ADU Design & Permitting Near Me in San Bernardino - Plans, Permits & Build, One Fixed Price

ADU Design & Permitting Near You in San Bernardino, CA

If you’re searching for our ADU Design & Permitting services near you, Ellery ADU Studio is based in San Bernardino and covers the surrounding Inland Empire cities under one contract at one written price – drawings, permit set, and construction together. Every project starts with a written price before any work begins, per Haven Standard Clause 1, so you know exactly what you’re committing to before you sign anything.

Nadia Ellery founded the studio in 2015, the same year California’s ADU rules shifted in ways that made permitting the make-or-break step for most projects. Since then, the studio has designed, permitted, and built more than 900 ADUs across San Bernardino County – each one documented with a written scope, a photo record, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise backed in writing. If the finished ADU isn’t built to the permitted drawings, we make it right. That commitment is in the contract before the first drawing is produced.

To reach us now, call (909) 359-6463. A live person answers 24 hours a day – no voicemail queue, no callback promise that doesn’t materialize.

Fast, Local ADU Design & Permitting in San Bernardino

Most homeowners who contact us have already lost time – either waiting on a designer who didn’t understand San Bernardino’s permitting process, or getting a verbal quote from a builder that evaporated when the drawings came back wrong. Our design-build model closes that gap. Because the design team and the construction crew are on the same contract, the permit set is built to be built, not just approved.

For San Bernardino projects, we can typically schedule a Site Assessment within 48 hours of your first call. Schematic design usually takes two to three weeks, and the full permit set – architectural drawings, site plan, Title 24 energy compliance documentation – is submitted to the City of San Bernardino Development Services Department as a complete package. That matters because incomplete submittals are the most common cause of permit delays in this city, and a delay at that stage can add months to a project timeline.

If you have a written estimate from another firm already in hand, we’ll provide a Free Second Opinion – a written comparison, not a sales pitch – so you can make a fair comparison before committing to either path.

Areas We Cover Near San Bernardino

Ellery ADU Studio serves homeowners across the central and western Inland Empire from our San Bernardino base. The cities and communities we work in regularly include:

• San Bernardino – our primary service area, including neighborhoods like Muscoy, Verdemont, University District, and the historic Arrowhead district near Cal State San Bernardino
• Rialto – where lot depths along Riverside Avenue corridors often support detached ADUs that San Bernardino’s tighter infill lots don’t
• Colton – we handle Colton’s dual-jurisdiction quirks on parcels near the San Bernardino city boundary regularly
• Grand Terrace – a compact city with specific setback requirements we’ve navigated on multiple projects
• Highland – hillside and foothill lots here sometimes require additional geotechnical documentation; we build that into the scope up front
• Redlands – Redlands has an active historic overlay district; we flag affected parcels during the site assessment before any design work starts
• Fontana – larger residential lots in Fontana’s southern grid are well-suited to new detached ADUs in the 600-1,200 sq ft range
• Riverside – we coordinate with the City of Riverside’s planning counter and are familiar with their standard corrections list

For a full picture of what the permitting process looks like in our primary market, the ADU Design & Permitting in San Bernardino page covers the city’s specific submittal requirements, typical review timelines, and what a complete permit set from us includes. If you’re comparing options or just starting to research, that page is the right place to begin.

What ADU Design & Permitting Covers in San Bernardino

When we say “design and permitting,” we mean a specific set of deliverables – including Permit Application preparation – not a vague promise to handle the paperwork. Here’s what a standard permit set from Ellery ADU Studio includes for a San Bernardino project:

• Existing conditions site plan, measured and drawn to scale
• Architectural floor plan and elevations for the proposed ADU
• Structural calculations and foundation detail (especially relevant on Highland’s sloped lots or Colton’s older slab-on-grade properties)
• Title 24 energy compliance report, required by California for all new ADU construction
• Utility connection plan – water, sewer, and electrical points of connection
• Coordination with the City of San Bernardino’s Development Services Department through the over-the-counter or standard plan check process
• Response to plan check corrections, which are routine and should not cost you extra when the permit set was thorough to begin with

For projects involving a prefab or modular system – Abodu, Cover, Dvele, Mighty Buildings, Boxabl, Plant Prefab, or a Tuff Shed-based conversion – we integrate the manufacturer’s documentation directly into the permit set. San Bernardino’s plan check staff are increasingly familiar with these systems, but the coordination still requires someone who knows both the manufacturer’s specs and the city’s current correction patterns. We handle that within the same single contract.

