AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc

SoCal builder at Timeless Human Construction. Build costs, permits & jobsite lessons. Temecula • Murrieta • Menifee. CSLB #1161419

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

I'm AJ, a licensed builder with Timeless Human Construction.

Here: ADU and remodel costs, permits, city rules and real jobsite lessons for homeowners in Temecula, S. Riverside County, San Diego County and South OC.

Free guides: https://t.co/iny9KZBTAi

CSLB #1161419

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@TannerBuilds Crisp footing edges and pier pads lined up like that make block layout so much easier. A lot of what we build out here in SoCal is slab-on-grade, so I always enjoy seeing a raised-floor layout come together.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@dustinmfox Interesting shift. California went that direction a while back: for a standard ADU, state law generally bars cities from requiring the owner to live on site (Gov. Code 66315). JADUs that share a bathroom with the main house are the exception.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@REIforensics Waiting on the city is the worst part. Worth knowing in California: once an ADU application is deemed complete, the city has 60 days to approve or deny it (Gov. Code 66317). Ask plan check if yours was deemed complete and when. Fast answers on corrections keep it moving.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@MBContractor Good call. The other half of the cover plan is the paper underneath: laps run shingle-style, upper over lower, with the window head flashing tucked under the layer above. Then if a shower sneaks past the tarp, water runs down and out instead of behind the window.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@AndreiFeoktist2 Depends what it is. An unpermitted garage conversion built before 2020 is often worth legalizing as an ADU first: under Gov. Code 66332 the city generally can't deny it over code gaps unless there's a health and safety issue. For other additions, price the fix before deciding.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

Renting out an ADU in Temecula? Plan on long-term tenants: the city prohibits short-term rentals, ADUs and JADUs included (31+ day terms).

Pick durable, easy-to-clean finishes and budget for vacancy and upkeep.

Guide: https://t.co/F8f5MxMizh

CSLB #1161419

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@MDSNE_ Keeping half as garage is a smart split. Same idea works on plenty of big garages here in Southern California. The detail people miss is the new wall between the two halves: it needs proper fire separation from the living side, so plan it in from the start.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@THEE_SMITTY Agreed. When a report runs long, I'd sort it into three piles first: anything letting water in (roof, plumbing, drainage), structure, and electrical safety. The rest is mostly maintenance. Those three are the ones that get more expensive the longer they sit.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@OCBeachStatus For homes near the sand in Dana Point and San Clemente: while the advisory is up, lift anything stored on the garage floor onto shelves and make sure yard and patio drains are clear, so water has somewhere to go besides under the door.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

Hiring for a garage conversion? Look up the license on the CSLB site: active, right class, bond and workers' comp status. Ask who pulls the permit and what the plans show (slab, insulation, egress, electrical). Get the scope in writing. CSLB #1161419 https://t.co/XfeJ6aOi3p

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@MBContractor Matters even more out here when the Santa Anas blow. Hot, dry wind pulls water out of a fresh brown coat fast and it shrink-cracks. Worth asking too how long they'll wait before the finish coat goes on. Rushing that step to save a few days usually shows up later.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@AndreiFeoktist2 Both, but they land differently. An old roof, galvanized supply lines or cast-iron drains are expected and easy to price. Unpermitted work is what stalls a deal, since nobody can price the fix until the city weighs in. Pulling permit history early takes most of that surprise out.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@JennyTianUS Agreed. The plan set is the easy part to repeat. What changes lot to lot is what it sits on: where the utilities are and how far new lines have to run, slope and soils, fire separation near the property line, and access for materials. Those usually set the real schedule.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@accuweather For Southern California homes, use the dry break between rounds: take a flashlight into the attic and look for dark or damp spots on the roof sheathing around vents, skylights and chimneys. A small stain caught now is usually a flashing fix, not a ceiling repair.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@nbcsandiego If you grab sandbags: fill them about half full so they lay flat, fold the top under, and stack them like bricks with the seams staggered. Put them where water actually heads, usually the garage door and low door thresholds, not in a ring around the whole house.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@MyCaliforniaADU Useful catch. Under the residential code, a wall within 5 ft of the property line generally needs a 1-hour fire rating, with no openings under 3 ft and limited openings from 3 to 5 ft. Converting an existing garage avoids added setbacks, but those fire details can still apply.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@uriahz @dig_deeper1 Good point, and the same two checks show up on garage conversions here. Ceiling height is usually fine, but a bedroom still needs an egress window, and the garage slab often sits a step below the house, so floor leveling and moisture get planned early.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@MBContractor Same story around hose bibs, light fixtures and old cable or satellite brackets. Any screw through stucco is a path for water unless it's sealed. Good call checking the wood first; new paper and lath over soggy sheathing just traps the problem.

[AJ Santos | Timeless Human Inc @TimelessHumanX]

@michaelmoksfbay To answer the crowning question: most studs have a slight bow along their length. A good framer sights down each one, marks the high side, and sets them all crown the same way so the wall stays flat. Mix them up and it shows later as waves in the drywall or a gap behind cabinets.