ADU Construction in Valley Village, Starting With the Soil
Valley Village ADUs that start with a soil test at the footing line, then setbacks, separation and grade measured before any foundation is designed.
Our hand auger goes into a Valley Village yard first, turning up soil from where a new footing would bear. How easily it turns, and what comes up, tells us whether the unit will rest on firm native ground or on loose fill. We bore at each corner of the proposed footprint and near the main house, then decide with the engineer whether a soils report is needed before the foundation is designed.
What the auger can and cannot tell
An auger boring is a field check. It shows soft spots, buried debris and changes in fill depth across the footprint, which can point to an old pool, a removed tree or a backfilled trench. Where it finds any of those, a geotechnical engineer drills or digs test pits and reports bearing capacity and soil expansion. The foundation design follows that report, and LADBS reviews the footing sizes against it. A clean boring on every corner lets the engineer work from code values with more confidence.
Measuring the rest of the lot
After the soil, we tape the distances that fix where the unit can go: side and rear property lines, the gap to the main house, and the working room the footing trench and its forms need. A level run across the footprint shows whether the yard falls from one end to the other, which sets whether one side of the slab needs a deeper edge. Trees close to the footprint get noted, since roots can lift a slab or crack a footing. All of it goes onto the site plan we draw for the permit.
About our adu construction serviceEverything we do in Valley Village
ADU Construction in Valley Village: questions
The foundation follows what the soil test shows. On firm ground, a reinforced slab with a deep perimeter footing carries the unit. On soft or mixed fill, the engineer may deepen the footings to reach better soil or specify a raised floor on piers. Anchor bolts and hold-downs then tie the walls to whichever base is built.
Sometimes, if the old footing is sound. A small hole dug beside the garage wall reads its depth and shows whether it is reinforced. A footing the engineer accepts gets new anchor bolts and shear panels. A shallow or unreinforced one is supplemented with new sections under the walls carrying lateral load, poured before the room is finished.
Valley Village lots qualify for the package when the unit is single-story and no bigger than 500 square feet, either freestanding or a garage converted within that size. A larger plan or a second story is priced after we look at the lot. Plan check fees from LADBS are charged apart from the package.
ADU Construction in other cities
More we build in Valley Village
Book an inspection in Valley Village
Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.