Pricing Ranges for ADU Design & Permitting Near San Bernardino

Design and permitting costs in the San Bernardino area depend on the ADU type, lot conditions, and whether the project involves a conversion of existing space or new construction. The ranges below reflect all-in written prices covering design through permitted drawings – not estimates that grow after you’ve signed.

These ranges are starting points. The written price for your specific project – based on your actual lot, your actual existing conditions, and the actual scope – is what governs. Per Haven Standard Clause 1, that written price is delivered before any work begins. The ranges above are here because you should be able to do a preliminary comparison without picking up the phone first, and because any firm that won’t publish a range probably doesn’t have a consistent enough process to hold one.

City of San Bernardino permit fees are separate from design costs and are paid directly to the city. For a standard detached ADU, expect to budget $3,000 – $6,500 in city fees, depending on valuation and square footage. We’ll include the anticipated fee schedule in your written quote so there are no surprises at the counter.

San Bernardino Permitting Context: What “Near Me” Actually Means Here

San Bernardino’s permitting landscape is genuinely different from neighboring cities, and it affects how a permit set should be structured. A few specifics worth knowing before you commit to any design firm:

SB 9 and lot splits: California’s SB 9 law allows eligible single-family lots in San Bernardino to be split, potentially creating two parcels each eligible for an ADU. The city’s implementation of SB 9 has been slower than some surrounding jurisdictions. If your lot qualifies, we’ll identify that during the site assessment – but we’ll also explain the realistic timeline and the risk factors, because SB 9 projects in San Bernardino require more HOA & Zoning Compliance coordination than a standard ADU permit.

Flood zone overlays: Parts of San Bernardino sit within FEMA flood zones, particularly along the Santa Ana River corridor and near Lytle Creek wash. A parcel in a Zone AE or Zone X-shaded designation may require an elevation certificate or additional foundation documentation. We pull FEMA FIRM data during the site assessment and flag any overlay that affects the permit set before design starts.

Sewer lateral age: San Bernardino has a substantial inventory of pre-1970 housing stock, particularly in the older Arrowhead and Muscoy neighborhoods. On these properties, the sewer lateral inspection is often the longest-lead item in the permitting process, because the city may require a video inspection and CCTV report before approving a new plumbing connection for the ADU. We build that task into the project schedule from day one rather than discovering it at permit submittal.

Owner-occupancy repeal: California law eliminated the owner-occupancy requirement for ADU construction as of January 1, 2020. Rental property owners in San Bernardino can now build and rent both the primary unit and the ADU without living on-site. If you’re approaching this as an investment property, that changes the financial model, and we can walk through the numbers with you during the initial consultation.

The Five Services Under One Contract

Ellery ADU Studio handles five categories of ADU work, all under the same single-contract model. Knowing which category fits your project will help you start the conversation with the right scope in mind:

• ADU Design & Permitting – the permit set as a standalone deliverable, including all documents needed for city approval
• Garage Conversion ADU – converting an attached or detached garage into a permitted living unit, including structural upgrades, insulation, and utility rough-ins
• New Detached ADU – ground-up construction on a rear or side yard, conventional or prefab
• Junior ADU & Interior Conversion – converting an existing bedroom, basement space, or attached structure into a permitted Junior ADU, typically with separate entrance and kitchenette
• ADU Site Prep & Utilities – grading, drainage, water and sewer tie-in, and electrical panel upgrades to support the new unit

Most homeowners in San Bernardino and the surrounding cities start with a design and permitting scope, then extend the contract to include construction once the permit set is approved. That sequence is common, and the written price for each phase is delivered before the phase begins.

