New Construction in Granada Hills, Room for a Second Unit
A new Granada Hills house planned so a backyard unit can follow: sewer depth, panel capacity, a water branch and a clear side yard kept for access.
Could a backyard unit go in later? We would rather answer that before the main Granada Hills house is drawn, because a few early choices keep the option open: a sewer line deep enough to serve the back of the lot, an electrical panel with spare capacity and a side yard left clear for access. Fire hazard mapping covers portions of Granada Hills, and that shapes what a future unit needs as well.
Utilities sized for two
A second unit can tie into the main house's sewer, water and power, so those lines are planned for both from the start. The sewer lateral is set deep enough at the house that a line from the back of the lot can still fall to it by gravity. The electrical service and panel are sized with room for a subpanel, and a conduit is run toward the yard before the slab is poured. A water branch can be teed off the main service, or a separate meter can be planned. Gas, if used, gets a capped stub. These provisions are small during construction and costly to add afterward.
Space, access and the fire rules
Where the main house sits decides whether a unit fits at all. We keep the setbacks and a clear path along a side yard, wide enough for materials and for firefighters to reach the back of the lot. Rear windows are placed with a future neighbor in mind. If the lot is mapped for fire hazard, the second unit will need the same ember-resistant roof, siding and vents, and the gap between the two buildings affects how their facing walls are built. LADBS reviews the future unit as its own project, so our site plan simply marks the reserved area.
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A survey with the full yard drawn, the soils report and the zoning caps start the design. Tell us now if a second unit might come later, and where you picture it. A fire hazard map check on the parcel follows, since its result sets the exterior of both buildings.
Planning sits in one agreement covering design coordination, engineering and the LADBS permit for the main house. Construction is priced stage by stage once the plans are approved. Provisions for a later unit, such as a deeper lateral, a larger panel and the yard conduit, carry their own lines so you can keep or drop each one.
That is our job. The surveyor maps the whole parcel, the soils engineer's borings follow, and structural design builds on the two reports. When a future unit is planned, its area and utility path appear on the site plan from the start, and every plan check comment goes to the person who drew that sheet.
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Tell us about the property and what you have in mind. We reply with a written next step.