WHAT TO KNOW FIRST
This planner cannot determine whether your property qualifies for an ADU. It organizes preferences and unanswered site questions for a qualified project team. It asks for no contact details, submits nothing, and saves only on your browser when you choose to save.
- A selected project type is a preference, not an approval finding.
- An unchecked topic is still unverified, not automatically resolved.
- Download the brief and share it yourself when you are ready.
List what you know today.
This is a self-guided planning tool, not a professional feasibility review. Your selections do not establish whether an ADU can be built. Nothing is submitted to a contractor or the City.
What still needs investigation?
Select the unknowns you want to discuss. An unchecked item is not considered verified.
Your working brief
Saving is optional and uses this browser’s local storage. Anyone using the same browser profile may see a saved brief. Reset removes it. Downloads and printed copies must be deleted separately. Privacy details
Where do you find evidence for the questions you selected?
Use three labels in your own project folder: preference, documented fact, and unresolved question. An observed condition can be useful without being fully verified. For example, seeing a fence is an observation; establishing the property boundary requires the appropriate records or professional work.
| Unknown | Review first | Ask your project team |
|---|---|---|
| Boundaries and easements | Ownership records, available surveys, and recorded documents. | What additional confirmation is needed before placing the unit? |
| Existing structure | Plans, permits, alteration history, and condition photographs. | Which inspections or investigations are needed to establish the starting scope? |
| Utilities | Available service information and known connection locations. | Who confirms capacity, routes, provider requirements, and physical work? |
| Association or shared areas | Governing documents and ownership/access information. | Which questions concern design, property rights, or the applicable HOA rule? |
| Budget | A scope list and written assumptions from prospective providers. | Which figures are confirmed, allowances, exclusions, or not yet priced? |
| Layout and privacy | Daily routines, furniture needs, site photographs, and proposed entry routes. | What layout alternatives would resolve the competing priorities? |
For City process questions, use Irvine’s official ADU instructions. For water-service confirmation, the IRWD contact page is an official starting point; confirm the relevant provider for your address rather than assuming service or charges.
Keep personal documents in your own secure records. This planner does not need an address, uploaded plans, account numbers, or a utility bill to produce the brief.
Give each unknown an owner.
Share the downloaded brief yourself with your chosen professional, then ask which questions need a site visit, records, or specialist input. Add the person responsible and the next action to your own notes.
Your chosen timeline expresses a preference; it is not a forecast of design, permit review, or construction duration. Once scope is better understood, use the cost worksheet to organize actual estimates and the permit guide to prepare application questions.
How should you use the finished brief?
Does saving the brief request a feasibility review?
No. Save stores selections in this browser profile only. There is no reviewer assignment, appointment, inquiry transmission, or eligibility result.
Who should I speak with after downloading it?
Choose a qualified professional suited to the next task: investigating the property, developing a design, or pricing a written scope. The team responsibility guide shows you how to ask who owns each deliverable.
What if most of my answers are unknown?
That is useful information for an early conversation. Prioritize facts that could change the project type, placement, or budget before spending time on finishes. Return to the Irvine ADU guide to compare the main options.
What happens if browser storage is blocked?
You can still use, download, and print the current brief. A visible message explains when saving or restoring is unavailable. Read the privacy notice for deletion and shared-browser details.
PRIMARY SOURCES
State and local guidance consulted
Links checked September 5, 2026.
- City of Irvine — ADU application instructions ↗
- Irvine Ranch Water District — official contact ↗
Use for provider or service confirmation; no ADU fee or capacity requirement is assumed here.
These links explain the public requirements. The house, lot, and proposed work still need their own review.
NEXT FOR THE HOMEOWNER
Follow the property question into the estimate.
PREPARE FOR THE FIRST CALL
Use the call to sort out the next step.
Let us know whether you are considering the yard, garage, or part of the house. Each option changes the construction questions.