ADU Builder in Glendale, CA

Dn Builders Group Inc Services designs and builds accessory dwelling units in Glendale — conversions, detached units and JADUs — from drawings through final inspection. Glendale writes its own ADU rules and has been negotiating them with the state, protects native oaks on private lots, and requires new detached ADUs to be all-electric, so we check all three before anyone draws a floor plan.

What we build

For Glendale's building department, GWP and the older housing stock in general, see our Glendale contractor page and remodeling in Glendale.

Glendale's ADU rules and the 2025 agreement with the state

Glendale's ADU rules live in Municipal Code Section 30.34.080 and have been in a long dispute with the state housing department. The state flagged 16 problems in December 2023 and issued a Notice of Violation in June 2024. The city amended the rules with Ordinances No. 6034 and 6035 on December 3, 2024, but on August 15, 2025 the state wrote again about three provisions that were still in place: a ban on ADUs above detached garages, a ban on a detached ADU when the lot already has an “accessory living quarters” — a pool house, studio, workshop, cabana or rec room — and a reading of state law that let owners pick only one of the unit combinations instead of combining them as state law allows.

On October 3, 2025 the city and the state signed a memorandum of understanding. Glendale agreed not to enforce those three provisions while it amends the ordinance, and to allow ADUs above detached garages, detached ADUs on lots with an accessory living quarters, and the state's single-family and multifamily unit pairings. The amendment was due to go to Council by March 31, 2026. Older handouts may still describe the bans, so we check the current text at submittal. For the statewide count, see how many ADUs you can build on one lot in 2026.

Glendale's oaks decide where a backyard unit goes

Glendale's Indigenous Tree Ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 12.44, applies on private property. It protects six native species — coast live oak, valley oak, mesa oak, scrub oak, California sycamore and California bay — once the trunk measures 6 inches in diameter, taken 54 inches above the lowest point where the trunk meets the soil. Multi-trunk trees count the trunks together.

Removing, relocating or building close to one needs an Indigenous Tree Report from a qualified tree expert and a permit from Public Works. The report has to map every tree on the lot and within 20 feet of it, and the grading plan has to show each drip line. In the foothill neighborhoods an oak in the back of the lot often sits right where a detached unit or its sewer trench would go, so we locate protected trees first and shape the footprint and foundation around them. Slope is the other half of that site work — see hillside lots, the hidden costs.

All-electric ADUs and the GWP service

Glendale adopted a building electrification reach code, Ordinance No. 5999, on November 15, 2022. From January 1, 2023 new buildings in Glendale are built all-electric, and the city lists detached ADUs among them. Infeasibility waivers cover only the specific use. So a new backyard unit gets a heat pump, a heat pump water heater and an induction or electric range, not a gas stub from the main house.

That load goes onto a Glendale Water & Power service. A 100-amp panel in an older house rarely carries the main house plus an all-electric unit, so the service upgrade or a separate meter becomes the critical path. See how panel upgrades differ by utility and the gas water heater question.

What an ADU costs

Typical Los Angeles market ranges, not a quote: a garage conversion $100,000–$200,000, a JADU $40,000–$100,000, a detached 600–800 sq ft unit $150,000–$350,000. Units of 750 sq ft or less skip impact fees. Glendale's own published ADU permit times have run long, which we covered in permits in Glendale, Burbank and LA. More detail in what an ADU costs in 2026, garage conversion costs and ADU vs JADU.

Licensed and bonded

Dn Builders Group Inc Services holds an active California General Building license (#1139710), carries a $25,000 surety bond, and is fully insured. In California any project over $500 in labor and materials legally requires a licensed contractor. Verify the license with the California Contractors State License Board before you sign anything — with us or with anyone else. Here is how to check a contractor's license.

How we work

We walk the lot, check the zoning, the trees and the electrical service, and give you a fixed, itemized scope before anything is demolished. Permits are pulled by us. Change orders are approved in writing, never sprung at the end. You get a weekly update, every week, and a detailed walkthrough when we finish. You can see finished work on our portfolio page.

Questions

Are you a licensed contractor for ADUs in Glendale?

Yes. Dn Builders Group Inc Services holds an active California General Building contractor license (#1139710), carries a $25,000 surety bond, and is fully insured. We handle ADU drawings, permits with the City of Glendale, GWP coordination and inspections.

Can I build an ADU above my detached garage in Glendale?

Glendale's code barred ADUs above detached garages, and the state housing department called that a violation of state law. Under an October 2025 agreement with the state, the city stopped enforcing that ban and two related limits while it amends its ordinance. We confirm the current text of Section 30.34.080 at submittal.

Do oak trees affect where an ADU can go in Glendale?

Yes. Glendale protects coast live, valley, mesa and scrub oaks, California sycamores and California bays once the trunk reaches 6 inches in diameter, measured 54 inches above the soil. Building within the reach of one needs an Indigenous Tree Report and a permit from Public Works.

What does an ADU cost in Glendale?

A garage conversion typically runs $100,000 to $200,000, a JADU $40,000 to $100,000, and a detached 600 to 800 square foot unit $150,000 to $350,000. These are typical Los Angeles market ranges, not a quote. Trees, slope and the electrical service move the number most.

Where else we work

ADUs in Pasadena, Burbank, La Crescenta-Montrose, and Greater Los Angeles.