Lakewood, California is a close-knit, diverse city in Los Angeles County with approximately 80,000 residents. Both visitors and residents enjoy the lively atmosphere, rich history, and sense of community.

Lakewood predominantly consists of single-family, detached housing structures. The lack of affordable housing across the state of California has led to the ease of regulations surrounding the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Lakewood and in cities throughout Los Angeles County. This allows Lakewood homeowners to simultaneously provide a desperately needed community resource while increasing the value of their properties, should they decide to use the spaces for rental purposes.

ADUs have become increasingly popular throughout California due to the shortage of affordable housing and the relaxation of permitting standards and regulations over building ADUs. If you are considering building an ADU in Lakewood, here are a few things you should know about the process, the advantages, and the different ADU options.

Why should you build an ADU in Lakewood?

The number of accessory dwelling units across Southern California is increasing exponentially due to a variety of factors. In addition to the easing of administrative processes, ADUs are flexible, are affordable to many homeowners, and they increase the value of the residential property considerably.

ADUs are units constructed to be completely functional, independent residential structures on an existing residential property. They might be either attached to the primary structure (with its own separate entrance), constructed on top of an existing garage, or a fully detached separate unit. These structures must provide space for cooking, eating, bathing, sleeping, and living.

The financial benefits of constructing ADU housing in Lakewood are numerous. In addition to increasing property value by making a comparatively small investment, homeowners can use their ADUs to generate substantial revenue if they decide to rent the spaces.

The personal benefits are considerable, too. ADUs can be used as a guest house, a dedicated entertainment room, a fitness center, a home office, or in a variety of different applications.

Types of ADUs

As previously stated, an ADU is defined as a completely functional secondary dwelling constructed on a residential property. Although the property owners may use the space however they choose, the building must be fully equipped as a complete living space that exists entirely separately — with a separate entrance — from the primary dwelling.

There are several categories of ADU, including:

• Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit: A detached ADU is a structure that is constructed completely separately from the main residence. This type of structure provides the highest degree of privacy for both the inhabitants of the main building and the ADU.
• Attached Accessory Dwelling Unit: An attached ADU is a structure that is built as an extension of the primary building, but still has its own separate entrance and facilities. This structure can be built into the main residence or atop a garage space.
• Garage Conversion Accessory Dwelling Unit: This is an ADU that is constructed using an existing garage as the basis of the structure. This might either convert the garage into an independent living space or build a unit on top of a functioning garage.
• Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU)*: This is an ADU that is either 500 square feet or smaller.

Junior Accessory Dwelling Units in Lakewood: JADUs

The regulations surrounding junior accessory dwelling units in Lakewood differ from those regarding standard ADUs. In Lakewood, while standard ADUs may be detached, attached, or garage conversions, JADUs must be converted from an existing habitable structure on the property of a single-family dwelling. Moreover, single-family homeowners who wish to rent a JADU to an independent party must generally reside on the property in the primary structure, though this is not the case with standard ADUs.

EcoSmart Builders provides end-to-end planning and construction services for homeowners who wish to build ADUs in Lakewood and throughout Los Angeles County. Please contact the EcoSmart Builders team for free home qualification today.