ADU Before & After in Huntington Beach, CA
We’ve completed more than 900 ADU projects since 2015, and every one started with a written price and ended with a documented photo record. The gallery below shows what that process actually looks like on real Huntington Beach properties - from the first site visit to the final inspection.
Recent Transformations
Garage Conversion ADU - Bolsa Chica
The existing slab was 4 inches, within range for a conversion - no foundation replacement needed, which saved roughly $8,000 off the initial budget estimate. We insulated the block walls with continuous rigid foam, ran a new electrical service from the main panel, and installed a mini-split for heating and cooling. The city required a 5-foot side setback variance - the extra distance between the converted structure and the property line - which we resolved during design rather than discovered at permit counter. The client received our full permit set, a photo record from every visit, and a written 365-Day Done Right Promise. Total project: $142,000-$168,000 all-in, drawings through final inspection.
New Detached ADU - Downtown Huntington Beach
The ficus roots had cracked the existing patio, so we specified a raised foundation with pier-and-grade-beam construction - real vocabulary, then the explanation: posts set below the root zone with a connecting beam that carries the floor framing. This avoided a $15,000 tree removal permit fight with the city arborist. We coordinated a Plant Prefab system for the shell and handled all site prep, utility tie-ins, and finish work under the same contract. The client had one written price at signing, one point of contact, and one photo record folder. No designer-builder finger-pointing when the sewer lateral needed rerouting. Total project: $245,000-$298,000 all-in.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion - Huntington Harbour
Huntington Beach allows Junior ADUs - conversions within the existing footprint of a single-family home, with owner-occupancy required on site. We added an exterior door where a window had been, ran a new electrical subpanel, and installed a kitchenette with a two-burner cooktop and 24-inch refrigerator. The existing bathroom needed ADA-turning-radius compliance, which meant moving one wall 14 inches. We caught this during design, not during rough inspection. The permit set included the JADU checklist, the photo record showed each phase, and the written scope under Haven Standard Clause 1 locked the price at $67,000-$79,000 before any work started.
ADU Site Prep & Utilities - South Huntington Beach
The grade dropped 4 feet over 35 feet, which triggered Huntington Beach’s requirement for a geotechnical report - soil testing to confirm bearing capacity for the new foundation. We brought in a local soils engineer we’ve worked with since 2017, not a random sub pulled from a directory. The overhead power lines required undergrounding to the alley, which meant coordinating with SCE for a service relocation that added three weeks to the schedule nobody wanted extended. We documented the delay in writing, with the permit counter timeline attached to the photo record. The client knew the $34,000-$42,000 site prep cost before we touched dirt, and the $12,000 utility undergrounding was a line item in the original quote - not a surprise.
Prefab Modular ADU - Goldenwest
We specified and coordinated an Abodu system - one of eight prefab and modular brands we work with, including Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, Tuff Shed, and James Hardie. The heritage orange tree required a 15-foot protected radius, so we worked with Abodu’s design team to rotate the unit orientation and shrink the deck footprint. Everything moved under the same single contract: our design-build agreement covered the module specification, site prep, foundation, utility connections, and finish work. The client received one written price of $198,000-$234,000, one photo record, and one warranty document. If the finished ADU doesn’t match the permitted drawings, we make it right - in writing, before the project starts, per the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Garage Conversion with Roof Raise - Yorktown
The existing ceiling was 7 feet 2 inches - legal for storage, not for habitation. Rather than accept a cramped conversion, we engineered a roof raise that added 18 inches of height and two clerestory windows. This meant removing the existing roof structure, extending the block walls with reinforced CMU, and installing a new engineered truss. The electrical panel was a Zinsco - a brand with known fire risk that Huntington Beach inspectors flag on sight. We replaced it with a new 200-amp service and subpanel for the ADU, with the permit and inspection record included in the client’s documentation package. The $118,000-$145,000 written price covered the roof raise, panel replacement, and full conversion. No door-side upsells, no scope creep - Haven Standard Clause 5.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started with a free estimate and a written price before any work began. If you already have a written estimate in hand, we’ll give you a free second opinion - no obligation, no pressure. Call (562) 263-3350 to schedule your site walkthrough. A live person answers 24/7, and you’ll receive a documented photo record on every visit, a permit set you can review, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise backed in writing.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Huntington Beach, serving Huntington Beach since 2015.