ADU Laws & Permits

Do you need an architect for an ADU? In most cases, no. California, Florida, Texas and Washington all let someone

Florida has no statewide right to build an accessory dwelling unit. Section 163.31771 of the Florida Statutes says a county

ADU setback requirements are set by your city in most states, but a handful of state laws cap how strict

Texas has no statewide ADU law, so a Texas ADU permit comes from your city’s building department, and whether you

California ADU laws let most homeowners add an accessory dwelling unit through a permit that cannot require a hearing or

Two neighbors build nearly identical 600-square-foot backyard units. One pays for a sprinkler system, a design stamp, and a water

Somewhere between choosing your ADU’s floor plan and picking out cabinet hardware, a designer is going to hand you a

Most homeowners assume the floor plan is the document that makes or breaks an ADU permit. It isn’t. Long before

You submitted your ADU plans weeks ago. The portal finally updates, and instead of an approval, there’s a multi-page PDF

There’s a particular kind of frustration that only happens after you’ve paid a designer, waited weeks for a submittal slot,

Somewhere between finalizing your floor plan and submitting for permits, a question tends to sneak up on almost every ADU

Most ADU content online is written for a homeowner with a single-family backyard and one extra unit in mind. That’s

Ask anyone who has gone through the ADU design process where their project nearly stalled, and parking comes up almost

Homeowners remain confused about how California SB 9 — officially the California HOME Act — interacts with standard ADU law.

If you have an unpermitted guest house, garage conversion, or backyard cottage, you’re far from alone. Thousands of California homeowners

It’s the first question every homeowner asks: Can I build an ADU on my property? And the frustrating reality is

You’ve done the research, found a contractor, and spent weeks on design. Then the city sends back your plans with

You’ve done the research, run the numbers, and decided that building an ADU — a backyard cottage, a garage conversion,