Field Notes + practical tools
Make the next ADU decision with better information.
Plain-language articles for homeowners, contractors, and realtors before plans, permit fees, or construction.
Check what should be known before plans.
Download the checklist. Planning emails and monthly Field Notes are optional.
Is your property in a city—or unincorporated Los Angeles County?
The city in a mailing address does not always identify the agency that controls zoning, building permits, and ADU review.
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Notable insights.
Practical Studio Bluework Field Notes organized around the decisions that come before ADU plans, permit fees, and construction.
10 articles · Try “garage,” “records,” “fees,” or a jurisdiction.
ADU feasibility or permit plans: what are you actually buying?
Research, feasibility, and permit drawings answer different questions. Understanding the handoff keeps a small decision from becoming an oversized scope.
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Why an assessor parcel map is not a boundary survey
An assessor map can help identify a parcel. It does not establish field boundaries, resolve encroachments, or replace a survey.
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How to prepare useful photos and measurements for a remote ADU review
A short, systematic documentation pass can make remote guidance more useful while keeping field verification limits visible.
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What actually drives the cost of an ADU permit-plan package?
The drawing fee reflects far more than square footage: existing conditions, jurisdiction, consultants, coordination, and correction support all change the work.
Read articleBefore you pay for ADU plans, check these four things
A drawing proposal is easier to evaluate after the property, existing conditions, budget, and permit path are understood.
Read articleWhat public property records can—and cannot—tell you
Records can establish useful facts. They cannot confirm every building condition, past improvement, or permit outcome.
Read articleA garage conversion is an existing-building project first
The proposed floor plan matters, but the garage that already exists usually determines the real scope, risk, and consultant needs.
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Detached ADU or garage conversion: which direction fits the property?
The apparent shortcut is not always the lower-risk path. Compare the site, existing structure, utilities, access, and intended use before choosing.
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What goes into an ADU permit plan set?
A permit set coordinates the site, existing conditions, proposed design, code information, structure, energy, utilities, and agency-specific requirements.
Read articleHow to read plan-check corrections without panicking
A correction notice is a list of unresolved decisions. Organizing it by responsibility makes the next response much clearer.
Read articleDecision guide
Start with the question you need answered.
Open a question to see the most useful Field Notes. This is a reading guide—not a substitute for property-specific review.
01Who reviews this property?Confirm the parcel, jurisdiction, and limits of online property records.
02Which service should come next?Separate property information, feasibility, and permit drawings before paying for too much scope.
03Can this be reviewed remotely?Prepare useful existing-condition information while keeping field-verification limits visible.
04What shapes a permit-plan proposal?Understand the drawings, consultants, responsibilities, corrections, and fees that change the work.
General guidance has a limit
Need the questions applied to a real address?
Studio Bluework offers a source-linked Property Information Report, a Remote ADU Feasibility Report, and permit plans after the scope is clear.