This family chose Cottage for their custom ADU, and the results are stunning.

Mill Valley ADU for In-Laws and Family Flex Space

This family chose Cottage because its custom approach accomplished what prefab couldn't.

This family chose Cottage because of its custom approach accomplished what prefab couldn't.

This Burlingame ADU is the Perfect Blend of Comfort and Space Efficiency

Cottage's custom ADU process helped bring one family's dream ADU to life

Stunning San Jose ADU Adds Space for Hosting and Working

Cottage's transparent and streamlined ADU process helped one family get the ADU they wanted

Modern ADU Delivered with Transparent, Streamlined Process

How Cottage helped a Bay Area homeowner build the ADU to fit her varied needs: senior living and work from home.

The Ultimate Silicon Valley ADU for Senior Living and Work-from-Home

We partnered with long-time Los Altos residents Bob & Leslie on the design of a Craftsman 748 square foot, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom ADU for their adullt daughter.

Customized Craftsman ADU for Multi-Generational Family

Cottage worked with South Bay resident Abhishek to build the dream 1,200 sq.ft. ADU for family members to move into.

Cottage worked with a homeowner to create a dream ADU for family members to move into

Modern ADU for Family | Cottage

Modern ADU for Family in Saratoga

Cottage helped a San Jose homeowner build an ADU for senior living without compromising on the available back yard space.

San Jose ADU for Senior Living without Losing the Backyard

An LA homeowner in the San Fernando Valley wanted an ADU for a home office and a new unit for rental income. What he got was more than he expected

Cottage made it convenient for a homeowner in LA's San Fernando Valley to turn his garage into a flexible, modern ADU

Modern Los Angeles Garage Conversion ADU | Cottage

Modern Garage Conversion ADU in Los Angeles

Cottage's customized approach helped a homeowner build space for rental and personal use for her stylish LA bungalow.

Customized LA Bungalow ADU for Rental and Personal Use

A homeowner in West LA turned her garage into a retirement ADU

A homeowner in West LA builds a home for retirement in her garage

West LA ADU for Senior Living | Cottage ADU

West LA Garage Conversion for Senior Living

A homeowner of an LA ranch home in the Valley found the ADU she needed with Cottage

LA Ranch Home Guest House for Senior Living & Rental Income

How Cottage delivered a retirement ADU for a Bay Area homeowner.

Perfect Pleasanton In-Law Unit for Retirement

How Cottage helped a San Diego homeowner seeking a stunning ADU for rental income.

San Diego Surf Casita - Rental Income ADU with California Vibes

A San Diego homeowner converted her garage into a beautiful retirement home for her mother

Cottage helped a San Diego homeowner convert her garage into a beautiful retirement home for her mother

San Diego Garage Conversion In-Law Unit with Customized Touch | Cottage

San Diego Garage Conversion In-Law Unit with Customized Touch

This local property investor added two new ADU units to replace the unused parking lot at the rear of this multi-family residence, increasing both monthly rental income and yields for the investor while adding to the local housing stock.

Property Investor ADU Duplex Near Downtown Berkeley

This spacious 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom in-law unit ADU designed and built by Cottage provides this family flexibility for the grandmother to remain close by.

Perfect Pleasanton ADU For Aging-In-Place

From upscale finishes to dining room details, this luxurious ADU provides these Santa Clara County homeowners with the extra hosting space they had long been looking for. 

Modern ADU with Customized Design & Turnkey Build

Check out this recently completed Cottage in San Mateo County that fits perfectly in this homeowner's backyard.

Sunny San Bruno Detached ADU

Cottage worked with longtime Pleasanton resident Jocelyn to build a custom ADU that fits perfectly in her backyard space.

Why We Build: ADU Housing For The Local Community

Hear how Cottage built Barry and Kathy's Accessory Dwelling Unit to bring Barry's parents just a doorstep away.

Why We Build: A Multigenerational Family ADU

This Redwood City ADU built by Cottage is perfectly nestled beneath the trees of the city's namesake. Learn how this ADU may fit your backyard too! 

Stunning Redwood City Backyard Cottage ADU

There's nothing like seeing an ADU being built from the ground up in your backyard. Check out a few of our recent ADU builds coming to life!

Check Out A Few of Our ADUs Under Construction!

Hear directly from Jill and Joan about how their custom granny flat Cottage ADU unit in Santa Clara is keeping the family together for these longtime Bay Area residents.

Why We Build: An ADU Keeping Grandma Closer to Home

Cottage designed this airy Hillsborough ADU to match nicely with the existing home and provide a large guest space for family now and potential renters down the road.

Hillsborough Home Office and Future ADU Rental Unit

Matching your ADU unit with the main home is an important consideration for homeowners looking to build a secondary unit. Learn more how this 2-bedroom Spanish bungalow style in-law unit could fit in your backyard.

This Spanish Bungalow ADU is The California Backyard Dream

Cottage is included in the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's (LADBS) ADU Standard Plan Program. This ADU is perfect for most California backyards.

