April 1, 2025 • 14 mins
ADU Adventures: Building in Your Backyard
Episode 3 – Navigating ADU Regulations
Thinking about building an ADU? Zoning laws, permits, and city regulations can be overwhelming. In this episode, James Parks explains what homeowners need to know to avoid delays, save money, and get approved faster.
What You’ll Learn:
- Key zoning and permitting rules for ADUs
- Common mistakes that slow projects down
- How pre-approved ADU plans can fast-track approval
- Real homeowner stories and lessons learned
Avoid Costly Pitfalls—Plan Ahead
Hear real stories of homeowners facing zoning challenges, permit setbacks, and unexpected roadblocks—and how they got their ADU built successfully.
Need Expert Help?
Acton ADU handles everything from zoning and permits to construction and warranty. Call (408) 369-1103 or visit ActonADU.com to get started.
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Next episode: ADU design essentials—balancing function, style, and long-term livability.
Intro and Outro music
Acton ADU Sponsorship Midroll
Acton ADU – The Home of the Build-Ready ADU, Serving Homeowners for Over 35 Years
With over 35 years of experience and 5-star reviews that speak for themselves, Acton ADU is the leading expert in Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Based locally in Campbell, California, we proudly serve homeowners in over 20 cities—from Redwood City to San Jose and as far south as Gilroy.
We specialize in high-quality, traditionally built backyard homes, providing turnkey ADU solutions that save time and money without sacrificing quality. As the home of the Build-Ready ADU, we offer fully curated, pre-designed ADU Packages designed for multi-generational living and long-term property investment. Whether you're considering a mother-in-law suite, casita, or granny flat, our team ensures a seamless, stress-free experience from design and permitting to construction and warranty.
Why Homeowners Choose Acton ADU:
- Locally based in Campbell, CA – serving over 20 cities from Redwood City to Gilroy
- Over 35 years of expertise in building high-quality ADUs
- Build-Ready ADUs – pre-approved, expertly designed backyard homes for faster approvals and lower costs
- Custom ADU solutions – tailored to fit your property and lifestyle
- 5-star reviews...
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 0 (00:00):
Welcome back to ADU Adventures Building in your
Backyard.
I'm your host, james Parks, andtoday we're diving into one of
the biggest and, let's be honest, most intimidating parts of
building an ADU All of theregulations, zoning laws and
permits.
Now, before we get into it, letme just say this up front I am
not an architect, I am not alawyer, I don't work for the
city and I definitely don'tcontrol any zoning boards.
(00:22):
So there's one important thingto know ADU regulations change
all the time and what's truetoday may not be true six months
from now and if you'relistening to this episode, in
the future, who knows?
Maybe the rules have changedcompletely.
That's why it's so important totalk to an ADU specialist,
architect or contractor withlots of experience before you
dive in.
(00:42):
These professionals live andbreathe local zoning laws and
permitting requirements.
They know exactly how tonavigate the process and to help
you get it right.
So think of this episode as aguide, not a rule book.
My job today isn't to dig intocode and give you a list of laws
and talk specifically aboutyour project.
It's to help you understand howto approach the process, who to
(01:03):
talk to and how to make sureyour ADU plans fit within the
legal landscape.
And to do that, we're going towalk through some real stories
Homeowners just like you, whofaced zoning challenges, figured
out the rules and builtsuccessful ADUs because they had
a solid plan.
By the end of the episode,you'll know why regulations
exist and how they impact yourADU, what key factors determine
(01:25):
if you can build an ADU on yourproperty, what to expect during
the permitting process, howavoiding common mistakes can
save you time and money, and whyworking with professionals can
make or break your project.
So let's jump in.
I want to start with one of thebiggest misconceptions about
ADUs, and I hear it all the time.
It's my property.
I should be able to do whateverI want.
Right, I get it.
(01:45):
You own your home.
You pay your mortgage, yourtaxes.
Makes sense that you'd thinkyou have total control over what
gets built on your land, butthe reality is cities and
counties regulate much of what'sallowed and what's not allowed,
based on tons of parametersthat are well thought out and
considered.
