ADU builders and garage conversion contractors
Tell us about the garage and we match you with insured local crews that already work in your city. One on-site visit, and the crew puts the scope and the price in writing. You contract and pay the crew directly.
People search for ADU builders near me, ADU contractors, a contractor for garage conversion, or a granny flat builder. It is the same job across all 67 cities and communities we cover.
Garage Convert SD is a referral service; verify any matched professional’s California contractor license at cslb.ca.gov. We do not perform construction and we do not set the crew's price.
Before you hire anyone
- Get the CSLB licence number in writing and look it up at cslb.ca.gov. Status, classification, bond and disciplinary history are all public.
- Insist on an on-site visit before a price. Where the sewer lateral runs and what shape the slab is in are what actually move the number.
- Check the down payment. California caps it at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. A bigger demand is a red flag, not a negotiation.
- Make sure the contract names approximate start and completion dates and ties payments to described work, both of which the law requires on a home improvement contract over $500.
- Confirm who pulls the permit. An unpermitted conversion has to be disclosed when you sell, and it is the buyer's lender that usually finds it.
What the crew handles on a conversion
Common questions
How do I find ADU builders near me in San Diego County?
Tell us where the property is and what the garage looks like now. We match you with insured local crews that already work in your city, so you are not calling ADU contractors from three counties away who price the drive into the job. Garage Convert SD is a referral service; verify any matched professional’s California contractor license at cslb.ca.gov.
What does an ADU builder actually do?
On a garage conversion, the crew draws the plans, submits them for plan check, responds to corrections, does the framing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall and finish work, and books the inspections through final sign-off. Garage Convert SD is a referral service; verify any matched professional’s California contractor license at cslb.ca.gov. You contract and pay the licensed crew directly.
How do I check an ADU contractor is licensed?
Look the licence number up on the CSLB website at cslb.ca.gov before you sign anything. It shows the licence status, the classification, the bond, and any disciplinary history. Ask for the number in writing rather than taking a photo of a truck door.
What should be in the contract?
California law is specific about this. A home improvement contract over $500 has to be headed "Home Improvement", carry the contract price, a description of the work and significant materials, a payment schedule tied to described work, approximate start and completion dates, and a three-day right to cancel. The down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. That deposit cap is statutory, so treat a larger demand as a warning.
How many quotes should I get?
Enough that the numbers stop surprising you, and always after an on-site visit. A price given over the phone before anyone has seen where your plumbing runs or what condition the slab is in is a guess, and it tends to move once work starts.
Do I need a separate designer and builder?
Not usually. Most garage conversions in San Diego County run through one crew that handles drawings and construction, which keeps the plan check corrections with the people who have to build the result. Where a project needs structural engineering, that gets brought in.
What does it cost to hire someone for a garage conversion?
Typical San Diego County ranges run $40,000 to $70,000 for a conversion to living space, $50,000 to $90,000 for a junior ADU, and $75,000 to $150,000 for a full ADU with kitchen, bath and permits. Those are market ranges for work performed by the licensed crew you hire, not a price set by Garage Convert SD, and your crew confirms its own written quote after the visit.
Looking for an ADU builder near you?
Tell us about the garage and we match you with insured local crews across San Diego County.