ADU Builder & Home Additions in Chino Hills, CA
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Last modified: 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
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Image: Detached backyard ADU with wood siding and black-framed glass doors at dusk
- Chino Hills
Design · Permit · Build
ADUs & Additions in Chino Hills
Detached ADUs, garage conversions and additions, from plans to move-in.
Book a Consultation Call 818-300-2393
Built for Chino Hills Homes
Chino Hills was planned before it was a city: in 1979 San Bernardino County began the Chino Hills Specific Plan for 18,000 acres, the first in California designed for an unincorporated area, and it called for homes clustered in village cores so that as much open space as possible stayed open.
A few places are older than the plan, among them Sleepy Hollow, a weekend getaway from Los Angeles in the 1920s with about 90 cabins by 1928, and Los Serranos, whose golf and country club opened in 1925. The grassroots group Hills for Everyone led the preservation of 14,102 acres that became Chino Hills State Park, and the Development Code still keeps the city's mapped prominent ridgelines undeveloped.
For a pool, a terrace or an ADU, the fire overlay, the slope, protected native trees and any mapped fault, landslide or drainage course shape the plan before style does.
Lots in Planned Development districts, Butterfield Ranch among them, follow the PD documents adopted for each project, while the base single-family R-S zone sets a 7,200 square foot minimum lot, Rural Residential 20,000 square feet and Agriculture-Ranch five acres, with larger minimums shown on the Zoning Map where terrain calls for them.
The English Road area, designated Agriculture Ranch in the General Plan as large-lot land suitable for equestrian estates, sits in the Level 1 equestrian overlay, where horses and other large animals may be kept as an accessory use to the home.
We are a design-build team, which means the people who draw your project are the people who build it. Design, engineering, permits and construction run through one project manager and our own crews, so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a salesperson and a subcontractor. We are licensed, bonded and insured, CSLB license #1119054 .
Permits in Chino Hills: Room addition and remodel plans start with the Building and Safety Division of the Community Development Department; once a submittal is complete it routes to both Building and Safety and Planning, a separate submittal goes to the Chino Valley Fire District, and the city puts plan review at generally 15 business days, longer for larger projects.
On residentially zoned lots a pool or spa may not sit in the front setback and must stay at least five feet from rear and side property lines, measured from the water's edge for an in-ground pool, while mechanical equipment needs three feet and must be screened where visible from a right-of-way.
New construction, ADUs included, and additions that enlarge a structure by 50 percent or more must keep ten feet of exterior wall separation from other structures unless built entirely of noncombustible materials, and must fit ember screens on attic vents and evaporative coolers.
Inside the Fire Hazard Overlay District the same work must also meet Section 7A of the Building Code and keep thirty feet, clear to the sky, from structures on adjoining lots unless the Chino Valley Fire District and the Community Development Director approve an equivalent alternative.
Permit details checked September 2026 against Chino Hills Municipal Code . Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Build
- Fire Hazard Overlay and Section 7A detailing
- Native tree permits before grading
- Geologic hazard overlay studies
- Hillside adaptive design near Carbon Canyon Road
- Detached ADUs, ground-up
- Garage conversions to living space
- Junior ADUs within the main house
- Room additions and bump-outs
- Second-story additions
- Full kitchens and bathrooms in the ADU
- Separate utility metering where required
- Private entries, patios and landscaping
- Plans, engineering and city submittals
- Title 24 energy compliance
Local Conditions
What to Know in Chino Hills
These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget.
01
CAL FIRE's local responsibility area map dated March 24, 2025 places much of the city's canyon and hillside terrain, Carbon Canyon included, in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, while parts of the north end map as nonwildland, so the zone is checked parcel by parcel.
02
On developed lots inside the Fire Hazard Overlay, native California sycamores, live oaks, black walnuts and coastal scrub oaks four inches or more in diameter at breast height need a tree permit before any grading or building permit issues, unless they cannot be seen from streets, rights-of-way, parks or trails.
03
The Geologic Hazard Overlay covers the Chino Hills fault hazard zone and known or suspected landslide and liquefaction areas, where development permits require a study by a registered geologist scoped by the Building Official, although uses accessory to a home and additions of no more than half the existing structure's value or area are exempt.
04
Within 600 feet of the Carbon Canyon Road centerline, the code's hillside adaptive standards require buildings to follow the natural topography, bar terracing for flat pads where the natural slope exceeds 15 percent and limit retaining walls built for side and rear yard space to 36 inches above grade, though modifications to existing structures can be exempt with city approval.
05
Tract 2557 in Los Serranos lies within a natural drainage course and about half of it is subject to inundation during storms, so finished floors must sit at least one foot above the street's finished centerline on lots west of or adjacent to Carmelita Avenue and one and a half feet on lots east of or adjacent to Monterey Avenue.
Areas we serve in Chino Hills:Los SerranosSleepy HollowCarbon CanyonButterfield RanchVellanoHunters Hill
Investment
What It Costs in Chino Hills
Real Southern California price ranges, not teaser numbers.
Detached ADU
$150,000 to $400,000+
What moves it: square footage, finish level, utility runs, and site access; garage conversions typically run well below a ground-up detached build
Garage conversion ADU
$80,000 to $180,000
What moves it: whether the existing slab and framing meet current code, how far utilities have to run, and the finish level of the kitchen and bathroom
Plans, drawings and permit management
$4,500 to $25,000+
What moves it: project type and size, whether structural engineering, Title 24 or a soils report is required, and how many jurisdictions or review bodies are involved
Your lot, access and finishes set the price. We walk the site, then show you where every dollar goes.