So, to kick things off, I'lltell a brief story about.
We'll say their names are Markand Linda.
(02:07):
So Mark and Linda live in SanJose and they were excited to
build their ADU in theirbackyard they had this beautiful
vision a two-story loft-styleunit with a gorgeous
second-story balcony.
They were thinking long-termMaybe they'd rent it at first.
Then they'd use it for a guesthouse or even put their own
family in there and rent outtheir main house.
So they started designing.
They engaged with an architectand they thought they had it all
(02:28):
mapped out Windows, doors, evenwhere the little reading nook
would go.
Then, when they finallysubmitted to the city, boom, the
bad news.
Apparently the architect hadn'tdone their homework and their
property was located in a zoningarea that required specific
height restrictions.
So that second story well, itwas not allowed.
This is one of those momentsthat could get very frustrating
(02:50):
very quickly, because they'dalready invested all of that
money and time into developingtheir dream ADU, just to find
out that it wasn't even legal ontheir property.
So they did their homework.
They redesigned their ADU intoa one-story layout, kept it open
and airy and they wanted to usevaulted ceilings and skylights.
And you know what?
It turned out to be a greatproject and they really enjoyed
it.
But a lot of problems couldhave been avoided had they taken
(03:12):
a little bit more time tounderstand the rules and
regulations for their specificlot.
The reality is, every propertyis different and figuring out
whether you can build an ADUisn't always as simple as yes
and no.
I'll use another example.
Take Lisa and David.
They live in Willow Glen andthey've got this big backyard
with plenty of space to build anADU.
They were excited, ready to go,but when they started looking
(03:32):
into the regulations, they foundsomething they hadn't expected
Lot coverage limits.
Even though their yard wasspacious, san Jose has rules on
how much of your total lot canbe covered by structures.
Their dream was to build thisgiant 1,200 square foot ADU, but
once they ran the numbers, theyrealized that their lot maxed
out at an 850 square foot ADU.
Now here's another example ofhow this could have gone really
(03:54):
wrong.
If they had skipped theresearch and submitted the plans
for their 1,200 square footdream ADU, they would have ended
up in the same situation thatMark and Linda did they would
have been out a bunch of moneyand they would be having to
start from the very beginning.
Instead, the team caught thisearly and we were able to
develop plans that workedperfectly for the lot.
But instead of this being adisaster, all of the learnings
were put into a plan so thatthat 850 square foot ADU could
(04:18):
be designed and we could getmoving on the project.
No lost money, no lost time.
So, all in all, research isreally, really critical, but
when it comes to the permittingprocess, that can be quite
specific.
I will tell yet another story.
This one's about Carlos andMaya.
They had the best intentions.
They were building a detachedADU for Maya's mom, who was
getting older and wanted to becloser to family while still
(04:38):
having her own private space.
Does that sound familiar?
They had a plan, they had avision.
They met with the architect,they checked their zoning rules,
they hired a contractor Withexperience in ADUs.
Even everything seemed to bemoving forward.
They felt confident that theyhad done their due diligence and
that the ADU project would beapproved without a hitch.
Then came the roadblock.
When they submitted their plans, the city flagged a major issue
(05:00):
.
Their property had an old sewerline that wasn't up to current
code and there was a problem.
They had no backup plan.
Now, this isn't a minoradjustment, it was a full stop.
The city wouldn't approve theADU unless the sewer line was
brought up to code first andfixing it.
Well.
That meant more permitting,additional approvals and months
of unexpected delays.
Not to mention Carlos and Mayahad never engaged with the city
(05:23):
on this kind of level.
Carlos and Maya hadn'taccounted for this at all and it
blindsided them.
It blindsided their designerand it certainly blindsided
their contractor.
Their project sat in limbo formonths.
Their contractor wasn'tfamiliar with how to navigate
the city's approval process forinfrastructure upgrades, and
neither was the architect, soeverything stalled.
