Now in Santa Barbara: ADUs, Additions, Custom Homes, and More!
Now in Santa Barbara: Accessible Housing Brought to You by California's Custom-Build Experts
We’re excited to bring our sought-after custom design/build services to Santa Barbara, led by Senior Project Manager Lucrezia de León. Lu expands our in-house expertise with a portfolio that includes dozens of successful projects across California as well as projects focusing on supportive housing in the states of Washington, Texas, and Mississippi. As part of a vast record of service in the Santa Barbara area, Lu has served on the board of directors for Hillside Housing and Santa Barbara Beautiful. In addition, Lu leads design and permitting for a 1,000-home portfolio.
Our full range of services is now available in Santa Barbara, so you can build a home that will suite your lifestyle today and adapt to your needs for years to come.
Custom Homes: Design your forever home from the ground up, tailored to your lifestyle, aesthetic, and long-term goals.
Additions: Expand your living space to create a spacious kitchen, a private suite, or a sunny home office—whatever your life needs most right now.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Build a backyard cottage for guests, rental income, aging parents, or your own creative studio.
SB-9 Lot Splits: Unlock the full potential of your property by dividing your lot and building additional homes—ideal for investment, family, or future flexibility.
Smoother, Faster, and More Affordable: New Avenue's Preapproved ADUs Are Coming to Santa Barbara
Building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Santa Barbara has traditionally meant navigating a complex maze of boards and commissions to ensure your design meets an array of standards. But with the City of Santa Barbara’s new Preapproved ADU Program, the path to building just got a lot smoother. And New Avenue Homes is helping lead the way.
A Citywide Effort, Powered by Smart Design
The City of Santa Barbara is currently rolling out its Preapproved ADU Program, an initiative that aims to reduce the time, cost, and uncertainty associated with building detached ADUs. Plans that meet the city’s preapproval standards will bypass much of the discretionary review process, cutting permit timelines from many months down to as little as 30 days.
New Avenue's own Lu de León has been instrumental in this shift, working to get two New Avenue designs—a studio and a one-bedroom ADU—preapproved by the city. These designs were developed in response to the need for greater housing accessibility in Santa Barbara.
Built for Affordability and Speed
Our preapproved designs were intentionally created to maximize accessibility and minimize red tape. By keeping the units under 500 square feet, homeowners can avoid triggering costly requirements like site surveys and soils tests. And because the plans are already approved by the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission, Architectural Board of Review, and Single Family Design Board, they’re primed to move straight into the building phase.
We expect our preapproved plans to be posted on the city’s official website this summer.
Flexible Templates, Designed to Evolve
These preapproved plans offer a solid foundation—but they’re not one-size-fits-all. Homeowners can review the options, choose the design that best suits their needs, and then work with our team to personalize it. Whether that means extending the layout, converting a studio into a one-bedroom, or adjusting finishes and fixtures to match your main home, we’ll help you make it your own. The preapproval gets you a head start; from there, it’s all about building what works best for your life.
Here’s How It Will Work
Once the City of Santa Barbara publishes the preapproved plans—expected by Summer 2025—homeowners will be able to:
Browse the city’s collection of preapproved designs online
Choose a plan that fits their needs
Contract directly with the designer (that’s us!)
Customize site-specific elements
Obtain a building permit in as little as 30 days
Solving Real Problems for Real People
This initiative isn’t just about cutting red tape—it’s about solving the real, urgent housing needs facing Santa Barbara today. With more than 800 people on the city’s housing waitlist and countless families looking for affordable ways to expand their homes, New Avenue’s preapproved ADUs are designed to offer meaningful, timely solutions.
Whether you’re planning a home for a family member, building an income property, or just looking for more flexibility, our preapproved ADUs and our specialized construction process can help you get there faster—and with fewer surprises.
Build the Future You Want to Live in.
Take the first step toward your dream home. Schedule a free consultation call with a New Avenue Homes expert today and let us guide you every step of the way. Here's to new beginnings and spectacular new homes that exceed your every expectation.
