Frequently Asked Questions

Typically 8-14 months: 2-3 months for design and permit submission, 4-8 weeks for city review, then 5-7 months of construction. Riverside's Building & Safety Division has improved turnaround since 2015, but the queue still backs up in spring. We handle the full design-build sequence in one contract - drawings, engineering, permit set, and construction - because the projects that fail are almost always the ones where the designer and builder can each blame the other.

City of Riverside's Planning Division typically takes 6-10 weeks for an ADU plan check once submitted, assuming no corrections. We've seen faster in Corona and slower in unincorporated county pockets near Pedley and Sunnyslope, where Riverside County handles review. The state-mandated 60-day clock exists, but most jurisdictions use the full window. We track every submission and call for status weekly - part of what you're paying for is someone to sit on hold with the city so you don't have to.

We handle design in-house. Ellery ADU Studio is a design-build studio, not a general contractor who outsources drawings. Our drafters work in the same building as our project managers, which means the person who drew your roof framing detail is available to the crew who builds it. That integration is why we can quote a fixed price - we know exactly how we'll build what we drew. If you already have plans, we'll review them, but we don't take on "bid the drawings" jobs where we didn't control the design.

An ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a standalone or attached unit, up to 1,200 square feet in most Riverside zoning districts. A JADU (Junior ADU) is created within the existing footprint of a single-family home, max 500 square feet, with an efficiency kitchen and shared or separate bathroom. JADUs are cheaper but less flexible for rental income. In neighborhoods like Norco and El Cerrito with larger lot sizes, we typically recommend a detached ADU for the privacy and rental premium.

Yes, though it adds cost. The Riverside area has significant grade change in the hills above the 91 freeway and in parts of Rubidoux. We design for the slope rather than fighting it - sometimes a stem-wall foundation, sometimes a partial basement for storage, sometimes splitting the unit across levels. Every sloped lot gets a preliminary topographic survey before we quote, so the retaining and foundation costs are in the written scope from the start.

We install units from Abodu, Cover, and Dvele, depending on the site and the homeowner's priorities. Abodu tends to fit well on flat lots in newer Riverside developments like those in Eastvale, with faster factory delivery. Cover's system works for tighter sites where crane access is limited. Dvele's higher-efficiency shells make sense for owners planning long-term rental hold in Riverside's hot summers. We don't push one brand - we show you the installed cost, lead time, and energy performance for each, then you decide.

Yes, regularly. James Hardie fiber-cement siding performs well in Riverside's climate - it handles the 110-degree summer days and the Santa Ana wind cycles better than vinyl or wood composites. We specify it on maybe half our builds, especially in neighborhoods where the main house already has Hardie and the owner wants visual cohesion. It's not the cheapest option, but the 30-year product warranty and the clean installation lines match what we promise under The Haven Standard.

It depends on your timeline, site, and how much you care about customization. Prefab from Abodu or Dvele gets you weather-tight in a day or two once the foundation is ready, with less neighborhood disruption. Site-built gives you full control over layout and materials, which matters in historic Riverside districts or when matching a specific architectural style. We do both, and we'll quote each path so you can compare real numbers.

Yes. Every pro working under our name in Riverside is required to hold the California contractor license and insurance the state requires, and we verify it before they step on site. Nadia Ellery leads the local branch and ensures the Haven documentation system - license numbers on the page, photos of what we found, written scope before we start - is followed on every job. You can check any contractor's license at cslb.ca.gov; we encourage it.

We pull every permit required - building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical - and we schedule the inspections. That's standard in our contract, not an add-on. In Riverside specifically, we've built relationships with the inspectors in Building & Safety since this branch opened, which means we know what they look for and we don't waste your time with failed inspections that should have been caught beforehand. The permit fees are listed as a line item in your written quote.

General liability, workers' compensation, and a builder's risk policy that names you as additional insured during construction. We carry the first two; we require you to obtain builder's risk or we can include it in the contract. The critical point is that the policy is active before demolition or excavation starts. We send you certificates of insurance before any work begins, not after you ask - that's part of the "Verified crews" commitment in The Haven Standard.

You call your project manager, who answers or returns calls during business hours: Monday through Sunday, 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM. We're not a 24/7 operation - ADU construction is planned work, not emergency service - but we don't disappear once the contract is signed. If a structural issue, weather delay, or supply problem comes up, we document it with photos and a written explanation, then present options with cost impacts before proceeding. Clause 5: no surprises.

Your project manager is your single point of contact, with a direct number and email. If they're unavailable during our operating hours of 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM, seven days a week, our office coordinator connects you with the right person. We don't use anonymous dispatch lines, but we also don't pretend the owner answers every call personally. What we promise is that someone who knows your job will get back to you the same day.

A written, one-year workmanship warranty on all construction, plus the manufacturers' warranties on materials - typically 30 years on James Hardie siding, 10-25 years on roofing, and so on. The Haven Standard requires that warranty document be in your hand before we start, not promised verbally after. If something fails because of how we built it, we fix it. If it fails because of a product defect, we manage the manufacturer claim so you don't have to.

It shouldn't, and if it does, we explain why in writing before the change is approved. The Haven Standard, Clause 1, is "Have it in writing" - flat price, written scope, before anyone starts. The only legitimate price changes are owner-requested upgrades or concealed conditions we couldn't have discovered during our site visit (unmarked utilities, undocumented septic systems). Even then, we stop work, document what we found with photos, and get your signed approval before continuing.

We guarantee we'll build to the approved plans and the current California Building Code, which is what inspection tests for. If we fail an inspection because of our work, we correct it at our cost and reschedule. If the city requires a correction because the plans didn't anticipate a field condition, we handle that too - it's part of why design-build matters. What we can't guarantee is that a homeowner won't make unpermitted changes after we leave; that's on the owner.

A final packet: the as-built drawings showing what was actually constructed, all permit sign-off cards, manufacturer warranty registrations, photos of concealed conditions (framing, insulation, plumbing before drywall), and a maintenance schedule. Riverside requires a final occupancy inspection before you can legally rent the unit; we don't consider the job done until that certificate is in your hand. Everything is uploaded to your project portal and delivered as a hard copy.

Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Riverside, serving Riverside, Rubidoux, Pedley, El Sobrante, Sunnyslope, Glen Avon, Mira Loma, Norco, El Cerrito, Eastvale, Corona, and Rialto since 2015.