ADU Builders in
Pasadena, CA
Compare 3 builders with sourced Pasadena service evidence and CSLB records checked August 7, 2026, plus permit, utility, and design paths
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Quick Stats
Directory
Compare 3 ADU builders with sourced evidence that they serve Pasadena. Their CSLB records were checked current and active on August 7, 2026, but status can change. Inclusion is not an endorsement; confirm current CSLB status before signing.
- Listings selected from public company information showing ADU work or service in Pasadena.
- Default order follows the directory's fixed editorial order.
- Profiles show city-service and CSLB details only when linked sources and dated checks are on file.
- When active, Enhanced, Featured, and Verified placements appear before Basic listings and are clearly labeled.
- A visible Verified badge means license, insurance, and portfolio documents were reviewed. It is not a work-quality guarantee.
- Directory inclusion is not an endorsement. Dated license checks can change, so confirm current status with CSLB before signing.
3 Builders
Create Construction
Source-backed details
Pasadena service: Create Construction publishes a Pasadena-specific ADU service page. Checked Aug 7, 2026.
CSLB #1070134: Current and active · B – General Building · Checked Aug 7, 2026
License entity: Create Construction Inc
Otto ADU
Source-backed details
Pasadena service: Otto publishes a completed Pasadena ADU project and names Pasadena in its permit workflow. Checked Aug 7, 2026.
CSLB #1081287: Current and active · B – General Building · Checked Aug 7, 2026
License entity: Homestead Build LLC dba Otto ADU
Adar Builders
Source-backed details
Pasadena service: Adar's Pasadena service page includes accessory dwelling units among its local services. Checked Aug 7, 2026.
CSLB #1051859: Current and active · B – General Building · Checked Aug 7, 2026
License entity: Adar Builders Inc
Are you an ADU builder serving Pasadena?
Paid plans add clearly labeled placement and expanded listing details. Verified badges require document review.
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Planning guide
California ADU costs
Compare scope, bids, permits, and utilities
Pasadena ADU Guide
Pasadena homeowners usually have the same four core ADU paths: convert existing space, build a detached backyard unit, add an attached unit, or create a JADU inside the main house. The best path depends on your lot, utilities, budget, and how quickly you want to get through permitting.
Garage conversion ADU
Detached backyard ADU
Attached ADU
JADU (inside main home)
ADU Rules
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Start with Pasadena's current ADU program page and confirm the exact requirements with Planning, Building, and Pasadena Water & Power.
Choose the design path before drawing the site plan
Most Pasadena properties currently need a project-specific design. The city's January 2026 standard-plan update says the prior plans expired for general use and are limited to qualifying Eaton Fire red-tagged properties while replacements are prepared.
Even an eligible standard plan is not permit-ready. Pasadena still requires a site-specific package that can include structures, setbacks, access, trees, electric panels, water heating, sewer routing, and drainage. The city's standard-plan submission steps explain those checks.
Historic status can also change the layout. Pasadena's current ADU rules say new attached and detached ADUs in historic districts must not be visible from the public right-of-way. Confirm the property's designation before fixing the building location or elevations.
| Homeowner question | Current Pasadena check |
|---|---|
| Which project type fits? | Compare conversion, attached, detached, and JADU paths against the legal structures and property constraints. |
| What setbacks apply? | Four-foot side and rear setbacks are a common ADU baseline, but existing conditions and project-specific code still matter. |
| Is parking required? | Pasadena publishes parking exemptions, including qualifying transit and conversion situations. Confirm the property's exact path. |
| Does historic status matter? | Yes. Historic districts and individually designated properties follow different conversion, visibility, and new-construction rules. |
| Are smaller ADUs exempt from an impact fee? | Pasadena says ADUs of 900 sqft or smaller are exempt from the Residential Impact Fee. Other project costs can still apply. |
| Is early city help available? | Pasadena offers a complimentary virtual consultation before formal review. |
| Are standard plans generally available? | Not currently. The prior plans expired for general use on January 1, 2026 and remain limited to qualifying Eaton Fire red-tagged properties until replacements arrive. |
Cost Breakdown
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Pasadena does not publish one construction price that fits every ADU. Use the same scope for at least three itemized bids.
