Plan around three stages: about 30 days for planning, 60–90 days for permitting and 3–5 months for construction. These are planning estimates. Your property, design decisions, jurisdiction review and construction conditions shape the project schedule. Here is how to prepare for each stage and keep the decisions moving.
Begin with a no-cost consultation and design
Your initial consultation and design are provided at no cost. Payments begin when you choose to move forward with an agreement.
Bring your ideas, the way you want to use the space and the home you want it to complement. We help develop a design direction before you choose to move forward.
Bring the property and the purpose together
Start with the address, parcel information, available drawings and site photographs. Tell us who will live in the ADU and what matters in an ordinary day: preparing meals, bringing groceries inside, having a visitor or finding a quiet place to work. Identify the rooms and features you need, along with ideas you would like priced as options.
During planning, we perform a site visit, work through our due diligence checklist, assemble the project scope and prepare a refined quote. The goal is a clear direction for the home and a visible list of the property questions to resolve.
Make the scope clear before the next commitment
Compare the preferred floor plan with the building position, access, privacy, services and outdoor space. Review realistic furniture and the relationship to your existing home. Keep the drawings and selected features aligned so the quote describes the same project you are picturing.
Our ADUs start at $250 per square foot. Your property and selections shape the quote. Review the pricing guide for the starting-price basis, base finishes, exclusions and questions to bring to that review. The agreement records the scope, responsibilities, allowances and payment milestones.
The initial agreement deposit is 10%. Review the payment milestones for the stages that follow; the amounts due are recorded in your agreement.
Prepare the decisions that support permitting
With the agreement in place, we coordinate the architectural documentation, engineering, required lot studies, soil testing and other planning documents defined in your permit scope. The team prepares the submission and coordinates responses during review. The reviewing authority determines the approval requirements and timing.
Review design decisions promptly and provide the information requested for the property. Bring any applicable HOA requirements into the conversation early. The 60–90-day permitting allowance is an estimate; submission readiness, review comments and required revisions can affect it. Required approvals and construction readiness establish when building can begin.
Follow construction through Buildertrend
Our builders and project managers coordinate the work and maintain the construction schedule. Through Buildertrend, you receive project updates and can follow progress, upcoming work and decisions that need your attention. Ask questions while an item is still a decision so the team can address it in the current scope.
The estimated 3–5-month construction phase follows required approvals and project readiness. Site conditions, inspections, material availability and approved changes can affect the schedule. The project schedule provides the current sequence as the work progresses.
Keep selections, payments and changes connected
Make selections by the dates identified for your project and coordinate owner-supplied kitchen and laundry appliance models with the team. If you want to change a feature, ask for the scope, price and schedule effect to be documented before the change proceeds.
Progress payments follow the benchmarks in your agreement. As the work approaches completion, the team coordinates the final walkthrough and reviews the remaining items with you. The final payment is $3,000 at the final walkthrough and approval. Keeping decisions and changes tied to the project documents helps everyone work toward the same finished home.
Workmanship coverage and manufacturer support
We provide a two-year workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties are separate, and our team helps you with applicable manufacturer warranty requests.
Start with a useful project brief
Choose a concept, collect the information you have and tell us about your property. You do not need every answer before the first conversation. Share the unknowns along with your priorities so the property review can focus on the questions that matter.