Questions, answered plainly

Full-service architectural fees in the Los Angeles area typically run as a percentage of construction cost, with smaller projects quoted as a fixed fee. Verdugo Studio prices each phase separately after a site visit, so you can stop after feasibility if the numbers don't work.

Most single-family exterior changes, second-story additions and hillside projects go through Glendale's design review process under the Comprehensive Design Guidelines, at staff level or at the Design Review Board. ADUs and SB 9 projects that meet the standards are approved ministerially without a hearing.

A conforming ADU is reviewed within the state's 60-day window once complete. Additions typically take three to six months through design review and plan check. Hillside new homes can take six to twelve months including geotechnical review.

Nearly every single-family lot in Glendale can add at least one ADU, and many can add a junior ADU as well. Size, height and setbacks depend on your lot and zone, and fire-zone lots have added construction requirements.

An architect is licensed by the California Architects Board, carries professional liability, and can stamp structural and life-safety drawings. For additions, new homes and most exterior work, Glendale requires stamped drawings. Designers can handle interior work that stays within existing walls.

Yes. Tenant improvements, medical and dental offices, restaurants, retail and small mixed-use buildings in Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena.

Verdugo Studio is in Glendale, California. We work across Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Burbank, Pasadena, La Crescenta-Montrose and Eagle Rock.

Call or send a short description of the project through the Start a project form. We reply within one business day and schedule a site visit, usually within a week.

For structural changes, additions and most exterior changes, yes: the city requires stamped drawings for the permit, and design review looks at the exterior. For a kitchen that stays inside the existing walls, a designer or contractor may be enough.

Design and permits usually run nine to fourteen months for a flat lot and twelve to eighteen for a hillside lot, followed by twelve to eighteen months of construction. Hillside design review and geotechnical work add time at the front.

Yes. Most of our work is in Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Burbank, Pasadena, La Crescenta-Montrose and Eagle Rock.

Most lots can build a detached ADU of at least 800 square feet regardless of lot coverage. Larger units, up to the city's maximum, depend on your lot size and zone. We confirm your lot's limit before designing.

Usually, yes. Slope affects foundation cost and access, and lots in the fire zone have stricter materials requirements. The Adams Hill ADU on this site is one example.

No. ADUs that meet the city's standards are approved ministerially by staff.

Lots over roughly 50% slope get built in Glendale, but foundation and grading cost rises quickly past about 30%. The geotechnical report and the city's grading thresholds decide what is practical. We give you that answer at feasibility, before design fees.

Allow three to six months for the design review and plan check process on top of design time, more if the project needs a Design Review Board hearing or a grading exception.

Sometimes, but a plan that steps with the slope often replaces a tall wall with the house's own foundation. We try to avoid walls that need their own permit and engineering.

Most do not. A second story that is set back, matches the house and stays within the zone's height limit is usually approved at staff level through administrative design review.

Yes. Additions to contributing houses are reviewed against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, which favor additions at the rear that are lower than the main roof and clearly new.

Height limits depend on your zone and roof type. Many single-family zones in Glendale allow around 28 feet for a pitched roof. We confirm your limit at the site visit.

Original wood windows can almost always be repaired, and repair is what the standards favor. Where windows are missing or beyond repair, matching wood replacements are usually approved; vinyl is not.

The house must be on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources or a contributor in a historic district. We can tell you in a short call whether yours qualifies or could be nominated.

Yes. Review focuses on the exterior and on character-defining features. Kitchens, baths and systems can be fully updated.

Simple office TIs can be approved in a few weeks. Medical and food uses with outside agency review typically take two to four months from a complete submittal.

Yes. A short feasibility review confirms the use is allowed, parking works and the space can meet accessibility and occupancy requirements.

Yes. We prefer to bring the contractor in early so the drawings match how they build and price.

From a complete submittal, two to four months is typical when health, fire and building reviews run in parallel. Changes of use or new outdoor dining can add time.

Almost always, for any commercial kitchen with cooking. The size and location depend on the fixtures and the building; we size and locate it in the drawings.

Yes. A quick feasibility check on the space covers use, parking, kitchen exhaust route, gas and electrical capacity, and accessibility.

It depends on zoning, historic status, hazard zones and the lot's history. We check your parcel against each exclusion and give you a written answer.

Often, yes. A two-unit SB 9 project can usually add an ADU as well, subject to the city's standards. Combinations are checked case by case.

An urban lot split requires the owner to sign an affidavit of intent to live in one of the units for three years. A two-unit project without a split has no owner-occupancy requirement.