ADU Before & After in Hemet, CA
Photos beat promises every time. Below you’ll find real transformations we’ve completed across Hemet, from cluttered garages to permitted rental units. Each project includes the actual problem we found, what we built, and how the numbers worked out. If you want to see these spaces in person, we’ll arrange it.
Recent Transformations
Garage Conversion ADU: Valley-Wide Storage Space to 480-Square-Foot Rental
The owner had collected quotes from three different Hemet contractors, each with a different scope and no permit strategy. We found the existing slab was 3.5 inches, below current code for habitable space, so we specified a bonded topping slab rather than full replacement, saving roughly $4,200. Under Clause 1, the written price was $67,500 all-in, drawings through final inspection. We pulled the permit with Riverside County, coordinated the fire separation between garage and ADU per California Residential Code R302.6, and delivered the photo record at each inspection milestone. The unit passed final in 14 weeks. It’s now rented at $1,395 per month.
New Detached ADU: Backyard Dirt Lot to 640-Square-Foot One-Bedroom
This Boulder Bay lot had an 18-inch grade swing and an SCE overhead drop that threatened to trigger a service relocation costing $8,000-plus. We specified a shallow-profile roof design and coordinated with Southern California Edison for a point of attachment revision instead, holding the line item to $1,200. The Haven Standard written price came in at $118,000, including site prep, utility trenching to the main sewer at the street, and full permit set. We hit a three-week delay when Riverside County requested revised energy calculations for the Title 24 compliance package, which we absorbed at our cost per Clause 5 (No Surprises). Final certificate of occupancy issued in 18 weeks.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion: Single-Family Ramona West to Dual-Income Property
The owner wanted rental income without losing the main house. A Junior ADU was the only path, since Hemet’s R-1 zoning limits detached ADUs to one per lot and this property already had a garage. We found the Federal Pacific electrical panel, a known fire hazard that no insurer will touch for a rental conversion. We wrote the panel upgrade into the base scope, not as a change order, and specified a 200-amp service with sub-meter infrastructure for future separate billing. Written price under Clause 1: $34,800. The efficiency kitchen shares the existing bathroom, per California JADU requirements, and we added a sound-rated door assembly for privacy between units. The owner now collects $950 per month from the JADU while living in the main house.
ADU Site Prep & Utilities: East Hemet Hillside with Failed Septic
The owner had architectural plans from another designer but no contractor would touch the site work. We brought in a soils engineer for a perc test that confirmed the leach field had failed due to shallow granite. Rather than abandon the project, we designed a pressure-dosed septic system with a pump chamber and raised leach field, engineered for the 1,200-square-foot ADU scope. The granite excavation required a hydraulic hammer on a mini-excavator for three days. We wrote the site work as a standalone contract at $41,500, with the full detached ADU to follow under a second written price once the pad was proven. The equipment path we cut for access became a paved driveway, saving the owner a separate paving contract. Photo record shows every blast hole and every compaction test.
Prefab Modular ADU: Abodu One in Seven Hills
The owner had priced site-built construction at $195,000 and asked us for a second opinion on a written estimate from another Hemet contractor. We identified the Abodu One as a fit for the flat lot and coordinated directly with Abodu’s installation team, but retained the single-contract model, so Ellery remained responsible for foundation, utility connections, and final inspection, not Abodu. Written price: $142,000 all-in, including the unit, transport from their factory, crane set, foundation, and full utility tie-in. The neighbor’s shed encroached on the required 4-foot side setback, so we handled the property line survey and fence relocation as part of site prep, not as an extra. Crane day was scheduled for a Saturday to avoid Hemet Unified school traffic on Stetson Avenue. Final inspection passed on the first call.
Garage Conversion with Tuff Shed Coordination: McSweeny Farms Workshop to Studio
The owner had purchased a Tuff Shed with the intent to finish it later, which is a common path in McSweeny Farms where HOA covenants restrict new detached structures but allow modifications to existing sheds. We found the shed was on blocks, not a foundation, which disqualified it from conversion under Riverside County’s interpretation of CRC R106.1. We poured a 4-inch slab with perimeter footings, then re-anchored the existing Tuff Shed to it, preserving the structure while meeting code. Written price: $28,400, including the foundation, insulation, mini-split, permitted 60-amp subpanel, and egress window. The photo record shows the shed lifted by crane, the pour, and the re-set. The owner uses it as a home office now, but it’s permitted as a JADU-equivalent studio if they ever want to rent it.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started with a site visit and a written price before any work started, per Haven Standard Clause 1. If you have a written estimate already, we’ll give you a free second opinion. Call (951) 430-0167 to schedule your free estimate. A live person answers, 24/7.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Hemet, serving Hemet since 2015.