3-Bedroom ADU plans. The largest ADUs California law allows.
Two architect-designed, fixed-price 3-bedroom Signature Homes — the 1,000 sqft Lincoln at $389,000 single-story and the 1,200 sqft Culver at $459,000 two-story flagship. Top-of-market rental income, small-house lifestyle, and the maximum legal ADU size in Los Angeles.
Two 3-bedroom Signature Home plans
One single-story (the Lincoln) and one two-story (the Culver — our flagship). Both at or near the maximum size California permits as an ADU.
The Lincoln — 1,000 sqft, 3BR/2BA, single-story
Three bedrooms, two baths, all on one level. The largest single-story Signature Home. $389,000 all-inclusive.
The Culver — 1,200 sqft, 3BR/2.5BA, two-story
Our flagship. 1,200 sqft is the maximum total floor area Los Angeles permits as an ADU — the largest legal ADU you can build. $459,000 all-inclusive.
Lincoln — Living Room
Open living and kitchen anchor the front of the floor plan. Three bedrooms behind walls at the rear. A real one-story family home in your backyard.
Culver — Kitchen
Full-size appliances, generous island, walk-in pantry. The kitchen of a small single-family home, on a 20′×30′ footprint.
Culver — Primary Bedroom
Primary suite upstairs with a dedicated bath. King-bed capable, walk-in closet, and the privacy of a real second floor.
Culver — Craftsman Exterior
The Culver in our craftsman style. Available in four exterior styles — modern, Spanish, traditional, or farmhouse — all at the same fixed price.
Want to see 3-bedroom ADUs we’ve completed? Browse the full 126-project portfolio →
On this page
What is a 3-bedroom ADU?
A 3-bedroom ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit with three private bedrooms (real rooms with doors that close), two or two-and-a-half bathrooms, an open or dedicated living area, a full kitchen, and a private entrance. Under California Gov. Code § 66313 it is legally an ADU regardless of bedroom count — the same 60-day ministerial permit timeline (§ 66317), the same 4-foot setback floor (§ 66321(b)(3)), and the same parking exemptions (§ 66322) apply.
3-bedroom ADUs typically run 1,000–1,200 sqft — the upper end of what most California cities permit as an ADU. The City of Los Angeles caps detached ADUs at 1,200 sqft total floor area. There is no “large ADU” category above that — once you cross 1,200 sqft, the unit no longer qualifies as an ADU and the project requires a different permit pathway.
The 3-bedroom is the most ambitious ADU configuration and the one that competes most directly with a small single-family home. Tenant pool: families with two or more children, multigenerational households, professional couples with a dedicated home office plus a guest room. Build cost is the highest in the lineup; rental income is the highest in the lineup; property value uplift is the highest in the lineup. The math is simply bigger at every step.
The Lincoln — 1,000 sqft single-story 3BR/2BA
The Lincoln is the largest single-story Signature Home in our lineup. 1,000 sqft. 3 BR / 2 BA. Fixed-price at $389,000 all-inclusive.
The architectural decision: a true three-bedroom layout that lives entirely on one level. Three bedrooms behind walls at the rear of the plan; two full bathrooms (often configured as a primary suite plus a hall bath); open living, kitchen, and dining at the front. The Lincoln reads as a real family home, not as an oversized apartment.
- Three real bedrooms with closets and doors. The primary bedroom is king-bed capable with room for a dresser; the secondary bedrooms accommodate a queen and a desk, or two twin beds for kids sharing a room.
- Two full bathrooms. One primary-suite bathroom attached to the primary bedroom; a second hall bathroom shared by the secondary bedrooms. A real family configuration.
- Full-size kitchen with island — designed for families that actually cook. Two people can prep at the same time without bumping into each other.
- Open living and dining — sized for a real sofa, a real dining table seating six, and the conversations that happen between them.
- Single-level layout — no stairs, ADA-friendly potential, ideal for aging-in-place arrangements with grandparents or for accessibility-first design.
The Lincoln is also our second-best multigenerational configuration after the Melrose. With three bedrooms, there’s room for a parent plus a caregiver plus a guest room for visiting siblings — or for the parent plus their own home office plus a guest room. Single-level layout means the parent doesn’t lose access as mobility changes.
