Answers to the questions people ask most.

Karlev is a vertically integrated ADU and custom home builder. We design the units, engineer the patented aluminum spaceframe, fabricate it on a 6-axis robotic line, permit every plan set through California's Factory-Built Housing Program, and assemble on your lot through a 30-inch opening, without cranes.

An accessory dwelling unit is a self-contained second home on the same lot as your main house, with its own kitchen, bathroom, living space and entrance. Owners use them for family, guests, a home office or rental income.

Start with Discovery. Contact us and we review your lot, zoning, access and goals, then recommend the model and layout that fits. Discovery takes roughly 2 weeks.

We build across California, with the majority of our projects concentrated in the greater Los Angeles area. You can see our installed projects on the map on our Projects page.

Email Info@karlev.co or use the contact form. Our team responds within 1 business day.

Six models, named by size: 200 SQFT, 400 SQFT, 600 SQFT, 800 SQFT, 1000 SQFT and 1200 SQFT. Every model is built on the same engineered platform, so the structure, envelope, systems and warranty are identical across the range.

200 and 400 SQFT work as studios, offices or guest suites. 600 and 800 SQFT suit one to two bedrooms. 1000 and 1200 SQFT handle full family living with multiple bedrooms. Your lot size, setbacks and local zoning also shape the answer, which we confirm during Discovery.

Layouts are configurable within the engineered platform. You choose room arrangement options, window placement and finish packages while the structural system stays standardized, which is what keeps quality and schedule predictable.

Yes. The same aluminum spaceframe platform scales to custom homes and multi-unit residential. Talk to us about scope during Discovery.

It is our patented structural system: a lattice of aluminum members robotically welded into a rigid frame. It replaces stick framing with a lighter, stronger, corrosion-proof structure that will not rot, warp, shrink or feed termites.

Aluminum gives an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, immunity to rot and termites, and dimensional stability that lets us hold tolerances no site-built frame can hold. Lower weight also means simpler foundations and no crane on install day.

Every joint is robotically welded to a plus or minus 0.5 mm tolerance. Unit one and unit one hundred come off the line the same.

Every component of the spaceframe and every finished panel is sized to pass through a 30-inch opening. That means we can build on hillside lots, narrow side yards and access-constrained sites that conventional prefab cannot reach.

Yes. Every project is modeled in full digital detail before a single part is cut. The model drives the CNC and robotic programs directly, which removes the translation errors that cause field rework.

The system is engineered to California seismic requirements and reviewed at the plan level by HCD before any unit is built. The lightweight aluminum frame reduces seismic mass compared with heavier conventional structures.

Factory-finished fiber-cement cladding, 8 mm panels with a PVDF factory coat, rated A1 non-combustible, with a 50-year substrate warranty and a 15-year finish warranty. Color runs through the panel, so scratches never reveal a different substrate.

A 24-gauge standing-seam metal roof with concealed clip fasteners, PVDF Kynar 500 coating over Galvalume steel, a 40-year paint warranty and a 150 mph wind rating. It is solar-mount ready with S-5 seam clamps, so panels attach without penetrating the roof.

Marvin Elevate Collection windows, up to 16 ft wide and 8 ft tall, with double-pane argon-filled low-emissivity glazing for big views, quiet rooms and a tight thermal envelope.

Engineered European oak or polished concrete for floors, and engineered quartz surfaces for counters, selected for durability as much as appearance.

Mineral wool insulation with a continuous insulated envelope, delivering R-24 walls and an R-41 roof, up to 40 percent better thermal performance than a comparable stick-built unit.

The cladding is rated A1 non-combustible, the roof is steel, and the structure is aluminum rather than wood. That combination is a natural fit for wildfire-prone lots.

In our controlled production facility, on a 6-axis robotic welding line supported by CNC fabrication. Weather never touches your home before it is weather-tight.

Quality control is built into the line, not bolted on at the end. Components are inspected at each station, assemblies are tested before they leave, and every unit is inspected in-plant by third-party inspectors against the HCD-approved design.

Karlev units are approved under California's Factory-Built Housing Program and carry the HCD insignia. Plan review happens once, at the state level, and in-plant inspection verifies each unit against that approved design.

Controlled conditions, robotic precision, repeatable processes, no weather delays, no material left in the rain, and no crew variability. The result is a tighter envelope, better tolerances and a schedule you can plan around.

