How It Works
The DADU to condo conversion roadmap.
The Process
Separating a detached ADU can sound complicated. It doesn’t have to feel that way. Our job is to make sure you always know what’s happening, what comes next, and what we need from you at each step.
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Phase 1 — Getting to Know Your Property
Every CoDADU journey starts with an honest look at your property and a real conversation about what’s possible.
We review your city’s AB 1033 adoption status, permitting landscape, and your long-term goals. Then Max personally walks you through what he’s seeing and what a realistic path forward looks like.
If there are hurdles — or if it’s simply not a fit — we’ll tell you clearly and early, before you’ve invested time or money.
Clarity. Not a sales pitch.
Phase 2 — The Proposal
If moving forward makes sense, Max visits the property in person and assesses the site.
From there, he builds a custom proposal — not a templated quote, but a plan shaped around your specific DADU, your city’s requirements, and your goals.
After you’ve had time to review it and we’ve answered your questions, we put everything in writing and get started.
Phase 3 — Technical Groundwork
Once the contract is signed, we get to work — and this is where the complexity lives. Not on your end. On ours.
We bring in a licensed surveyor to assess the site and produce the documentation required to establish your DADU as a separate legal unit. We then coordinate an independent appraisal to determine its value as a standalone asset.
You review the findings and decide whether to move forward.
We handle everything else.
Phase 4 — Legal & Financial Clearance
This is where the coordination intensifies — and where sequencing matters most.
Once the appraisal is approved, we move three tracks forward at the same time: lender conveyance, title insurance, and a master condominium policy. All three must be in place before legal structuring begins, and we manage the process so nothing stalls.
When clearance is complete, we engage a real estate attorney to prepare the documents that formally establish your DADU as its own ownership unit — including the CC&Rs that define the relationship between the two properties.
You stay informed. We manage the rest.
Phase 5 — City Approvals
Once the legal and financial pieces are in place, we submit the condominium map to the city and engage a permit expediter to move the approval process forward.
Every city that has adopted AB 1033 implements it slightly differently. We know the landscape. We manage the submissions, respond to comments or revision requests, and stay on top of the timeline so nothing drifts.
When the permit is approved, your DADU-to-condo conversion is complete. Your detached ADU is now its own legally titled home.
We handle the city.
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Phase 6 — Listing & Sale
If you decide to move forward with a sale, we handle the full process — positioning, photography, listing, negotiation, and closing.
That option is there if and when it makes sense for you.
Want to go deeper on the basics? Our DADU Guide covers AB 1033 California, how separate ownership works, and common questions.
Every CoDADU journey starts with a conversation.
Schedule a consultation and we’ll walk through your property, your city’s status, and what a realistic path forward looks like.