Your ADU Planning Center

An attached ADU adds independent living space alongside the primary home. Think through both households together: entrances, outdoor space, light, noise and everyday privacy.

A detached ADU creates a separate dwelling away from the primary home. Start with the space between the buildings as carefully as the rooms inside.

Compare the structure, layout and utility work.

A junior ADU follows a different planning path from a detached backyard home. It can suit a family member, caregiver or long-term housing arrangement when the existing layout works.

A useful ADU budget includes the building and the work needed to make it possible. Compare proposals using the same plans, assumptions and finish selections.

Identify the agency responsible for your parcel before choosing a plan. A mailing city is not always the permitting jurisdiction.

Start with the property and the purpose of the unit. Move into detailed design once the direction, budget and responsibilities are understood.

An ADU schedule begins before a crew arrives. Property research, design, agency review, utility coordination and construction each need time.

Project development connects your goals with what the site, budget and approval process can support.

Pre-construction turns an agreed concept into coordinated documents, decisions and a buildable scope.

Ask about financing up to 100% of eligible project costs for qualified applicants. Available programs, rates and terms depend on third-party lenders and your qualifications.

Additional housing can create a new use for land you already own. A sound decision considers development cost, operating expenses and the legal use of every proposed unit.

A good ADU plan uses limited space well. Start with the intended household, then compare layouts that fit the property.

Utility routes and site access can change both cost and timing. Raise those questions while comparing ADU options.

An ADU can support changing household needs, from adult children to aging parents or a caregiver. Plan for daily routines as well as the extra rooms.

Rental potential and resale value depend on the local market and the completed unit. A project budget is not the same thing as the value an appraiser or tenant will assign.

A useful builder conversation goes beyond a price per square foot. Ask how the team will take your particular project from planning to completion.

Start with your address and goals.

Test your own cost and financing assumptions.

Open the official 55-page March 2026 PDF.