Total customer timeline runs 6 to 8 months from Discovery to move-in. Discovery is about 2 weeks, Documentation is about 3 months, and Delivery is about 3 months, roughly 2 months of in-plant prefabrication of the aluminum spaceframe and finished panels, followed by about 1 month of on-site work.

Once components arrive on your lot, the core and shell close up in less than a week. Utility connections, interior finish and a final walkthrough follow inside the 1-month on-site window.

The main variable is local permitting. California caps ADU permit approval at 60 days, and where plans allow we run prefabrication in parallel with that review so approval and construction land at the same time.

No. Nearly all of the build happens in the factory, and the on-site phase is short, quiet and confined to the work area. You stay in your home.

Yes. Karlev manages permits end-to-end with LADBS and your local jurisdiction, and coordinates plan review under California's Factory-Built Housing Program with HCD.

Karlev units are reviewed once at the plan level by California's Department of Housing and Community Development and inspected in-plant against that approved design. The insignia is what lets a factory-built home clear local permits as a pre-engineered building type.

Most single-family and many multi-family lots are eligible, including hillside and access-constrained sites, because components move through a 30-inch opening. We assess feasibility during Discovery.

California caps ADU permit approval at 60 days. Because our plan sets are pre-approved at the state level, local review is narrower and faster than a custom set of drawings.

Flooring, kitchen finishes, cabinet colors, exterior panels, bathroom finishes, fixtures, layout options and interior finishes.

No, a designer walks you through curated collections so decisions feel simple, not overwhelming.

Yes. The configurator on each model page lets you explore finish combinations, and your designer reviews the full package with you before anything is locked for production.

Selections lock at the end of Documentation, before fabrication begins. Locking on schedule is what protects the delivery date.

Monthly payments depend on your project scope, financing terms and local incentives. Our team will walk you through options tailored to your household budget.

Typically about 48 hours, with a soft credit check that does not impact your score.

Four steps: pre-qualify with a soft credit check, submit documents through our secure portal, receive a full decision typically within 48 hours, then sign, close and lock in your monthly payment.

No. You can pay ahead or refinance without penalty.

Yes. One document, no hidden fees, plain English.

Components arrive through a 30-inch backyard opening and get assembled on the foundation without cranes, no street closures, no boom over the neighbors, no live-in crews. The core and shell close up inside the first week.

No. Every part of the patented aluminum spaceframe is sized to pass through a 30-inch opening. Assembly is done with smaller equipment and a hand-and-hoist crew working the access a backyard actually has.

Site protection is planned during Discovery. Any minor disturbance from foundation work is restored before we leave.

The lightweight aluminum structure allows a simpler foundation than a comparable conventional build. The exact system depends on your soil and slope, confirmed during Documentation.

Yes. Every Karlev unit ships with a 10-year insurance-backed structural warranty on the aluminum spaceframe, a 2-year systems warranty on electrical, plumbing and mechanical, and a 1-year workmanship warranty on materials and finishes.

Karlev's post-install team handles service and warranty claims directly. The structural warranty is insurance-backed so coverage stands regardless of any single company's future.

Contact our team at Info@karlev.co with your unit details and a description of the issue. Full terms, coverage periods and exclusions are on our Limited Warranty page.

Like any modern home, with lower maintenance overall thanks to the aluminum spaceframe, insulated metal envelope, Marvin Elevate glazing and quartz surfaces, each chosen for longevity as well as finish.

R-24 walls and an R-41 roof with continuous insulation deliver up to 40 percent better thermal performance than a comparable stick-built unit, paired with the heat pump HVAC and heat pump water heater required by California's 2025 Energy Code.

Yes. The standing-seam roof accepts S-5 seam clamps, so a solar array mounts without a single roof penetration.

No. Aluminum does not rot, warp, shrink or feed termites, which removes the most common long-term failure modes of wood-framed construction.

Independent appraisers consistently show meaningful property-value increases from well-designed ADUs in most metros.

Yes, where local zoning allows. Many owners use their ADU for rental income.

Yes. Multigenerational living is one of the most common uses, giving parents or adult children private, full-size space on the same property.

Yes. Our Solutions program supports independent builders, regional builders, national builders and banking partners, with structures that scale from single projects to portfolio facilities.

Yes. Cross-collateralized facilities are priced to portfolio performance rather than per-project, for partners with a track record and a pipeline.

Through real-time dashboards, scheduled reports, SFTP feeds and direct API access.

We are. See the Careers page under Company for open roles.