Know what your ADU should cost before a single builder walks your yard.
Send your project once. We ask San Diego builders who pulled City ADU permits this year for a ballpark, and you get every answer on one side-by-side sheet within 5 business days.
- Real builders only. Each pulled a City of San Diego ADU permit in 2026 and shows an active CSLB license the day we check.
- Apples to apples. Price, what's included, what's left out, timeline and license status, in the same format.
- Your number stays yours. Builders see your ZIP and project, never your name, phone or address, until you pick them.
Get your free comparison
Free for the first 10 San Diego homeowners. About 2 minutes. Contact details last.
Why one quote isn't enough
Same city, same year, prices more than 2.5× apart.
We pulled every single-ADU permit the City of San Diego issued this year. Here's what owners told the City they were spending.
The middle half of declared construction values on 750 single-ADU permits issued Jan 1 – Oct 15, 2026.
Median for a conversion vs a new detached ADU. The type of ADU moves the price more than anything else.
Business names (by our count) listed as permit holder on at least one 2026 City ADU permit. That's the pool we ask, not a paid directory.
Source: City of San Diego building permit data (data.sandiego.gov), permits issued Jan 1 – Oct 15, 2026. Declared value is what the applicant told the City, not a final invoice or a quote, and it excludes design, City fees and utility work. Full breakdown on our San Diego ADU cost guide.
How it works
Ten minutes from you. The legwork is ours.
No phone tag, no five site visits to get five numbers.
- Tell us the projectADU type, size, ZIP and start date. Plans or a phone sketch help, and so do a few photos of the spot.
- We pick the buildersOnly businesses with a 2026 City ADU permit and an active CSLB license. We ask up to 8 and aim for at least 3 replies.
- You get one sheetEvery ballpark in the same format within 5 business days, plus questions to ask on a site visit.
- You chooseTell us which builders may contact you, or none. Your details go only where you say.
The fine print, up front
Free means free. Here's exactly what you get.
You get
A side-by-side comparison sheet, a list of questions for the site visit, and a check of each builder's license status and 2026 City ADU permit count.
You don't get
A binding bid, design work, or a pick of one builder. A ballpark from photos and a sketch can move after a site visit. We're not a contractor and we don't do the work.
Who pays
The first 10 homeowners pay nothing: no card, no fee later, nothing to sign. No builder pays to be asked for a ballpark. If that ever changes, this page will say so before you send anything.
Why only 10, and why free
It's a pilot and I do each comparison by hand. Ten is what I can do well inside the 5-day promise. There's no timer and no fake "only 2 left". When the 10 spots are taken, this page will say so plainly, and say what happens next, before anyone else sends a brief.
Questions
Good questions, straight answers
How many ballparks will I get?
We ask up to 8 builders and aim for at least 3 replies. If fewer than 3 reply, we tell you that straight, with what we did get.
Is it only the City of San Diego?
For the pilot, yes. Our builder list comes from City of San Diego permit data, and City rules and fees are what we know best.
Do you take a cut from the builder I pick?
No, not in the pilot.
What's the featured pro?
We're inviting one local ADU builder to be our featured pro. If one signs on, they're asked on every pilot request and marked "Featured" on your sheet, next to the other builders' prices. Featured never means recommended, it costs them nothing during the pilot, and you can still say no to them. If a builder later rents the spot, this page will say so.
What happens to my details?
They stay with us until you pick a builder. You can ask us to delete your brief at any time.
What happens after the 10 free spots?
We haven't decided yet. Whatever it is, this page will say it clearly before you send anything.
Get real numbers for your lot.
Free for the first 10 San Diego homeowners. About 2 minutes, and you hear back within 1 business day by email.