The Ellery ADU Studio Ontario Guarantee
Every ADU we design, permit, and build in Ontario comes with one thing you won’t find on every contractor’s desk: a written promise signed before we break ground. Since 2015, we’ve delivered 900-plus ADUs across Southern California, and every single one started with a fixed price in writing and ended with a documented photo record of what was built. We’re not guessing at what you’ll pay, and we’re not asking you to trust a handshake. Our guarantee is structural. It’s in the contract, it’s in the photos, and it’s backed by Nadia Ellery, Owner of Ellery ADU Studio Ontario, standing behind every project we touch.
What’s Covered
- Workmanship backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the finished ADU doesn’t match the permitted drawings we filed with the city of Ontario, we make it right - in writing, before your project starts, under Haven Standard Clause 5.
- Parts and materials specified, not substituted without approval. When we quote a James Hardie siding package or an Abodu modular system, that’s what shows up. Any substitution requires your written sign-off and a revised line item.
- Site left clean after every phase. Our crews are background-checked and uniformed, and that includes leaving your Ontario property broom-clean at the end of each trade’s work. The photo record shows the condition we found and the condition we left.
- Permit milestones hit on schedule. We track Ontario’s Planning and Building & Safety turnaround times weekly. If a submittal sits longer than our internal benchmark, we escalate before you have to ask.
- Honest pricing with zero door-side upsells. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, the written price before work starts is the price. No “we found an issue” conversations that add 15% after demolition. The scope is locked at signing.
Our Satisfaction Promise
If something’s not right, we want to hear about it while there’s still time to fix it without drama. Here’s how the make-it-right process works at Ellery ADU Studio Ontario.
First, you call (951) 577-3472. A live person answers, 24 hours a day. No voicemail queue, no “we’ll call you back tomorrow” that turns into next week. You describe what you’re seeing - a finish detail that doesn’t match the permit set, a utility rough-in that conflicts with the approved MEP plans, a timeline slip we didn’t flag. We pull your documented photo record and compare it to the written scope. If we missed it, we own it.
The 365-Day Done Right Promise means we return and correct the deficiency to match the permitted drawings. Not “close enough.” Not “that’s how these come out.” The exact specification you signed off on. If a manufacturer warranty covers a material defect, we coordinate that claim under our license so you’re not chasing Abodu, Cover, or Mighty Buildings on your own. If it’s our installation or sequencing error, we fix it at our cost. The promise is in writing before we start, not a verbal assurance that evaporates after final inspection.
We’ve had homeowners in Ontario’s Historic District and newer developments north of the 60 call us six months after move-in with questions. The photo record lets us reconstruct what happened without relying on anyone’s memory. That’s the point of documenting everything - it removes the “he said, she said” that poisons so many contractor relationships.
Licensed & Insured Backing
A guarantee is only as solid as the entity standing behind it. Ellery ADU Studio Ontario is licensed and insured, with our license number visible on every page of this site. That number isn’t decoration. It means the California Contractors State License Board has verified our qualifications, bond, and insurance coverage. It means if something goes seriously wrong, you have a regulatory body with enforcement power, not just a Yelp review to write.
Our insurance and bonding protect your property during construction. If a crew member is injured on your Ontario site, our workers’ compensation coverage responds - not your homeowner’s policy. If we damage a neighbor’s fence during site prep, our general liability handles it. These aren’t abstract protections. In 2019, we had a trenching incident in a tight Ontario backyard where a utility locate was off by four feet. Our coverage resolved the repair without the homeowner ever seeing a bill or a lien.
Background-checked, uniformed technicians and crews mean you know who’s on your property and that they’ve passed screening. The license number on every page is there so you can verify it yourself at cslb.ca.gov. We don’t ask for trust. We give you the tools to confirm.
How the Haven Standard Protects Your Investment
The Haven Standard isn’t a marketing phrase. It’s a five-clause operating agreement that governs every project Ellery ADU Studio Ontario takes on.
Clause 1 - Written Price Before Any Work Starts: Your quote is line-itemed, fixed, and signed. The words “call for a quote” do not appear anywhere on our site because they don’t appear in our process. You know your all-in number for design, permitting, construction, and site prep before we file the first plan check.
