How to choose the best ADU builder for your California accessory dwelling.
Accessory dwellings (ADUs) are all over the news, thanks to California’s new housing laws. It all boils down to this: You can now do more with your home. A lot of California homeowners want to take advantage of the new policies. That means a lot of home builders want to get in on the action.
Be careful. There’s a lot on the line when building an ADU, so it’s important to get the right accessory dwelling builder. Here are our best tips to help you make an informed decision when hiring an accessory dwelling company in California.
You can manage your ADU project online. Look for the most user-friendly system.
You may have a demanding job, a busy family, an active role in your community, or all of the above. You probably don’t have the time to spend all day on the phone coordinating your construction team. You may not want a stack of folders on your desk. You definitely don’t have time to lose. (The sooner your ADU is up and running, the sooner you reap the benefits.)
To save time, money, and sanity, you’ll need a user-friendly system to keep everything in one place. New Avenue’s system gives you a single page for your project. You can use it to do just about everything:
Research costs and ideas
Review contracts
Store plans, permit applications, and correspondence with the city
Keep track of your budget
Communicate with your entire team
Approve and pay invoices
Everyone who needs an accessory dwelling is busy. That’s why they need an ADU. New Avenue’s system was built to streamline the whole process and make things easier on the homeowner.
Ask your ADU company who they know.
When you hire an accessory dwelling builder, you’re actually hiring their network. They should be able to provide you with the best designer, general contractor, project manager, and subcontractors for your specific job.
New Avenue has a network of ADU professionals to help you design and build an accessory dwelling that makes your life better.
Ask your accessory dwelling builder about their local experience.
When you’re building an ADU in California, general experience isn’t enough. Every city has its own rules, and the state has laws on top of those. Permitting is complicated, and sometimes the local office doesn’t fully understand the law.
When hiring an accessory dwelling designer, ask about their local experience. New Avenue’s designers know all the rules. They’ve been through the permitting process in many CA cities. They know who to talk to and what to ask to get your permits through. They’ve even saved our clients thousands.
So yes, local experience matters. A lot.
Don’t rely on a free estimate from any ADU company…
A free estimate sounds tempting, but it’s not what you think. When a designer does a free estimate, they’re not considering all the details. It’s just a big-picture guess at what your project might cost.
To get an idea of what your project will cost, it’s best to look at actual budgets from real projects in your area. When you know what your neighbor’s ADU cost, you’ll have a good idea of what yours will cost, too.
Then, to get an accurate picture of costs (including permitting), hire a designer or contractor to do a design proposal or construction bid. Even if you decide not to hire that person for the full project, you’ll come away with their professional opinions, a comprehensive bid, and a plan for moving forward.
Getting a full design proposal is a much better approach than a free estimate. It tells you more and prevents surprises.
…but do start with a free consultation
If you want to find out whether you’ve got the best ADU builder in California, talk to them. Ask questions. Learn about them and how they’re changing housing and changing lives.
You can talk to a New Avenue project manager by scheduling your free call. Just let us know when you’re available, and we’ll give you a call. We’ll talk about how you can get an ADU that will make your life better.