Stel Builders

7950 Dunbrook Road, San Diego, CA 92126
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https://www.stelbuilders.com/adus
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Stel Builders, a San Diego ADU contractor, designs and builds detached, attached, and garage conversion ADUs. This design-build firm handles permitting, zoning, and construction, offering in-law suites, granny flats, and multigenerational layouts backed by a written warranty.

Stel Builders – ADU Contractor in San Diego, CA

About Stel Builders

Accessory Dwelling Units Built for San Diego Properties

An accessory dwelling unit can add meaningful value to a San Diego property, whether the goal is rental income, a private space for extended family, a home office, or a place for aging parents to live close by. Stel Builders works as an ADU contractor in San Diego, offering design and construction services for detached ADUs, attached ADUs, and garage conversions.

As a design-build firm, Stel Builders manages the process from concept to completion, which includes navigating San Diego's ADU regulations, designing a unit that fits the available lot, and building it to match the quality standard of the main home. This approach allows homeowners to work with a single point of contact rather than coordinating separate designers and contractors.

ADU Options Available

  1. Detached ADUs, also known as backyard cottages or granny flats
  2. Attached ADUs built onto an existing home
  3. Garage conversions that repurpose existing structures into livable space
  4. Multigenerational and aging-in-place layouts for family members who need accessible living arrangements

Each of these options serves a different purpose depending on the property and the homeowner's needs. A detached ADU builder project, for example, works well for lots with extra yard space, while a garage conversion contractor approach makes sense for properties looking to convert underused structures without expanding the building footprint. For families needing a connected but separate living space, an in-law suite builder project or attached ADU may be the better fit.

Planning an ADU Project

A well-designed ADU can add living space, long-term property value, and potential rental income. Stel Builders reviews what is feasible on a given property, provides a cost range based on the scope of work, and handles design, permitting, and construction throughout the project. This includes staying current on local zoning and building code requirements that affect accessory dwelling unit builder projects in San Diego, including JADU regulations where applicable.

Work is backed by a written warranty, and homeowners are kept informed through each phase of the build, from initial design through final construction. For property owners considering a Casita, backyard cottage, or garage conversion, Stel Builders offers a structured process intended to reduce the uncertainty that often comes with ADU permitting and construction in San Diego.

Services

Stel Builders performs the following services

  • Architecture & Design
  • Permit Specialist
  • Construction
  • Feasibility & Site Assessment

Stel Builders Reviews

Steve Hanger

2025-10-07
"We were becoming totally frustrated in our search for an architect and a general contractor to guide an extensive remodel of our home. What we needed and seemingly could not find was an honest estimate of costs, an architect who could help us design our project and drive the permit process, and a contractor to build the project. Finally we happened upon STEL Builders. Cory, a walking advertisement for why you need to contract with STEL, jumped on our project and quickly gave us a realistic idea of costs. He introduced us to Frank, who is an awesome person and STELs in-house architect. Frank gave us three options of drawings to choose from. Each option met our basic requirements and also outlined possible upgrades. Based on our budget, we committed to a plan. Within two months we had permits and construction began. We were assigned a dedicated project manager with whom we met weekly to assess progress in demo and ultimately new construction. Even before demo began, we met our design angel in Ivette. She guided us through selection of fixtures, cabinetry, tile, wall coverings, flooring; all the aspects of a remodel that keeps novices like us up at night. Her calm demeanor combined with her creative ideas made this an amazingly pleasurable experience! Ivette led us to our dream design outcome, and all within the budget we worked out with savant Cory in the beginning. STEL has great relationships with all the best subcontractors receives priority on their projects, keeping the downtime in construction to a minimum. Midway through construction, our project manager left STEL. They hired a super pro replacement in Roberto. His many years of experience enabled us to stay on track for completion and enhanced the quality of the final product. Roberto is already a tremendous asset to STEL! And all along, even as he continued to take on new projects, Cory stayed in touch and treated us as if we were his only client. No question or inquiry we had was too small or insignificant for him to address nearly as quickly as it was expressed. We moved back into our home after six months and felt like every dream we had dreamt for our forever home had come true. The outcome has exceeded our very high expectations. In Corys introduction, he touted STEL as a small, family oriented and local Design Build Company. He was right about that. However, we think he understated how committed to these values Seth Larson and STEL Builders really are. They get it! For people like us, this is the largest and last big expenditure well ever make. They treated us with respect, congeniality, honesty and integrity. Our lives and our home from now on are forever enhanced from having met and worked with Cory, Frank, Ivette and Roberto. Thank you Seth Larson for the team youve built. Thank you STEL Builders, our new extended family!"

