A detached ADU in Burbank costs $150,000 to $400,000. A garage conversion runs $80,000 to $180,000. On a square-foot basis, a new detached unit prices at roughly $350-$550 per sq ft all-in, so a 750 sq ft two-bedroom lands at $265,000-$400,000 depending on finish level and site conditions. Burbank's housing stock skews to 1940s and 50s single-storey homes on modest lots, many with alley access and 100-amp electrical service. Those two facts, alley access and old panels, explain most of the cost variation between otherwise identical projects.
Detached ADU Costs by Construction Phase
For a 750 sq ft detached two-bedroom, one-bath ADU in Burbank:
- Architectural drawings, structural engineering, Title 24 energy compliance and survey: $12,000-$25,000 - City permits, plan check and impact-related fees: $6,000-$18,000 - Site work, utility trenching and grading: $8,000-$20,000 - Foundation, slab on grade: $18,000-$35,000 - Framing, sheathing and roof structure: $35,000-$60,000 - Roofing, windows and exterior doors: $16,000-$32,000 - Stucco or siding exterior: $14,000-$28,000 - Rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC: $30,000-$52,000 - Insulation and drywall: $12,000-$22,000 - Kitchen cabinetry, counters and appliances: $16,000-$40,000 - Bathroom: $14,000-$28,000 - Flooring, interior doors, trim and paint: $16,000-$32,000 - Solar PV system, required by Title 24 on new detached dwellings: $9,000-$18,000
That totals roughly $206,000-$410,000 before landscape and hardscape around the unit.
Pro Tip
Get the survey and a sewer camera done before design. Both are cheap early and expensive as change orders.
Garage Conversion Pricing in Burbank
A standard Burbank two-car garage is around 400-440 sq ft. Converting it to a legal ADU costs $80,000-$180,000, with most projects landing at $110,000-$155,000.
- Plans, structural and Title 24: $6,000-$14,000 - Permits and fees: $4,000-$12,000 - New or levelled slab, moisture barrier and raising floor to code: $6,000-$14,000 - Infilling the garage door opening with framed wall, header and window: $4,500-$9,000 - Foundation upgrade where the existing garage sits on a shallow footing: $8,000-$22,000 - Insulation and air sealing to Title 24: $3,500-$7,000 - Ductless mini-split HVAC: $6,500-$11,000 - Bathroom, complete: $18,000-$32,000 - Kitchenette to full kitchen: $9,000-$28,000 - Electrical subpanel and rough wiring: $4,500-$9,000 - Plumbing and sewer connection: $6,000-$16,000 - Windows, egress, doors, drywall, flooring and paint: $18,000-$35,000
A conversion is not required to carry solar PV the way a new detached unit is, which is a meaningful cost difference.
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What Drives Burbank ADU Costs Up
Old electrical service. A large share of Magnolia Park and the streets around Chandler and Verdugo still run 100-amp panels. Adding a dwelling with its own kitchen, HVAC and possibly an EV charger normally forces a service upgrade through Burbank Water and Power. Budget $3,500-$8,000, and more if the service is overhead and needs to be relocated or the meter reconfigured.
Sewer laterals. Homes of this vintage often have clay or cast iron laterals. If the camera inspection shows root intrusion or offset joints, replacing the lateral to the main is $6,000-$18,000 depending on length and whether it crosses the street.
Access and staging. Alley access on many Burbank blocks is a genuine advantage, allowing material delivery and debris removal without crossing the front yard. Lots without it pay $4,000-$12,000 more in material handling and yard restoration.
Hillside lots above Sunset Canyon add engineering, and equestrian-zoned properties in the Rancho district have their own site constraints worth checking early.
Code Requirements That Carry Real Cost
California Title 24 energy standards drive several line items. New detached ADUs must carry a solar photovoltaic system, which is why the $9,000-$18,000 PV line appears on detached builds but not on garage conversions or attached units. Title 24 also sets insulation, fenestration, duct sealing and high-efficacy lighting requirements, all verified by a HERS rater at $600-$1,500.
Under state ADU law, you are not required to replace the parking lost when a garage is converted to an ADU, which saves the $8,000-$25,000 a replacement carport or driveway apron would cost. Fire sprinklers are not required in an ADU if they are not required in the primary dwelling, which spares most older Burbank homes a $6,000-$14,000 sprinkler system and possible water service upgrade.
Separate utility metering is optional for most ADUs and costs $4,000-$12,000 if you want the tenant billed directly.
Pro Tip
If you plan to rent the ADU separately, price separate metering during design. Adding a second meter after the walls are closed is far more disruptive.
Build Duration and What the Money Buys
Construction duration for a detached Burbank ADU is typically 5-8 months from ground breaking to final inspection. A garage conversion runs 3-5 months. Design, engineering and plan check happen before that and vary by project complexity and how quickly the design is settled.
On cost per square foot, a garage conversion at roughly $220-$380 per sq ft is the cheaper route, but you are limited to the garage footprint, existing ceiling height and whatever the slab and footings will support. A detached unit at $350-$550 per sq ft costs more but gives you the layout, ceiling height, natural light and privacy that make a unit genuinely liveable long term.
The honest advice: if the garage is structurally sound, sits on decent footings and is a comfortable size, convert. If it is a shallow-footing 1940s single-car structure, tear it down and build new. Propping up a bad garage costs almost as much as a new build with a worse result.
Final Thoughts
Burbank ADUs price at $150,000-$400,000 detached and $80,000-$180,000 for a garage conversion. The variables that move your number most are the electrical service, the sewer lateral and whether the existing garage is worth saving. Investigate all three before design, and let the findings decide the build type rather than the other way round.
Frequently Asked Questions
A detached ADU runs $150,000-$400,000, or roughly $350-$550 per square foot all-in, so a 750 sq ft two-bedroom lands at $265,000-$400,000. A garage conversion runs $80,000-$180,000, with most Burbank conversions landing at $110,000-$155,000 once bathroom, kitchen, HVAC and electrical work are included.
Yes, at roughly $220-$380 per square foot versus $350-$550 for new detached construction, and conversions are exempt from the Title 24 solar requirement that adds $9,000-$18,000 to a new detached unit. The trade-off is that you inherit the existing footprint, ceiling height and foundation quality.
No. Under state ADU law, replacement parking is not required when a garage is converted into an accessory dwelling unit. That saves the $8,000-$25,000 a replacement carport or expanded driveway would otherwise cost, though many homeowners still add a driveway apron for practical reasons.
A new detached ADU does, because California Title 24 energy standards require a photovoltaic system on new detached dwellings. Budget $9,000-$18,000. Garage conversions and units created within the existing envelope of the main house are not subject to that requirement, which is a real cost advantage for conversions.
Roughly 5-8 months of construction for a detached unit from ground breaking to final inspection, and 3-5 months for a garage conversion. Design, engineering and plan check take place before construction begins and vary with how quickly the layout and finishes are settled.