FAQs: ADU Design & Permitting Near San Bernardino

How fast can you start on an ADU project near San Bernardino?

We can typically schedule a site assessment within 48 hours of your first call for properties in San Bernardino and the immediately surrounding cities. The site assessment is a documented visit – you’ll receive a written summary and photo record of existing conditions, not a verbal debrief. Schematic design follows within two to three weeks, and permit submittal to the City of San Bernardino typically happens four to six weeks after the assessment, depending on project complexity. If your lot has a complicating factor – a flood zone overlay, an older sewer lateral, or an SB 9 lot split question – we’ll identify that at the assessment and adjust the timeline accordingly, in writing, before any additional work begins. Call (909) 359-6463 to schedule your assessment.

Do you serve my area if I’m not in San Bernardino proper?

Yes. Ellery ADU Studio serves Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Redlands, Fontana, and Riverside in addition to San Bernardino. Each city has its own plan check process and standard corrections list, and we’re familiar with the specific requirements at each counter. If you’re on the boundary between two jurisdictions – which is genuinely common in Colton and parts of Rialto – we identify the controlling jurisdiction during the site assessment and structure the permit set accordingly. Call (909) 359-6463 to confirm coverage for your specific address.

What does ADU design and permitting cost near San Bernardino?

Design and permitting for a Junior ADU or interior conversion in the San Bernardino area typically runs $8,000-$14,000. A garage conversion permit set usually falls between $12,000 and $22,000. New detached ADUs range from $18,000 for a smaller unit under 600 square feet to $48,000 for a full 1,200-square-foot detached unit with complex site conditions. These are written prices delivered before work starts, per Haven Standard Clause 1 – not estimates that grow after you’ve signed. City of San Bernardino permit fees are separate and typically run $3,000-$6,500 depending on project valuation. For a Free Second Opinion on a quote you’ve already received, call (909) 359-6463.

Can I reach someone after hours if I have a question?

A live person answers calls at Ellery ADU Studio 24 hours a day. There is no voicemail queue and no callback promise that takes two days to materialize. If you have a question about a permit correction letter that arrived at 7 PM, or you want to talk through a prefab option before a Saturday site visit, call (909) 359-6463 and someone will pick up. For Nadia Ellery directly on project-specific questions, the same number reaches her team at any hour.

Key Takeaways

• Ellery ADU Studio is based in San Bernardino and covers Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Redlands, Fontana, and Riverside under one contract
• Site assessments typically available within 48 hours; documented photo record included on every visit
• Written price before any work begins, every project, per Haven Standard Clause 1 – no verbal estimates that shift later
• Design and permitting ranges from $8,000 (Junior ADU) to $48,000+ (large detached ADU) with San Bernardino city fees of $3,000-$6,500 billed separately
• 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if the finished ADU isn’t built to the permitted drawings, we make it right
• Free Second Opinion on any written estimate already in hand
• Live person answers calls 24/7 at (909) 359-6463
• 900+ ADUs designed, permitted, and built since 2015, every one with a documented written scope

Start With a Written Price, Not a Phone Estimate

If you’re searching for ADU design and permitting near San Bernardino, the fastest way to get a real answer is to call (909) 359-6463. A live person will pick up, gather the basics about your property and what you’re trying to build, and schedule a site assessment – usually within 48 hours. After the assessment, you’ll have a written price covering the full scope before you’re asked to commit to anything.

For background on exactly what the permitting process looks like for San Bernardino specifically – including the city’s submittal checklist, typical plan check timeline, and the most common correction categories we see – visit the ADU Design & Permitting in San Bernardino page. And if you want to start at the beginning and understand how Ellery ADU Studio approaches a project from site assessment through final inspection, the home page covers the full model.

Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio San Bernardino, serving San Bernardino and nearby areas since 2015.