See tiny houses in Los Angeles on a self-guided ADU tour

If you've read our coverage of accessory dwelling units, you know that they are one of the most popular housing solutions in California, with nearly one-fifth of newly permitted housing units in 2022 classified as ADUs.

With mortgage rates high, California ADU laws are constantly changing to help alleviate the housing crisis and the median home price approaching $750,000It's not surprising that homeowners choose to stay put and add tiny houses in their backyards for extended family or to earn additional income.

If you've been curious about ADUs and the design, budget, permitting and construction process, you can tour several in person on February 10 on a self-guided tour sponsored by housing advocates Homeplex, Sidekick Homes and How to ADU together . with the ADU Academy.

The Los Angeles edition of the SoCal ADU Tour will feature more than 10 homes in Mid-City and on the West Side and will offer the opportunity to speak with homeowners, including low-income state grant recipients and multigenerational families, who have passed by the ADU design and construction process.

“The goal of this event is to inspire many homeowners to take the leap and plan and build their ADUs,” said tour organizer Ryan O'Connell. “We want to give them a big push to learn as much as possible in one day, in a low-pressure environment, where they see real projects completed by real owners.”

ADUs range from less than 500 square feet to a 1,200-square-foot two-story unit, as well as modular, prefabricated and ground-up units. Participating builders and designers include Sidekick Homes, Building Blocks, NEO Builders, 360 Builders, Bunch ADU, Abodu and Maxable, who will also be on site to answer questions.

To provide a broad look at ADUs, the tour will include several ADUs under construction, one listed for sale, multiple garage conversions, and another that was brought up to code after the city of Los Angeles issued a citation for an unauthorized unit .