
ADU structural and civil engineering for Santa Barbara County — from the South Coast communities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria to the Santa Maria and Lompoc valleys. PE-stamped plans in 2–3 weeks, with unlimited plan-check revisions within scope(1).
Santa Barbara County's coastal setting, hillside terrain, and older residential neighborhoods create a distinctive environment for ADU projects. South Coast properties in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Goleta often involve sloped lots and proximity to the ocean, while the northern part of the county around Santa Maria features more conventional residential conditions.
Single-family ADUs are secondary housing units that are located on the same lot as a single-family home. These units are also sometimes referred to as granny flats, in-law suites or backyard cottages.
Share a few project details and our engineering team will review your scope and guide you through permitting and design next steps.
After reviewing your project details, we'll provide a transparent quote the same day--typically within a few hours. Pricing varies based on project scope, complexity, and requirements.
We deliver complete structural permit sets. *If building departments have comments related to our scope, we handle all revisions--no extra fees, no limits.
See why homeowners and industry professionals trust us with their projects.
We engineer all six ADU types in Santa Barbara: attached, detached, garage conversion, basement, junior (JADU), and multi-family. Each project is designed for your property's specific lot, soil, and code conditions.
Costs depend on project size, complexity, and site conditions. Our fixed-price quotes include:
• Structural calculations and PE-stamped plans
• Foundation and framing design
• Lateral system and seismic engineering
• Civil engineering coordination
Same-day quotes available — no hidden fees. Get a free quote for your Santa Barbara County project.
Yes — California requires PE-stamped structural plans for every ADU. This covers foundation design, framing, and seismic compliance. This applies whether you're building in Lompoc, Santa Maria, or unincorporated Santa Barbara County.
Most Santa Barbara County ADU plan sets are completed in 2–3 weeks — structural calculations, foundation design, framing plans, and civil coordination included. Rush service is available for urgent timelines.
Yes — we design ADU foundations for steep slopes, retaining walls, stepped footings, and hillside load paths throughout Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Montecito areas include significant hillside residential development and coastal exposure. ADUs on sloped lots may require stepped foundations, retaining structures, and drainage coordination. Coastal properties face salt-air corrosion and Sundowner wind patterns. We design for this unique combination—with integrated civil engineering for grading and drainage alongside structural engineering for seismic, wind, and slope conditions.
We serve all cities in Santa Barbara County including Lompoc, Santa Maria, and all unincorporated areas. Each city may have additional requirements, which we address in your plans.
Under California ADU law:
• Detached ADUs: up to 1,200 sq ft
• Attached ADUs: up to 850 sq ft
• Junior ADUs: up to 500 sq ft
Specific limits may vary by city within Santa Barbara County. We size and engineer your ADU to the maximum allowed on your lot.
Most ADUs don't require additional parking. Parking is typically waived when the ADU is:
• Within 0.5 miles of public transit
• In a historic district
• A conversion of an existing garage
Check with your specific city for local rules.
Yes — garage conversions are one of the most popular ADU types, and you typically don't need replacement parking. Our engineering scope covers slab analysis, wall framing, ceiling structure, and seismic design for Santa Barbara County garage conversions.
Santa Barbara County cities have distinct permitting processes. The City of Santa Barbara has specific architectural review requirements. Goleta and unincorporated areas follow county processes. We deliver PE-stamped plans in PDF, ready for submission — all required sheets, calculations, and documentation included. We also handle every plan-check comment through final approval.
Yes. Our construction admin services include:
• Contractor RFI responses
• Submittal review
• Structural site observations
• Certification letters
This ensures your ADU is built to plan and code.

Get a free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours for your ADU structural engineering needs. Our licensed engineers are ready to help with your Santa Barbara County ADU or JADU project.
Trusted by homeowners throughout Santa Barbara County • Licensed California PE Engineers • Serving projects across all of Santa Barbara County