The Lincoln — Single-Story 3-Bedroom Signature Home
3 BR / 2 BA, 1,000 sqft, $389,000 all-inclusive. The largest single-story Signature Home in our lineup.
The Culver — 1,200 sqft two-story flagship
The Culver is our flagship Signature Home. 1,200 sqft. 3 BR / 2.5 BA. Two stories. Fixed-price at $459,000 all-inclusive. It sits at the maximum legal ADU size in Los Angeles — 1,200 sqft is the total floor area cap for detached ADUs under most LA ordinances. There is no Signature Home larger because the law doesn’t permit one.
The architectural decision: deliver the lifestyle of a small single-family home on a 20′×30′ footprint. Ground floor: open living, dining, and kitchen plus a half bathroom and stairs. Second floor: three bedrooms (one primary), two full bathrooms (one primary-suite, one shared), and a hallway with built-in storage. The vertical layout preserves yard space the way two-story plans always do — you get 1,200 sqft of living space on 600 sqft of ground coverage.
- Primary suite upstairs with a dedicated full bathroom, king-bed clearance on both sides, and a walk-in closet. The primary suite of a real single-family home.
- Two secondary bedrooms upstairs — both real bedrooms with closets, sized for a queen bed each or for sharing layouts (bunk beds, two twins).
- Second full bath upstairs — shared between the secondary bedrooms, with tub for kids.
- Half-bath downstairs — for guests and for everyone living on the main floor during the day. The 0.5 in “2.5 baths” that matters more than it should.
- Open ground floor — full kitchen with island, dining area, and living room as one continuous space. Large enough to host a real dinner with the family that lives upstairs.
- The CALI ADU two-story moat — no prefab competitor can deliver a two-story 3-bedroom ADU. The Culver is uniquely possible because we site-build.
Important caveat on height. The Culver is over 20 feet tall. State law only guarantees 16 ft (single-family lots) or 18 ft (transit corridors or multifamily lots) under § 66321(b)(4). The Culver works in jurisdictions that allow taller detached ADUs by right — including the City of Los Angeles, which permits up to 30 ft in most residential zones. In a city that caps detached ADU height at the 16- or 18-foot state floor, the Culver will not be approved as designed.
The Culver — Two-Story 3-Bedroom Flagship
3 BR / 2.5 BA, 1,200 sqft, $459,000 all-inclusive. CALI ADU's flagship Signature Home. The maximum legal ADU size in Los Angeles.
Lincoln vs. Culver — which is right for your lot?
Both are 3-bedroom Signature Homes. The decision comes down to lot geometry, intended use, and whether your jurisdiction allows taller ADUs by right.
| The Lincoln | The Culver | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1,000 sqft | 1,200 sqft (200 sqft more) |
| Stories | 1 | 2 |
| Footprint | ~30′×33′ | 20′×30′ (600 sqft) |
| Bedrooms | 3 | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 | 2.5 |
| Fixed price | $389,000 | $459,000 (+$70,000) |
| Impact fees (typical LA) | $15,000–$28,000 | $20,000–$35,000 |
| Typical LA rent | $3,800–$4,400+/mo | $4,200–$5,000+/mo |
| Height | ~14′ (fits 16 ft state floor) | Over 20 ft (needs city allowing taller ADUs) |
| Build timeline | 7–8 months | 8–9 months |
| Best for | Lots with room; aging-in-place; ADA-friendly; family with single-level preference | Narrow lots; maximum legal size; top-of-market rent; small-house lifestyle |
The $70,000 question. The Culver costs $70K more than the Lincoln and rents for roughly $400–$600/month more. At that delta, the Culver pays back the price difference in 10–15 years through additional rent alone — before factoring in the additional property-value uplift from the larger footprint and the second floor.
The lot and city question. The Lincoln needs a wider buildable area on the ground; the Culver compresses its footprint vertically. The Lincoln works in any jurisdiction that allows detached ADUs at 1,000 sqft (which is all of them); the Culver requires a city allowing taller ADUs by right (Los Angeles, most Westside cities, many Eastside cities). Confirming the local height ordinance is one of the first things we check during a feasibility review.
See both individual model pages: The Lincoln · The Culver.