Instead of moving forward withthe ADU, they were stuck chasing
(05:45):
down solutions.
They had to pause theirconstruction plans, revise their
budget and wait for new permits, all while dealing with stress
and frustration and a projectthat was supposed to be simple
the worst part.
This kind of thing can beavoided.
This is why planning ahead andworking the right team matters.
If Carlos and Maya's team haddone a more thorough property
assessment with an experiencedADU specialist from the start,
(06:07):
they would have known about thesewer issue ahead of time.
They could have built astrategy to fix it early,
incorporated the costs into thebudget of the project and kept
the project on track.
This is exactly why ACT-NADUemphasizes thorough pre-planning
and pre-construction when youwork as a team that understands
not just design and constructionbut also zoning laws,
infrastructure challenges andcity regulations, you avoid
(06:29):
these kinds of expensivesurprises.
The lesson here Don't leaveyour ADU project a chance,
because once you're stuck in thepermitting process, you can't
rewind and start over.
But if you plan ahead, you cansidestep these headaches
entirely.
So how do you avoid the kind ofdelays that Carlos and Maya ran
into specifically?
Well, it comes down tobasically having the right team
in place with the rightexperiences.
(06:50):
Because here's the realityGetting an ADU permitted isn't
just about drawing up the design, submitting to the city and
checking some boxes.
It's about making sure thedesign is fully compliant,
professionally prepared andsupported by experts who know
how to navigate the complexityof the approval process and the
complexity of dealing withdifferent jurisdictions, as well
(07:11):
as the different departmentswithin a city itself.
And that starts with workingwith qualified specialists,
people who know not just how todesign an ADU but how to get it
approved more quickly and moreefficiently.
So before you even submit apermit application, a thorough
property assessment should beyour first step.
An experienced architect, aduspecialist or design-build
(07:31):
company will look at all thefactors that determine what's
actually possible on your lotThings like the restrictions
themselves, utility connections.
These are things likerestrictions that could impact
setbacks, height or placement,utility connections and whether
they'll need upgrades, lotcoverage limits that dictate how
much square footage you canactually build, easements and
(07:52):
drainage issues that couldcreate obstacles.
This is exactly wherehomeowners like Carlos and Maya
went wrong.
They thought they'd hired theright folks, but apparently they
hadn't.
If they had worked with theright professionals up front,
they would have discovered theirsewer line problem before they
submitted their plans and theycould have built a plan to fix
it without delaying their entireproject or canceling it.
(08:14):
But a good ADU specialistdoesn't just identify problems,
they help solve them before theybecome major delays.
And that's why gettingprofessionally prepared permit
sets are so critical to the ADUprocess.
City permitting offices expect avery specific level of detail
in an ADU submission.
A permit set isn't just asimple floor plan.
It includes the site planshowing the exact placement of
(08:36):
the ADU, structural drawingsthat meet safety requirements,
electrical and plumbing layoutsfor a city review, review energy
efficiency compliance anddocuments yes, that's a thing
and everything associated towhat discoveries are made on
that property, like an archaicsewer line.
The better prepared yoursubmission, the faster it moves
through the approval process.
(08:56):
But even the best preparedplans often come back with city
comments, and this is wherehaving an experienced ADU
company or an architect makesall the difference, because when
a city planner reviews an ADUpermit set, they often have
questions or requestmodifications.
Sometimes these are minoradjustments, other times they're
more complex, requiringrevisions to structural plans,
(09:17):
utility connections or firesafety compliance.
And here's the thing If thesecomments aren't handled quickly
and correctly, your projectcould be stuck in a long cycle
of resubmittals.
I've seen homeowners try tohandle this back and forth on
their own, only to end updelaying their project by months
or even years because theyweren't sure how to properly
address the city concerns.
But an experienced specialistthey know exactly how to respond
(09:40):
to the city comments,efficiently, clarify concerns
and make the necessary changeswithout unnecessary back and
forth.
And when the resubmittal cycleis shortened, you're not just
saving time, you're saving moneyin the pre-construction phase.
