ADUs & remodels · Bay Area, Sacramento & Stockton
ADUs and remodels, from plans to final inspection.
Detached and attached ADUs, garage conversions, junior ADUs, and remodels. We help with plans, permits, and financing, and you have one point of contact the whole way.
What we build
Four ways to add an ADU
California allows ADUs on many single-family lots. We look at your property and tell you which options fit.
Detached ADUs
A stand-alone home in your backyard with its own kitchen, bath, and entrance. Room for family, a rental, or a home office.
Attached ADUs
A new unit built onto your home, sharing a wall but with its own entrance, kitchen, and bath.
Garage conversions
An attached or detached garage turned into finished living space, using the structure that's already there.
Junior ADUs (JADUs)
A smaller unit of up to 500 square feet created inside your existing home, with its own entrance and an efficiency kitchen.
Sound familiar?
The ADU problems we fix
Common ADU worries, and how we handle each one.
Afraid of big fees and slow permits.
ADUs of 750 sq ft or less have no impact fees. Cities must say within 15 business days whether your application is complete and decide within 60 days of a complete one. We put together a complete package and answer plan check comments.
The rules are hard to follow.
Size, setbacks, and parking rules vary by city and lot. We check what applies to your property at the site visit and explain it in plain terms.
Not sure if your ADU needs solar.
Many new detached ADUs need solar under Title 24, and some small ones qualify for an exception. ADUs built inside existing space or as additions are exempt. We check yours and can install the solar if it's needed.
Figuring out how to pay for it.
We go over financing options with your written estimate, subject to credit approval. We only bring up programs that are actually open.
California ADU rules
Why build an ADU in California
State law makes ADUs easier to build, and cities and counties have to follow it. A few rules that work in your favor:
- No impact fees at 750 sq ft or less. Cities can't charge impact fees on an ADU that size.
- A decision within 60 days. Cities must approve or deny within 60 days of a complete application.
- No owner-occupancy requirement. You don't have to live on the property to build an ADU.
- Parking near transit. In most cases, no parking is required within half a mile of transit.
- Pre-approved plans. San Jose, Sacramento, Sacramento County, Stockton, and San Joaquin County have pre-approved plan programs.
- Property tax on the ADU only. Only the ADU's added value is assessed. Your main home isn't reassessed.
- Rental income or family space. Rent it out, or give family a place of their own close by.
- Sell it separately in San Jose. In San Jose, qualifying ADUs may be sold separately as condos.
Rules vary by city and lot. We check yours at the site visit.
Heads up: There's no state ADU grant open right now. If someone offers to get you one for a fee, walk away.
We manage your project start to finish. Work is performed by California-licensed contractors. ADUs and remodels are offered in Northern California.
Remodels
Remodels, inside and out
Not adding a unit? We take on remodels too, from one room to the outside of the house.
- 01
Kitchen remodels
Layout changes, cabinets, counters, and lighting, planned around how you use the space.
- 02
Bathroom remodels
Showers, tubs, tile, vanities, and ventilation, from a refresh to a full rebuild.
- 03
Accessibility upgrades
Walk-in showers, grab bars, wider doorways, ramps, and other changes that make it easier to stay in your home.
- 04
Decks
New decks and rebuilds of worn ones, with stairs and railings built to code.
- 05
Siding
Siding repair and replacement, with trim and flashing detailed to keep water out.
- 06
Roof and solar too
Adding a unit or remodeling? We can put a new roof and solar on it as part of the same project.
Project photos: BH Roofing & Construction.
How it works
From site visit to final inspection
Site visit
We walk your property, talk through what you want, and look at space, access, and utilities.
Design and plans
Plans are drawn for your lot and your goals, and you review them before anything is submitted.
Permits
We handle the permit submittal with your city or county and respond to plan check comments.
Build
You get a written estimate and agreement before work starts. Then the build: foundation, framing, utilities, and finishes.
Final inspection
The project closes out with the city or county final inspection, and we walk the finished space with you.
Permit approval and review times are set by your city or county. We keep you posted at every step.
Financing
Financing for your ADU
An ADU is a big project, and financing can help spread out the cost. We'll go over options with you along with your written estimate.
Financing available for roofing, solar, and ADUs, subject to credit approval.
Ask about financingQuestions
Anything else, call (719) 301-9966
Do you help with ADU plans and permits?
Yes, in Northern California. We help with design and plans, the permit submittal, and the build through final inspection. Permit approval and review times are up to your city or county, and we keep you posted at every step.
Do I need solar on my ADU?
Maybe. Many new detached ADUs need solar under California's energy code, and some small ones qualify for an exception. ADUs built inside existing space or as additions are exempt. We check yours.
Do I have to live on the property to build an ADU?
No. California doesn't let cities require owner-occupancy for ADUs. Other rules vary by city and lot, and we check yours at the site visit.
Thinking about an ADU or a remodel?
Tell us about your property and what you have in mind, and we'll set up a site visit.