Check the property
We review the address, jurisdiction, lot conditions, access, utilities, and likely approval path before plans begin.
California ADU feasibility and plansDesign
Design
for real life.
Start with the address. ParcelForm identifies the jurisdiction that actually governs the parcel, what its adopted code requires, and what still has to be verified — free, and read here rather than emailed as a PDF.
More space. More freedom.Designed and delivered
the right way.
the right way.
How it works01 02 03
Three steps, in order.
Choose a proven plan
Select the plan that fits the property and household. Minor plan options are priced before work starts.
Produce the plan set
Bennett Design Studio prepares the defined architectural production set for a fee quoted and agreed before work starts.
Consultants, permit submittal and plan-check responses beyond the included rounds stay separate and are quoted on their own. What is included, and what is not, is set out in the terms of service.
Property reports
Know the parcel before you buy plans.
Four levels, each answering a question the one before it left open. The first is free for any address in California.
California Site Report
A preliminary screen of the statewide ADU framework for any California address.
Zoning Snapshot
The ADU standards that govern this parcel, each with the section of the ordinance it came from.
Buildable Envelope Report
Where a unit may legally sit on this parcel, and how much of the lot is left to build in.
Zoning & Site Profile
Automated zoning and site research for one parcel, assembled from public records and the jurisdiction's adopted ordinance. Every published value carries the source it came from, and anything the records do not establish is listed as an open question rather than answered.
Plan production
Two ways to get a permit set.
One adapts a plan the city has already reviewed. The other draws the house around the people who will live in it.
Express Plan
A jurisdiction's pre-approved ADU plan adapted into a permit set for your property.
Available where the city runs a pre-approved plan program, the program is open, and the property qualifies.How the express path works →Custom Plan
An original layout developed for the property and the people who will live in it.
For a constrained lot, an accessible layout, or where no pre-approved programme exists.Compare the two paths →Where we work
San Diego and Ventura counties.
Plan production is offered where Bennett Design Studio actually permits work. The free address check runs anywhere in California.
City of San DiegoUnincorporated San Diego CountyVistaOceansideCarlsbadSan MarcosEncinitasEscondidoSolana BeachDel MarPowayVentura CountyThousand OaksCamarilloSimi ValleyCity of Ventura
Unpermitted ADU experience16City of San Diego code-enforcement cases permitted since 2024
A proven path for previously unpermitted ADUs.
Since 2024, Bennett Design Studio has helped obtain permits for 16 City of San Diego code-enforcement cases involving previously unpermitted ADUs. Each property is evaluated individually because existing conditions, records, code compliance, required consultants, and agency review determine the path to approval.
About unpermitted ADUs →Questions
The ones that come up first.
Scope, corrections and the credit rule are set out in full in the terms of service.
What does a San Diego ADU plan set cost?
The Express Plan starts at $4,500 where the jurisdiction runs a pre-approved ADU plan program, the program is open, and the property qualifies. Not every city has one, and some withdraw theirs during a code update. A Custom Plan starts at $6,500 for an original layout developed for the property and homeowner. Every price is on the pricing page.
Can ParcelForm adapt a city preapproved ADU plan?
That depends on the city, and it is worth settling before anything is agreed. Some jurisdictions will not consider any alteration to their plan sets at all — San Marcos says so plainly — and a customised building has to go through a standard permit instead. Where a pre-approved plan can be used, the Express Plan produces the property-specific work the city still requires around it: the site plan, soils and utility coordination, Title 24 documentation, and the submittal package. Where the plan cannot be changed and its layout does not suit the property, a Custom Plan is the honest answer rather than a workaround.
How long does ADU plan production take?
Production for initial permit submittal is generally estimated at two to three weeks after project parameters are established, the agreement is signed, the retainer is paid, and required information is complete. Straightforward projects may sometimes be ready sooner.
Are consultants, permit fees, and city coordination included?
No. Engineering, surveys, specialty consultants, agency fees, permit processing, meetings, and coordination outside the defined architectural production scope are quoted or paid separately.
Which San Diego communities do you serve?
ParcelForm provides California-wide preliminary site-feasibility screening, with expanded local plan services in Vista and nearby North County communities, the City of San Diego, and unincorporated San Diego County.