The longer it takes yourpermits to get approved, the
longer you're waiting to startconstruction, the longer you're
paying certain professionals torepresent you and the more fees
(10:03):
an architect may be racking upagainst your budget.
And in the meantime,construction costs go up,
financing rates could change andrental income that you'd
planned for gets delayed.
This is why working with aspecialist that understands how
to communicate with the city isjust as important as having a
great design.
Now let's say you've doneeverything right.
You're working with the best ofthe best, the all-stars of ADUs
(10:26):
.
Your property assessment iscomplete, your permit set is
professionally prepared, yourteam is handling city
correspondence efficiently.
That's all great, but what ifyou want to fast track that
approval even more?
Well, that's where pre-approvedADU plans come in.
Many cities, including San Jose, redwood City and dozens of
others throughout the state ofCalifornia, have introduced
(10:46):
pre-approved ADU programs tohelp homeowners move through the
permitting process much faster.
Let's talk about how they work.
These plans skip a huge chunkof the approval process, making
it significantly faster to getyour project moving.
Now here's where it gets evenbetter.
Acton ADU actually offers aseries of pre-approved plans
that can be built withoutmodification, and that's
(11:07):
actually a good thing.
These plans have beenpainstakingly designed and
curated to be flexible,functional and ideal for
long-term housing and investment.
Think about it this way Insteadof spending months or even a
year in the permitting andrevision process, you could skip
a lot of red tape and moveforward with a fully approved
design.
The catch Homeowners can'tmodify that design.
But, honestly, that's okay,because these plans aren't some
(11:31):
generic templates throwntogether.
They're carefully crafted ADUdesigns that work.
They maximize space, they'rebuilt for long-term flexibility
and they align with zoningregulations already.
And let's be real, if you'resomeone who wants to get an ADU
built quickly and efficiently, apre-approved plan can be a game
changer.
After all, how much of the ADUdo you want to design yourself,
(11:52):
or would you like a designer totake the reins and create
something beautiful for you?
I've seen homeowners spendmonths going back and forth on
design revisions only to end upright back where they started
because of zoning restrictionsor not understanding why an AD
was designed the way that it wasin the first place.
But those who choose apre-approved plan they're often
breaking ground months ahead ofschedule with far less
(12:14):
architectural fees and designfees.
So if speed and simplicity areimportant to you, this is an
option worth considering,because, at the end of the day,
the best ADU is the one thatactually gets built.
So what's the big takeaway here?
Do your research early, learnthe rules, check the regulations
and talk to professionals whocan help you get it right.
Next episode, we'll be talkingabout ADU design.
(12:36):
What makes a great layout, howdo you balance function and
style, and what design choiceswill make the biggest impact
over time?
If today's episode got youthinking, maybe it's time I
should start planning my ADU, ormaybe I want to get my property
assessed.
Acton ADU is here to help.
Just visit actinaducom slashpodcast to schedule a
consultation and see what'spossible for your home.
(12:58):
I'm James Parks and this hasbeen ADU Adventures.
Thanks for listening and goodluck with your ADU journey.
Welcome back to ADU Adventures Building in your
Backyard.
I'm your host, james Parks, andtoday we're diving into one of
the biggest and, let's be honest, most intimidating parts of
building an ADU All of theregulations, zoning laws and
permits.
Now, before we get into it, letme just say this up front I am
not an architect, I am not alawyer, I don't work for the
city and I definitely don'tcontrol any zoning boards.
(00:22):
So there's one important thingto know ADU regulations change
all the time and what's truetoday may not be true six months
from now and if you'relistening to this episode, in
the future, who knows?
Maybe the rules have changedcompletely.
That's why it's so important totalk to an ADU specialist,
architect or contractor withlots of experience before you
dive in.
(00:42):
These professionals live andbreathe local zoning laws and
permitting requirements.
They know exactly how tonavigate the process and to help
you get it right.
So think of this episode as aguide, not a rule book.
My job today isn't to dig intocode and give you a list of laws
and talk specifically aboutyour project.
