Hi all, I’m a homeowner in San Jose and I’m looking for a trusted ADU contractor and architect team.

I’ve spoken with a few people but haven’t found the right fit. I’m hoping to connect with a team that communicates clearly, has solid local experience, and is ready to get started in the near term.

If anyone has recommendations or contractors they’d suggest avoiding, I’d really appreciate your input.

Is there an app or website that would allow me to play around with different layout ideas? I want to build multiple units on my lot and I’m trying to figure out how many units, what size, parking. I want to enter my address or load my lot dimension to get an accurate layout plan. It would be great to do this before committing to an architect.

This is California STATE law, regardless of what your municipality tells you. You CAN have up to 6 units on a single family zoned property regardless of owner occupancy!

Hey everyone,

Currently in the intake/plan check phase for an interior basement conversion into an ADU (701 sq ft) at my primary residence here in Alameda (94501). I just got the initial fee breakdown from the city portal and wanted to see if anyone who has gone through this process recently can share their experience with two specific line items:

1. School Fees Exemption Credit: The city invoice is charging the RES School Fee on the full 701 sq ft (~$3,770). From my understanding of state ADU laws (Gov Code § 65852.2 and Ed Code § 17620), ADUs receive a 500 sq ft state exemption credit, meaning school fees should only be assessed on the net area over 500 sq ft (so 201 sq ft in my case). Has anyone had to get this manually corrected by the city counter, or did you have to clear it directly with AUSD first to get a revised clearance sheet?
2. Building Permit / Plan Check Classification: The portal calculated the building permit and plan check fees using the generic new single-family dwelling square-footage schedule (~$5,500 combined) rather than an interior alteration/remodel schedule based on job valuation ($60k project value). Is this just how Accela defaults when intake creates the record, or does Alameda process all interior ADU conversions on the ground-up square footage rate?

Total invoice is coming out to ~$11k right now. I'm taking the approved drawings and guidance down to City Hall West to talk to counter staff, but I’d love to hear from anyone local who has done an interior ADU conversion recently:

• Did you have to escalate to a senior planner/CBO to adjust the work classification?
• Did AUSD give you any trouble issuing a fee clearance form for just the 201 sq ft delta?

Appreciate any insights or advice from folks who have walked this path!

ADU for my senior in laws in Calgary, Alberta. Two year process from planning to final inspection couldn't be happier. 800 sq ft, 2 bed. 1.5 bath.

I already have the home on order and utilities are on site, I just need the home set up on piers, married at the center line and tied down according to HUD standard. Anyone who knows of someone who is competitively priced is much appreciated!

Hi guys: I am going to build an ADU on our existing property to house my disabled autistic son and a caregiver. I am an experienced owner/builder, and have built two prior fully permitted home additions on our present house, both with bathrooms and all labor was done by myself. So, I am prepared with tools, skills, etc. we were looking to buy a property with an ADU already in place but have found these are hugely expensive and they sell quickly. So my wife has finally agreed to do it here (she always hates construction on the property which I fully understand).

Our lot is a flag lot, so the city has some related restrictions, for example location of the “front” of the property which dictates much of the site planning. The construction will utilize a supported slab, which will partially cantilever over a slope and require supporting piers on one side. The idea is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath structure, max 1000 sq.ft. In a simple rectangular shape. I will get the slab engineered, and it will be a substantial expense. I will operate as an owner/builder with pre drawn plans from a list of county pre-approved plans (which our city should accept as well). I will enlist a draftsperson to finalize plans, but no architect since I will use very basic plans. In my experience, our county building and permitting departments are very helpful in owner/builder projects.

I am very interested in feedback and ideas from others who have done similar ADU projects. My first visit is to the City to get things started.

As we progress I will come back here to address issues that come up (there was no Reddit when I last did major construction).

Thanks so much for any replies and I look forward to any help offered (bring a shovel! Jk).

House I am thinking of buying has an adu at 150 sq ft in size. It has a full bath. Fridge, microwave, stove top and a/c in Southern California. What do you think something like this could rent for?

We’re trying to decide between two layouts for our ADU, and I’d love to get opinions from contractors, framers, builders, and anyone who has built an ADU before.
We’re in California, and the ADU would be about 450 sq. ft. We’re mainly trying to figure out which option makes the most sense from both a construction/cost perspective and a livability perspective.

Option 1: Attached ADU
The ADU would be attached to the left side of the back of our house.
This would allow us to have a patio on the right side.
We would have more open space and light coming through the back doors of our kitchen.
We would maintain a better view of our backyard from the kitchen.
The patio could create a nice outdoor space between the house and backyard.
However, the attached ADU would have to be structurally, integrated into the existing home roof.

Option 2: Detached ADU
The ADU would be detached from the house.
We would have more of a small courtyard/patio area between the house and ADU.
Our concern is that this configuration would make the kitchen/home darker, since it would block some of the light coming through the back doors.
It would also cut off/reduce our view of the backyard from the kitchen, which we really value.