Katherine DuBois

2024-07-16
"Stel Builders went above and beyond with every aspect of our kitchen and primary bath renovation! We are first time homeowners and first time renovators and were nervous to start our project, but Stel provided excellent guidance throughout the entire process. From our first sit down with Jason to go over plans, to Cheryl helping us pick out our design elements, and Cory overseeing the project, we always felt like Stel was on top of everything and very organized. Any question we had, they had already thought out an answer. We found out we were expecting our first child just days before starting demolition; Stel was fantastic moving the project along faster for us and we moved back into our house two months ahead of schedule. Most importantly, the people at Stel are wonderful and kind, and every contractor that they brought into our home treated our home with care and respect. We cannot recommend Stel highly enough."

Mark Mulvaney

2024-03-23
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Stel Builders on a guest house and garage at our home in Pacific Beach. I cannot express how impressed I am with their work. From design to final inspection, they demonstrated a level of attention to detail that exceeded my expectations. Here are the key highlights that stood out: 1. Attention to Detail: Stel meticulously planned every aspect of the project. Whether it was the choice of materials, the alignment of beams, or the finishing touches, their commitment to perfection was evident. The result? A garage and guest house that seamlessly integrates with our existing home. 2. Professionalism: Throughout the entire process, Stel conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism. They arrived promptly, communicated clearly, and treated our property with respect. Their work ethic and dedication were truly commendable. 3. Timeliness: Deadlines matter, especially when it comes to home projects. We did have some challenges; however, these were because of needing approval from the Coastal Commission and the slow responses of the City Building Department. Given these challenges, Stel not only met but exceeded our timeline expectations. They worked efficiently without compromising quality, ensuring that our garage and guest house was completed on schedule. 4. Excellent Communication: Communication is key, and Stel Builders excelled in this area. They kept us informed at every stage, explaining progress, addressing any concerns, and providing valuable insights. It made the entire process stress-free. I would like to mention Gary Romano and Brian Wood at Stel. Garys official role is in sales, but he did far more. He was our main contact, helping with the design, double checking everything from the initial grading to the final punch list. Gary is a perfectionist who would never hesitate to pick up a shovel to ensure things got done. Brian is the construction foreman, managing the sub-contractors, coordinating the build process, and making sure things ran smoothly. By the end of the project, both Gary and Brian feel like family. In summary, Stel Builders is truly professional combining craftsmanship, reliability, and effective communication. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking top-notch construction services. Thank you, Stel, for transforming our house into a home were proud of!"

Annie Waring

2023-03-15
"We recently worked with Stel on a major second story addition project for our home. The entire Stel team was wonderful from start to finish and exceeded our expectations! Jason and Gary were wonderful in walking us through the initial design process and presented us with several options before we made a final decision. Our project manager, Cory Reiten, was truly amazing and did a great job keeping things on track and making sure everything went smoothly. We are so happy with the finished product and would highly recommend Stel for any remodeldesign-build needs!"

Brian Spencer

2020-04-07
"I can't say how thankful I am for the Stel team saving the day and making our remodel goal a reality. We spent the start of 2019 looking for the right shop to do our project. After various discussions we had almost given up until Jason from Stel proposed a fantastic change that met our goals of adding 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. Not only was the project going to expand our space, but it was going to correct an issue we had with our roof. The proposal was for an upstairs addition, we were going up and taking space from our patio for a staircase the design actually made our patio more useful as its now a "California covered" patio with ceiling fans and recessed lighting with sliding doors and really makes our living room flow right out into the space. Not only did Stel propose a great design, but the overall project came in at the low end of the estimate Jason was the most honest and accurate about project costs. Every single person that worked on my place was extremely respectful, professional, and thorough. I was assigned a project manager named Cory who was absolutely amazing and was available at all times. We had some rain during the project and he personally would rush over with plastic and would start ahead of the rest of his team. The whole experience from design, approval, permits, demo, build, and any changes were extremely well managed and simple - and it finished a month ahead of estimated schedule! I could continue gushing about how great an experience it was but Ill keep it short. If you want to go with a no hassle hire and then be wowed, I would highly recommend Stel Builders."
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Specifics

Opening hours

Monday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Tuesday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Wednesday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Thursday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday -
Sunday -

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