ADU Construction in South Pasadena With a Working Entry
South Pasadena ADUs with an entry that works: a landing clear of the door, a closet for coats, switches at the latch and a threshold kept close to grade.
Coats, bags, deliveries and muddy shoes all arrive through the front door of a South Pasadena ADU, so we plan the entry as a room of its own. It needs a landing where the door can swing fully open, a closet or hooks within reach, a switch on the latch side and flooring that grit cannot scratch. If the lot slopes, we pick the side of the unit that lets the threshold sit near grade.
Inside the door
Code calls for a landing at both sides of an exterior door. Indoors, we size ours so a person holding a bag can stand on it while the door is open. A shallow closet beside the landing takes coats, shoes and a folded stroller, with its own door swinging clear of the landing. Switches for the porch light, the entry light and the main room are grouped at the latch side, where a hand finds them in the dark. Tile or sealed concrete runs a short way in from the threshold, around a recessed mat well that keeps grit by the door.
Threshold, water and steps
A low threshold helps luggage wheels, a stroller and anyone using a cane, and it also brings rain close to the floor. A landing outside that slopes away, a pan flashing beneath the sill and a roof overhang or small awning above keep water out. On a sloping lot, a door on the low side may sit high enough to need steps with a guard, while a door cut into the high side needs a drain at its landing. The City of South Pasadena reviews these outside landings and steps along with the rest of the plans.
About our adu construction workEverything we build in South Pasadena
ADU Construction in South Pasadena: questions
On ground that a short, step-free walk from the street or the main house can reach, within the setbacks. If a South Pasadena yard slopes, the area near the house tends to meet that walk at the same height. The footing depth needed at each candidate then settles it.
It does, as long as the South Pasadena unit qualifies, has a single story and stays at or below 500 square feet. The floor plan fixes the landing, closet and door swing, so the city's plan checker can confirm the landing size from that sheet. Engineering for a slope and the build come in a separate quote once we have walked the property.
Steps and a guard at a raised door, a drain at a door cut into the slope, and deeper footings along the low side are the items a grade brings. Inside, entry tile, a mat well and a closet add a modest amount to the interior finish work.
ADU Construction in other cities
More work in South Pasadena
Planning work in South Pasadena?
Tell us about the lot and the job. A builder replies by phone or email to set up a visit.