Hello Ryan, Thanks for the great video! I want to build a new home from scratch and an attached ADU on the second floor (does it mean it is within the space of a proposed single family home?). The entrance to it would be an exterior staircase on the side of the lot. I was wondering if that square footage of staircase is considered a part of ADU (in 800 sf exemption for lot coverage and FAR) because it serves the ADU? Also we know "(i) The accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit is within the proposed space of a single-family dwelling or existing space of a single-family dwelling or accessory structure and may include an expansion of not more than 150 square feet beyond the same physical dimensions as the existing accessory structure. An expansion beyond the physical dimensions of the existing accessory structure shall be limited to accommodating ingress and egress.“ you mentioned it is only for existing structures, but I read it as it applies to my staircase for the proposed ADUs as well. Can you please shed some light on it? in HCD it says: An ADU within the existing or proposed space of a single-family dwelling can be expanded 150 square feet beyond the physical dimensions of the structure but shall be limited to accommodating ingress and egress. An example of where this expansion could be applicable is for the creation of a staircase to reach a second story ADU. These types of ADUs shall conform to setbacks sufficient for fire and safety.
It depends on your specific situation but generally the county should only change the value based on the new construction - and it generally doesn’t trigger a reassessment of existing primary residence. Contact your county assessor for details in your situation.
Sorry didn't read much yet. But quick question about adu. Does hot water and electricity come from the main house or you need to get city to put in for the adu?
Questions are welcome :) Most of the detached ADU projects I've looked at have utilities separated from the main house, but that doesn't mean you need the city to put in anything. For example, in most detached ADUs I've worked on, power could come from the same panel that supplies the main house. You can have a sub-panel or separate metering, and PG&E might have to upgrade the panel, but the city doesn't come out necessarily. As to water heaters, you can imagine a JADU with a shared bathroom isn't going to require a whole separate water heater for the kitchen sink (but it depends on your circumstances and the local jurisdiction). On the other hand, there are instances where a homeowner may be forced to separate some utilities. It really depends on the project. If you sketch something out, you can ask your local planning department what they think your utility requirements will be and what kind of contractors can help you answer those questions. And I know you're not asking explicitly about sewer, but you should include that in your questions. I've seen project costs creep up quite a bit because of sewer requirements, connection fees, and public work (more than electric and hot water). We're going to host an interview with a contractor named Rolf Bell in January where he's going to talk about all-electric ADUs. It will be uploaded to this channel - you'll get an alert, if you subscribe and turn on notifications. If you have any other questions, please let me know and I can bring them up with Rolf. :)
@@HowToADU thank you for the reply. And oh yes I forgot about sewer. You can't just also hooked that up to the main sewer it seems? I'm in California and recently just heard about adus and wanted to built something along that line for actually "in laws" to live in. I just thought the city have to come look at something since you would get a permit for this. Also the gas and electric company if you were installing separately from the main house. But maybe an all electric adu can solve the gas as you say. But if I sketch something out the local planning department can look at it and help out without charging me? Sorry usually I assume if anyone look at something there's a fee involve.
@@taniksambo1969 Most of the planning departments I've approached have been appreciative that you come to them before submitting an application. That said, I've seen some that bristle. Most have also not mentioned any fees for reviewing ideas or drafts. They're city government so you've already paid for them with tax money ;)
I have a single house about 3050sf in Fremont area. It has an additional 1300 sf build with permit 4b/2b, one entry, water tank, central heat. And a kitchen side by side of main house with a wall divided. I want to apply for a ADU or AJDU legal unit. Any advise??
Thanks for the question. To share a bit more project detail with me, you should head over to www.how-to-adu.com/get-started Here are a few extra questions based on your description: What are your goals? (common answers: house a relative, generate rental income, increase square footage of my living space, increase square footage to increase property value) What is that 1300 SF secondary structure permitted as? (common answers: it's an ADU, it's a habitable non-ADU, it's a duplex) Is that secondary structure attached to the primary residence? My advice is to remember that ADUs and JADUs are tools in a tool kit. You use them to achieve your goals. So figure out your goals, and then answer some of these detailed questions about your lot, and really dive into the detail. You're going to want to take your research out of the abstract "general advice for ADUs" and into the specific "what can I do on my specific property". Use tools like Symbium to research your lot and start a conversation with the local planning department. If you want to do a lot of research and work yourself, start watching more videos and reading a lot. It's hard work but fun for the right type of person. If you want an ADU but don't want it to become your second career... I highly recommend getting an architect or contractor who is experienced with ADUs. I can make recommendations once I know more about your project. And last tip is ADUs can cost a lot of time and money. If nobody's quoted you yet, I'd set your expectations by saying most of the ADUs I've seen in your area cost north of $300k. There are ways to spend more or less, but I just want you to hear a big number like that early in the process. (If you're converting that secondary building, the number may be much lower than that but I don't want to give you false hope!)
Generally speaking ADU restrictions are based on the property, not the owner. So there are restrictions about how many ADUs you can build on one lot. But I haven’t seen restrictions on how many ADUs an individual or entity can own. There are some exceptions I suppose - if you had an owner occupancy requirement on one property, you probably wouldn’t be able to have a JADU with an owner occupancy on a second different property.
