Independent living. A thoughtful addition to home.
An accessory dwelling unit is a separate home on the same property as your primary residence, with its own living, cooking, and bathroom facilities. It can make space for family, support independent living, or provide a long-term rental option where permitted.
SCB Builders offers ADU design and construction in Sonoma County, from exploring a property's potential to planning and building the space. The right starting point is not a floor plan—it is understanding your goals and what your site can support.
Each approach has different design and site implications. Compare the possibilities before choosing a direction.
A separate home on your property can offer independence for family or space for a long-term tenant. Plan for privacy, outdoor space, a practical entry, and utility connections.
Start with: available yard space, access, setbacks, and the route for new utilities.
An addition connected to your main home can create a separate living space while keeping family close. Thoughtful layouts help balance shared surroundings with independent daily life.
Start with: the connection to the existing home, separate entry, and structural and fire-separation requirements.
An existing garage or suitable area within your home may be a starting point for an ADU. An existing structure still needs evaluation before it can become a dwelling.
Start with: foundation and framing condition, ceiling height, moisture protection, natural light, and plumbing access.
Two similar floor plans can require very different work on different lots. These early checks help define a realistic scope before detailed design.
Review property boundaries, easements, setbacks, grading, drainage, trees, and construction access. Slopes, soil conditions, flood hazards, or wildfire exposure may require additional study or specific construction details.
Evaluate connection routes and service capacity for water, sewer, and electrical power. Trenching, panel upgrades, metering, and utility-provider requirements can affect both the layout and the project budget.
For rural sites, confirm water availability and septic capacity with the appropriate professionals and reviewing agencies. Existing systems may need evaluation or improvements to serve an additional dwelling.
An unincorporated parcel generally falls under Permit Sonoma; a parcel within a city generally falls under that city's jurisdiction. Confirm current state and local ADU requirements, energy standards, fire requirements, and any other agency reviews for your address.
ADU requirements can change. Feasibility, permitted use, and required approvals must be confirmed for the specific property; no approval is assumed before agency review.
Discuss how you want to use the space, your budget, and the property conditions that shape the project.
Develop the layout and scope, coordinate required documentation, and address review by the applicable jurisdiction.
Build from approved plans, coordinate trades and required inspections, and keep you informed as work progresses.
Walk through the space, review care information, and address final inspections and required occupancy approvals.
That depends on the parcel, the proposed unit, and applicable requirements. A feasibility review should confirm jurisdiction, zoning, access, utilities, and any site constraints before you commit to a design. An online description of ADU rules is not a property-specific approval.
No. Unincorporated properties generally work with Permit Sonoma, while properties within an incorporated city generally work with that city's planning and building departments. Utility, fire, and environmental health agencies may also need to review parts of the project. Confirm the responsible agencies using your property address.
A garage conversion may be possible, but the existing structure needs review. Foundations, framing, ceiling height, insulation, moisture control, fire separation, and utility connections can all affect the scope. Converting an existing space does not automatically make it permit-ready.
Do not assume existing capacity is sufficient for another dwelling. Well supply and water quality, septic capacity, disposal areas, and required agency approvals need evaluation. Upgrades or additional studies may affect the design, budget, and schedule.
Costs and timing depend on the unit type, size, finishes, site work, utility connections, required studies, and permit review. A useful project budget includes design, engineering, fees, site preparation, construction, and a contingency. We can discuss a project-specific scope and schedule rather than promise a universal price or completion date.
Bring your property address, your goals for the space, a working budget, and any available survey, site plan, existing drawings, or utility and septic records. You do not need a finished design to start discussing the possibilities.
Share your address, your ideas, and how you want the space to work. We can discuss the next steps for your Sonoma County ADU.