Cottage's 1-Bedroom, One-Bathroom Los Angeles ADU Standard Plan

Cottage is honored to be included in the Los Angeles ADU Plan Program. Learn more about ADU construction using the Los Angeles Pre-Approved Standard Plan.

Cottage's 2-Bedroom, One-Bathroom Los Angeles ADU Standard Plan

This San Jose ADU has 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms in a 741 square foot rectangular floor plan. Get a free consultation for your very own backyard cottage! 

2 Bedroom San Jose Detached Backyard Cottage

This 227 square foot attached accessory dwelling unit converted an underutilized carport into a fully outfitted ADU studio for maximum efficiency and flexible use.

Brand New Guest Cottage in Midtown Palo Alto for Local Residents

This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ADU unit provides additional living space for parents while keeping the door open to future rental income for the backyard Cottage.

Can A Detached 1000 Square Foot ADU Fit in this San Mateo Backyard?

This El Cerrito ADU is a 1 bedroom rental unit with distinct separation from the main home. Get your free consultation and estimate on your dream ADU today!

Cozy El Cerrito 500 Square Foot Single Bedroom ADU 

This Los Altos retiree sought to balance luxury with efficiency for her 1196 sq. ft retirement ADU she plans to move into. Learn how you can do it too!

Huge Retirement ADU with Custom Design (with 360 Degree Virtual Tour)

This 350 sq. ft granny flat was designed with multi-generational family living in mind and customized to match the main home. Get this charming City In-Law ADU!

Charming 1 Bedroom Redwood City In-Law Unit With a Surprise Feature

These Castro Valley homeowners wanted an easy process and efficient use of space for their new 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom rental ADU at 750 square feet. 

Efficient and Open 2 Bedroom Accessory Dwelling Unit in Castro Valley

Cottage helped a client turn her old 2-car garage space into a 364 square foot livable and rentable 1 bedroom ADU unit. Get extra income today with an ADU!

From Underused Oakland Garage to 364 sq. ft. Detached ADU

Increase property rental income & potential to raise the equity value with a duplex detached accessory dwelling unit and add to the city's low housing stock.

Duplex Detached Accessory Dwelling Units for Berkeley Property Investor

Make a Two Car French Door Garage Conversion into an Accessory Dwelling Unit.  Our team will figure out how to make the most of your extra space.

 French Door Garage Conversion

Real estate property investor Hai came to us looking to take advantage of the new ADU programs to create more rental income while adding local housing units.

2 Bedroom Rental ADU for South San Francisco Property Investor

An eye-catching, budget-efficient 1 bedroom / 1 bethroom, detached accessory dwelling unit for any homeowner looking for more room on their property. 

468 Sq Ft, 1 Bedroom ADU Perfect for Your Backyard Space

Cottage designed a flexible & smart 2 Bed Detached ADU to fit within the new California ADU exemption reducing hurdles & fees homeowners need to manage.

Smartly Designed 2 Bed Detached ADU in San Jose

Cottage built this 720 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom detached ADU for retired couples looking to move into the second unit and rent out their main house.

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Retirement ADU in South San Francisco

This 1 bedroom Santa Clara ADU was designed for a family looking to bring relatives closer to home. Get more space for you and your loved ones with an ADU! 

1 Bedroom Tiny House for the Parents in Santa Clara

The open concept great room is a comfortable multi-use ADU for Harold’s parents, who are selling their home to move into the new ADU unit to be closer to family

Two Bedroom In-law Unit for Young Redwood City Family

We're a team of architects, builders, and technologists committed to solving housing affordability by making it easy to build an ADU.

We empower homeowners and contractors to build more and build better.

Our mission

About Cottage

Room for more

We are owner-builders. We roll up our sleeves together, do whatever is required for our homeowners and partners, and do it right.

Build like you own the place

In an opaque industry, we build trust with radical transparency. We offer this transparency to and ask for it equally from our homeowners, partners, and team.

Transparency

We're taking an entirely new approach to an age-old industry. We aren't afraid to pave the path forward.

Break ground

We started this business because we felt the pain firsthand and knew there had to be a better way. We obsess over the homeowner and partner experience and build products/services that solve their most acute pain points.

Customer obsession

Our core values

Cottage: Build your custom ADU in LA, San Diego, the Bay Area, and Seattle

Join our team of architects, builders, and technologists in reimagining the residential construction industry.

Cottage Perks

Build more, build better

Grow your business with Cottage's vetted clients and shovel-ready projects.

Build with Us

Tell us about your business, and we'll see if it's a good fit for us and your team.

Apply to join the Cottage Builder Network

We'll match you with high-intent clients in your service area.

Secure a project pipeline you can rely on

Cottage handles design & permitting, you build with exclusive tools to help manage your projects.

Focus on building

How it works

We set client expectations for project budget, timeline, and feasibility prior to introducing them to you.

Vetted Clients

We handle design development and permits while keeping you in the loop, allowing your team to focus on building.

We Design, You Build

We match you with a stream of qualified clients, as you manage in-progress construction.

