A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in Palms, CA
Adding an ADU to a Palms home usually costs between $180,000 and $340,000 for a detached one-bedroom unit, with garage conversions starting closer to $95,000 and full home additions running $200 to $450 per square foot. The numbers shift with soil conditions, alley access, and how close your lot sits to the Expo Line corridor. Seedling ADU Builders works in Palms with written pricing before any tool is picked up, a 365-Day Done Right Promise on every completed job, and a live person answering the phone 24/7 at (213) 449-7136.
Why Palms Homes Are Different
Palms is a dense Westside neighborhood of mostly 1920s to 1940s bungalows and postwar apartment courts, and the lots tell the story: 5,000 square feet is typical, with detached garages tucked at the rear and narrow side yards running along both property lines. That geometry makes Palms one of the few LA neighborhoods where a garage conversion or a skinny backyard unit often makes more sense than a traditional addition. We regularly work with rear garages that share a wall with the alley, which opens the door to a separate ADU entrance without touching the front of the house. The catch is that alley-width and setback rules are not applied uniformly across Los Angeles, so we pull the specific requirements for each Palms lot before we commit to a design.
The climate helps. Palms has a mild Mediterranean pattern: warm dry summers, cool wet winters, and not much else. Insulation loads are modest, but winter rain is real, and a tightly sealed ADU without proper ventilation will trap moisture. We spec venting and moisture management carefully on every Palms build because the difference between a healthy unit and a musty one shows up six months after the first heavy storm. The home we’re adding to your lot has to breathe the same way your existing house does.
Many Palms properties sit within the city’s Transit Oriented Communities incentive zone because of the Expo Line. That can mean density bonuses and reduced parking requirements for an ADU, which sometimes turns a marginal side yard into a buildable site. We help homeowners work through what their specific Palms parcel actually qualifies for, not what a brochure says is possible.
Our Main Palms Services
The two projects Palms homeowners call us about most are garage conversions and backyard ADUs, with home additions close behind. Each has its own Palms page with local pricing, what to expect, and the answers to the questions we hear most on the phone.
Home Addition Contractor in Palms
A home addition in Palms usually means extending into a side yard that has been doing nothing since 1940, or building a second story over a single-level bungalow. The Palms-specific challenge is lot coverage and the irregular setbacks on older parcels. We map the existing foundation and sewer line before finalizing any plan because some 1920s homes have pipes in places no one expects. For the full picture on square footage, pricing, and permitting, see Home Addition Contractor in Palms.
Garage Conversion Contractor in Palms
Palms has a higher share of detached rear garages than almost anywhere on the Westside, and most are structurally sound enough to convert without a teardown. The question is what to do with the car. Some lots can absorb a tandem parking spot in the existing driveway; others use the alley-facing rear entrance and skip the garage entirely. Each Palms garage conversion gets a structural review, a parking plan, and a written price before work begins. Details are on the Garage Conversion Contractor in Palms page.
ADU Builders in Palms
Backyard and side-yard ADUs in Palms work best when the design respects how close the neighboring house sits. We build detached units that fit narrow side yards, often with their own alley-facing entrance so the front yard stays as it is. Some Palms homeowners choose prefab brands like Abodu or Cover for a shorter on-site build; others want a custom framed unit. Both approaches get the same written price, the same 365-Day Done Right Promise, and the same Care Promise on site. The full breakdown lives at ADU Builders in Palms.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Palms
We build with Abodu, Cover, and Mighty Buildings for Palms homeowners who prefer a prefab ADU, and we work with James Hardie materials on custom and addition projects. Because we’re brand-agnostic, the recommendation reflects what fits your lot and your budget. Learn more on our brands page.
Pricing for ADU Company in Palms, CA
These are the ranges we quote most often for Palms work. Every figure is a planning number, not a bid. Your written price depends on your lot, your access, and what you choose to build.
| Service | Typical range in Palms |
|---|---|
| Detached one-bedroom ADU (400 – 600 sq ft) | $180,000 – $340,000 |
| Detached two-bedroom ADU (700 – 900 sq ft) | $260,000 – $420,000 |
| Garage conversion to ADU (400 – 500 sq ft) | $95,000 – $160,000 |
| Garage conversion with full kitchen and bath | $115,000 – $175,000 |
| ADU permit set and city submittal | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| Foundation and leveling for detached ADU | $20,000 – $40,000 |
| Kitchen buildout for ADU | $30,000 – $65,000 |
| Bathroom buildout for ADU | $20,000 – $40,000 |
| Electrical panel upgrade (100A to 200A) | $3,500 – $6,500 |
| Home addition (per sq ft) | $200 – $450 |
In Palms, pricing gets pushed upward by alley-access complications, irregular setbacks on older lots, and the occasional need to replace an original foundation or sewer lateral. We keep the number honest: every job gets a written price before work starts, with no surprise line items added after crews arrive.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Palms
We work across Palms and the pockets that share its alleys and housing stock. Most neighborhoods are 10 to 20 minutes from our Los Angeles office, and we schedule estimates with enough lead time to walk your lot properly.
- Palms proper
- Palms-Mar Vista border
- North Palms
- Motor Avenue corridor
- Exposition Park adjacent
Service Area – Cities Near Palms
Seedling also builds across the Westside and Central LA. If your property sits outside Palms, you can find us in Los Angeles, CA, North Hollywood, CA, Studio City, CA, and South Gate, CA.
Serving Palms, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Palms area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Company in Palms
After your written estimate and design approval, most Palms projects begin site preparation within 6 to 10 weeks, depending on city permit review times. We handle the permit set and submittal ourselves, so the schedule is in one pair of hands. Call (213) 449-7136 to get a timeline for your specific lot.
Often no. Many Palms properties qualify for reduced parking requirements under the city’s Transit Oriented Communities incentives because of proximity to the Expo Line. We check your specific parcel’s zoning and incentive eligibility before the design is finalized, so you know what’s actually required.
Yes. Every Seedling crew follows the Cedarwell Care Promise: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the home, pet-safe products where there is a choice, and a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves. We treat a Palms ADU build as one ongoing job, not a series of disruptions to your home.
Ready to talk about your Palms ADU? Call (213) 449-7136 to schedule a free estimate with Ben Ortega and the Seedling ADU Builders team. We’ll walk your lot, answer your questions plainly, and leave you with a written price instead of a guess.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local adu pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Palms Customers Say
"Added a backyard cottage. The team protected our existing landscaping and left the yard clean every evening. Gentle, respectful, and they walked us through each stage calmly."
- Tamara Welsh"Backyard cottage build. For a long project they kept the site remarkably tidy and were respectful of our neighbors and our dog. Swept the driveway every evening."
- Leona Pfeiffer"Junior ADU conversion inside the house. They were incredibly clean about it, plastic walls, floor protection, daily cleanup, all with a toddler in the home. Couldn't have asked for more care."
- Marcus Oyelaran