Resolve electric service before the design is fixed
If the ADU may need a new meter, secondary service, or panel upgrade, start with Pasadena Water and Power's Electric Service Planning process. PWP begins with a meter spot and service review, then identifies the approved location and any required upgrade.
PWP's ADU electric-service requirements allow a requested separate ADU meter, require meters at the same panel or another PWP-approved location, and keep utility easements clear. Ask each builder to identify who owns this coordination and whether the bid includes the resulting service work.
| Cost line | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Property and concept | Zoning, legal structures, survey needs, historic status, hillside conditions, access, and easements. |
| Design and engineering | Architectural, structural, energy, civil, drainage, soils, and other project documents. |
| City review and permits | Planning, Building, corrections, permit fees, and any historic or design review. |
| Utilities | Electrical capacity, meters, sewer and water routing, trenching, and Pasadena Water & Power requirements. |
| Site and structure | Demolition, foundation, grading, drainage, retaining walls, and conversion reinforcement. |
| Construction and finishes | Labor, materials, fixtures, appliances, allowances, and owner-supplied items. |
| Exclusions and contingency | Unknown conditions, change orders, price-expiration dates, and excluded work. |
Permit Process
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A practical sequence
- Screen the property. Check zoning, legal structures, historic status, hillside conditions, utilities, access, and easements.
- Choose the design path. Use a project-specific design unless the property qualifies for Pasadena's current Eaton Fire standard-plan exception.
- Check electric service early. Ask PWP whether the concept needs a meter spot, panel upgrade, new service, or easement review.
- Use the city consultation. Pasadena offers a complimentary virtual ADU consultation before formal plan review.
- Prepare the site package. Show the site conditions, access, utilities, drainage, and any supporting studies the city requires.
- Submit and track online. Pasadena's Permit Center Online accepts ADU plans, fees, status checks, resubmittals, and inspection scheduling.
- Respond, permit, and build. Resolve planning, building, utility, and historic-review comments before permits, inspections, and final approval.
What the published timing means
Pasadena's current standard-plan page gives eligible standard-plan projects an approximate three-to-four-week plan-check estimate and an approximate two-week resubmittal estimate. Do not apply those numbers to a custom design or an end-to-end project. Ask the city and PWP for the current path-specific expectations after the property and utility screen.
Rental Income
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Use current long-term lease evidence
Check current Pasadena leases for comparable units by size, bedrooms, privacy, parking, utilities, outdoor space, and condition. Then account for vacancy, repairs, insurance changes, owner-paid utilities, management, and financing before estimating a return.
Confirm the intended rental term and any property-specific restrictions before including income in the project decision.
FAQs
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Does Pasadena accept online ADU applications?
Yes. Pasadena directs applicants to Permit Center Online for applications and plan uploads.
Does Pasadena offer an ADU consultation?
Yes. The city offers a complimentary virtual consultation before formal review.
How long does Pasadena's standard-plan review take?
For currently eligible projects, Pasadena's standard-plan page says plan-check review takes approximately three to four weeks and a resubmittal approximately two weeks. Those estimates do not cover a custom-plan review or the full project.
Can any Pasadena property use the city's standard ADU plans?
Not currently. Pasadena says the prior plans expired for general use on January 1, 2026 and remain limited to qualifying Eaton Fire red-tagged properties until new citywide plans arrive.
How should I budget for a Pasadena ADU?
Compare at least three itemized bids with the same scope. Resolve utilities, historic status, grading, permits, and exclusions before relying on a total.
When should I involve Pasadena Water and Power?
Before finalizing the design if the ADU may need a new electric meter, secondary service, or panel upgrade. PWP's current service process starts with a meter spot and utility review.
How are the listed Pasadena builders selected?
The directory uses public evidence that a company serves Pasadena. Inclusion is not an endorsement. Verify the builder's current California license, insurance, references, scope, and availability.
Pasadena official sources
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Next step
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