Andalusia Drafting
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Andalusia Drafting has spent 18 years helping homeowners, contractors, and real estate investors move their ADU plans from concept to a permitted blueprint. They operate across all 58 California counties, making them one of the few firms that can claim truly statewide reach for accessory dwelling unit design and documentation. This consistency across diverse jurisdictions is what sets them apart in a field where California's patchwork of local codes turns permitting into a complex negotiation between the builder's vision and each municipality's specific requirements.
The firm's focus is narrowly defined: they create the documentation that gets submitted to building departments, nothing more. Their service covers ADU design and drafting, custom home design, remodels and additions, and Title 24 energy compliance calculations. For ADUs specifically, this means starting with a conversation about what the client envisions, analyzing the site and its existing conditions, and then producing the full package of construction documents. That package includes site plans that show how the ADU sits on the property, floor plans and elevations showing the layout and appearance, electrical and plumbing schematic plans, structural details, and the Title 24 compliance documentation that California mandates for every residential construction project. Each detail goes into the permit-ready package that the homeowner or contractor hands to the building department.
The process unfolds over four stages. First comes the free initial consultation, where Andalusia Drafting asks the questions that shape the scope and timeline. Then they conduct a site analysis, reviewing existing site conditions and drilling into the specific code requirements that apply to that property and its jurisdiction. The third stage is the actual design and drafting work, where detailed construction documents come together. Finally, they assemble everything into a permit-ready package with all compliance documentation included. This structure is standard in the industry, but it is the execution that matters: a drafter who understands Title 24 cold will produce documents that pass the first building department review, while one who is new to that code will deliver plans that come back marked up with corrections, burning weeks of delay and additional revision fees.
What makes Andalusia Drafting credible is their stated track record: they claim a 100 percent permit success rate and note that their work has passed 350+ code checkpoints across California jurisdictions. These numbers matter because a building department rejection is expensive. It means revisions, resubmission fees, and lost time while the homeowner or contractor waits for approval. A firm that understands the specific quirks of each county and city builds that knowledge into the first set of plans, which is why experience at this scale counts more than affability.
Pricing is quoted individually after the free consultation, so there is no published rate card. This is typical for permitting-focused drafting services because the scope varies wildly: an ADU that fits a simple slot in a suburban backyard, with standard framing and no unusual site conditions, costs far less to document than a sloped-lot ADU on a hillside property with soil challenges or a garage conversion that requires structural engineering. The firm positions itself on competitive pricing and fast turnaround, meaning they are not the premium option for bespoke architectural expression, but rather the pragmatic choice for homeowners who need solid, code-compliant documentation quickly.
For California homeowners and contractors, especially those working outside the Bay Area or Southern California metros where ADU specialists cluster, Andalusia Drafting's statewide reach is a practical advantage. A contractor in Fresno, Visalia, or Sacramento does not have to hunt for a local drafter who understands Title 24; Andalusia has already navigated that jurisdiction and others like it. For investors coordinating multiple ADU projects across different counties, having a single, familiar firm that can handle all of them streamlines communication and ensures consistent quality.
Title 24 compliance is built directly into their workflow rather than treated as an afterthought. California's energy code requires detailed documentation of insulation values, air sealing strategies, mechanical system efficiency, solar orientation, and thermal mass strategies. For an ADU under 500 square feet, the documentation is simpler than for a full home addition, but it still requires someone who understands the prescriptive vs. performance pathway and how each city interprets the state's baseline requirements. Andalusia Drafting's emphasis on Title 24 mastery means your plans won't come back from the building department flagged for energy code inadequacy, which is a common rejection point for inexperienced drafters.
The firm does not build, design for construction purposes, or offer engineering services. They are pure draughtspeople: they take the client's constraints and desires and produce the detailed drawings that builders and contractors will use to actually construct the ADU. This narrow focus is actually a strength in the permitting space, because it means they are not trying to sell a construction service or steer the client toward a particular building method. They will document whatever the client brings to them, as long as it meets California code.
Andalusia Drafting's statewide reach also means they handle the variations that trip up less-experienced firms. A senior ADU in Sacramento has different zoning allowances than one in San Diego or in Marin County. The building department in one city may require a specific detail that another city does not, and some jurisdictions have adopted stricter versions of the state code while others follow the baseline. After 18 years and hundreds of projects across all 58 counties, Andalusia has built a library of that granular knowledge. When a client describes their property and jurisdiction, the firm can likely draw on past projects with similar conditions and avoid the research burden that a newer firm would face.
For anyone considering an ADU on a California property, Andalusia Drafting is a reliable choice, especially if the property is outside the metro areas where in-house ADU departments have become common among larger architecture firms. Their statewide operation and 18 years of experience make them particularly valuable for rural and mid-sized California markets, where local design expertise might be limited. The free initial consultation is a low-friction entry point to understanding what your project will cost and how long it will take, which is a sensible first step for any homeowner trying to decide if an ADU is feasible. If your primary concern is getting solid, code-compliant documentation submitted to your building department on schedule, Andalusia Drafting has the track record to back that up.