California Contractor Search & Project Guides

Know what matters at every step

Choose your project to explore the steps, decisions, and people involved.

Choose your project

ADU

01 · Your ADU idea

What you hope to build and what you want the ADU to do for you.

What you’ll be clear on

The kind of ADU you have in mind and how you want to use it.
A rough sense of likely cost, timing, and possible return. Try the ADU ROI Calculator →
What can make one ADU cost $240/sq ft and another $300/sq ft.

View this Step →

ADU · RELATED GUIDES

How to choose an ADU Contractor

Check relevant ADU experience, services, references, and who will run the work.

How to understand ADU Contractor pricing

Some Contractors price by square foot, some quote a lump sum, and others use cost-plus. Learn what each method means and how to compare them.

How to compare ADU bids and scopes

Check what each bid includes, excludes, or treats as an allowance before comparing the totals.

How to read an ADU construction contract

Find the scope, payment schedule, Change Order process, schedule, and responsibilities.

How ADU allowances work

Understand the allowance amount, actual cost, supporting bills, and how credits or overages are handled.

What to do with a Preliminary Notice

Understand what the notice means, who sent it, and which project records you should check and keep.

View the ADU project overview →

Why project experience matters

Relevant experience helps a contractor anticipate the work, navigate local requirements, and keep your project moving.

A finished interior with seating and floor-to-ceiling windows

Experience with projects like yours

A new home, a restaurant, and a remodel need different skills. Start with similar completed projects, then ask what the contractor handled and who will run your job.

A two-story home with an attached garage

Local experience matters

Work in your city can bring familiarity with plan reviews, permits, and inspections. Knowing what to prepare and who to coordinate with can help reduce back-and-forth.

People meeting over building plans at a worksite

Project history you can explore

Our listings start with actual project experience and work history. We make every effort to verify work information using available project records and supporting sources.

We use project history—not Google or Yelp reviews—to assess contractor experience.

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Choosing a contractor affects the whole project

Your choice shapes more than the finished space. It affects your budget, your schedule, and the decisions you make along the way.

When the work is unfamiliar, missed details can become rework or unexpected costs. Unclear responsibilities can leave you coordinating between the contractor, designer, and trades.

Looking at similar projects early helps you have clearer conversations about the work—before you commit your time and money.

Talk through your project with us

A completed two-story building with a curved balcony and large windows

Why I built PrepareToBuild.info

The questions started while I was building my own house.

Your portrait

“I built my own house. The hard part was finding the right people, asking useful questions, and knowing which information I could trust.”

I searched government records, Contractor websites, reviews, forums, and industry documents. AI was useful sometimes. It also invented facts, reached conclusions the sources did not support, and tended to agree with the way I asked the question.

So I built PrepareToBuild.info to keep the sources, questions, and Checklists I needed in one place. It will not tell you which Contractor to hire. It will help you see what you checked and what still needs an answer.

Read the full story

How we handle information

These rules apply to Contractor profiles, project guides, and Checklists.

The site does not choose a Contractor for you.

Public records, published information, and site analysis are labeled separately.

Changing facts show their source, coverage limits, and last-reviewed date.

Google and Yelp reviews are not used to select listed Contractors or assess their project experience.

Project Analysis stays separate from Contractor profiles.

Request a documented correction.

FAQ

Common questions about how the site works, where the information comes from, and what you can find here.

What is PrepareToBuild.info?

It is an information site for people planning an ADU, a new single-family home, or a new restaurant. It brings together project Steps, Guides, Checklists, and Contractor information in one place.

How does PrepareToBuild.info verify project experience?

We use available project and permit records to support relevant experience instead of treating a rating or review on another platform as proof of completed work. Record availability varies by location.

What projects does PrepareToBuild.info cover?

Our contractor search currently covers ADUs, new single-family homes, and new restaurants in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Our City ADU Rules also cover Orange and San Bernardino counties.

How can I request a correction?

Send a correction request with a link to the profile or page, the information to change, and supporting records. Contractors can use the same form to request updates to their work history. We review the supporting information before making changes.