Welcome to the world of Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, a rising trend in housing that offers unique opportunities for homeowners.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into what Junior Accessory Dwelling Units are and explore the requirements associated with these living spaces and their costs relative to Accessory Dwelling Units.

Your Guide to Building a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) in Los Angeles

Introduction:  Junior ADU

Thinking of adding a little extra space to your home or a rental unit to help pay down your mortgage, but don’t want the hassle (or cost) of a full-blown addition? Enter the Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU), a rising star in the world of flexible living and building. 

But what exactly is a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, and what are the requirements you need to know before diving in? Grab your pen and paper, because we’re about to unlock the secrets of these tiny powerhouses.

What is a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit?

A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, or J ADU, is a compact living unit typically created within the walls of an existing single-family home. It’s a self-contained living space with its own entrance, bathroom, sleeping area, and efficiency kitchen. 

Unlike traditional ADUs, JADUs are more modest in size, have owner occupancy restrictions, and generally cheaper to build.

Find out more about Accessory Dwelling Units Here.

 Junior ADU requirements:

Jr ADU: Design-related requirements

1. Location, Keep it internal: These units are contained within your existing home, not separate structures. Junior Accessory Dwelling Units can only be converted from existing square footage withing a house in a single family property. They aren’t allowed in multi-family properties. You can convert your attached garage, basement, attic or unused sunroom, family or extra bedrooms into a Jr ADU.
2. Size and Space: Junior ADUs have a size limit ranging from 150 up to 500 square feet. It is entirely existing square footage but you can add up to 150 square feet to accommodate ingress and egress. In other words, to build out a foyer entrance to the Jr ADU.
3. Independent Amenities: Despite their smaller size, JADUs come equipped with essential amenities, including an efficiency kitchen and a bathroom.
4. Kitchen essentials: The Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit requires an efficiency kitchen (basic kitchenette). It includes: a sink, cooking facilities that don’t need 120V or natural gas, and counter and storage space. Please note these vary per jurisdiction and some cities are more lenient, allowing full gas ranges and cooktops.
5. Accessibility: Junior ADUs are private, however, you can share the bathroom of the main house. This is uncommon because most homeowners want completely detached units for privacy. There could be instances that you’re housing an elderly parent and having connected units is paramount.

Jr ADU: Zoning and Building Code Related Requirements

1. Setbacks and Heights: The existing setbacks and the heights remain the same since it’s a conversion within existing space.
2. Parking: Jr ADU don’t require No parking or replacement parking
3. Separate Utilities and Sewer: In most cases, Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit aren’t assigned a new address and may share utilities and sewer lines with the main dwelling. It is always a good idea, however, to run separate electrical circuits into a subpanel dedicated to the Junior ADU that is accessible from within. So that if a circuit breaker goes off, you don’t have to go to the main panel to reset it.
4. Fire Life Safety requirements: There are no fire sprinkler requirements for the Junior ADU if the house doesn’t have any. It is required to have a 1-hour separation between the house and the Jr ADU.
5. Owner Occupancy and Deed Restriction: The final requirement is the owner occupancy requirement. The homeowner has to live either in the main house or in the Jr ADU. Furthermore, most cities require a deed restriction on the property prohibiting the independent sale of the Junior ADU

For more information visit AB-2406 Housing Bill.

Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit Permitting Process:

JADU Planning Process

The permitting process of a Junior ADU is similar to that of an Accessory Dwelling Unit. Contrary to popular belief, the Jr ADU does not make the process easier or faster for approval. 

All jurisdictions are required to approve the application of a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit within 60 days of a complete application package, or it is ministerially approved. All cities usually abide by this review timeline.

First, start with your local planning department to understand zoning regulations and whether Junior ADUs are allowed in your area. Some regions have specific guidelines regarding the size, placement, and occupancy of JADUs. 

To make the search easier, I always type “Name of the City + ADU / JADU requirements”. This is usually a great starting point to begin your research. If you’d rather speak to a planner, you can type “Name of the City + Planning Department” and a contact number or email will usually come up on the Google search.

If your property is part of an HOA, seek approval from the association before proceeding with a Junior ADU. Some HOAs may have their own guidelines and restrictions.

JADU Building Process

Second, familiarize yourself with local building codes to ensure compliance when constructing or retrofitting a space for a Junior ADU. Meeting these codes is crucial for safety and legal adherence.

If you want to legalize already converted space, such as an attached garage, it will have to be “brought up to code”. At the very least, you’ll need necessary fire separation, updated carbon monoxide and smoke detector alarms, proper windows for ventilation and escape, and updated electrical wiring and plumbing.

