Question 1

What is included in a Full MEP Package?

Accepted Answer

The Full MEP Package is a single, coordinated, permit-ready set covering all three engineering disciplines for your California ADU — Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing — drawn by one team so the systems agree with each other before they ever reach a plan checker. It is everything a building department needs to verify that your heating and cooling, power and lighting, and water and waste systems are safe and code-compliant.The three discipline sheet setsMechanical (M-1, M-2): HVAC system type and layout (most commonly a ductless mini-split heat pump), a Manual J heat load calculation sized to your ADU, an equipment schedule with make/model/capacity/efficiency, ductwork sizing where applicable, and whole-building ventilation per ASHRAE 62.2 and Title 24, plus bathroom and kitchen exhaust and condensate drainage. See mechanical plans for the full detail.Electrical (E-1, E-2): a power and lighting floor plan, a panel schedule listing every circuit, an NEC/CEC Article 220 load calculation, dedicated appliance circuits, GFCI and AFCI notation, smoke/CO detector locations, EV-ready conduit, and a single-line diagram. See electrical plans.Plumbing (P-1, P-2): water supply routing and sizing, a drain-waste-vent (DWV) system with proper slope, venting, and cleanouts, water heater specification, fixture schedules confirming CALGreen low-flow compliance, riser/isometric diagrams, and gas piping where allowed. See plumbing plans.The supporting documents that tie it togetherBeyond the discipline sheets, the set includes a cover sheet citing the applicable codes (CBC, CEC, CPC, CMC, and the current Title 24 energy code), general notes, and the formal calculations — Manual J for mechanical and NEC Article 220 for electrical — that plan checkers most often look for. The plans are delivered as PDFs formatted for 24" x 36" printing, the standard sheet size California building departments require, and are compatible with electronic plan review portals such as ePlanLA and eTRACKiT.Included with every Full MEP orderTwo rounds of revisions so you can refine the design without surprise fees.City plan-check corrections — if your building department returns comments on our drawings, we revise and resubmit until your permit is issued.Permit-ready PDF delivery formatted for California submittal.No sales tax on plan services, with the same pricing statewide.For example, a detached 700 SF one-bedroom ADU receives coordinated M, E, and P sheets where the panel schedule already feeds the heat-pump and water-heater loads, the ventilation matches the energy assumptions, and every fixture shown on plumbing has power shown on electrical — one clean set, ready to submit. We serve California only. Ready to move? Review how it works or start an order.

Question 2

Why order Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing together?

Accepted Answer

Ordering Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing together as the Full MEP Package gives you two things three separate orders cannot: built-in cross-discipline coordination and a substantially lower price. Because one team draws all three systems against the same architectural set, the conflicts that cause most MEP plan-check corrections are caught before submittal rather than after.Coordination is the real valueMost MEP comments at the city stem from cross-discipline mismatches. When the same team produces all three disciplines, those conflicts are reconciled from the start:The electrical panel schedule feeds the correct heat-pump and water-heater loads, because those loads come directly from the mechanical and plumbing designs.The whole-building ventilation on the mechanical plans matches the energy-model assumptions.Every fixture shown on the plumbing plans has corresponding power shown on the electrical plans — no orphaned fixtures, no circuits feeding nothing.A single coordinated set is also easier for the city to review than three disconnected submittals.The bundle costs far less than three separate singlesAt the same square footage, the Full MEP Package is roughly $1,490 cheaper than buying Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing as three standalone single-discipline sets — and the savings grow as the ADU gets larger.ADU sizeThree singles, separatelyFull MEP PackageYou saveUp to 600 SF$2,985$1,495$1,490601–800 SF$3,885$1,795$2,090801–1,000 SF$5,085$2,195$2,8901,001–1,200 SF$6,285$2,595$3,690The bundle costs less to produce because we build one set of base drawings, perform intake once instead of three times, and submit one coordinated set rather than three independent jobs.When a single or two-discipline order makes sense insteadBundling is the best value for most new-construction ADUs and garage conversions, but not every project needs all three. Order fewer disciplines when an attached ADU ties into existing house systems and needs only, say, electrical and mechanical, or when another engineer or your architect is handling one discipline. The two-discipline tier ($1,195 and up) still beats two separate singles, and a lone discipline starts at $995.The comparison above is for our plan-preparation fees only. City permit fees, utility connection fees, and field testing are separate and unaffected by which package you choose.Want the coordinated set that clears review on the first pass? See the Full MEP Package, compare options on the pricing page, or start an order.

