- Chatsky
- 3 min read
ADU's, short for Accessory Dwelling Units, are in high demand in California. Property owners are adding ADU's in order to generate additional income. With housing in such high demand in California, it's never been easier to turn a single-family property into multiple units. Imagine a guest house, except that it comes with its own address, electrical meter and water meter. Some property owners are also converting their garages into Junior ADU's. Essentially they are taking an existing single-family home, and building a detached ADU plus an attached Junior ADU. This allows them to rent out all 3 units. While almost all jurisdictions are permitting one additional unit, some are allowing two or more additional units. German Engineering Design is currently working with a client to add 10 units to their property in South Los Angeles.
So the question that constantly comes up, does adding an ADU require an Engineer? The short answer is almost always yes. Whether you are converting existing space or adding space for the ADU, an Engineer is responsible for ensuring the space is complies with the current structural code requirements.
To build an ADU or Junior ADU, one of the first things needed are plans and permits. Engineers are responsible for designing and analyzing a structure to resist gravity and earthquake loads. They perform these calculations and reflect them in plans, also referred to as Construction Documents or Blueprints. The calculations and plans are then submitted to a Building and Safety Department for review. After the Building and Safety Department has reviewed the calculations and plans, they will almost always issue some corrections or requests for more information. This is not uncommon. Local jurisdictions often have additional criteria specific to the city or town. These criteria are typically called "local ordinances". Once all these corrections have been addressed to the satisfaction of the Building and Safety Department, the city will issue a building permit.
These permits almost always require an Architect-On-Record or Engineer-On-Record. Those responsible parties will be required to perform inspections at various stages in construction. These inspections are in addition to the required inspections that are performed by Building Officials employed by the city. Some examples of inspections performed by the Engineer-On-Record are foundation inspections before the concrete is poured, diaphragm inspections before the roof and/or floor are covered, framing inspections before the walls are closed. These inspections ensure that the construction is being performed in compliance with the approved Construction Documents provided by the Engineer.
Hiring an Architect and Engineer for the design and permitting process is essential to ensure that whatever is built is done in compliance with the current building codes. A good set of plans will save the property owner time and money during construction. Good Engineers will suggest minor changes to make construction cheaper and easier to build. Good Architects can maximize the usefulness of the allowable space while making sure that all those aesthetic components comply with the current building code. Good Contractors build structures more quickly and efficiently, and are the last line of defense between a good structure and a bad structure. Even the best set of plans does not include 100% of the information needed to build a home. It is up to the Contractor to make these decisions during construction and ultimately the Contractor is responsible for quality control.
When an ADU is built without permit or a garage is converted without permit, it opens the property owner to several potential problems. The city can issue fines to the property owner until the work is permitted. In those cases, the property owner must hire an Architect and Engineer to create a set of plans to reflect the current conditions. An Architect will be responsible for making sure that the size and layout is within the allowable limitations. An Engineer will be responsible for making sure that all the structural components have been built in compliance with the current codes. Even after the permit is issued, all those elements will need to pass inspections, which means opening them up for the Architect, Engineer and Building Official to inspect. These headaches imposed on the homeowner are intentional and meant to be costly and time consuming to deter the homeowner from doing any future work without proper permits.