Sierra Madre ADU Construction From the Old Slab Up
Sierra Madre ADU construction that checks for buried concrete first, so an old slab can become the patio the unit's glass door opens onto.
Leftover concrete gets the first probe on a Sierra Madre lot. A pad from a former shed or an old patio slab, buried under a few inches of soil, can sit right where a backyard unit would go. Finding it early tells us whether that slab can become the base of the unit's new patio, which then sets the direction the main room and its glass door face.
Turning an old slab into a patio
A slab in sound shape, level and free of heaving, can be cleaned, patched and topped with pavers or a thin concrete overlay so the patio is ready when the unit is finished. We place the unit so its patio door opens straight onto that surface, and the room's longest run of glass follows. If the slab is cracked through or sits where footings need to go, it is broken out and hauled off, and the patio is poured fresh close to the height of the unit floor, so stepping out takes no climb.
Fire rules and plan review
On the state fire hazard map a share of Sierra Madre is shaded, and a parcel in that share brings mesh-screened vents, a Class A roof covering and tempered glazing into the set. The city's plan reviewers check each of those, and the patio cover counts too, so we frame it in metal and keep planting away from its posts. Footing depth is set by the soil we find while probing, and an engineer confirms it when the ground is soft. Inspections then follow the work from the footings to the final walk-through.
ADU Construction in Sierra Madre: what people ask
Facing the glass toward whichever side of the yard has the most open sky, with the bedroom set against the fence, keeps the unit bright and private. If an old slab sits in that open area, it can become the patio, so the light, the door and the outdoor space all line up.
For a one-story Sierra Madre ADU no larger than 500 square feet, yes. Here the site plan has to show any old slab we keep and the unit's distance to every property line, so that sheet gets close attention. Bigger plans wait for a site visit, and the construction is quoted on a separate line.
Yes, and a reused slab can make it easier. A glass slider opens onto the patio near floor height, and slatted metal overhead takes the edge off the sun. Where the parcel is mapped for fire, the door is glazed with tempered panes and the cover stays clear of shrubs and stacked firewood.
ADU Construction in other cities
More of what we build in Sierra Madre
Start your project in Sierra Madre
Send the form with the size of the space and what you want to change.