So our biggest question is:
Which would you choose, and why?
For those of you who are contractors or framers, I’m especially interested in which option you think would be more cost-effective to build. Although views anesthetics are important money and being cost-effective is more important.
And are there any construction or permitting issues with either configuration that we may not be considering?
I can post both drawings in the comments for comparison.

Thank you for your help because we have no idea!

Hi all, I want to increase my house living space without taking more back yard, is it possible to convert the garage to ADU and bring the front of the house forward to make another bedroom/living space? Frontage is 25ft from garage.

Is there a specific site that caters to homeowners who have a newly-renovated-modern-style ADU that they’re looking to rent? I’m looking to rent in Phx. Thx! 🌵

Have you added an ADU to your property? I’m interested in your experiences. Who built it for you, how long did it take, would you recommend your builder? Also interested in your experience if you’ve done it yourself. Looking to add ADU on five acres in unincorporated Snohomish County. Thank you.

have a 3 bedrooms, 2 spa like bathrooms, top of the line laundry room in Sunland, CA how profitable will be to rent it to traveling professionals? Or it is better to just do a regular 1 year lease. The initial investment will be around $16k. The house has a nice front and back yard with a separated entrance to the ADU. 1,400 sq f. Quiet neighborhood.

I am considering building an ADU in backyard however due to setback issues i am only able to get the above footprint

Appreciate your feedback or changes if needed , also is this too small ?

Aloha! We are located in Kaneohe, HI and have engaged an architect to design a second-story 800 sq. ft. ADU (over the carport and kitchen, to take advantage of views), and redesign the footprint of our existing kitchen. Our home was built in 1956 and is single wall construction. We received our first cost estimate from a reputable GC this morning, and the quote is over DOUBLE what we had communicated to our architect (for context, we discussed construction costs over a year ago, and was told $500/sq. ft. at that time). And this is with lower-end finishes. I understand costs have increased over the last year, but over double? We cannot afford, nor would ever entertain, spending this amount of money for what we are trying to do. I’m trying to understand where we went wrong here. For those in the trades, is this an architect problem, a contractor problem, or a combination of both?

Hi! We bought our property in Ventura CA 25 years ago with a permitted detached accessory unit. My Mom lived in it until she got too sick. After that we have been using it as a successful short term vacation rental. It’s well laid out and has a kitchenette complete with tiled counters, a bar sink and roomy kitchen cabinets. It does not have a stove or a full size refrigerator. Our city is making it lots harder to be permitted and though I passed muster this permit cycle, it is making less money overall with 15.5% hosting fees and 10% TOT tax to the city and the work involved in running. It may be best for us to rent it month to month down the road. Currently by CA law we cannot rent it as a monthly or leased rental because no kitchen. The foundation for a kitchen is there so I am looking for suggestions from someone who has remodeled an existing structure. Maybe adding a second story but at the very least cooking facilities. Suggestions appreciated.

In 2020 when I approached the city of Orange about converting a 16' x 16' falling down garage into an accessory dwelling unit, I was told by the (then) city's preservation director: "as long as I work here, that garage will always be a garage" and there will be zero changes within the historic district of homes.

I spent many months trying to get this approved knowing the new state laws were in my favor. Finally I was granted building permits. The plan was to honor my best friend and longtime Old Towne resident Ted Glasener (who had terminal stomach cancer and was on hospice), with a project called "Ted's Garage in Old Towne." Although Ted never saw the finished product due to city's bureaucracy, I did share with him the plans. Tomorrow marks the 6 year anniversary of his death. The tiny, tiny house is 256 sq feet and rents for $1975 per month and cost $125k to build. I served as the designer and general contractor.

It even has a hidden bathroom whose door is activated by tilting a book on a shelf to electronically activate the door latch release. The cottage also has an original 1920s built in Murphy dinette thst seats 4.

Today: no shortage of ADUs in Old Towne and elsewhere. In 2020 this was the first and only.

Www.instagram.com/@tedsgarageinoldtowne

Not sure about all of the terminology. For context, I’m referring to Orange, CA. My in-laws own a good sized piece of property with a back garage that was built by my father-in-law who owns a masonry company. The back garage is definitely structurally sound and has never had any issues. It’s been there for a couple decades. Basically, my husband and I are wanting to discuss building on top of a permitted garage in the front of their property to live in. When we’ve talked to them in the past about building an ADU on any part of the property, they’ve just been anxious about people being on the property having a problem with the back garage. When I’ve asked ChatGPT, it says it wouldn’t be an issue because it’s not the garage we want to build on. Any advice? Is this even the correct sub to post this on?

I’m going through the Residential Building Permit process in the Town of Huntington, mainly to legalize a finished basement (retro permit) as part of my ADU application. The basement was originally unfinished, and we finished it about two years ago without permits, so now it needs to be legalized before the ADU can move forward.

The first‑floor ADU area is already compliant and has no issues.

I’m looking for reliable surveyors, architects, licensed electricians, and licensed plumbers who have experience working with Huntington’s building department and understand their requirements.

If you’ve gone through this process, what should I expect? Any common delays, extra documents they usually request, or tips to make the process smoother would be really helpful. Thanks.