ADU Builder in Wilshire Montana, Santa Monica

Wilshire Montana Housing Types and the ADU Each One Suits

Few Santa Monica neighborhoods have as much variety on a single block. A Craftsman bungalow might sit next to a 1960s stucco house, which sits next to a Victorian duplex and a small condo building. Each one leads to a different ADU answer, and the right first question is not what you want to build but what is already there.

Bungalow owners often look at a junior ADU or a rear garage conversion, because the house itself is small and the yard is valued. Owners of mid-sized houses on regular lots have the most options, including a detached cottage. Duplex owners follow the multifamily rules. Condominium owners usually cannot add an ADU on their own, since the land is held in common and HOA rules apply.

Junior ADUs in Wilshire Montana Craftsman Bungalows

Many Craftsman houses here have a back bedroom near the kitchen, an enclosed rear porch, or a side door into a hallway. Those are good places for a JADU, which tops out at 500 square feet. The unit gets its own exterior door and an efficiency kitchen, and keeps a connecting door to the main house that can lock from both sides.

Old houses bring old systems. Wiring, plumbing and framing in a century-old bungalow often need attention once the walls open. We budget for that up front. If the JADU has its own bathroom, there is no owner occupancy requirement, which keeps the house flexible if you ever move.

ADUs Behind Victorian Duplexes on Wilshire Montana Lots

The neighborhood's Victorian-era duplexes are already two units, so they fall under the state's multifamily ADU rules rather than single-family ones. With two existing units on the lot, a duplex owner may build two freestanding ADUs, because state law keeps new detached units from outnumbering the old ones. Unused space such as a basement storeroom or a garage can also be converted.

Placing a new unit behind an old duplex takes care. The front facade usually stays untouched, and the ADU sits at the rear near the alley, low enough not to overwhelm the older building. A California Register listing on the duplex would bring added standards, which is why we look it up first.

• Up to two detached ADUs behind an existing duplex
• Conversion of storage or garage space
• Historic listing check before design
• Rear placement off the alley

Detached Cottages on Mid-Sized Wilshire Montana Lots

For the single-family houses in the middle of the size range, a detached ADU is often the strongest choice. The city's standards allow two stories and 24 feet, so even a lot with a modest yard can hold a one-bedroom unit stacked over a small footprint. Alley access, common on these blocks, gives the unit a separate entry and makes construction easier.

Because ADUs are ministerial in Santa Monica, the cottage does not go through design review. That is a real advantage on blocks where houses sit close together and neighbors might otherwise object. We still design upper windows with privacy in mind, because good relations with the people next door make the construction months easier.