Burbank Remodeling Contractor legalizes unpermitted construction in Burbank, California. The situation is common and it usually surfaces at the worst moment: an appraiser measures the house, a buyer's inspector notices the converted garage, or a refinance stalls because the square footage on record does not match what is standing.
Legalization is a real construction project, not a paperwork exercise. It means documenting what exists, opening up concealed work so the city can inspect it, correcting whatever does not meet code, and taking the whole thing through to a legal final. Call (747) 330-0305 and we will tell you what yours will take.
What Unpermitted Work Costs You Until It Is Corrected
Unpermitted square footage does not count in an appraisal, which means you paid to build it and get nothing for it when you sell or refinance. Most insurance policies will not cover damage originating in unpermitted construction, so a fire that starts in a bootleg conversion's wiring can turn into a denied claim. Buyers who find it either walk away or reprice the house downward by more than the correction would cost.
And in the meantime, the work is frequently unsafe in specific ways: undersized wiring without a ground, a gas line run by somebody who should not have, no egress from a bedroom, and framing that was never inspected.
The Kinds of Unpermitted Work We See in Burbank Homes
Garage Conversions
The most common by a wide margin across Burbank and the east Valley. A garage finished into a room or a full unit, usually with no insulation, no proper slab work, wiring run off the house's existing circuits, and plumbing tied in wherever was convenient.
Additions and Enclosed Patios
A covered patio walled in and heated, or a room added off the back of the house. The usual issues are foundation and framing that were never engineered, and a roof connection that leaks at the seam.
Bootleg Units
A second dwelling created inside the house or in a rear structure and rented out. Legalization here may be possible as an ADU or JADU under current state law, which is a far better outcome than it would have been ten years ago.
Electrical, Plumbing and Structural Alterations
Walls removed without a beam, panels upgraded by an unlicensed person, subpanels fed with undersized conductors. These are the findings that turn a simple legalization into a real scope.
How the As-Built Permit Process Works in Burbank
The path is roughly the same regardless of what got built. We measure and document the existing conditions and have as-built drawings prepared. Where the work is structural, an engineer evaluates it and stamps plans showing what exists and what has to be corrected. The plans go through Burbank plan check as a permit application for the existing work.
Then the inspection phase, which is the part homeowners find hardest. Concealed work has to be exposed so the inspector can see it, which means opening drywall at the framing, the wiring and the plumbing. Whatever fails gets corrected and re-inspected. Once everything passes, the permit is finaled and the work is legal from that point forward.
Start this before you list the house, not during escrow. Under time pressure you lose the ability to shop corrections and you negotiate from a weak position.
When Legalization Is Not the Right Answer
Sometimes the honest recommendation is to remove the work rather than legalize it. If a conversion sits inside a required setback, exceeds allowable lot coverage, or was framed so poorly that correcting it costs more than rebuilding, restoring the space to its original use is the cheaper and cleaner outcome.
We will tell you that plainly after looking, including when it means a smaller job for us. What we will not do is take a legalization deposit for something the city is never going to approve.
Talk to a Burbank general contractor about your project
Tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a straight answer on scope, permits, timeline and price.
Call (747) 330-0305Frequently asked questions
Will the city fine me for reporting unpermitted work?
Applying for an as-built permit typically brings an investigation fee, often a multiple of the ordinary permit fee, rather than a penalty for coming forward. That is a real cost and it is generally far smaller than what unpermitted square footage costs you at sale. Jurisdictions handle this differently, and we confirm the current fee treatment with Burbank before you commit.
How much drywall has to come out?
Enough for the inspector to see the framing, the electrical and the plumbing. In practice that often means strategic openings rather than full demolition, and where records are completely absent it can mean removing entire wall surfaces. We agree on the approach with the inspector where possible before opening anything.
Can an old bootleg unit be legalized as an ADU?
Often yes, and California's ADU laws have made this dramatically easier than it used to be. There are provisions specifically aimed at bringing existing unpermitted units into compliance. Whether yours qualifies depends on when it was built, its size and whether it can meet health and safety standards. It is the first thing we check.
What if the previous owner did the work?
It does not matter who built it. The obligation attaches to the property, and it becomes your problem when you try to sell, refinance or file a claim. The upside is that you are not the one who has to explain it, and there is no advantage to leaving it alone and hoping the next appraiser does not measure carefully.