Lastly, hire a designer or an architect to help you with Junior ADU floor plans and submittal packages to the city. Consult with a contractor for estimated fees so you have a ballpark number of how much money you’ll end up spending. Believe me, it’s much less than a full-blown addition or new construction Accessory Dwelling Unit!

And remember, most impact fees, such as school district developer fee and connection fees, won’t apply to the Jr ADU because you’re converting already “conditioned” (livable) square footage.

Pros and Cons of building a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit compared to an Accessory Dwelling Unit

Now let’s discuss why you would convert part of your house into a Jr ADU rather than a regular ADU unit.

PROS of a Jr ADU

We are going to discuss the pros and cons of building a J ADU and why you should consider it.

Here are a few reasons why Junior Accessory Dwelling Units are beneficial to you as an investment strategy:

• Generally cheaper and faster to build than a garage conversion ADU or new construction ADU. This is a great option when you’re short on budget and/or time
• Conversion from existing space usually means that the structure is already existing so you’re potentially saving money and time in framing, foundation and roofing, sometimes even plumbing and electrical if the space already has it
• Potential lower fees with the city because most impact fees don’t apply
• Lower cost in utilities and sewer connections because there is not need to separate the utilities, just tap into the house!
• Guarantee at least 500 square feet. Usually attached ADU’s have a 50% max. Size relative to the house size.
• Ability to get a third legal unit on your property. In California, you can build (1) detached ADU on your property plus (1) Junior ADU in single family properties. In some cities, such as unincorporated Los Angeles County, you can build (1) detached ADU, (1) attached ADU, and (1) Junior ADU, bringing the legal units to four!!

CONS of a Jr ADU

Now we’re going to discuss some reasons why a Junior ADU might not work for you:

• Required owner occupancy: if you don’t intend to live in the house or the Junior ADU, then this option won’t work for you. This is the biggest drawback in my opinion so it won’t work for any rental properties. In most cases, you need to record a deed stating that you won’t sell the house separately. You also have to live in either the house or the J ADU and its limited to 30 days rental (thus eliminating the option of short-term rental or Airbnb)
• Maximum size is up to 500 square feet.
• Efficiency kitchen might not be enough for your needs
• You will pay for utilities for the Junior ADU, but as long as you account for that in the rent it will be fine!

Personal and Client Anecdotes for Junior ADU

Now I’d like to share some personal and client anecdotes regarding Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. I hope these stories are helpful, relatable, and empower you to make a leap forward towards building generational wealth with your Junior ADU.

Client A

Client A came to me wanting to convert her garage into an Accessory Dwelling Unit. Her property was a single-family property so she did qualify for a detached ADU. However, the year before she converted part of her house into an Attached ADU. At the time, in 2022, only (1) ADU was allowed per property. 

So we went through the process of converting her Attached ADU into a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit in order to convert her garage into an ADU. It worked out perfectly! We reused the attached ADU plans she already had and relabeled the space as a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit. The city approved them in 1 month! When the client called for inspection, the inspector signed off the newly relabeled Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit on the spot.

Client B

Client B is my parents! My parents own a 1,300 square feet home, 4 bedroom 1 bathroom house. My middle sister married and moved out of the house. We had her extra large, 377 square foot bedroom to convert into a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit.

Previous to that, we got approval for a garage conversion to ADU, but at the time my parents didn’t have all the money to invest in the conversion and addition to the ADU. The bids came in way higher than we expected. We had to pivot.

So we decided to apply for a Junior ADU instead. The city approved our plans in 3 months for a one bedroom, one bathroom unit. Then subcontracted the work ourselves to save some money.

Conclusion:

Junior Accessory Dwelling Units offer a solution to the housing landscape, providing homeowners with an opportunity to maximize their property while contributing to the overall availability of affordable housing options. By understanding the definition and requirements associated with Junior ADU, you can embark on a journey to create a functional and legal living space that benefits both you and your community by:

• Welcome aging parents or adult children: Provide comfortable, independent living quarters for loved ones close to home.
• Generate rental income: Turn your unused space into a source of steady income with a desirable rental and help fight housing affordability and scarcity
• Boost your home value: JADUs can add significant value to your property, making them a smart investment. It will take time for lenders and appraisers to finally come around and give Junior Accessory Dwelling Units their respective value.

Remember, J ADUs aren’t going anywhere. If anything, California is signing housing bills that continue, strengthen and streamline the process of building your own Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit and Accessory Dwelling Unit.

To recap, this post was Your Guide to Building a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) in Los Angeles.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below. Feel free to contact me with any questions or feedback. Check out our portfolio for ideas and inspirations.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions Re: Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit