AE Drafting
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AE Drafting has spent over a decade building a niche in the California ADU permitting market by offering something rare in a field dominated by project-by-project custom work: pre-made ADU plan packages that are already code-compliant and ready to adapt to local building departments. Based in Sacramento and run by Carl Wessler, the firm serves an unusually broad geography for a two-person operation, handling projects from Sacramento down to Los Angeles and north through the Bay Area, with occasional work reaching into Missouri, Illinois, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and Arkansas. This reach reflects both the demand for remote architectural services and the fact that residential permitting rules, while varied, follow common patterns across regions.
The firm's signature offering is a two-tier menu designed to fit different budgets and timelines. At the lower end, the pre-made ADU package costs around $2,000 and delivers a complete set of construction documents ready for permit submission. That package includes Title 24 energy compliance documentation, a detailed site plan showing how the unit sits on the property, electrical and plumbing plans, prescriptive framing plans that guide the builder on structural layout, and building department comment notes that address common questions local jurisdictions ask. For clients who want online submission and tracking through the permitting process, an optional add-on runs an additional $300 in select areas. This tier appeals to homeowners or contractors who have a clear idea of what they want and are looking to minimize design costs, or to those who value having a proven plan already code-checked before they hand it to their building department.
The second option is the custom single-story ADU package at around $4,000. This tier gives the client the same foundation of permit-ready documents (prescriptive framing plans, Title 24 compliance, electrical and plumbing plans, detailed site plans) plus personalized design work and a 3D model review so the client can visualize what they are building before any construction begins. Building department comments and online submission tracking require a separate consultation and quoted pricing, so this tier is not all-inclusive, but it covers the core design and permitting foundation.
The distinction between pre-made and custom matters. Pre-made plans are what they are: designs that AE Drafting has already created and owns, and that come as packages rather than blank slates. This is valuable for homeowners whose property constraints fit one of those existing designs, because they skip the weeks that bespoke design work takes. If the client wants modifications to the pre-made plans, the project converts to custom pricing, which is the reality check that keeps pre-made plans actually affordable. The economics only work if the plans are used as-is or with minor tweaks, not if they become a starting point for extensive redesign.
What distinguishes AE Drafting in the competitive ADU permitting space is their focus on Title 24 compliance from the start. California's Title 24 energy code requirements are dense, frequently updated, and a common source of building department rejections or revisions if the drafter has not kept current. By building Title 24 documentation directly into their base packages rather than treating it as an add-on, AE Drafting simplifies the process and reduces the chance of a permitting stumble at this particular hurdle. This is especially valuable for first-time ADU builders who do not know which details matter most in their jurisdiction.
The firm's service area reveals a pragmatic choice in how they operate. Rather than staking everything on Sacramento or the Bay Area, where competition is fierce and local architects have established relationships with every building department, AE Drafting has expanded to Los Angeles and reached as far as Santa Cruz and Monterey. The firm also takes occasional out-of-state projects in Missouri, Illinois, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and Arkansas. This geographic breadth reflects an operating model built on remote work and digital delivery rather than relying on face-to-face relationships and local referral networks like traditional architecture practices. By competing on an online-first service model and affordable pricing, AE Drafting can serve clients who know they want architectural drawings and compliance documents but do not need (or want to pay for) the overhead of a traditional practice.
Pricing is where AE Drafting makes their practical compromise with the market. At $2,000 for pre-made plans and around $4,000 for a custom single-story design, they are substantially cheaper than a traditional architect, who might charge $8,000 to $15,000 or more for a full ADU design. This price gap is not because AE Drafting is cutting corners on quality; it is because their model avoids the overhead of detailed site conditions analysis, multiple revision rounds, and the back-and-forth meetings that traditional architecture practices bill for. The pre-made plans are already vetted, and the custom packages are streamlined for efficiency. For a homeowner in a straightforward suburban lot or a contractor managing cost on a value-oriented project, this pricing calculus makes immediate sense.
The firm does not build, consult on construction, or offer structural engineering services. They are draughtspeople, pure and simple: they create the drawings and documentation that go into the permit package. This focus is useful because it means they are not trying to steer you toward expensive construction methods or upsell services you do not need. They produce the blueprints and compliance documents, and then the work passes to a licensed general contractor or the homeowner if they are managing construction themselves. This narrow specialization actually makes them more transparent about what they can and cannot do, which is valuable when you are trying to assemble a team that covers every aspect of your project without overlapping roles.
AE Drafting is the practical choice for homeowners or contractors who want permitting documentation without the architecture-practice price tag and who either have a clear vision of what they want or are comfortable working from one of AE Drafting's existing designs. For projects in Northern California, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or select out-of-state regions, they offer a fast, affordable path from concept to a permit-ready plan set. The pre-made packages especially appeal to those on a tight timeline or budget, while the custom option works for anyone who needs personalization without the months of back-and-forth that full custom architecture typically involves.