ADU cost in San Diego (2026)
The typical ADU in San Diego was valued at $115,000 on its city permit (middle half: $69,000 to $172,000), across 1,329 ADUs with city permits issued from October 2021 to September 2026.
How the values spread
The numbers behind the chart
| Value on the permit | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50,000 | 165 | 12% |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | 410 | 31% |
| $100,000 to $150,000 | 312 | 23% |
| $150,000 to $200,000 | 203 | 15% |
| $200,000 to $250,000 | 97 | 7% |
| $250,000 to $300,000 | 52 | 4% |
| $300,000 and over | 90 | 7% |
ADU builders with the most jobs in San Diego
| Rank | Contractor | Jobs | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snap Adu licensed 5 years | Call (760) 259-1985 | |
| 2 | Vertical Mvmt LLC licensed 3 years | Call (858) 999-0070 | |
| 3 | Cooper General Contracting licensed 39 years | Call (619) 823-7446 |
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Open your job roomBy year
| Year | Jobs | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (October to December) | 43 | $84,000 | $56,000 to $151,000 |
| 2022 | 153 | $94,000 | $61,000 to $153,000 |
| 2023 | 228 | $87,000 | $57,000 to $137,000 |
| 2024 | 308 | $111,000 | $68,000 to $163,000 |
| 2025 | 310 | $136,000 | $77,000 to $194,000 |
| 2026 (January to September) | 287 | $139,000 | $86,000 to $209,000 |
What the records show
- Share of jobs in each budget range: under $150,000: 67% (887 of 1,329); $150,000 to $300,000: 26% (352 of 1,329); $300,000 to $450,000: 5% (63 of 1,329); over $450,000: 2% (27 of 1,329).
- The median was $94,000 in 2022 (153 jobs) and $136,000 in 2025 (310 jobs), up 45%.
Every figure here is the job value written on the city permit, not the price paid. Permit values can be higher or lower than the final price, so get more than one quote. Values under $1,000 are placeholders and are left out. Median and middle half: half of the jobs were valued above the median; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: San Diego development permits, from October 2021 to September 2026. Data updated October 8, 2026. The same figures as data: adu.json.