ADU Installation in Sacramento, California

Grasping all the stages of ADU construction and rules for building an ADU in California can be tough. From zoning laws and permits to designing and constructing an accessory dwelling unit, all the steps of the ADU project have their own intricacies and difficulties.

Nevertheless, if you’re only starting to learn about building an ADU, we will walk you through its complex process, breaking it into manageable tasks. Let’s have a closer look at accessory dwelling unit construction—the process of creating a livable space on your existing property!

Accessory Dwelling Units: 101

In contrast with primary residence, an accessory dwelling unit belongs to secondary units. ADU projects are not your primary dwelling; they are typically smaller units that, in most cases, must occupy properties where the main house is already present. Their secondary status affects ADU regulations and permission processes, as well as their design and purpose.

While, given an empty plot, your main house may have almost any layout and design, an accessory dwelling unit has fewer options. It doesn’t make it less versatile, though. The thing is, for an ADU project, you can use a new construction and build it attached to or detached from the main house. Or utilize an existing garage, basement, attic, and other structures.

Building an ADU, you may select any of these ADU types and variations:

1. Detached ADU. This construction is an ADU that is structurally autonomous from the house.
2. Attached ADU. This ADU abuts the main home and may share utilities with it.
3. Garage conversion. Garage conversion ADUs are ADUs transformed from underused garages.
4. Attic or basement conversion. These internal ADUs utilize space within your existing house.
5. Above-the-garage ADU. On your request, we can place an in-law suite above your garage to save space in the garden.

The initial design depends on the amount of available space, the proposed ADU location on your property, your financial capabilities, and your personal preferences.

Accessory Apartment Benefits

To make up your mind on a particular size and design of an ADU, homeowners need to set up their ADU project goal. This matters for ADU plans because, when designing the floor plan, the ADU specialist should understand how many people are going to live in it or what kind of activities to prioritize.

Proper goal setting is a crucial step, as a remote worker certainly will opt for an ADU with a focus on privacy and seclusion. Whereas if you build an ADU for seniors (a granny flat), it makes sense to integrate an open floor plan and aging-in-place features.

Let’s cover the most common uses that homeowners come up with:

• Housing family members

Many people in densely populated areas merely look for extra living space within their existing lots. An ADU is a perfect residential construction that enables you to provide shelter to your distant relatives, aging parents, or grown children without spending a fortune on a traditional house building.

• Rental income and boosting property value

Financial incentives play a crucial role in many homeowners’ choices. Indeed, the overall cost of ADU construction may be quite high, but your rental income can potentially cover these costs. Besides, later on, when you compensate for its construction, it’s possible to change the intended use of your ADU. The additional living space will come in handy for your kids. If they’re small now, it doesn’t mean they will be forever, does it?

• Guest house

One of the common ADU dreams is creating a nice garden cottage for your guests to stay in over the weekend. In addition to housing family reunions and events, you can also provide extra space for babysitters, paid caregivers, gardeners, and other employed workers, if you have any.

• Productive environment and recreation

Another reason to build an ADU is to create a private unit isolated from the stirs in the main house. When you do your job remotely and need to concentrate on work tasks, favorable surroundings help to minimize mistakes and perform your duties as fast and effectively as possible. Alternatively, ADUs can act as hobby places, featuring such rooms as a home gym, a home library, or an art studio.

Building an ADU allows homeowners to offset their construction and labor costs, add habitable square footage to their property, and generate rental income. After determining the primary use of the future ADU, let’s hop right into the ADU construction process!

ADU Construction Process

The successful completion of an ADU project is based on careful planning and a clear understanding of what you have to do. Each step of construction has many tasks, things to watch out for, and local rules like local building codes and zoning regulations to consider.

Here, we’ll offer you a step-by-step guide describing the entire ADU construction process.

Estimating Viability and Drafting Project

Before building an ASU, it’s essential to find out if it’s possible for your individual plot. For example, if you are planning to put an 800-square-foot ADU in the corner of your lot, it would be a problem if this zone turned out to be of public usage (easement). The process of determining feasibility includes checking property setbacks, zoning, topography, easements, and any factors that could impact the ADU construction. Depending on the site’s condition, your job site may need extra work. A feasibility study and a site survey may be necessary if you build an ADU on a small, narrow, or crowded area plot.

