FAQ
Can 121 Design Build help with SB9, ADU, or JADU?
Yes. We handle all three, on one lot, as one design-build team in Encino.
Direct answer
Yes. Architecture and construction, under one roof.
121 Design Build is an Encino / Los Angeles design-build firm. We take ADU, JADU, and SB9 work from the first lot check through design, permits, and construction, so you are not handing a drawing set to one company and a job site to another.
On a typical single-family lot, those three paths are not interchangeable. An ADU is a second dwelling. A JADU is a smaller junior unit tied to the existing house. SB9 is a California law that can allow an urban lot split and/or a two-unit development. We review the lot, map which options actually apply, and then design and build the one that fits.
This is not legal advice, and it is not an instant zoning engine. Every lot is site-specific: setbacks, parking, overlays, existing structures, and what the City of Los Angeles will accept on that address. We start with your property, not a generic checklist.
On one lot
ADU, JADU, and SB9 are different tools.
ADU
A second dwelling on the same lot, often detached in the backyard, sometimes attached or a garage conversion.
JADU
A smaller junior unit, typically inside or attached to the existing house, sharing the lot with the primary home.
SB9
California law that can allow an urban lot split and/or a two-unit development on a single-family lot. Different from an ADU. Can sometimes be combined with ADU/JADU, which is why the lot has to be reviewed together.
Garage, attached, or detached
The conversion is one path, not the only path.
121 can evaluate whether a garage conversion, an attached ADU, or a detached backyard unit is the better path for your lot. A garage can be the fastest way to add a dwelling, but it is not always the right one. Parking, setbacks, the existing structure, and how you want to live on the property all matter.
We look at those conditions together, then design and permit the unit that actually fits, instead of forcing a conversion because it sounds simple.
How we work
Lot check to build, under one roof.
01
Lot check
We look up the address and review what ADU, JADU, and SB9 options the lot may actually support.
02
Feasibility and design
We map a site-specific plan: unit type, placement, and a design that can be permitted and built.
03
Permits
We coordinate the drawings and submittals with the City of Los Angeles. Approvals are never guaranteed.
04
Build
The same team that designed the unit builds it, so the job site follows the drawings.
Honest scope
What 121 actually does, and what we do not.
We do
Lot feasibility, design, permits, construction
We review the lot, map ADU vs JADU vs SB9 options, design the unit, coordinate permit submittals, and build. That is the design-build path: one team from the first look at the address through construction.
We do not
Legal advice, guaranteed approvals, or a GIS checker
We do not give legal advice. We do not guarantee City of Los Angeles approvals. We do not run an automated GIS checker that spits out a yes or no. The lot has to be reviewed by people who will also design and build it.
Call, or start a lot check.
If you want to know whether an ADU, JADU, or SB9 path is realistic on your Encino or Los Angeles lot, start with the address. We will review it and call you back.