The Basics
What I didn't know when I started
Four guides, in the order they mattered to me. Read them and you will walk into your first builder conversation knowing more than most homeowners do at contract signing.
01
ADU 101 — types explained
Detached, attached, garage conversion, JADU. What each is, the trade-offs, and who each one suits.
Read02
What a Bay Area ADU actually costs
Realistic ranges, the line items that move the number, and where the extra money goes on a designed unit.
Read03
Permits and zoning in San Jose
The process start to finish, plus the state laws that took most of the discretion out of it.
Read04
Financing an ADU
HELOC, cash-out refi, renovation loans, and ADU-specific products — in plain English.
Read
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