Grow Your Business

We are proud to work with our network of quality builders to bring Cottage designs to life.

Why join the Cottage Builder Network?

Yes. Cottage specializes in designing custom Accessory Dwelling Units. Our company specializes in all types of custom ADUs: detached, garage conversions, and additions!

Do you only work on ADUs?

No! It is free to be part of the Cottage Builder Network and receive leads from Cottage.

Is there a cost to join?

<ul><li>We spend time learning everything we can about the homeowner’s expectations, project site, and unique conditions.</li><li>We learn the homeowner’s budget is adequate for the project they have in mind.</li><li>If a homeowner meets all of our criteria, we will move them forward to meet a contractor in our network.</li><li>We work with you to understand your company; we know where and how many projects you prefer to take on.</li>

What does Cottage do to qualify a project?

Fill out <u><a href='https://david045224.typeform.com/to/wRIAq1y9' target='_blank'>this form!</a></u> If your business works with ours, you’ll be building with Cottage in no time!

How do I get started?

What we look for

Work for yourself - from anywhere - on Cottage’s tech-forward architectural platform.

Design With Us

Tell us about your skills, experience, and goals to see if it's a fit.

Apply to Join

Onboard to our tech-first design platform and start working on projects at all stages.

Design with Cottage

We handle everything... so you can focus on building your client and architectural skill set.

Focus on Architecture

We’ve worked with hundreds of homeowners on their custom ADU projects and have dozens of active construction projects at any given time. Our design process and standards are heavily informed by feedback from designers like you as we learn how to get better from every project we do together!

How many projects has Cottage done?

You’ll be the only designer on your projects - we trust your expertise and want you in the driver’s seat for design decisions! Our in-house architecture team is always available as a resource, and focuses on strategic initiatives for a better design process.

Will I be working on my projects with an in-house architect?

After submitting your application, process consists of two interviews. The first is a phone screen call with the Hiring Manager to discuss your experience and interest in Cottage. The second and final round is mock homeowner design call & portfolio review with two members of the Cottage team.

What does the interview process look like?

Yes. Your Cottage hours count towards NCARB AXP Requirements as A: Practice of Architecture. Our in-house Design Manager will sign off on your hours based on our standard hour distribution.

Does Cottage support AXP?

Yes, at no cost to you. Cottage equips all designers with a Cottage Google account and BIM 360/Revit, along with access to other software within our tech stack. Designers are responsible for providing their own computer.

Does Cottage provide software?

Yes. We want designers to celebrate the work they complete for Cottage homeowners.

Can I use Cottage work in my portfolio?

At this time, we are only able to work with US or Canadian residents with US citizenship or Visa eligibility to work as a freelancer.

Can international candidates apply?

Experienced, talented architectural designers

Looking for a fully-remote, fully-flexible work-for-yourself model

Tech-savvy and unafraid to challenge the industry status quo

Uncompromising in high quality output, and can hit this bar independently

Growth minded, looking to expand their business, skills and expertise

You run the meetings, you make the design decisions! Our process makes it easy for designers to work with homeowners.

Direct Homeowner Engagement

We’ve reimagined the residential design process with technology at the core. Spend more time on design and less time on busywork.

Design... Redesigned

See your projects go from schematic design to move-in ready in less than a year. Our platform is an unmatched opportunity for residential built work in your portfolio.

Designed to Build

The Design Studio is at the heart of every happy homeowner’s story. Great design is what brings Cottage projects to life.

Why join the Cottage Design Studio?

Featured, recently built ADUs including flex space, in-law unit, detached, rental income generating, office and hobby spaces.

Featured Projects

Design your custom ADU floor plan online and see a starting price.

Choosing your floor plan is simply a starting point to help guide our initial conversation. There will be plenty of opportunities to customize your layout, move around windows and doors, select your finishes, or even change your mind entirely.

It all starts with your floor plan

Price

Rooms

Shape

Size

Choose a floor plan or start with a blank slate

Unlike prefab ADUs, we offer custom designs to match your unique space, budget and needs.

Custom Designed Just For You

Homeowners choose Cottage for their ADU. Get a trusted ADU contractor, custom design, zero-hassle process, and the best value ADU in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle.

Get started with one of our team’s favorite floor plans. We’ve hand selected these plans for their smart usage of space and value-engineered details. By starting with a Cottage Favorite floor plan, you’ll be able to move more quickly through design and permitting, saving you both time and money.

Choose from dozens of floor plans

Subtitle

Custom ADUs Made Simple

ADUs Made Simple

Make room for more

We set you up with a vetted ADU contractor near you, which means that they're easily within reach and know the finer points of building in your neighborhood.

Discover what type of ADU is best suited for your property, goals, and budget.

Feasibility

Work with a Cottage Designer to develop custom architectural plans and select finishes for your ADU.

Design

We prepare your permit application and work directly with the city to expedite your permits.

Permitting

We handle your project from design to permitting to construction with a vetted contractor. We involve you in the fun parts of design while saving you the paperwork and heavy lifting.

Featured Projects

Get your free consultation and estimate today!