# LADU — Los Angeles ADU Builder

> LADU is a turn-key ADU builder operating across Los Angeles County. We help homeowners design, permit, and construct accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — including detached new builds, garage conversions, junior ADUs (JADUs), prefab/modular units, and the legalization of existing unpermitted ADUs.

Founded by Babak Mortazavi. Service area: greater Los Angeles County including the City of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Burbank, Calabasas, and 100+ other cities and neighborhoods.

## Services

- [ADU Design](https://www.ladu.co/design): Custom and prefab ADU design across many styles (Spanish, cottage, garage conversion, junior, two/three-bedroom, studio).
- [Permitting](https://www.ladu.co/permitting): End-to-end ADU permit processing across LA-area jurisdictions.
- [Construction](https://www.ladu.co/construction): Fixed-price construction with in-house team.
- [Financing](https://www.ladu.co/adu-financing): HELOC, cash-out refi, and ADU-specific lender options.
- [Prefab ADUs](https://www.ladu.co/prefab-adu): Pre-built / modular ADU options.
- [Legalizing Unpermitted ADUs](https://www.ladu.co/legalizing-unpermitted-adus): Bring existing unpermitted ADUs into legal compliance under California law.

## Completed Projects

- [ADU Projects in Los Angeles](https://www.ladu.co/projects): Map and gallery of ADU projects LADU has designed, permitted, legalized, and built across LA County.
- [Glenhurst Avenue ADU](https://www.ladu.co/projects/los-angeles/glenhurst-ave): Case study — a deteriorating rear structure transformed into a fully permitted 2-bedroom ADU in Los Angeles, with before/after photos and a customer testimonial.

## Tools & Resources

- [ADU Resources Hub](https://www.ladu.co/adu-resources): Central hub linking to all LADU tools and reference material — cost calculator, ADU learning center, articles, and LA County permit data.
- [ADU Cost Calculator](https://www.ladu.co/adu-calculator): Free interactive tool to estimate ADU construction cost, permit fees, and project timeline. Inputs: city (51 LA-area cities), ADU type (detached, attached, garage conversion, JADU, prefab/modular), square footage, and finish level. Outputs: construction cost range, permit fee range, total project cost, and timeline. Based on LADU's completed projects.

## ADU Learning Center & Reference

- [ADU Learning Center](https://www.ladu.co/learn): Glossary and reference guide with 20+ plain-English definitions covering ADU permits, zoning, California state law, and building codes. Terms include: ADU, JADU, Setback, FAR, Ministerial Approval, AB 2533, SB 9, SB 1211, HCOZ, R1 Zoning, Permit Valuation, Certificate of Occupancy, ADU Standard Plan, Coastal Development Permit, Fire Hazard Severity Zone, Rent Stabilization Ordinance, and more. Includes structured DefinedTerm schema for each entry.

## MCP Server (for AI agents)

LADU exposes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at `https://www.ladu.co/mcp` so AI agents and LLM tools can programmatically access LADU's ADU cost calculator, jurisdiction rules, and the LA County ADU permit/parcel database.

**Endpoint:** `https://www.ladu.co/mcp`
**Documentation:** `https://www.ladu.co/mcp-server`
**Protocol:** MCP JSON-RPC 2.0 (Streamable HTTP transport)
**Authentication:** None required (rate-limited per client)

### Available tools

- `estimate_adu_cost` — Estimate construction cost, permit fees, and total project cost for an ADU in any supported LA-area city. Required: `city` (slug), `sqFt` (number), `type` (detached | attached | garage-conversion | jadu | prefab). Optional: `finishLevel` (standard | premium | luxury, ignored for prefab).
- `list_cities` — Returns all supported city slugs, display names, county, and governing municipality.
- `get_adu_rules` — Structured ADU regulations for a city: setbacks, max size, max height, parking, permit fees, timeline, and special rules. Arg: `city` (slug).
- `compare_jurisdictions` — Side-by-side diff of two cities' ADU rules. Args: `cityA`, `cityB` (slugs).
- `lookup_parcel_rules` — Zoning, regulatory overlays, and applicable ADU rules for a specific LA County address. Arg: `address`.
- `check_buildability` — Plain-English buildability verdict (likely / possible / complex) for a specific address, with nearby permitted ADUs and a quotable summary. Arg: `address`.
- `get_adu_permit_counts` — Total ADU permits, recent-year count, year-over-year change, and median valuation for a city (falls back to LA County aggregate). Arg: `city`.
- `get_adu_permit_trends` — Year-by-year ADU permit and valuation series for a city or LA County. Arg: `city`.
- `get_adu_permit_valuations` — 25th/median/75th percentile of declared ADU permit valuations for a city, optionally a single `year`. Arg: `city`.
- `find_nearby_adus` — Permitted ADUs within a radius of an address (addresses only). Args: `address`, optional `radiusMiles` (default 2).

