A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in Los Gatos, CA
Los Gatos homeowners planning an ADU, garage conversion, or home addition face a distinctive set of building conditions: steep hillside lots, strict historic-district design review, and wildfire-adjacent material requirements. At Lodgewick ADU San Jose, we know those conditions well and we price for them honestly. Every Los Gatos project starts with a written estimate, so you know the real number before any commitment. If you’re weighing your options, call (669) 266-4319 for a free estimate.
Why Los Gatos Homes Are Different
Los Gatos isn’t flat, and it isn’t new. The town stretches from the valley floor up into the Santa Cruz Mountains, which means a hillside ADU often requires grading, retaining walls, and a foundation engineered for slope stability. Many hillside lots sit in overlay zones with tighter setback rules than the flatter streets near downtown, and the town’s planning department reviews those projects carefully. A backyard unit that works in Campbell or San Jose often needs a different structural approach on a Los Gatos canyon lot.
The housing stock adds another layer. Almond Grove and the Glen Ridge area are full of early Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revivals, many built before 1940. Those homes have generous character and sometimes outdated foundations, which matters when you’re tying a new structure into an old one. Design review in historic districts scrutinizes rooflines, window trim, and exterior materials, so the unit must look like it belongs. Meanwhile, mid-century ranch homes on the flatter east side present their own opportunity: long, shallow lots where a detached ADU or a garage conversion can add square footage without fighting the slope. Los Gatos also sits within the wildland-urban interface in many areas, which pushes every build toward fire-resistant siding, ember-resistant vents, and defensible-space awareness.
Our Main Los Gatos Services
Most Los Gatos callers are deciding between three ways to add space: a home addition, a garage conversion, or a standalone ADU. Each path fits a different lot, budget, and timeline, and each comes with its own permitting path in Los Gatos. Here’s what those jobs look like locally.
Home Addition Contractor in Los Gatos
A home addition in Los Gatos often means expanding off the back of a mid-century ranch or adding a second story to a Craftsman on a generous lot. On hillside properties, additions frequently require pier-and-grade-beam foundations or cantilevered sections where flat ground is scarce, and the town’s geology review can add time to the permit process. We’ve handled additions where the only sensible direction was up, not out, because the usable lot area was limited by slope. Every addition gets a written price and a written 365-Day Done Right Promise before work starts. Home Addition Contractor in Los Gatos
Garage Conversion Contractor in Los Gatos
Converting a detached garage is one of the most cost-effective ways to add a rental unit or in-law suite in Los Gatos, especially in older neighborhoods like Almond Grove, where detached garages came standard. The catch is historic design review: exterior details like window trim, roof pitch, and door style must match the original Craftsman character, and narrow, tree-lined streets make material delivery a logistical puzzle. We plan for those constraints from day one, including the trenching for utilities that older garages often lack entirely. The Kingswell Guarantee covers the conversion in writing, with a free return visit if anything fails within the guarantee year. Garage Conversion Contractor in Los Gatos
ADU Builders in Los Gatos
A detached ADU on a Los Gatos lot is the fullest expression of adding space: a new standalone unit with its own kitchen, bath, and entrance. On hillside lots, that often means a cantilevered or pier-supported design, while on flatter lots it can be a prefab panel system that shortens the on-site build time. Los Gatos home values justify a well-built ADU, but only if the unit clears the town’s design review and fire-safety standards. Russ Delmar leads the estimating on these projects and will walk your lot with you before any number goes on paper. We work with trusted prefab lines like Abodu and Cover when the lot and timeline favor factory-built precision. ADU Builders in Los Gatos
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Los Gatos
We install and build on materials and systems from brands homeowners actually recognize: Tuff Shed structures, James Hardie siding, Abodu prefab ADUs, and Cover panel-built units. Parts sourced from these manufacturers are ordered early, so material lead times don’t silently push your Los Gatos build schedule backward.
Pricing for ADU Company in Los Gatos, CA
| Service | Typical range in Los Gatos |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU (full build, turnkey) | $275,000 – $450,000 |
| Prefab/panelized ADU (Abodu, Cover, Boxabl) | $180,000 – $320,000 |
| Garage conversion to ADU | $120,000 – $220,000 |
| JADU (attached junior ADU, under 500 sq ft) | $90,000 – $160,000 |
| Home addition (ground-level, per sq ft) | $350 – $550 per sq ft |
| Home addition (second story, per sq ft) | $450 – $700 per sq ft |
| Hillside foundation/retaining work (per project) | $25,000 – $80,000 |
| Architectural and engineering plans | $8,000 – $18,000 |
| Site preparation and grading | $10,000 – $35,000 |
| Utility trenching and connections | $8,000 – $25,000 |
Hillside work pushes Los Gatos pricing up: steeper lots mean deeper foundations, more grading, and sometimes retaining walls before the first wall goes up. Historic-district design review can also add cost through custom window and trim packages that satisfy the board. Whatever your scope, the price we quote is written down before we start, and it doesn’t change at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Los Gatos
We take on work across Los Gatos, from the flat ranch-home streets east of Highway 17 to the steep canyon lots off Summit Road. Our crews know which streets have tight access and which lots will need the grading conversation early.
- Almond Grove
- Glen Ridge
- Los Gatos Meadows
- East Los Gatos
- Kennedy Road area
Most Los Gatos estimates happen within a few days of your call, and Russ walks the lot personally before any number is finalized.
Service Area – Cities Near Los Gatos
While we serve Los Gatos directly, homeowners in neighboring cities often ask about the same ADU, garage conversion, and addition work. You’ll find our crew in Santa Clara, CA, San Jose, CA, Los Altos, CA, and Milpitas, CA. Scheduling for all of these areas is coordinated from the brand’s San Francisco Bay Area office.
Serving Los Gatos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Gatos area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Company in Los Gatos
Most estimate visits in Los Gatos get scheduled within two to four business days. Hillside lots take a little longer on-site because we walk the grade and discuss foundation options, so plan for a longer visit. Call (669) 266-4319 and we’ll get you on the calendar.
Yes. We prepare submittal drawings that anticipate design review feedback in districts like Almond Grove, including window trim, roofline, and exterior material choices that match the home’s original character. We can’t promise an approval, but we don’t submit drawings we wouldn’t defend in front of the board.
It covers the workmanship on every Los Gatos build or conversion for a full year. If something isn’t done right within that window, we return and make it right, free. The promise is written into your contract before work begins, not after.
If you’re thinking about an ADU, garage conversion, or addition in Los Gatos, call (669) 266-4319 for a free estimate. We’ll give you the real number in writing.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local adu pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Los Gatos Customers Say
"Converted our garage into a rental studio. The crew was respectful of the neighbors and kept the site clean. It's bringing in rent now and paid for itself faster than I expected."
- Grace Yoon"Built a backyard unit for my mother in law. They handled the permits, gave me a real timeline, and stuck to it within a few days. The written price is what we paid, which anyone who's done construction knows is rare."
- Dennis Fairchild"Added a suite for my dad. They walked us through every cost before a hammer swung and stuck to it. The written price is what we paid, no change orders."
- Ingrid Salazar
