Van Nuys ADU Construction With a Level Patio Step
Van Nuys ADU construction with patio door landings drawn for LADBS plan check, a wide glass door and shade over a private patio, by Palmcrest Contractors.
Landings at each exterior door get a close look from LADBS plan check on a Van Nuys backyard unit. The code limits how far the patio may drop below the threshold, so the step out of a glass door has to be drawn with care. We set the floor and the patio together, keeping the drop small, and the result is an indoor room that runs out to the yard almost at one level.
Thresholds and drainage
A flush threshold is lovely, but water has to stay outside. We slope the patio away from the door, add a trench drain in front of a near-flush sill, and set a pan flashing under the door that sheds any water to the outside. The slab of the unit sits on a raised footing line, and the step down is kept within what the code allows for a door that swings or slides over it. For wheelchair or walker use, we can make the entry fully level with a ramped walk and a drain grate.
Other items on the LADBS set
The landing is one item among many. LADBS also wants the unit's distance from each lot line and from the house, the energy calculations for the glass, and an electrical plan tied to the existing service. Each correction note gets a written reply before resubmittal. On site, the slab is formed with the threshold height in mind, the door is set and flashed, and the patio is poured last against the finished sill so the step matches what the approved plans show.
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At the back or side of the yard where its glass door can open level onto a patio that faces garden, while the main house sees only a side wall. If the lot has room to spare, the unit can sit a little off the fence for a planted strip, which adds privacy and gives that wall more space for windows.
It covers a one-story Van Nuys ADU sized at 500 square feet or smaller. For an LADBS submittal here the wall drawings deserve care at the patio door, since the threshold, landing and step all show up there. A larger or two-story unit is priced after a site visit.
Yes, and with the landing drawn correctly it can be nearly level with the floor. A wide slider or folding glass wall opens to concrete or pavers, a trench drain catches water at the door, and a pergola or fabric shade covers the seating. Low planting at the edges keeps the patio feeling like part of the room.
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