It's to help you understand howto approach the process, who to
(01:03):
talk to and how to make sureyour ADU plans fit within the
legal landscape.
And to do that, we're going towalk through some real stories
Homeowners just like you, whofaced zoning challenges, figured
out the rules and builtsuccessful ADUs because they had
a solid plan.
By the end of the episode,you'll know why regulations
exist and how they impact yourADU, what key factors determine
(01:25):
if you can build an ADU on yourproperty, what to expect during
the permitting process, howavoiding common mistakes can
save you time and money, and whyworking with professionals can
make or break your project.
So let's jump in.
I want to start with one of thebiggest misconceptions about
ADUs, and I hear it all the time.
It's my property.
I should be able to do whateverI want.
Right, I get it.
(01:45):
You own your home.
You pay your mortgage, yourtaxes.
Makes sense that you'd thinkyou have total control over what
gets built on your land, butthe reality is cities and
counties regulate much of what'sallowed and what's not allowed,
based on tons of parametersthat are well thought out and
considered.
So, to kick things off, I'lltell a brief story about.
We'll say their names are Markand Linda.
(02:07):
So Mark and Linda live in SanJose and they were excited to
build their ADU in theirbackyard they had this beautiful
vision a two-story loft-styleunit with a gorgeous
second-story balcony.
They were thinking long-termMaybe they'd rent it at first.
Then they'd use it for a guesthouse or even put their own
family in there and rent outtheir main house.
So they started designing.
They engaged with an architectand they thought they had it all
(02:28):
mapped out Windows, doors, evenwhere the little reading nook
would go.
Then, when they finallysubmitted to the city, boom, the
bad news.
Apparently the architect hadn'tdone their homework and their
property was located in a zoningarea that required specific
height restrictions.
So that second story well, itwas not allowed.
This is one of those momentsthat could get very frustrating
(02:50):
very quickly, because they'dalready invested all of that
money and time into developingtheir dream ADU, just to find
out that it wasn't even legal ontheir property.
So they did their homework.
They redesigned their ADU intoa one-story layout, kept it open
and airy and they wanted to usevaulted ceilings and skylights.
And you know what?
It turned out to be a greatproject and they really enjoyed
it.
But a lot of problems couldhave been avoided had they taken
(03:12):
a little bit more time tounderstand the rules and
regulations for their specificlot.
The reality is, every propertyis different and figuring out
whether you can build an ADUisn't always as simple as yes
and no.
I'll use another example.
Take Lisa and David.
They live in Willow Glen andthey've got this big backyard
with plenty of space to build anADU.
They were excited, ready to go,but when they started looking
(03:32):
into the regulations, they foundsomething they hadn't expected
Lot coverage limits.
Even though their yard wasspacious, san Jose has rules on
how much of your total lot canbe covered by structures.
Their dream was to build thisgiant 1,200 square foot ADU, but
once they ran the numbers, theyrealized that their lot maxed
out at an 850 square foot ADU.
Now here's another example ofhow this could have gone really
(03:54):
wrong.
If they had skipped theresearch and submitted the plans
for their 1,200 square footdream ADU, they would have ended
up in the same situation thatMark and Linda did they would
have been out a bunch of moneyand they would be having to
start from the very beginning.
Instead, the team caught thisearly and we were able to
develop plans that workedperfectly for the lot.
But instead of this being adisaster, all of the learnings
were put into a plan so thatthat 850 square foot ADU could
(04:18):
be designed and we could getmoving on the project.
No lost money, no lost time.
So, all in all, research isreally, really critical, but
when it comes to the permittingprocess, that can be quite
specific.
I will tell yet another story.
This one's about Carlos andMaya.
They had the best intentions.
They were building a detachedADU for Maya's mom, who was
getting older and wanted to becloser to family while still
(04:38):
having her own private space.
Does that sound familiar?
They had a plan, they had avision.
They met with the architect,they checked their zoning rules,
they hired a contractor Withexperience in ADUs.
Even everything seemed to bemoving forward.
