Fee Schedule 2026-01 · Effective 20 September 2026
Design and Permit Fees
This office quotes a fixed fee in writing before any work begins. The figures below are the standard fees for accessory dwelling unit work in Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. Everything outside the fee is listed further down, line by line.
Before a fee is quoted, this office reviews the parcel record, the zoning, and the agency requirements that apply to the property. That review is a desk review of public records, and its findings are attached to the written quote.
Standard fees
| Package | Scope | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| ADU permit setConversion or attached | Garage conversion, interior conversion, JADU, or an ADU attached to the existing house. Up to 750 sq ft. | $13,500 |
| ADU permit setDetached, new construction | A separate structure on the same lot, built from the foundation up. Up to 1,200 sq ft. | $14,500 |
| Additions, remodels, tenant improvements | Priced per project on the same basis, after the record review. | Quoted |
Fees are per property. A second unit on the same lot, a hillside parcel, a Coastal Zone parcel or a septic system changes the scope; where it does, the quote says so before you sign.
Where construction is carried out under a separate agreement with the general contractor this office works with, $5,000 of the design fee is credited against the construction budget.
What the fee covers
| Record and agency review | Zoning, setbacks, lot coverage, parking, Coastal Zone status, fire district requirements, sewer or septic, school and impact fee thresholds. Summarised in writing and attached to the quote. |
| Laser scan and measured model | Existing conditions scanned on site and modelled in 3D. The drawings describe the building that is there, not a tape measure and a memory. |
| Schematic design | Two rounds of revision before the permit set is drawn. |
| Permit drawing set | Site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, details, and the code and area tables the jurisdiction requires. |
| Title 24 energy compliance | Prepared by the retained energy analyst and coordinated by this office. |
| Structural calculations and framing plans | Prepared by the retained engineer and coordinated by this office. Included whether or not the jurisdiction ends up requiring them, and the fee does not change either way. |
| Filing | Application filed with the jurisdiction, portal account included. |
| Plan check correction management | Every correction list is answered on the drawings, in writing, until the jurisdiction issues the permit. This is part of the fixed fee, not a separate charge. |
Paid by the owner, directly
| Plan check and building permit fees | Set by the jurisdiction and paid to it. |
| Development impact fees | An ADU under 750 sq ft is exempt under state law. Above that threshold the fees are proportional to the main house. |
| School district fees | Assessable space under 500 sq ft is exempt under SB 543. Above it, the Level 1 rate is $5.38 per sq ft as of 28 January 2026. |
| Soils or geotechnical report | Where the jurisdiction requires one. |
| Boundary survey | Where setbacks or property lines have to be established by a licensed surveyor. |
| Utility connection and meter fees | Water, sewer, gas, electric. |
| Special inspection and testing | During construction, where the approved plans call for it. |
These are listed before you sign, with the amounts this office can determine from the published fee schedules, so the total cost of the permit is on one page from the start.
Payment terms
| 50% | On signature of the agreement. Production begins after it clears. |
| 50% | When the set is filed with the jurisdiction. Correction management after that point is already covered. |
Payment by bank transfer or card, through a secure link issued with the signed agreement.
How a project starts
- You send the address, the scope, any correspondence you already have with the jurisdiction, and existing drawings or photographs if there are any.
- This office reviews the records and returns a written fixed fee with the agency findings attached.
- You accept in writing.
- Agreement signed, first payment made.
- Site scan. Design begins from measured conditions.
FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP, INC.
Ventura County, California
ZG Ozman — Project Designer, Assoc. AIA
Design and permit management. Construction delivered by a licensed general contractor under a separate agreement.