The 1,200 sqft ceiling — why no Signature Home is larger
California Government Code § 66321 requires every jurisdiction to allow at least 1,000 sqft of interior livable space for an ADU with two or more bedrooms. That’s the state floor. Cities can be more generous: the City of Los Angeles permits ADUs up to 1,200 sqft total floor area in most residential zones. Many other LA-area cities (Long Beach, Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena) match the 1,200 sqft cap. A handful match the 1,000 sqft state floor and don’t go higher.
The Culver at 1,200 sqft sits at exactly the LA maximum. That’s why our Signature Home lineup tops out where it does. Anything larger is no longer an ADU — it becomes a primary dwelling under a different permit pathway, with different setback requirements, different parking requirements, different fee schedules, and often discretionary planning review instead of the ministerial 60-day approval clock that makes ADUs so attractive.
If you need more than 1,200 sqft of living space, you have three real options:
- Build the Culver and accept the 1,200 sqft ceiling. For most family configurations, 1,200 sqft is genuinely enough — 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, real living and dining, full kitchen. The same square footage as a small SFR.
- Switch to a custom design-build. CALI ADU offers custom one-of-one design-build starting around $600K. The result is no longer technically an ADU in the regulatory sense — it’s a custom new construction project under a different permit pathway.
- Consider an addition to your primary home instead. Adding 400–800 sqft to the existing main house can sometimes be more cost-effective than a custom new build, and it lets you reorganize the main house simultaneously. See our ADU vs. home addition comparison.
For most clients who land on the 3-bedroom hub, the Culver is the answer. It’s the maximum legal size at fixed price with a guaranteed timeline. Anything beyond that introduces permitting complexity and cost variance that the Culver eliminates.
Impact fees — what to budget for
California Gov. Code § 66318 exempts ADUs under 750 sqft from impact fees. Both 3-bedroom Signature Homes cross that threshold by a significant margin, and both pay proportional impact fees in most LA-area cities. This is one of the real budget items that distinguishes a 3-bedroom build from a smaller ADU.
| Model | Size | Sqft over the 750 threshold | Typical LA impact fee range |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lincoln | 1,000 sqft | 250 sqft | $15,000–$28,000 |
| The Culver | 1,200 sqft | 450 sqft | $20,000–$35,000 |
Important: impact fees are paid by the homeowner directly to the city at permit issuance. They are NOT included in CALI ADU’s fixed turnkey price. We collect city fees on your behalf during the permit process (so you don’t have to make multiple trips to the counter), but the dollars flow through to the city. The fees vary based on each city’s impact-fee schedule and the exact size of your unit; the ranges above reflect what we’ve seen on permitted projects across LA County.
Some cities are lower. The City of Los Angeles itself charges relatively modest impact fees on ADUs. Smaller cities like Burbank, Santa Monica, and Pasadena typically charge more. We’ll give you a specific number for your city as part of the feasibility review.
3-bedroom ADU floor plans + dimensions
The two 3-bedroom Signature Homes take fundamentally different approaches to delivering three bedrooms on a residential lot.
The Lincoln (1,000 sqft, single-story) uses a roughly 30′×33′ footprint. The three bedrooms cluster at the rear of the plan with the two bathrooms between them (primary suite plus shared hall bath). Open kitchen, dining, and living occupy the front half of the unit. The footprint requires a buildable area of approximately 1,000 sqft on your lot after setbacks — which is achievable on most LA single-family lots but requires confirming your specific lot dimensions.
The Culver (1,200 sqft, two-story) uses 20′×30′ on the ground plus a second floor of identical footprint. Ground floor: open living, kitchen, dining, plus a half-bath and the stairs to the second floor. Second floor: primary suite (bedroom plus full bath plus walk-in closet), two secondary bedrooms, and a second full bathroom. The 600 sqft ground footprint slips into rear-yard envelopes that can’t accommodate the Lincoln.
For full floor plans with room-by-room dimensions, see the individual product pages: The Lincoln and The Culver.
What a 3-bedroom ADU costs in 2026
Custom-designed 3-bedroom ADUs in Los Angeles typically cost $300–$500 per square foot all-in — design, engineering, permitting, construction, finishes, and utility connections. On a 1,000–1,200 sqft build, that’s a budget of $300K–$600K plus change orders, plus impact fees.
