Begin at the electrical service.
Locate the main electrical equipment and identify who evaluates capacity, required upgrades, metering, and the route to the new unit. Do not infer available capacity from panel size or neighborhood age alone.
Photograph the panel label and surrounding working space. Capacity and upgrade decisions still belong to the responsible electrical professionals and provider.
A short sewer line on paper may be a hard trench.
Find likely water and sewer connection paths and note cleanouts, slopes, slabs, landscaping, and rooms that may be affected. The shortest line on a plan may not be the least disruptive construction route.
A route through a slab, finished room, pool deck, or mature yard carries different demolition and repair work from a route through open soil.
Watch where rainwater already goes.
Watch how water moves across the lot. Roof drainage, paving, planting, low points, neighboring grades, and new foundations need a coordinated drainage discussion.
New roofs and paving change runoff. The approved drainage approach should make sense with the existing lot and adjoining grades.
Plan the working yard before crews arrive.
Plan the physical job: demolition, tree and surface protection, temporary fencing, delivery space, material storage, waste removal, worker access, and continued access to the occupied home.
Show site work and repairs in the proposal.
The proposal should distinguish confirmed site work, allowances, exclusions, and restoration. If an investigation is pending, name its owner and the decision that depends on the result.
Walk the likely routes with the site photos in hand. Then call (949) 503-8004 or use the estimate checklist to make sure trenching and restoration appear in the quote.
Where to confirm information about utility and site work.
Utility and site work should be checked against current City and state pages; record the address, drawing, and date covered by the answer. For utility and site work, check the City of Costa Mesa ADU page, California HCD, and CSLB hiring guidance. For utility and site work, our Costa Mesa ADU Contractor homepage shows how it connects with the rest of the project.