Garage Conversion Design & Space Planning PRE-PERMIT DESIGN · CODE & EGRESS REVIEW · BUILDABLE FLOOR PLANS

Get the layout right before a single permit is filed.

Every conversion we build starts with this step, and it's also available on its own if you want a buildable, code-checked floor plan before committing to construction — whether you're deciding between a JADU and an ADU, figuring out if your garage can even fit a bathroom, or getting plans ready to bring to a different contractor.

Get a Free Quote Call (408) 442-9136

Why Design Comes Before Permits, Not After

A floor plan that looks fine on paper can still get bounced at plan check.

The most common reason a garage conversion permit gets kicked back for corrections isn't bad paperwork — it's a floor plan drawn before anyone checked whether the existing ceiling height, window openings and structural layout could actually support it. We do that verification first: measuring existing ceiling height against habitable-space minimums, checking whether an egress window will fit where the plan wants one, and confirming your lot's setback and lot-coverage limits before a single wall gets drawn. That order — verify, then design, then permit — is what keeps plan check corrections to a minimum.

Architectural floor plan sketch for a garage conversion laid over a tape measure

What's Included

A complete, buildable design package — not just a sketch.

Existing-Conditions Survey

Measured drawings of your garage's current slab, framing, ceiling height, window and door openings, and utility stub locations.

Code & Egress Compliance Review

Verification against ceiling height minimums, egress window requirements and setback/lot-coverage rules specific to your city before the floor plan is finalized.

JADU vs. ADU Feasibility Comparison

A side-by-side look at what your garage and lot can support under each permit path, so you can decide with real numbers instead of guessing.

Floor Plan & Layout Design

A buildable floor plan for kitchen, bathroom, sleeping and living space sized to fit your garage's actual dimensions and structural constraints.

Permit-Ready Drawing Set

Drawings prepared to the level of detail your city's building department expects for submission, whether we build the project or you bring the plans elsewhere.

Service Areas

Also converting garages nearby.

Based in San Jose, working throughout Santa Clara, San Mateo and southern Alameda counties.

Atherton Belmont Campbell Cupertino Dublin East Palo Alto Foster City Fremont Gilroy Hayward Hollister Los Altos Los Altos Hills Los Gatos Menlo Park Milpitas Morgan Hill Mountain View Newark Palo Alto Pleasanton Redwood City San Carlos San Jose San Mateo Santa Clara Saratoga Sunnyvale Union City Woodside

FAQ

Questions homeowners ask us

No — our design and space planning service stands on its own. Some clients use our plans with a different contractor, though we're happy to build it too if you decide to move forward with us.

We check your existing slab for plumbing access and drainage slope potential, and confirm there's a viable path to tie into your home's sewer line. Not every garage layout makes this straightforward, which is exactly why we check before designing around it.

Yes — this is one of the most common questions we help with. We walk through your lot's utility access, your family's actual goals (rental income vs. family housing vs. workspace) and your garage's specific constraints to help you land on the right permit path.

We check this early specifically because it's a common issue. Depending on your roof framing, raising a section of ceiling is sometimes possible; other times, the design needs to work around the constraint rather than fight it. We'll tell you which situation you're in before you invest in full construction drawings.

Typically a few weeks from initial site measurement to a complete, permit-ready drawing set, depending on how many revisions the layout goes through and how complex your garage's existing conditions are.

Free, No-Obligation Quote

Let's talk about your garage.

Tell us what you're converting it into — a JADU, an ADU, an office — and we'll get back to you with next steps, usually within one business day.

(408) 442-9136