Can You Build an ADU on Your Property?
Building an ADU in California is now easier than ever.
If you’re just starting to explore whether you can add an ADU on your property, you probably have a long list of questions. Cost, design process, interior decoration-- maybe you’re already even thinking about whether you’ll put the TV to the left or the right side of the kitchen.
Your dreams can become a reality! But before we get there, we need to answer some questions. In fact - the most basic question:
Are you legally allowed to build an ADU on your specific property?
This used to be a very difficult question to answer. Every municipality in California had different rules about what you could or couldn’t build in your backyards; many towns or cities forbid ADU construction outright.
But that changed in 2020, when a series of new California ADU laws - AB68, SB13, AB881, AB670- came into effect. These laws vastly increased the number of eligible properties for ADU development.
This created an enormous amount of new possibilities for the properties of California homeowners. Every municipality in the State is now required to allow ADU development on single family residential properties.
In order to get a definitive answer on your property’s ADU eligibility, you’ll need to order Housable’s property report. But in the meantime, you can get important information about your property’s eligibility for free!
Housable’s free property check tool gives you the ability to run a preliminary search on your exact property. This tool can help you start to answer your questions about your property. Try it now!
Instructions:
1. Go to Housable.com and type your city into the white bar. Click the red button: “Go To City.
2. View your city page and scroll down to learn more about the local ADU guidelines and building requirements.
3. When you’re ready, type in your address.
Enter your address, click the red button, get property check, and you’ll have a preliminary answer right away about whether you can build.
4. Review your results, scroll down the page, and confirm your property’s ADU eligibility by entering your email. Check the red button “Get Property Check.”
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5. Check your email. Click the Red Button that says “Go to Property Check.”
You’ll arrive at a screen that looks like this, which means your property check is complete.
Now you’ll need to verify your property ownership. This will allow us to give you exact price quotes for our Property Report and Design Report services, and will allow you to get more information about building on your property.
Verify your ownership
6. Click Check Services, the red button on the right.
7. Click the appropriate box. (we’ll click “I’m the Owner of This Property” in this example)
8. Check the box “yes I am the owner.” Enter your first and last name.
9. Enter your phone number below so that we can send you a text to confirm your verification.
10. Check your phone where you’ll find a text with a PIN number.
11. Go back to your computer and enter your PIN on the “Complete Verification” screen. Click the red button “Verify PIN.”
12. Complete the questionnaire about your project info. Click the red button “Save and close” when finished.
13. Click the red button “ADU services” to the right.
14. Review the ADU services, and decide whether you’d like to order the property report or the design report. Click “View Example Report” above the red buttons to view samples of the reports.
15. Click “Order Property Report” whenever you’re ready to order. (You can always leave and come back later - just access this page again by clicking the link in your email, and then clicking ADU services. ).
And there you have it - complete this process and you will be one step closer to making your ADU dreams come true. Find out now whether you’re able to build an ADU on your property!
