2-Bedroom ADU plans. Four ways to build the most-built ADU configuration.

What is a 2-bedroom ADU?

A 2-bedroom ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit with two private bedrooms (real rooms with doors that close), one or two bathrooms, an open or dedicated living area, a kitchen, and a private entrance. Under California Gov. Code § 66313 it is legally an ADU regardless of bedroom count — bedroom count is a layout choice, not a legal category. The 60-day ministerial permit timeline (§ 66317), the 4-foot setback floor (§ 66321(b)(3)), and the parking exemptions (§ 66322) all apply.

2-bedroom ADUs typically run 650–1,200 sqft. Below 650 sqft the second bedroom starts to feel like an alcove rather than a real room. Above 1,200 sqft you’ve crossed the City of Los Angeles ADU size cap and the project becomes a 3-bedroom in most layouts.

The 2-bedroom is the most-built ADU configuration in California and the most flexible. It serves families with one child, couples with a roommate, multigenerational households with a parent and a caregiver, work-from-home professionals who need a dedicated office, and high-end long-term rental investors who want top-of-market rent. The widest use case, the widest tenant pool, the most consistent occupancy.

Two-story 2-bedrooms — The Fairfax and The Venice

Two-story 2-bedrooms are CALI ADU’s key competitive moat. No prefab or modular ADU company — Samara, Abodu, Villa — can deliver a two-story ADU, because nothing two stories tall fits on a truck. We site-build every Signature Home, which removes the transport constraint and unlocks vertical floor plans on lots where single-story doesn’t fit.

The Fairfax (840 sqft, 2BR/1.5BA, $339,000). The narrow-lot champion. The Fairfax delivers 840 sqft of living space on a 14′×32′ footprint — just 448 sqft of ground coverage. On lots where the rear-yard envelope after setbacks measures only 14′ wide, the Fairfax is often the only path to a real 2-bedroom ADU. Two bedrooms upstairs, half bath downstairs, full bath upstairs, open living/kitchen on the ground floor.

The Venice (1080 sqft, 2BR/2BA, $399,000). Our most popular two-story 2-bedroom. 1080 sqft of living space on an 18′×30′ footprint. Full two-bathroom configuration (one downstairs, one upstairs). The Venice is large enough to compete with the lifestyle experience of a small house — the kind of ADU that rents to long-term professional couples and commands top-of-market rent ($3,200–$3,800+/month in most LA neighborhoods).

Important caveat on height. Both the Fairfax and Venice are over 20 feet tall. State law only guarantees 16 ft (single-family lots) or 18 ft (transit corridors or multifamily lots) under § 66321(b)(4). Two-story ADUs like ours work in jurisdictions that allow taller detached ADUs by right — including the City of Los Angeles, which permits up to 30 ft in most residential zones. In a city that caps detached ADU height at the 16- or 18-foot state floor, our two-story models will not be approved as designed.

The 750 sqft impact-fee inflection

California Gov. Code § 66318 exempts every ADU under 750 sqft from city impact fees. On the 2-bedroom lineup, this threshold matters because only one of our four models stays under it.

Why this matters for your budget. The Laurel Canyon is $289,000 turnkey. The Melrose is $329,000 turnkey — a $40,000 step up. But the Melrose also brings $10,000–$22,000 in impact fees in most LA-area cities, which the Laurel Canyon does not. Net difference can be $50,000+ all-in.

The full proportional-fee schedule (Gov. Code § 66318(b)) requires impact fees on ADUs 750 sqft or larger to be charged at a rate proportional to the primary dwelling’s impact-fee assessment, capped at the difference in square footage. In practice, most LA-area cities charge between $13 and $22 per square foot of ADU floor area above 750 sqft. The numbers above reflect the typical range we see in permitted projects.

None of this is a reason to build the smaller unit if you need the larger one. A Venice rents for $400–$700/month more than a Laurel Canyon — over a decade that’s $48,000–$84,000 in additional rental income, which dwarfs the impact-fee differential. The point of this section is just to make the inflection visible so you can budget correctly.

2-bedroom ADU floor plans + dimensions

The four 2-bedroom Signature Homes share a fundamental layout principle — two real bedrooms with doors that close, open living and kitchen, and a private entrance — but they distribute floor area differently.

The Laurel Canyon (660 sqft, single-story) uses a roughly 22′×30′ footprint. Two bedrooms behind walls share the rear of the plan; the bathroom sits between them. The kitchen and living area occupy the front half of the unit as a single open volume.

The Melrose (800 sqft, single-story) expands the Laurel Canyon footprint to roughly 26′×30′, with the additional square footage going to a dedicated second bathroom (often configured as a primary-suite bath) and a larger living area.

The Fairfax (840 sqft, two-story) uses 14′×32′ on the ground plus a second floor of identical footprint. Ground floor: open living, kitchen, half bath, and stairs. Second floor: two bedrooms and a full bathroom.

The Venice (1,080 sqft, two-story) uses 18′×30′ on the ground plus a second floor. Ground floor: open living, kitchen, full bathroom, and stairs. Second floor: two bedrooms (one primary), plus an upstairs full bath.

For the full floor plan of each model with room-by-room dimensions, see the individual product pages: Laurel Canyon · Melrose · Fairfax · Venice.

Renting your 2-bedroom ADU

2-bedroom ADUs command higher rent than 1-bedrooms because the tenant pool is broader and the unit can support more stable, longer-tenancy arrangements: couples plus a roommate, couples plus a child, working professionals with a dedicated home office, multigenerational families.

Typical 2-bedroom ADU rents in most LA neighborhoods:

• The Laurel Canyon (660 sqft, 2BR/1BA): $2,800–$3,200+/month — $33,600–$38,400+/year
• The Melrose (800 sqft, 2BR/2BA): $3,000–$3,400+/month — $36,000–$40,800+/year
• The Fairfax (840 sqft, 2BR/1.5BA, 2-story): $3,000–$3,500+/month — $36,000–$42,000+/year
• The Venice (1,080 sqft, 2BR/2BA, 2-story): $3,200–$3,800+/month — $38,400–$45,600+/year

The second bathroom (in the Melrose and Venice) commands a consistent $200–$400/month premium over the one-and-a-half bath Fairfax and the single-bath Laurel Canyon. Tenants materially value a private second bath when sharing a unit with a roommate or hosting visitors. Over a 10-year hold, that premium adds $24,000–$48,000 in rental income — well above the price step up between the models.

For the full ADU rental income math (including LA submarket variation), see our ADU rental income guide.