CALI ADU’s 3-bedroom Signature Homes are fixed-price:
- The Lincoln (1,000 sqft single-story): $389,000 all-inclusive turnkey
- The Culver (1,200 sqft two-story flagship): $459,000 all-inclusive turnkey
All-inclusive means design, engineering, permits processing, construction, interior finishes, appliances, and utility connections within 75 linear feet. The number in your contract is the number you pay — no change orders, no “unforeseen conditions” surcharges, no late-stage surprise line items.
Plus city impact fees ($15K–$35K depending on model and city, as detailed above), plus city permit and plan-check fees (typically $4K–$8K), plus any required main-house upgrades (electrical panel, sewer lateral) that the city may require. These are not in the fixed turnkey price because they are paid directly to the city or third parties, not to us.
For full pricing detail and a financing walkthrough, see our ADU cost guide for 2026 and ADU financing guide.
Renting your 3-bedroom ADU — top-of-market math
A 3-bedroom ADU generates the top-of-market rental income of any ADU configuration in California. The tenant pool is family-sized, which means longer tenancies, more stable payment history, and rents that compete directly with small single-family homes.
Typical 3-bedroom ADU rents in most LA neighborhoods:
- The Lincoln (1,000 sqft, 3BR/2BA, single-story): $3,800–$4,400+/month — $45,600–$52,800+/year
- The Culver (1,200 sqft, 3BR/2.5BA, two-story): $4,200–$5,000+/month — $50,400–$60,000+/year
The Culver pulls $400–$600/month more than the Lincoln for three reasons: it’s 200 sqft larger, it has an extra half-bath, and the two-story layout functionally lives like a small single-family home rather than an apartment. Family tenants who would otherwise rent a small SFR will pay SFR-equivalent rent for a well-finished 3BR ADU on a separate lot — especially when the ADU has its own private outdoor space and entry.
The financial math at the upper end. A Culver financed with a HELOC at 7% has an interest-only draw payment of roughly $2,680/month. At $4,500/month rent (the midpoint of the typical range), you’re cash-flow positive by $1,820/month from the day of certificate of occupancy — before any tax benefits or property-value appreciation. That’s $21,840/year in pure cash flow on top of the $300K+ property-value uplift that a permitted 3BR ADU adds to most LA properties.
For the full ADU rental income breakdown, see our ADU rental income guide.
3-bedroom vs. 2-bedroom — is a 3BR right for you?
The 3-bedroom is the most ambitious ADU configuration. It isn’t the right choice for every project — in fact, 2-bedroom configurations are more common in our LA County portfolio. Here’s when each is right.
If a 2-bedroom is the right call
A 2-bedroom ADU (660–1,080 sqft, Laurel Canyon to Venice, $289K–$399K) makes sense for most LA rental investment projects, for couples, for couples plus a roommate, for multigenerational arrangements with a parent who doesn’t need a guest room. The Laurel Canyon at 660 sqft is the only Signature Home above 1 bedroom that stays under the 750 sqft impact-fee exemption — meaningful budget savings. Build cost is $60K–$170K lower than the 3-bedroom range.
If a 3-bedroom is the right call
A 3-bedroom ADU is right when you actually need three bedrooms. The most common scenarios:
- Family rental investment. If your target tenant pool is families with two or more children, a 3-bedroom rents $1,000–$1,500/month more than a 2-bedroom and stays occupied longer (families move less often than couples).
- Multigenerational housing with a guest room. Parent moving in plus a guest room for visiting siblings or a caregiver — or parent plus their own home office plus a guest room.
- Downsizing from a larger home. Empty-nesters selling a 4-bedroom house but wanting more than 2 bedrooms in their new space — one for the master, one for guests, one for a home office or hobby room.
- Maximum property value uplift. A permitted 3-bedroom ADU adds the most property value of any ADU configuration — often $400K–$500K+ in most LA neighborhoods.
If you’re comparing across the full lineup, see our all-9-models page for the full breakdown.
Compare with our 2-bedroom flagship
If a 3-bedroom is more than you need, the Venice (1,080 sqft 2BR/2BA two-story, $399,000) sits one step down — same two-story architecture, one fewer bedroom, $60,000 less.
