While I cannot help you on the money side (I too am looking for investment partners), as an architect I am fully aware of the benefits of working with a good, competent contractor.

If you haven't hired an architect, the contractor will be able to offer advice on design.

@Alex Geesey For Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, an architect recently told me they aren’t allowing you the option to have a separate meter on a garage conversion (Jr ADU), but when they were allowing it, it was a cost is about $5000 😱

The following is a very cursory list of how I would approach this.1) Work with a real estate agent to do thorough research on sales prices (comps) for similar properties in the area.2) Work with an experienced RE consultant or developer to create a pro-forma based on solid research for your development that includes 1) a pre-development and development budget that includes a) soft costs like architect and engineer fees, geotech, permits, survey, builders risk insurance, legal, etc. and b) hard costs (construction costs); 2) sources and uses of funds; 3) cash flows; 4) sales (absorption) projections; and 5) a capital accumulation model for your different development scenarios to help determine which alternative would yield the highest investment return.3) Find a reputable architect and engineer to create drawings and help you through the permitting process.4) Submit drawings to GCs for bid.5) Update your pro-forma for the estimated construction costs and take it to several lenders to determine what the loan terms would be.6) Secure a loan, hire a GC, and start building.Again, the above is just a simple general overview and is not meant to be comprehensive by any means. 

I keep hearing the feds cannot raise interest rates for fear of busting the economy but as an architect I can see the current inflation needs to be curtailed. 

Hi all,My name is Pavel and I'm an architect and investor from Europe.

My partner and I looked at the property again today with an architect and builder -- potential partners and investors. 

Architects I've talked to estimated ADUs to take ~8 weeks to get city permits vs. ~8-12 weeks for regular dwellings.

half of that goes to an architect for drawings required by the city.  

Go to an architect with your budget and what you want the house to look like that will achieve the rents you neighborhood can generate.