By: Lotti Pharriss Knowles
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/14/2025 – If you live in Los Angeles, you’ve probably been hearing a lot about ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units. You might have noticed a sign in front of a neighbor’s house, emblazoned with a contractor’s name and alerting passersby of impending construction. Or maybe a friend or coworker has mentioned that they’re converting their garage into a guest house, “mother-in-law suite” or “granny flat” (other common monikers for ADUs).
ADU construction has exploded since 2019, when California enacted AB 68 in response to the state’s housing crisis. The bill legalized widespread construction of ADUs as easy-to-build, affordable housing and removed barriers that had previously prevented many homeowners from embarking on such a project.
Are you a California homeowner who wants to convert or construct space on your property for a family member to live in, as a rental unit for income, or as extra space for an office or workout room, but you’re not sure how to get started? Are you concerned about possible rules or restrictions in your area, how much it will cost, and where to find a contractor, you can trust? Starting the process can feel overwhelming, but luckily there’s help available – and two excellent places to start are GreatBuildz.com and MaxableSpace.com.
GreatBuildz, co-founded by Jon Grishpul and Paul Dashevsky, should be the first stop for anyone looking to build an ADU or launch any type of home renovation project. Grispul describes their site as “a matchmaking service to help homeowners find ethical, reliable contractors” who have passed a rigorous screening process. They also have remodeling advisors who can support you through every step of the process. As a bonus, most of their services are free to use.
Another feature recently added to the GreatBuildz website is BidCompareAI, which allows homeowners to upload two to four contractor bids and find out which one offers the best value for their project. The AI tool analyzes the bids and emails results in just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Maxable (also co-owned by Dashevsky and Grishpul) is “a one-stop shop for everything ADUs.” The services Maxable provides include connecting homeowners with architects and builders, a project cost estimator, a financing guide with recommendations for vetted lenders, and design ideas.
Says Grishpul of both GreatBuildz and Maxable, “Our focus is educating homeowners and equipping them with the resources and education they need to be well-informed in such a confusing, stressful industry. I recommend to everyone: Do your homework. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation out there, which is one of the main reasons I started this business.”
If you’re hoping to rent your ADU, doing your homework and working with a trusted partner is especially important. “If you plan on becoming a landlord, you’re taking on risk,” Grishpul warns. “Make sure everything is built properly and legally, permits pulled and all that. You also need to know what regulations you need to follow and what the registration process is to have a legal rental unit. For example, most of L.A. has restrictions when it comes to short-term rentals (such as Airbnb).”
“The top priority for us is contractor vetting. A bad contractor will result in a huge nightmare that will leave you traumatized forever. Any contractor that’s in our network, we’re constantly evaluating, so if at any time they slip and don’t maintain the high standards we hold for them, we’re not going to bring them any more business.” Grishpul continues, “That’s our mission at GreatBuildz and Maxable, to make sure homeowners have someone on their side.”
For more positives – and perils – of ADU construction, listen in to my interview with Jon on YouTube.
