When it comes to building Accessory Dwelling Units, it is not hard for homeowners to understand whether or not they actually need one. The most complicated part is related to the construction process itself, which is why clients usually delay the whole project.
However, once they learn that there is nothing to be afraid of as long as they have a team of professional contractors behind their backs, all the worries go away.
And if you are one of such homeowners that want to know more about the construction process of an ADU, then you might want to keep reading this article further, as we will provide you with a step-by-step guide!
First of all, you need to decide for yourself what kind of Accessory Dwelling Unit you would like to create on your property so that when you would come to a construction company like ADU Builders Bay Area, you can give them at least some information about the project that they could improve.
You might want to think about whether you would like to build a detached ADU or an attached ADU, what size of a new living space you would want to create, what designs you prefer to be implemented, and so on.
And once you have created an overall idea of an ADU project that you want to create, you could come to a construction company. Here is the list of all the steps that they are going to take you through:
Well-established companies like ADU Builders Bay Area usually provide their new clients with a free first consultation, where they can get acquainted with each other, learn about the new construction project that a family wants to create, and provide the answers to all of the questions that the clients have.
The first consultation is always a win-win situation: homeowners could resolve their fears, and contractors could understand what kind of an ADU a family wants them to build. If everybody is satisfied at the end of a consultation, then any further steps could be taken together.
Once the family has decided that they would like to continue working with this general contractor, they need to decide how they are going to finance the whole project. In case they have their own savings that could cover all the costs for an Accessory Dwelling Unit to be built, then the homeowners could simply skip this step.
However, in another case, third parties would need to be involved in the process. After your initial consultation with ADU Builders Bay Area, you will not only receive a free estimate for the whole project but could also ask us to give you a list of lenders that we would recommend you to consider to finance an Accessory Dwelling Unit project.
The proposal of a general contractor gives you an overview of the entire project budgeting, including the fee schedule of the company and each step of the construction process that would take place on your land.
And as this is still an overview that is simply needed for you to understand the budget that you would need and the amount of time the project could take, it would not include the final pricing.
While working with professionals like ADU Builders Bay Area, you will not have to worry about things like an interior electrical panel or construction of exterior walls; all will be stated in the estimate and taken care of for you!
This step, in comparison with the previous, specifically allows us to create a final budget for the whole project, as we now could check your local required permits and the site conditions that your living space has.
For instance, we could estimate the condition of your existing utilities and see the land that we are going to work with so that the foundation footings could be updated if a clear and flat surface is not the case.
At the end of this step, you should receive the detailed construction costs for your project.
Once every detail is double-checked and your approval is received, we can finalize all the construction documents together with our architectural drawings and submit them to receive building permits from your city authorities. If necessary, the same submittal package can be sent to your loan lenders.
And while the construction documents are going through a permitting process, you can finalize your choice of materials for the project so that all can be done faster. You can either choose one of our standard designs for your prefab ADU or create an entirely new design of a custom ADU with the help of our professionals.
There are lots of regulations placed in almost any city about building an ADU on your property. For instance, they can restrict you from building an ADU that is over two stories in height or tell you to place an additional parking lot near your own ADU.
What is more, your construction footings will also be inspected by the authorities, and they will look at the structural rebar, vapor barrier, and wire mesh that is placed in the foundation of a new house.
Once the construction documents are approved, and your design choices are established, we can create overall ADU plans that could be sent to the local authorities for a final inspection.
In this step, some additional fees would need to be paid by you to the city inspector for the full evaluation of the project proposal and the permits that would be received by you afterward.
As you can see, building an ADU is not an easy process, which is why you should always rely on your team of professional contractors like ADU Builders Bay Area to do the whole job: homeowners do not know all the peculiarities that appear while they are building an ADU, which is why a lot of rookie and expensive mistakes could be made.
Once we recieve the permits, we can finally start to build an ADU for you! During this process, little to no collaboration with you is needed, as it all will be taken care of by your general contractor. Once the guest house construction has started, you can simply relax and wait for your team to finish the process.
It usually takes us around 4 to 6 months to create a custom ADU for you, but the exact amount can vary quite drastically depending on the amount of work to be done and the jurisdiction that is placed in your place of residence.
After that, you can take a final look at your own Accessory Dwelling Unit and accept the job well done!
Now that you know all the steps that should be taken by a remodeling company during the project implementation, you could start to search for the perfect team that would help you throughout each of the steps.
You might want to consider ADU Builders Bay Area for a new ADU project to be implemented near your main house, and here are some reasons why other people prefer to hire us for their custom or prefab ADUs:
Give ADU Builders Bay Area a call today, schedule your first appointment with us, and receive answers to all your questions!
The amount of time spent planning it. While a new ADU or ADU conversion could be built within 4-6 months, it takes additional six months to create a construction plan for every square foot of your ADU, taking into account your plumbing lines, electrical wiring, and lots of other things that should be documented in order to submit plans to the authorities and receive permits from them. Even the exterior paint of your project could matter.
Your first step should be related to your overall desires for an ADU that you want to make. For instance, whether you simply want to convert your already existing garage, increase your primary residence with the help of an attached ADU, or create a completely independent house in the form of a detached ADU. After this is decided, you need to find a proper construction company and contact them for a further discussion of the physical characteristics that your main residence has.
Yes, you do, and the regulation can vary from one part of the state to another. Collaborating with a professional contractor will save you from the need to investigate your local regulations so that you can get your project pre-approved and start construction of your garage conversion ADU or any other ADU much faster!
The whole process could take up to 12-18 months, and it will include not only the construction period but also the time that is necessary to design and permit your ADU projects. However, please remember that the time frame stated here is the one that is possible only when working with a professional contractor. In other cases, you might need more time in order to create an ADU.
