADU?
What's the difference between a tiny home and an ADU?
Is adding an ADU tax deductible?
Does an ADU need a kitchen in California?
Do I need a permit to build an ADU in Encino?
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★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 from 60 Google reviews, plus 42 reviews on Yelp.
Licensed General Building contractor, CSLB #979219. Serving Tarzana and the San Fernando Valley.