They felt confident that theyhad done their due diligence and
that the ADU project would beapproved without a hitch.
Then came the roadblock.
When they submitted their plans, the city flagged a major issue
(05:00):
.
Their property had an old sewerline that wasn't up to current
code and there was a problem.
They had no backup plan.
Now, this isn't a minoradjustment, it was a full stop.
The city wouldn't approve theADU unless the sewer line was
brought up to code first andfixing it.
Well.
That meant more permitting,additional approvals and months
of unexpected delays.
Not to mention Carlos and Mayahad never engaged with the city
(05:23):
on this kind of level.
Carlos and Maya hadn'taccounted for this at all and it
blindsided them.
It blindsided their designerand it certainly blindsided
their contractor.
Their project sat in limbo formonths.
Their contractor wasn'tfamiliar with how to navigate
the city's approval process forinfrastructure upgrades, and
neither was the architect, soeverything stalled.
Instead of moving forward withthe ADU, they were stuck chasing
(05:45):
down solutions.
They had to pause theirconstruction plans, revise their
budget and wait for new permits, all while dealing with stress
and frustration and a projectthat was supposed to be simple
the worst part.
This kind of thing can beavoided.
This is why planning ahead andworking the right team matters.
If Carlos and Maya's team haddone a more thorough property
assessment with an experiencedADU specialist from the start,
(06:07):
they would have known about thesewer issue ahead of time.
They could have built astrategy to fix it early,
incorporated the costs into thebudget of the project and kept
the project on track.
This is exactly why ACT-NADUemphasizes thorough pre-planning
and pre-construction when youwork as a team that understands
not just design and constructionbut also zoning laws,
infrastructure challenges andcity regulations, you avoid
(06:29):
these kinds of expensivesurprises.
The lesson here Don't leaveyour ADU project a chance,
because once you're stuck in thepermitting process, you can't
rewind and start over.
But if you plan ahead, you cansidestep these headaches
entirely.
So how do you avoid the kind ofdelays that Carlos and Maya ran
into specifically?
Well, it comes down tobasically having the right team
in place with the rightexperiences.
(06:50):
Because here's the realityGetting an ADU permitted isn't
just about drawing up the design, submitting to the city and
checking some boxes.
It's about making sure thedesign is fully compliant,
professionally prepared andsupported by experts who know
how to navigate the complexityof the approval process and the
complexity of dealing withdifferent jurisdictions, as well
(07:11):
as the different departmentswithin a city itself.
And that starts with workingwith qualified specialists,
people who know not just how todesign an ADU but how to get it
approved more quickly and moreefficiently.
So before you even submit apermit application, a thorough
property assessment should beyour first step.
An experienced architect, aduspecialist or design-build
(07:31):
company will look at all thefactors that determine what's
actually possible on your lotThings like the restrictions
themselves, utility connections.
These are things likerestrictions that could impact
setbacks, height or placement,utility connections and whether
they'll need upgrades, lotcoverage limits that dictate how
much square footage you canactually build, easements and
(07:52):
drainage issues that couldcreate obstacles.
This is exactly wherehomeowners like Carlos and Maya
went wrong.
They thought they'd hired theright folks, but apparently they
hadn't.
If they had worked with theright professionals up front,
they would have discovered theirsewer line problem before they
submitted their plans and theycould have built a plan to fix
it without delaying their entireproject or canceling it.
(08:14):
But a good ADU specialistdoesn't just identify problems,
they help solve them before theybecome major delays.
And that's why gettingprofessionally prepared permit
sets are so critical to the ADUprocess.
City permitting offices expect avery specific level of detail
in an ADU submission.
A permit set isn't just asimple floor plan.
It includes the site planshowing the exact placement of
(08:36):
the ADU, structural drawingsthat meet safety requirements,
electrical and plumbing layoutsfor a city review, review energy
efficiency compliance anddocuments yes, that's a thing
and everything associated towhat discoveries are made on
that property, like an archaicsewer line.
The better prepared yoursubmission, the faster it moves
through the approval process.
