1-Bedroom ADU plans. The Sunset and the Westwood — built for rentability.

What is a 1-bedroom ADU?

A 1-bedroom ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit with one private bedroom (a real room with a door that closes), one bathroom, an open living and kitchen area, and a private entrance. Under California Gov. Code § 66313 it is legally an ADU regardless of bedroom count — bedroom count is a layout choice, not a legal category. The same 60-day ministerial permit timeline (§ 66317), the same 4-foot setback floor (§ 66321(b)(3)), and the same parking exemptions (§ 66322) apply to a 1-bedroom as to any other ADU configuration.

1-bedroom ADUs typically run 450–650 sqft. Below 450 sqft you’re looking at a studio with a sleeping alcove instead of a true private bedroom. Above 650 sqft you’re into 2-bedroom territory — once you’ve added a full second bedroom, you’ve crossed into a different unit type.

The 1-bedroom is the most rentable ADU footprint in Los Angeles. Studios attract single occupants; 2-bedrooms attract families. A 1-bedroom attracts everyone in between — couples, working professionals, downsizing parents, adult children moving back to LA. The widest tenant pool, the most consistent occupancy, the fewest rental gaps.

The Westwood — 550 sqft, our spacious 1-bedroom

The Westwood is the Sunset with seventy more square feet — all of which live in a dedicated living room. 550 sqft. 1 BR / 1 BA. Fixed-price at $259,000 all-inclusive.

The architectural decision: the Westwood is the only one-bedroom in the lineup with a real living-room volume separate from the kitchen and dining. Not a sofa pushed against a kitchen island. A real room with its own purpose, sized for a real sofa and the people on it. The bedroom is sized for a king bed plus a dresser plus a reading chair without negotiation. The kitchen runs along one wall to let the dining table breathe.

• Dedicated living room — the defining feature. Big enough for a full sofa, armchair, coffee table, and TV wall. The kind of room where you actually want to spend a Sunday afternoon.
• King-bed primary bedroom with a deep closet — wide enough to walk around the bed, not shuffle past it.
• Spa-grade bathroom with frameless glass shower or 60-inch tub and quartz-topped vanity — same finish standard as our larger Signature Homes.
• Commands top-of-market 1-BR rent in LA — $2,400–$3,000+ per month.

1-bedroom ADU floor plans + dimensions

The Sunset and the Westwood share the same fundamental floor-plan logic: bedroom and bathroom behind walls on one side, kitchen and living area on the other. What changes is how much breathing room each room gets.

The Sunset (480 sqft) uses roughly a 16′ × 30′ footprint. The interior is split into four functional zones: an open living/kitchen/dining area of roughly 280 sqft; a private bedroom of roughly 110 sqft with a closet; a full bathroom of roughly 50 sqft; and a private entrance with covered porch. The dimensions fit the rear-yard envelope on most California single-family lots after accounting for the 4-foot setback required by state law (§ 66321(b)(3)).

The Westwood (550 sqft) uses a similar footprint with the additional 70 sqft dedicated to a separate living room. The kitchen and dining sit along one wall; the living room occupies its own volume rather than sharing space with the kitchen. Bedroom and bathroom remain behind walls on the other side of the plan.

Both models can be ordered in any of CALI ADU’s exterior style variants — modern flat-roof, Spanish-influenced, traditional gable, or modern farmhouse — at no upcharge. See the individual model pages for the full exterior gallery: Sunset · Westwood.

The impact-fee exemption — both 1-bedrooms qualify

California Gov. Code § 66318 exempts every ADU under 750 sqft from impact fees. Both the Sunset (480 sqft) and the Westwood (550 sqft) sit comfortably under that threshold. Every California city must honor this exemption — it’s state law, not a local courtesy.

What this saves on a 1-bedroom:

• Zero impact fees. A 1,200 sqft 3-bedroom ADU pays $10,000–$30,000 in impact fees in most LA cities. Both the Sunset and the Westwood pay $0.
• Zero park fees. Same exemption covers park development fees in cities that charge them.
• Reduced school fees. California Education Code § 17620 allows school districts to charge fees on ADUs over 500 sqft. The Sunset at 480 sqft is exempt. The Westwood at 550 sqft is technically not, but the fee at that size is modest in most districts.

On a 1-bedroom build in cities like Pasadena, Burbank, or Santa Monica, the impact-fee exemption alone often saves $15,000–$25,000. That money goes into the build instead of into city accounts.

1-bedroom vs. studio vs. 2-bedroom — sizing your build

The 1-bedroom is the right answer for most projects, but it’s not the only option. Here’s how to think about sizing if you’re still deciding.

If a studio is right for you

A studio ADU (400 sqft, the Wilshire, $219K) makes sense when rental yield is the primary goal (lower build cost = faster payback), the lot is tight (the 20′ × 20′ footprint preserves backyard space), or the unit is for a single occupant — an aging parent, an adult child, a home office, or a long-term guest suite. Studios attract single tenants almost exclusively.

If a 2-bedroom is right for you

A 2-bedroom ADU (660–1,200 sqft) makes sense when the tenant pool is families (couples with a child or two), when long-term multigenerational housing is the plan, or when the lot easily accommodates the larger footprint. See all four 2-bedroom Signature Homes side-by-side in our complete 2-bedroom ADU plans guide — or our 3-bedroom ADU plans guide for the larger family configurations. The smallest 2-bedroom in our lineup is the Laurel Canyon at 660 sqft, $289K, 2BR/1BA. Two-bedroom ADUs rent for $2,800–$3,800+/month in most LA neighborhoods. Once you cross 750 sqft, however, the impact-fee exemption no longer applies — budget for $10,000–$30,000 in additional fees depending on the city.

If a 1-bedroom is right for you

A 1-bedroom is right when you want the widest tenant pool, the highest occupancy rate, and a build cost that stays under the $239K–$259K range. It’s also the right answer when you want the impact-fee exemption preserved (both 1-bedrooms stay under 750 sqft). In our 126-project history across LA County, the 1-bedroom is the single most-built configuration — for good reason.

1-bedroom ADU questions, answered