Property information asks: what can we establish online?
A property-information service organizes useful public online information for one address. It may identify the parcel, the city or county that reviews permits, zoning information, assessor facts, maps, permit references, and other available records. The homeowner receives a source-linked summary that shows what the records say and where each item came from.
A records-only report should also identify conflicts and missing information. It should not say whether an ADU will work, predict approval, or claim that an online map confirms a physical condition.
- Source-linked property and reviewing-agency summary
- Relevant online maps and record references
- Clear notes about missing or conflicting information
- Where to look for missing information
- No conclusion about whether an ADU will work
ADU review asks: is one idea worth more work?
An ADU review starts with the property information and one clearly described idea: for example, a detached one-bedroom ADU in a particular part of the lot or a garage conversion. The reviewer can then consider zoning, visible site conditions, rough building form, access, utilities, likely questions for engineers or other specialists, and important unknowns.
A remote review has limits. Without a survey, field measurements, engineering, or formal city or county review, the report cannot guarantee a design, price, permit, or construction result. Its job is to help the homeowner decide whether to continue, change the idea, collect more information, or stop.
Permit plans ask: what drawings does this project need?
Permit-plan services begin after the ADU idea, major existing conditions, specialist needs, and responsibilities are clear enough to price. Depending on the written proposal, the work may include design, code research, drawing sheets, coordination with engineers and other specialists, owner revisions, submission help, and responses to city or county comments.
A permit set is not simply a more detailed feasibility sketch. It is a group of coordinated drawings and documents for city or county review. The fee, schedule, and responsibilities should be based on the actual property and project.
- Drawing sheets and design responsibilities
- Known specialist work and coordination
- Included owner revision rounds
- Submission and status responsibilities
- Number of included plan-check response rounds
The wrong sequence creates avoidable waste
Ordering permit drawings before confirming the reviewing city or county, the ADU idea, or important site conditions can force the design team to price unknown work or make assumptions that later fail. Repeatedly buying small studies without choosing an idea can also delay the project without answering the main question.
Choose the smallest service that answers the next question. If the homeowner only needs an organized property record, do not sell an ADU review. If one idea needs project review, a records summary is not enough. If the project is defined well enough to price, more research may no longer help.
Compare proposals by the answer and handoff
When reviewing a proposal, ask what question the service answers, what information you must provide, what you will receive, how long the work usually takes, and what is not included.
Then ask what happens next. A clear handoff tells you whether to gather measurements, contact the city or county, hire a surveyor or engineer, revise the ADU idea, request a permit-plan proposal, or pause.
- What decision will this service help me make?
- What property and project information must I provide?
- What will I receive?
- What will remain unverified?
- What is the likely next step?
Choose property information when records are missing, an ADU review when one idea needs to be checked, and permit plans when the project is ready for drawings.
Official sources and useful references
Links checked September 2, 2026. They are a starting point; confirm that the current page, map, handbook, or process applies when you use it.
Describe the project and what is still unclear.
Studio Bluework reviews the request before recommending a report, permit-document scope, or another next step.
The inquiry does not create an agreement, take payment, begin work, or authorize agency contact.This article provides general educational information. Property records, site conditions, required specialists, and city or county review may change the answer for a specific project.