Get a line-item price for your Chino Hills property
The Process
How We Work in Chino Hills
01
Feasibility
We check lot size, setbacks, utilities and access to confirm what your property will actually support.
02
Design & 3D
Layout, elevations and finishes, modeled in 3D so you approve the unit before submittal.
03
Plans & Permits
We prepare the full drawing set, handle engineering and Title 24, and manage the city submittal and corrections. In Chino Hills that submittal goes to City of Chino Hills Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division.
04
Foundation & Framing
Site prep, foundation, framing and dry-in by our own crews.
05
Systems & Finishes
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation, then kitchen, bath and interior finishes.
06
Final Inspection
We pass final inspection, walk the unit with you and hand over the keys.
Questions
What Chino Hills Homeowners Ask
Who issues the permits for this work in Chino Hills?
City of Chino Hills Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division. Room addition and remodel plans start with the Building and Safety Division of the Community Development Department; once a submittal is complete it routes to both Building and Safety and Planning, a separate submittal goes to the Chino Valley Fire District, and the city puts plan review at generally 15 business days, longer for larger projects.
On residentially zoned lots a pool or spa may not sit in the front setback and must stay at least five feet from rear and side property lines, measured from the water's edge for an in-ground pool, while mechanical equipment needs three feet and must be screened where visible from a right-of-way.
New construction, ADUs included, and additions that enlarge a structure by 50 percent or more must keep ten feet of exterior wall separation from other structures unless built entirely of noncombustible materials, and must fit ember screens on attic vents and evaporative coolers.
Inside the Fire Hazard Overlay District the same work must also meet Section 7A of the Building Code and keep thirty feet, clear to the sky, from structures on adjoining lots unless the Chino Valley Fire District and the Community Development Director approve an equivalent alternative.
We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing plan check.
What makes building in Chino Hills different?
Lots in Planned Development districts, Butterfield Ranch among them, follow the PD documents adopted for each project, while the base single-family R-S zone sets a 7,200 square foot minimum lot, Rural Residential 20,000 square feet and Agriculture-Ranch five acres, with larger minimums shown on the Zoning Map where terrain calls for them.
The English Road area, designated Agriculture Ranch in the General Plan as large-lot land suitable for equestrian estates, sits in the Level 1 equestrian overlay, where horses and other large animals may be kept as an accessory use to the home.
One local condition that shapes the work: CAL FIRE's local responsibility area map dated March 24, 2025 places much of the city's canyon and hillside terrain, Carbon Canyon included, in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, while parts of the north end map as nonwildland, so the zone is checked parcel by parcel.
Which parts of Chino Hills do you work in?
All of it, including Los Serranos, Sleepy Hollow, Carbon Canyon and Butterfield Ranch. Our crews run every job out of our Cahuenga Pass base in Los Angeles, with our own people on site.
What does an ADU or addition cost in Chino Hills?
Detached ADU: generally $150,000 to $400,000+ across Southern California. What moves it is square footage, finish level, utility runs, and site access; garage conversions typically run well below a ground-up detached build. We give line-item pricing after seeing the site rather than quoting a number over the phone.
How long does an ADU take start to finish?
Plan a realistic year. Design and engineering typically take one to three months, city plan check and corrections add several more, and construction usually runs four to eight months depending on size and site access.
Is a garage conversion cheaper than a detached ADU?
Usually yes, and often substantially, because the foundation, walls and roof already exist. The trade-offs are that you lose the garage, and older slabs and framing sometimes need upgrading to meet current code.
Can I rent the ADU out?
California ADU law is designed to allow long-term rental, and an ADU is one of the few ways to add rentable square footage to a single-family lot. Short-term rental rules vary by city, so confirm your local ordinance before counting on that income.
Do you handle the permits?
Yes. Plans, engineering, Title 24 and the city submittal are all handled in-house, including responding to plan-check corrections. That is a service we sell on its own, so it is not something we hand off.
More Services in Chino Hills
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Chino Hills Backyard & Outdoor Living in Chino Hills Everything we build in Chino Hills
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Planning Guides
Before You Build in Chino Hills
Costs, materials and process notes from our own projects.
ADU Cost Breakdown by Size in Los Angeles A detached ADU in Los Angeles runs $150,000 to $400,000-plus. Here is the real cost broken down by unit size, with the soft costs, utility work and finish decisions that move the number. Read guide Garage Conversion to ADU: The Step-by-Step Build A garage conversion runs $80,000 to $180,000 in Southern California. Here is the real sequence, from slab testing and plan check to the raised floor, the mini-split and final sign-off. Read guide ADU Rental Income Math in the San Fernando Valley A one-bedroom ADU in the San Fernando Valley rents for roughly $2,100 to $2,900 a month. Here is the honest arithmetic on payback, carrying costs and what the unit adds to the property. Read guide Second Story Addition vs Building Out: Which Costs Less Building out runs $350 to $500 per square foot. Going up runs $450 to $700. Here is when the cheaper option is actually the wrong one, and what drives each number. Read guide
Planning an ADU in Chino Hills?
Sit down with your project manager and get an accurate estimate. We call you back within one business day.
Book a Consultation 818-300-2393
Licensed, bonded & insured · CSLB license #1119054
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