Frequently Asked Questions

A typical detached ADU in Orange County takes 6 to 9 months from permit submittal to final inspection. Garage conversions usually finish in 4 to 6 months. The biggest variable is permit review time, which ranges from a few weeks in cities with streamlined ADU review to several months for coastal or hillside properties. We schedule every phase before we start and show up inside the window we gave. That discipline is why the schedule stays honest.

Yes. We pull every permit, schedule every inspection, and handle the paperwork with the city from start to finish. Orange County ADU codes changed a lot after the 2020 state law updates, and each city interprets them slightly differently. Fountain Valley, Orange, and Laguna Woods each have their own submittal quirks. We do it by the book the first time, so your project doesn't stall over a missed requirement. Reed Calloway reviews every permit submittal before it goes out.

No. Most of our Orange County clients leave for work during the day and see progress in the evening. You'll get a schedule up front so you know what's happening each week, and the site is left clean and squared away at the end of every day. If we need a decision, we call. You don't need to hover, and you don't need to clear your schedule.

We start with a property visit to assess setbacks, access, and utility locations. Then we work with you on a floor plan that fits your lot and your budget. Most Orange County lots suit a one-bedroom or two-bedroom layout under 800 square feet, but we've designed units in Ladera Ranch and Rossmoor that push the lot envelope without violating setback rules. Once the plan is set, we price it in writing and submit for permits. No design fees, no surprise add-ons.

Yes, where the city allows it. State law permits two-story ADUs up to 16 feet in height, but local zoning and setback rules vary. In Newport Beach and parts of Orange, hillside lots sometimes trigger extra height review. Two-story ADUs cost more per square foot because of engineering and stair requirements, but they make sense on tight lots where the footprint simply doesn't fit a bedroom and a living space on one level. We'll tell you honestly if your lot supports it, usually within the first site visit.

Yes. A second-story ADU over an existing garage is one of the most popular options in Orange County because it uses space you already have. The engineering is more involved, the foundation usually needs some reinforcement, and the stairs eat square footage, but the result is a full apartment without sacrificing yard space. We've completed over-garage ADUs in North Tustin and Orange where the existing garage structure was in good enough shape to support the load. Call (424) 577-4306 to find out if yours qualifies.

It's the promise every Fielding ADU location works to: we arrive inside the window we gave you, put the price in writing before any work starts, do the job by the book, and leave the site clean. The work is guaranteed in writing for a full year. It's not a marketing slogan. It's the operating code our crews work under, and it's why our Orange County clients tell us the process felt calm compared to other contractors they've hired.

We're a design-build firm, which means we handle everything from plans to final paint. Some Orange County homeowners ask about factory-built ADUs from companies like Abodu or Cover as a faster alternative. Those products work well on certain lots, but they come with their own permitting and site-prep requirements. We're happy to talk through the trade-offs honestly, and if a prefab approach fits your site better than stick-built, we'll say so. The right answer depends on access, timeline, and your budget.

We use slab-on-grade foundations for most detached ADUs in Orange County. The county's clay-heavy soil in areas like Tustin and Santa Ana expands and contracts with moisture, so we spec rebar and concrete to exceed minimum code. On hillside lots in places like Rancho Santa Margarita, we sometimes switch to raised foundations or pier systems depending on slope and drainage. The foundation is the one part of the build you never cut corners on. Every foundation is engineered and inspected.

Yes. Title 24 energy code already requires solar-ready wiring and high-efficiency windows on new ADUs in California, but we can spec further: mini-split HVAC, tankless water heaters, induction cooktops, and panel upgrades sized for EV charging. These choices raise cost but lower long-run utility bills and make the unit easier to rent at a premium. We'll line-item every efficiency upgrade on your written estimate so you decide where the money goes.

Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance the state requires. We carry general liability and workers' compensation coverage, and we're happy to provide certificates before you sign. Our Orange County clients get a copy of our license and insurance with the written estimate. This is standard practice for us, not a special request.

We run our own field crews for framing, finish carpentry, and site management, and we bring in licensed subcontractors for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Those trades work under our permits and our schedule, and they're held to the same standard as our own people: show up inside the window, do it by the book, leave it clean. Every sub we use in Orange County has worked with us on multiple jobs, so you're not getting a random crew from a leads list.

Every ADU in Orange County requires a building permit, and most require plan check through the city's building department. Some cities add coastal development permits, historic district review, or hillside grading review depending on your lot. We handle all of it. Reed Calloway has pulled ADU permits in cities across the county, from Santa Ana to Newport Beach, and knows which forms each city wants and what their inspectors focus on.

We're open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and closed Saturdays. When you call during those hours, a live coordinator answers and connects you with the local team. We schedule starts based on permit timeline and current build load, not on urgency gimmicks. When we give you a start date, you can plan around it. Call (424) 577-4306 to get a realistic timeline for your project.

You call us, and we come back. The Garrison Standard covers workmanship for a full year in writing, but the practical answer is simpler: if a wall is out of square, a door sticks, or a fixture fails, we make it right at no charge during that year. Outside the warranty window, we'll still tell you honestly what went wrong and quote a fair repair. Most problems trace back to materials or settling, and we deal with them directly. This is our city. Our reputation walks these streets.

We're a design-build firm, not a handyman service, so emergency repair work is generally outside our scope. If one of our ADUs leaks or has a structural issue, we respond and fix it under warranty. If you bought a home with an ADU built by someone else and need emergency plumbing or electrical work, we're not the right fit. We focus on what we do best: building ADUs square, permitted, and finished on schedule.

Every ADU we build is guaranteed in writing for a full year under the Garrison Standard. If workmanship fails in that time, we come back and make it right at no charge. That covers framing, drywall, paint, tile, roofing, and everything else we touch. Manufacturer warranties on appliances, windows, and HVAC equipment run separately and often stretch 5 to 15 years. We explain exactly what's covered, in writing, before your project starts.

Because our name is on it. This Orange County branch is an independent local business that agreed to work to the Garrison Standard, and our reputation rides on every ADU we build here. We're not a company that finishes a job and disappears. Homeowners who need warranty work call us, a coordinator answers during business hours, and we schedule the return. The warranty is in writing, and we stand behind it.

"Built square" means the walls are plumb, the corners are true, and the work meets code. "Permitted" means every inspection is passed and the city signs off on the final. "Finished on schedule" means we give you a timeline we can keep and show up inside the window we gave. It's the mission of Fielding ADU Builders, and it's the standard Reed Calloway and the Orange County team build to on every job.

Yes. We can show you photos, walk you through past project details, and in some cases arrange a drive-by look at a completed unit. We've built across Orange County: garage conversions in Santa Ana, detached units in Tustin, over-garage ADUs in North Tustin, and backyard cottages in Ladera Ranch and Aliso Viejo. Seeing the finished work helps you understand what your budget actually buys. Call (424) 577-4306 and ask about projects near your neighborhood.

Choose whoever you trust. We'd tell you to ask every contractor the same questions: Will the price be in writing before you start? What's the warranty, in writing, and for how long? Will they pull permits and pass inspections? Who shows up on the job site? Fielding is an old building-trade surname. It sounds like a firm that has framed a few homes, and that's the standard we hold: written price, disciplined schedule, clean site, full-year guarantee. If another contractor answers those questions the same way, you'll be in good hands either way.

Written by Reed Calloway, Owner at Fielding ADU Orange County, serving Orange County since 2006.