Permitting Process

To build an ADU, a property owner must obtain a building permit. Building permits are official documents that ensure compliance with the local building codes and zoning regulations, as well as safety standards and building quality standards. To move forward with obtaining permits, you need to apply to local authorities, fill out the form, and submit an application along with the necessary documents. These papers usually involve site plans, ADU floor plans, structural work drawings, and other essential details outlining the construction project. For a more comprehensive guide specific to your area, reach out to your planning department or to your general contractor!

Site Preparation

Site prep is a stage when you engage in clearing vegetation and debris, addressing any cavities on the land, leveling the ground, and performing the initial tasks in preparation for building. If your property requires additional structural support in the form of a retaining wall, this stage is when you address these considerations. Also, it’s time to plan underground utilities like septic systems or electrical lines. Also, during this stage, we usually outline the location of future electrical wiring, climate control systems, and plumbing fixtures.

Building Process

After preparing the site, the next step involves digging trenches around the proposed ADU perimeter. Following this, you will be able to do the next steps, such as:

1. using wooden planks to frame the form for the foundation and then pouring the concrete into it;
2. creating the rough frame of the ADU;
3. Install utility lines (water, gas, electricity, sewer, etc.). They form the home’s internal wiring and plumbing, hidden within the walls and floor;
4. adding exterior finishes like roofs, doors, windows, siding, or other types of outer cladding;
5. installing insulation into ADU walls and sealing your home from air leakages;
6. adding drywall to create the solid walls and ceilings of your ADU, providing a finished and ready-to-paint surface;
7. setting plumbing fixtures;
8. flooring and painting ceilings;
9. painting walls or gluing wallpaper;
10. installing valves, switches, and inserts around the ADU;
11. finish carpentry work like interior doors, built-in closets, countertops, etc.;
12. installing kitchen and bathroom appliances and lighting fixtures.

Inspections

Once your ADU acquires a finished look, it’s time for the final inspection. In the course of construction, you may need to schedule a whole number of inspections for inspectors to oversee various aspects of the work. However, the final inspection is the moment of truth as this represents the final assessment of the completed ADU’s compliance with all established rules and specifications. This inspection will determine if your new living space is ready for occupancy.

All in all, building an ADU is a comprehensive process consisting of multiple specific works aimed at ensuring the ADU’s structural integrity, livability, and compliance with regulations.

Financing Options

Financial feasibility is a vital concern for any homeowner. Depending on your individual circumstances, there are several alternatives worth exploring. Thankfully, an increasing number of financial institutions are beginning to provide loan programs specifically tailored for ADUs in California.

In California, particularly in Sacramento, homeowners interested in ADUs have several financing possibilities available. These encompass:

• Grants. CalHFA and other local grants provide homeowners with extra funds to build an ADU. All programs have their own conditions. Some of them may provide financial assistance to low- and moderate-income households, while others have different eligibility criteria.
• Home equity line of credit. To put it simply, this loan resembles a credit card that you use based on what portion of your home you fully own at the moment. At first, it’s a quick and cheaper way to get money, but the interest rate can change over time.
• Home equity loan. Basically, it is the second mortgage. It gives you all the money at once. The interest rate stays the same, but you have to pay back the whole amount you borrowed.
• Cash-out refinancing. It allows you to extract a portion of the home’s equity in cash and pay for new construction while replacing the previous mortgage with a new one. Typically, it has low interest rates.
• Construction and renovation loans. If you’re more interested in personal loans that are not secured by the property, these loans are speedy and simple to obtain. Although, they are usually short-term and have higher interest rates.

The data about these and other ways of acquiring funds for ADU building helps you to make an informed decision about ADU construction. If you have any questions, whether you’re not sure about the ADU permission process, searching for a suitable ADU plan, or wanting to incorporate a unique feature, A+ Construction & Remodeling is ready to address all your concerns!