### Claude Desktop / Cursor config

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ladu": {
      "url": "https://www.ladu.co/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

## Popular Articles

- [How Much Does an ADU Cost in Los Angeles?](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-cost-los-angeles): Construction $240–400/sq ft; total project $150k–$400k+ depending on type and size.
- [ADU Permit Cost in Los Angeles](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-permit-cost): Permit fees typically $5k–$20k+, varying by jurisdiction.
- [How Long Does It Take to Build an ADU?](https://www.ladu.co/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-an-adu): 2–4 months design + permits, 8–14 months construction.
- [ADU Setback Requirements in California](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-setback-requirements-california): 4 ft side/rear setbacks under state law (CA Gov Code 66321).
- [How Big Can an ADU Be in California?](https://www.ladu.co/articles/how-big-can-an-adu-be-in-california): Max 1,200 sq ft detached; varies by city and lot.
- [California ADU Law Changes 2025](https://www.ladu.co/articles/california-adu-law-changes-2025): Recent legislative updates affecting ADU rules.
- [AB 2533 Guide](https://www.ladu.co/articles/ab-2533-guide): California's legalization pathway for unpermitted ADUs.
- [SB 1211: Multifamily ADU Expansion](https://www.ladu.co/articles/california-sb-1211-expanded-adu-opportunities-for-multifamily-properties): Expanded ADU rights on multifamily properties.
- [AB 1154: JADU / ADU Parity](https://www.ladu.co/articles/california-ab-1154-jadu-adu-parity): Parity rules between JADUs and ADUs.
- [How Much Property Value Does an ADU Add?](https://www.ladu.co/articles/how-much-property-value-does-an-adu-add): Equity, appraisal, and resale impact.
- [ADU Rental Income](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-rental-income): What ADUs typically rent for in LA.
- [ADU Property Tax in California](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-property-tax-california): How ADUs are reassessed.
- [ADU Parking Requirements in LA](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-parking-requirements-los-angeles): Parking rules and exemptions.
- [Garage Conversion ADU](https://www.ladu.co/articles/garage-conversion-adu): Costs, rules, and process for converting a garage.
- [ADU Floor Plans](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-floor-plans): Typical LADU floor plans by size and type.
- [ADU Without a Permit](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-without-permit): Risks of building unpermitted; legalization options.
- [Converting Unpermitted ADUs in California](https://www.ladu.co/articles/converting-unpermitted-adus-in-california): Process for bringing unpermitted ADUs into compliance.
- [Two-Story ADU in Los Angeles](https://www.ladu.co/articles/two-story-adu-los-angeles): Rules and costs for two-story ADUs.
- [ADU Fire Hazard Zones in LA](https://www.ladu.co/articles/adu-fire-hazard-zone-los-angeles): Building in fire-hazard areas.
- [Building an ADU in the California Coastal Zone](https://www.ladu.co/articles/building-adu-california-coastal-zone): Coastal Commission and ADU rules.

## ADU Permit Data & Statistics

LADU maintains a public dataset of ADU permits filed across Los Angeles County, updated regularly from city and county records.

- [LA County ADU Permit Map](https://stats.ladu.co): Interactive map of 19,000+ ADU permits in LA County (2018–present). Filter by status, city, and date range.
- [Data Methodology](https://stats.ladu.co/methodology): How permit data is collected, cleaned, and categorised. Includes source agencies, update frequency, and field definitions.

## Full Content (for LLM ingestion)

- [llms-full.txt](https://www.ladu.co/llms-full.txt): Concatenated markdown of all LADU articles plus per-city ADU permit statistics tables (year-by-year permit counts and median valuations for every LADU service area), suitable for full LLM ingestion.
- [All Articles Index](https://www.ladu.co/articles): Browsable index of every article.
- [All Service Areas](https://www.ladu.co/areas): All cities and neighborhoods LADU serves. Each page includes live ADU permit activity data (year-by-year permit counts and median valuations).
- [Sitemap (XML)](https://www.ladu.co/sitemap.xml): Full sitemap.

## Contact

- [Free Consultation](https://www.ladu.co/free-consultation): Schedule a free ADU consultation with LADU.
- [Contact](https://www.ladu.co/contact): General contact form.
- [About LADU](https://www.ladu.co/about): Team and company info.