3-bedroom ADU questions, answered
What is a 3-bedroom ADU?
A 3-bedroom ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit with three private bedrooms, two or two-and-a-half bathrooms, an open or dedicated living area, a full kitchen, and a private entrance. Under California Gov. Code § 66313 it is legally an ADU regardless of bedroom count. 3-bedroom ADUs typically run 1,000–1,200 sqft.
CALI ADU offers two: the Lincoln (1,000 sqft single-story 3BR/2BA) and the Culver (1,200 sqft two-story 3BR/2.5BA, our flagship).
How large can a 3-bedroom ADU be in California?
California state law (Gov. Code § 66321) requires every jurisdiction to allow at least 1,000 sqft of interior livable space for an ADU with 2 or more bedrooms. The City of Los Angeles allows ADUs up to 1,200 sqft total floor area in most residential zones. CALI ADU’s Culver model sits at exactly 1,200 sqft — the maximum allowable ADU size in LA — which is why we don’t offer a larger Signature Home. Anything bigger isn’t legally an ADU.
How much does a 3-bedroom ADU cost in Los Angeles?
Custom-designed 3-bedroom ADUs in LA typically cost $300–$500 per square foot all-in. On a 1,000–1,200 sqft build, that puts the custom budget at $300K–$600K plus change orders.
CALI ADU’s 3-bedroom Signature Homes are fixed-price: The Lincoln at $389,000 (1,000 sqft single-story) and The Culver at $459,000 (1,200 sqft two-story) — all-inclusive of design, permits, construction, finishes, appliances, and utility connections.
How much rent does a 3-bedroom ADU generate?
3-bedroom ADUs in most LA neighborhoods rent for $3,800 to $5,000+ per month — $45,600 to $60,000+ per year. This is the top-of-market rent for any ADU configuration in California.
The Lincoln (1,000 sqft 3BR/2BA single-story) lands at the lower end of this range; the Culver (1,200 sqft 3BR/2.5BA two-story) commands the top because it lives like a small single-family home. Family tenants who would otherwise rent a small SFR will pay SFR-equivalent rent for a well-finished 3BR ADU on a separate lot.
Are 3-bedroom ADUs eligible for the impact-fee exemption?
No. California Gov. Code § 66318 exempts ADUs under 750 sqft from impact fees. Both 3-bedroom Signature Homes — the Lincoln (1,000 sqft) and the Culver (1,200 sqft) — cross this threshold and pay proportional impact fees.
Typical fee ranges in LA-area cities: $15,000–$28,000 on the Lincoln and $20,000–$35,000 on the Culver. These are paid directly to the city at permit issuance and are not included in CALI ADU’s fixed turnkey price.
Should I build the Lincoln (single-story) or the Culver (two-story)?
The Lincoln (1,000 sqft single-story 3BR/2BA, $389K) makes sense when your lot has the room for a larger footprint, the unit will house family members who need single-level access (aging parents, accessibility needs), or you want the simpler construction and faster build timeline.
The Culver (1,200 sqft two-story 3BR/2.5BA, $459K) makes sense when your lot is narrower, when you want the maximum legal ADU size, or when you want top-of-market rental income — the Culver consistently commands $400–$700/month more than the Lincoln.
Note: the Culver is over 20 feet tall and requires a jurisdiction that allows taller ADUs by right (LA permits up to 30 ft in most zones).
How long does it take to build a 3-bedroom ADU?
From contract signing to certificate of occupancy: 7 to 9 months for a CALI ADU 3-bedroom Signature Home. The Lincoln (single-story) typically runs 7–8 months. The Culver (two-story) runs 8–9 months due to the second-floor framing, additional bathroom, and larger finish scope. We guarantee the timeline in writing.
Can I get a larger Signature Home than the Culver?
No — the Culver at 1,200 sqft sits at the City of Los Angeles’s maximum allowable ADU total floor area. Anything larger no longer qualifies as an ADU under § 66321 and most LA-area ordinances.
If you need more than 1,200 sqft of living space, the right path is a custom design-build (different permit pathway, longer timeline, higher cost — starting around $600K), or to consider an addition to your primary home rather than an ADU.
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3-bedroom ADU?
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