3,400 sq ft Rebuild with ADU Addition, Rustic Canyon

Using the 110% rule and AB 462 to add an ADU that didn't exist before the fire

The Rustic Canyon home was 3,100 sq ft before the January 2025 fire. The family's primary goal was straightforward: rebuild what they had, as quickly as possible. But when we walked the lot, we noticed something: there was room on the north side for a detached ADU that had never been there before.

Under the current fire rebuild framework, the 110% footprint rule allows a primary home rebuild up to 10% larger than the pre-fire structure — with no design review. ADU square footage is calculated completely separately. The family could rebuild at 3,410 sq ft (just within the 110% limit) AND add a brand-new 800 sq ft detached ADU on the same lot — with neither affecting the other's permit process.

We submitted the primary home application and the ADU application simultaneously. The ADU used a pre-approved standard plan and was permitted in 6 business days. The primary home used a custom architect design and was permitted in 11 weeks. Construction on both started simultaneously. The ADU was completed first — the family moved in under AB 462 while the primary home was still being finished.

Rustic Canyon character, rebuilt and expanded

Rustic Canyon has some of the most beautiful mature oak and sycamore trees in Pacific Palisades. Many survived the fire while the structures did not. The rebuild design was oriented specifically to preserve the three mature oaks on the property — the architect worked around their root zones for foundation placement and setback calculations.

The primary home has a warm craftsman character that fits the canyon setting — natural material palette, covered porch, stone chimney. The interior opens to a rear yard that now connects to the ADU via a stone path through the landscape. The canyon feels larger with two structures on the lot than it did with one.

The ADU is positioned at the north edge of the lot — its own private entrance, its own patio, its own identity. It is not obviously an ADU from the street. The family uses it as a guest house currently and plans to rent it at $3,600/month when they no longer need it for guests. At current Rustic Canyon rental rates, the ADU will pay for itself in 7.5 years.

Primary home exterior — craftsman character, mature oaks preserved, WUI-compliant

New detached ADU — 800 sq ft, private entrance, own patio

Rear yard — stone path connecting primary home and ADU through mature oak landscape