Question 3

How much does a Full MEP Package cost?

Accepted Answer

The Full MEP Package starts at $1,495 for an ADU up to 600 square feet and scales with the size of the unit up to $2,595 for 1,001–1,200 SF. That single flat price covers Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing as one coordinated, permit-ready set — and it is far less than buying the three disciplines separately.Full MEP pricing by square footageADU sizeFull MEP PackageSingle disciplineTwo disciplinesUp to 600 SF$1,495$995$1,195601–800 SF$1,795$1,295$1,495801–1,000 SF$2,195$1,695$1,8951,001–1,200 SF$2,595$2,095$2,295Traditional California engineering firms typically charge $2,500 to $6,500 for a complete residential ADU MEP set, often billed hourly with change-order surprises. Our flat, published pricing sits well below that range because we focus exclusively on California ADUs and standardize the engineering workflow.Cheaper than three separate singlesThe Full MEP Package is priced as one coordinated job rather than three independent ones, so at the same square footage it beats three standalone single-discipline sets by roughly $1,490. At up to 600 SF, that is $1,495 versus about $2,985 for three separate singles, and the gap widens at larger sizes.What is included at no extra chargeTwo rounds of revisions so you can refine the design without surprise fees.City plan-check corrections — if your building department returns comments, we revise and resubmit until your permit is issued.Permit-ready PDF delivery formatted for California submittal.No sales tax on plan services, with identical pricing statewide.Standard 5-business-day turnaround at no additional cost.Optional add-onsAdd-onPriceTitle 24 energy report (CF1R)+$240Priority turnaround (3 business days)+$299Expedited (1–2 business days)+$599For example, an all-electric 750 SF ADU needing the Full MEP Package with a Title 24 report would be $1,795 + $240 = $2,035 on standard turnaround. To find your bracket, measure the conditioned floor area and check the pricing page, or read the cost of ADU MEP plans guide.Costs that are not part of our scopeTo keep your budget realistic, the following are billed by third parties and are not included: city permit and plan-check fees, school and impact fees, utility water/sewer/electric connection fees, structural and architectural drawings, and HERS field verification testing. These vary widely by jurisdiction and project. We serve California only — see the pricing page or start an order.

Question 4

Are city corrections included?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your city's plan check returns corrections related to our MEP plans, we revise the drawings and resubmit at no additional charge — until your permit is issued. This is included in every order, not an upsell, and it sits on top of the two rounds of revisions you also receive.How the correction process worksYou submit our permit-ready plans to your California building department.If plan check returns comments on our MEP scope, send us the correction letter.We revise the affected drawings to address each comment.You resubmit the corrected set. We repeat this until the permit is issued — there is no cap on correction cycles for our own scope.What is covered vs. what is separateCovered at no chargeSeparate / not our scopeCorrections to our mechanical, electrical, or plumbing drawingsCity permit and plan-check fees themselvesCode-citation fixes on our MEP sheetsArchitectural or structural corrections (other consultants)Re-coordination between our own disciplinesResubmittal fees the city may chargeResubmittal-ready revised PDFsChanges you request that alter the original design scopeWhy corrections are rare with a coordinated setMost MEP plan-check comments come from cross-discipline mismatches — an electrical panel that doesn't feed the right water-heater load, ventilation that doesn't match the energy report, or a plumbing fixture with no power shown. When one team prepares the Full MEP Package, those conflicts are caught before submittal. Adding a Title 24 report (+$240) keeps equipment efficiencies aligned across every sheet, which is the single most effective way to clear review on the first pass.Note: "city corrections included" means corrections to our drawings. If a building department requests a genuine design change driven by your architect, the structural engineer, or a new owner request, that may fall outside the original MEP scope and would be handled as a revision (the first two are free; additional revisions are $150 each).For example, if a plan checker asks us to add an EV-ready conduit note or upsize a vent, we revise and return the corrected sheets at no cost, as many times as needed, until you have your permit. Learn more in how it works, or start an order.