Clause 2 - Documented Photo Record on Every Visit: You receive evidence of what we found and what we did, not a summary of how it felt. Foundation pour? Photos of the rebar and the inspection sign-off. Electrical rough-in? Photos of the panel and the conduit runs. Final walkthrough? Photos of every room, every fixture, every finish.
Clause 5 - No Surprises: The scope is locked at signing. No door-side upsells, no scope creep, no “while we’re in here” conversations that add $8,000 to a garage conversion. If you want to add a mini-split upgrade or revise the kitchen layout after signing, we write a change order with a new fixed price. You approve it in writing, or we build what we agreed to.
These clauses matter because an ADU in Ontario is a six-figure decision with a 12-to-18-month timeline. You’re not buying a appliance. You’re adding a habitable dwelling to your property, subject to California’s Title 24 energy code, Ontario’s zoning ordinance, and San Bernardino County health requirements if you’re on septic. The Haven Standard exists because Nadia Ellery has seen too many homeowners burned by contractors who treat that complexity as an opportunity to renegotiate.
Free Second Opinion: Verify Before You Commit
If you already have a written estimate from another Ontario ADU contractor, we’ll review it at no charge. Not to undercut - to identify what’s missing. We’ve seen quotes that omit permit fees, ignore utility connection costs, or assume a garage slab meets conversion requirements without a structural assessment. Our second opinion comes with specific questions to ask your current bidder, not a sales pitch to switch. If their scope is solid, we’ll tell you. If it’s missing $15,000 in site prep for an Ontario hillside lot, we’ll show you where.
What We Ask in Return
Our guarantee runs both ways. We ask that you disclose known property conditions - unpermitted prior work, easements, HOA restrictions, known soil issues - before we quote. We ask that you review the permit set for accuracy before we file, because changes after plan check submission cost time and money. And we ask that you communicate concerns promptly, while the work is active and the crews are on site, not six months later when memories have faded and finishes have settled.
The documented photo record protects us both. It proves we built what we promised. It gives you evidence if we didn’t. That’s the transparency the Haven Standard requires, and it’s why we’ve never had a CSLB complaint in our operating history.
Frequently Asked Questions
It covers workmanship and compliance with the permitted drawings. If the finished ADU in Ontario deviates from the plans we filed and you approved, we correct it at our expense. This is not a manufacturer warranty on appliances or fixtures - those come from their makers. It’s our promise that what we built matches what was designed. Call (951) 577-3472 and we’ll send you the exact language before you sign.
No. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, the written price is fixed. The only way it changes is if you request a change order in writing, which we price and you approve before any additional work proceeds. No hidden conditions, no “we opened the wall and found…” surprises that weren’t visible during our site evaluation. If we missed something in our due diligence, that’s our cost, not yours.
We pull every permit required for your Ontario ADU project - city planning, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical. Our design-build model means we created the drawings, so we know exactly what to file. We track submittal status, respond to corrections, and schedule inspections. You attend the final walkthrough, not the permit counter.
Our license number appears on every page of this site. Verify it at cslb.ca.gov. Every crew member wears a uniform with our branding and has passed a background check. If someone arrives at your Ontario property without identification, call (951) 577-3472 immediately and we’ll resolve it while they’re still on site.
Call (951) 577-3472. A live person answers 24/7. We’ll review your photo record, compare it to the written schedule of values, and address the specific concern. If we’re behind our committed milestone, we’ll tell you why and what we’re doing to recover. If the concern is quality, we’ll inspect with you present and define the correction in writing. The Done Right Promise applies to process as well as product - we don’t hide from accountability.
Yes. Our general liability policy protects your property during the construction period. In ten years of Ontario-area ADU work, we’ve had two minor claims, both resolved without cost to the homeowner. We’ll provide a certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured upon request, at no charge.
Every site visit generates dated, geotagged photos of existing conditions, work in progress, inspection sign-offs, and final finishes. You receive these through a shared folder within 48 hours of each visit. They’re yours to keep, share with your lender, or reference for future maintenance. We don’t summarize - we show.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Ontario, serving Ontario since 2015.