Woodland Hills, CA
ADU Builder in Woodland Hills
Garage conversions, detached backyard units and junior ADUs, planned for West Valley heat and built across Woodland Hills.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 60 Google reviews
Woodland Hills set the Los Angeles County heat record at 121 degrees on September 6, 2020. If you are hiring an ADU builder in Woodland Hills, that number matters more than any floor plan.
A small unit that bakes all summer is hard to live in and hard to rent. Here is how we plan ADUs for this part of the valley, what they cost and how long they take.
Who Builds ADUs in Woodland Hills?
Master in Design is a licensed ADU builder serving Woodland Hills from our Tarzana office next door. We design, permit and build garage conversions, detached backyard units and junior ADUs, planned for the West Valley heat. Projects run $75,000 to $400,000, and construction takes 12 to 20 weeks once LADBS issues the permit.
At a glance
Why Woodland Hills ADUs Need a Heat Plan
That 121 degree reading came from the weather station at Pierce College, inside Woodland Hills. Summer highs here can top 100 degrees.
An accessory dwelling unit is small, so every wall and window counts. We plan four things before the layout is final:
- Orientation: big glass faces north or east where the lot allows, not straight into the afternoon sun
- Insulation: walls and roof go past the minimum where the budget allows, because a garage conversion starts with almost none
- Cooling: a ductless heat pump sized for the actual room, not a guess
- Shade: roof overhangs and trees count, so we site the unit around what already shades the yard
California’s Title 24 energy code sets the floor for all of this. Detached new units also generally need solar panels. We treat the code as the minimum, not the target.
Ranch Lots and Garage Conversions
Much of Woodland Hills was built out in the postwar years. The Los Angeles Conservancy highlights the Woodland West subdivision of contemporary ranch houses, built in phases from the mid-1950s into the early 1960s.
Ranch-era lots often have a detached garage at the back and a wide, flat yard. That layout suits two kinds of ADU:
Garage conversions
The slab, walls and roof already stand, so the money goes into insulation, plumbing, electrical, egress windows, a kitchen and a bath. In this heat, the insulation upgrade is the line item we protect first.
Detached backyard units
A standalone unit of 400 to 1,200 square feet with its own entry. On a deep ranch lot it can sit far enough from the main house to feel private, though longer trenching for sewer and power adds cost.
Junior ADUs carved from the main house and two-story units on tight lots are also options. Our main ADU construction page covers every type in detail.
What Does an ADU Cost in Woodland Hills?
Our ADU projects run $75,000 to $400,000. Garage conversions sit near the low end. Detached new builds sit near the top.
Here is what moves a Woodland Hills budget most:
| Cost driver | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Conversion or new build | Reusing a garage saves the foundation, framing and roof |
| Distance from the house | Deep ranch lots mean longer sewer, water and power runs |
| Heat upgrades | Extra insulation, better windows and a right-sized heat pump |
| Hillside lot | Grading, foundations and fire zone rules south of Ventura Boulevard |
| Finish level | Rental units usually keep finishes simple and durable |
We give a written line-item estimate after the design phase, so the price is set before anyone breaks ground.
Woodland Hills, CA
Free estimate
Planning an ADU in Woodland Hills? Get a free estimate from our team.
What Woodland Hills Homeowners Say About Our Work
Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 60 Google reviews, with 42 more on Yelp.
★★★★★“Master In Design just completed my 600sq ft ADU (1 bedroom unit). I met with over 10 contractors before I chose to work with them.”
John A.
verified Yelp review
★★★★★“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
★★★★★“The project which was fairly priced was finished ahead of its initial time schedule and on budget. The work and oversite was high quality.”
Bob Besser
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.
Hillside Lots South of Ventura Boulevard
About 30 percent of the Canoga Park, Winnetka, Woodland Hills and West Hills community plan area is hillside, according to LA City Planning. Most of that hillside sits south of Ventura Boulevard, and most of it is also in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
In the City of Los Angeles, 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. We check both maps before design starts.
Woodland Hills ADU Permits and Timeline
Woodland Hills 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 corrections come back to us, not to you.
Once the permit issues, construction runs 12 to 20 weeks to final inspection. Our team works next door too, and our Tarzana ADU builder page covers that side of the line.
Areas We Serve in Woodland Hills
We build ADUs across ZIP codes 91364 and 91367. That runs from the ranch streets north of the Ventura Freeway, through the Warner Center area, and up to the hillside streets near Serrania Park and the Top of Topanga Overlook. Ventura Boulevard ends at Valley Circle Boulevard here, and we work on both sides of it.
For kitchens, baths and whole-home work in the neighborhood, see our Woodland Hills remodeling page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Woodland Hills homeowners ask before building an ADU.
What is the average cost of an ADU in California?
Can I build an ADU in my backyard in California?
What are the common mistakes when building an ADU?
Is it harder to sell a house with an ADU?
Do I need a permit to build an ADU in Woodland Hills?
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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.