(08:56):
But even the best preparedplans often come back with city
comments, and this is wherehaving an experienced ADU
company or an architect makesall the difference, because when
a city planner reviews an ADUpermit set, they often have
questions or requestmodifications.
Sometimes these are minoradjustments, other times they're
more complex, requiringrevisions to structural plans,
(09:17):
utility connections or firesafety compliance.
And here's the thing If thesecomments aren't handled quickly
and correctly, your projectcould be stuck in a long cycle
of resubmittals.
I've seen homeowners try tohandle this back and forth on
their own, only to end updelaying their project by months
or even years because theyweren't sure how to properly
address the city concerns.
But an experienced specialistthey know exactly how to respond
(09:40):
to the city comments,efficiently, clarify concerns
and make the necessary changeswithout unnecessary back and
forth.
And when the resubmittal cycleis shortened, you're not just
saving time, you're saving moneyin the pre-construction phase.
The longer it takes yourpermits to get approved, the
longer you're waiting to startconstruction, the longer you're
paying certain professionals torepresent you and the more fees
(10:03):
an architect may be racking upagainst your budget.
And in the meantime,construction costs go up,
financing rates could change andrental income that you'd
planned for gets delayed.
This is why working with aspecialist that understands how
to communicate with the city isjust as important as having a
great design.
Now let's say you've doneeverything right.
You're working with the best ofthe best, the all-stars of ADUs
(10:26):
.
Your property assessment iscomplete, your permit set is
professionally prepared, yourteam is handling city
correspondence efficiently.
That's all great, but what ifyou want to fast track that
approval even more?
Well, that's where pre-approvedADU plans come in.
Many cities, including San Jose, redwood City and dozens of
others throughout the state ofCalifornia, have introduced
(10:46):
pre-approved ADU programs tohelp homeowners move through the
permitting process much faster.
Let's talk about how they work.
These plans skip a huge chunkof the approval process, making
it significantly faster to getyour project moving.
Now here's where it gets evenbetter.
Acton ADU actually offers aseries of pre-approved plans
that can be built withoutmodification, and that's
(11:07):
actually a good thing.
These plans have beenpainstakingly designed and
curated to be flexible,functional and ideal for
long-term housing and investment.
Think about it this way Insteadof spending months or even a
year in the permitting andrevision process, you could skip
a lot of red tape and moveforward with a fully approved
design.
The catch Homeowners can'tmodify that design.
But, honestly, that's okay,because these plans aren't some
(11:31):
generic templates throwntogether.
They're carefully crafted ADUdesigns that work.
They maximize space, they'rebuilt for long-term flexibility
and they align with zoningregulations already.
And let's be real, if you'resomeone who wants to get an ADU
built quickly and efficiently, apre-approved plan can be a game
changer.
After all, how much of the ADUdo you want to design yourself,
(11:52):
or would you like a designer totake the reins and create
something beautiful for you?
I've seen homeowners spendmonths going back and forth on
design revisions only to end upright back where they started
because of zoning restrictionsor not understanding why an AD
was designed the way that it wasin the first place.
But those who choose apre-approved plan they're often
breaking ground months ahead ofschedule with far less
(12:14):
architectural fees and designfees.
So if speed and simplicity areimportant to you, this is an
option worth considering,because, at the end of the day,
the best ADU is the one thatactually gets built.
So what's the big takeaway here?
Do your research early, learnthe rules, check the regulations
and talk to professionals whocan help you get it right.
Next episode, we'll be talkingabout ADU design.
(12:36):
What makes a great layout, howdo you balance function and
style, and what design choiceswill make the biggest impact
over time?
If today's episode got youthinking, maybe it's time I
should start planning my ADU, ormaybe I want to get my property
assessed.
Acton ADU is here to help.
Just visit actinaducom slashpodcast to schedule a
consultation and see what'spossible for your home.
(12:58):
I'm James Parks and this hasbeen ADU Adventures.
Thanks for listening and goodluck with your ADU journey.
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