Question 5

How long does a Full MEP Package take?

Accepted Answer

Our standard turnaround for the Full MEP Package is 5 business days, included at no extra cost, measured from receipt of your complete architectural plans and project details. Faster options are available: Priority (3 business days) for +$299 and Expedited (1–2 business days) for +$599. Coordinating all three disciplines together does not add time — it is built into these tiers.Turnaround options at a glanceTierTimelineCostWhen to choose itStandard5 business daysIncludedMost projects with normal lead timePriority3 business days+$299Permit submission is imminentExpedited1–2 business days+$599A hard deadline is in playThe clock starts on complete informationTurnaround begins when we have everything we need to draft. The quality and completeness of what you provide is the biggest factor in a fast, revision-free first draft. Timing can be influenced by:Project size and square footageWhether utility upgrades, solar, or battery storage are involvedStructural coordination needsExisting site conditions, especially on garage conversionsLocal permit-specific requirementsThe format of your drawings — editable CAD or Revit files reduce drafting time; PDF-only plans may require additional draftingTwo clocks: our drafting vs. the city's reviewIt helps to separate two different timelines. The first is our drafting turnaround — 5 business days standard, or as little as 1–2 with Expedited. The second is the city's plan review, which is outside our control and typically takes several weeks; California's 60-day rule requires the agency to act on a complete application within 60 calendar days, and pre-approved plan programs can shorten that to 30 days. Every order includes two revisions and city corrections at no extra charge, so if a plan checker returns comments, we revise and resubmit as part of the service rather than as a new project.A tip for the fastest possible result: provide complete, coordinated architectural plans plus your project details up front. The more we have at the start, the cleaner the first draft and the fewer revision cycles you'll need.A realistic examplePicture a standard 700 SF detached ADU submitted with editable CAD files and clear project details. We deliver the permit-ready Full MEP set in 5 business days. The owner submits it with a registered Title 24 CF1R; the city's completeness review clears it, and plan check returns one minor correction round a few weeks later. Because corrections are included, we revise and resubmit at no extra charge, and the permit issues. The drafting was a week; the path to permit was governed mostly by the city's review queue — which is exactly why completeness matters so much.To see exactly what to submit, review how it works, then start your order and pick the turnaround that fits your deadline.

Question 6

Can I add Title 24 to my MEP order?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a Title 24 energy compliance report is a flat +$240 add-on to any MEP order, including the Full MEP Package, at any ADU square footage. Bundling it with your plans is both cheaper and more accurate than sourcing it separately, because the equipment on your plans and the values in the energy model are reconciled by one team.Title 24 pricing at a glanceItemPriceTitle 24 energy report (CF1R) add-on+$240Price variation by square footageNone — flat feeFull MEP + Title 24 (up to 600 SF)$1,495 + $240 = $1,735Full MEP + Title 24 (1,001–1,200 SF)$2,595 + $240 = $2,835What the Title 24 report isWhen people say "Title 24," they mean the energy compliance documentation required under Part 6 of the California Building Standards Code. For an ADU this is typically the CF1R Certificate of Compliance, which establishes the minimum efficiency requirements your project must meet — HVAC efficiency, water heater efficiency, lighting power density, insulation, and window performance.Why bundle it with a Full MEP orderCoordination: the equipment listed on your mechanical and plumbing plans must match the efficiency values in the energy model. When one team prepares both, they agree from the start, eliminating a leading cause of plan-check corrections.Single submittal: the report and the coordinated plans arrive together, ready for the building department.Flat, transparent price: $240 whether your ADU is 500 SF or 1,200 SF, below the typical standalone fee from most energy code compliance providers.What $240 does and does not includeThe $240 covers preparation of the energy compliance report itself. It does not include HERS field verification testing, which is a separate service performed on site by an independent, certified HERS rater after construction (for items such as duct leakage, refrigerant charge, or fan watt draw, where the design requires them). HERS testing is contracted and billed directly by the rater, not by us. City permit and plan-check fees are also separate.Under the 2025 California Energy Code, in effect for permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, all-electric heat-pump designs are the most straightforward path to compliance — so getting the report right the first time, aligned with your MEP plans, matters.Add Title 24 to your Full MEP Package at checkout. See Title 24 reports, the pricing page, or start your order.

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