ADU Structural Engineering
Adding an accessory dwelling unit is one of the smartest ways to expand your property — but it needs sound structural engineering to get permitted and built. Oaktown Engineers delivers permit-ready ADU plans and calculations for new builds, garage conversions, and JADUs across the Bay Area.
ADUs are booming across California, and every one needs a foundation, framing, and lateral system engineered to code. Whether you're building a detached unit in the backyard, converting an existing garage, or adding a junior ADU within your home, the structural design determines whether the project sails through permitting or stalls. Oaktown Engineers works with homeowners, ADU designers, and contractors to produce clear, buildable, stamped structural plans — coordinated with your architectural drawings and tuned to your city's requirements.
What we handle
- Detached ADU Engineering
- Garage Conversion (ADU)
- Junior ADU (JADU)
- Foundation Design
- Framing & Beam Sizing
- Seismic / Lateral Design
- Permit-Ready Stamped Plans
- Architect & Designer Coordination
New Detached ADUs
A backyard ADU needs its own foundation and a complete gravity and lateral system. We design footings suited to your soil, size the framing, and detail the seismic bracing so the unit is safe, efficient to build, and ready for plan-check.
Garage Conversions
Converting a garage into living space changes how the structure carries load — often requiring new footings, shear walls, and header modifications where the garage door was. We assess the existing structure and design the upgrades needed to meet code as habitable space.
Coordination That Keeps Permits Moving
We work directly from your architectural or designer drawings so the structural set aligns perfectly, reducing plan-check comments and revision cycles. The result is a coordinated package your building department can approve quickly.
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a structural engineer for an ADU?
Yes. ADU permits require stamped structural plans and calculations for the foundation, framing, and lateral system. We prepare the complete structural package your city needs.
Can you engineer a garage-to-ADU conversion?
Absolutely. Garage conversions are one of the most common ADU types we engineer — we design the new footings, shear walls, and framing modifications required to make the space code-compliant.
How long does ADU structural engineering take?
Most ADU structural packages are completed in two to three weeks once we have the architectural drawings. Call (925) 914-7939 for a free quote and timeline.
Ready to get started?
Tell us about your project and we'll give you an honest assessment and a free quote.