Serving San Diego, Greater LA, SF Bay, & Seattle
Watch our free ADU webinar
Design and Build Your Custom ADU with Cottage
We've reimagined the ADU process to save you time and money, without sacrificing customization or quality.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Progress: NaN%
Closed Caption
1
1
Feasibility
Understand what's possible
- Identify the right location on your lot
- Site assessment for required utilities and site preparation
Hi Jess, We’ve done a survey of your property and determined where you’re able to build and where we’ll tie into utilities.
We estimate this would work within your budget of $200k - $225k.
2
2
Design
2-6 weeks
Design your custom ADU
- Develop your floor plan
- Select your finishes
- Visualize your plans in 3D
Explore Floor Plans
3
3
Permitting
10-16 weeks
Relax as we handle permitting
- Full architectural sets for swift city permitting
- Fully managed site surveying & engineering
- Track progress via our online Portal
Hey Jess, your permit application has been submitted.
It should take 2-4 weeks for the city to review and respond. Contact me anytime if you have questions.
4
4
Construction
12-16 weeks
Build with trusted pros
- Your builder handles everything from site prep to final inspection
- Managed procurement process
- Track invoices & make payments online
FAQ
Have more questions? We’re here to help!
Yes! New California state regulations mean nearly all residential properties (both single family and multifamily) are eligible for ADUs. Additionally, municipalities must allow all ADUs of up to 800 sq. ft. in size with 4 ft. property line setbacks and up to 16 ft. in height under the new California Statewide Exemption ADU rules. Most municipalities allow larger ADUs with even fewer restrictions, and these vary from city to city. We cover this topic in more detail in our Resources page about ADU eligibility and in our municipal ADU regulations pages.
Accessory Dwelling Units can come in many shapes and sizes, from an attached garage conversion or an in-law suite to a backyard guest house or a basement studio apartment. The best ADU design is one that matches the use cases, budget, and needs of both you and your property. Cottage’s architectural design team can help bring the best ADU for you to life. Learn more from our article describing how we think about floor plans and to see a few sample ADU designs.
Cottage’s in-house design team specializes in only ADUs, creating efficient and elegant small space designs that result in a smoother permitting process. After the initial permit submission to the local municipality, our permit operations team works hand-in-hand with our design team to address plan check comments promptly while keeping you in the loop. Cottage has built local permitting expertise in over 50 municipalities - we’ve likely permitted an ADU in your city already!
Cottage’s ADU builder partners are local construction experts that specialize in ADUs and have decades of experience building in your area. Cottage carefully vets all potential contractors to ensure that they not only do high-quality work, but also deliver projects at great, consistent prices. Learn more from our article describing how we think about working with General Contractors here.