Before You Spend Thousands on ADU Plans, Know What Your Property Actually Allows
Most ADU mistakes happen before the first plan is drawn.
Get a property-specific ADU Clarity Report — what your lot may support, what could block your project, and what to know before you spend a dollar on plans.
The Red Flags Most Homeowners Find Too Late
Most ADU projects get expensive before construction starts.
That usually happens when a homeowner moves forward with a layout, designer, or contractor before the property has been checked.
One missed size, placement, parking, utility, or setback issue can force the plan to change after money is already in motion.
Plans drawn in the wrong order aren’t a setback. They’re a sunk cost.
ADU Projects Can Quietly Lose $5,000 to $50,000 Before Construction Ever Starts
They build one unverified assumption at a time.
When the property cannot accommodate the size you planned around, more than the footprint may change. The layout, bedroom count, rental potential, and overall project value may all need to be reconsidered.
A placement that looks right on paper may conflict with setbacks, access, privacy, windows, utilities, fire requirements, or usable yard space. When those conflicts appear after design begins, the plans may need substantial revision.
The route to sewer, water, gas, and electrical service can materially change the scope of the project. A longer or more difficult connection may mean trenching, rerouting, panel work, service changes, or additional investigation.
Time spent in redesign, permit corrections, and unanswered property questions is time the ADU is not producing rent, housing family, or delivering the financial result you planned for.
Spend $195 to question the assumptions before those assumptions start costing thousands.
Six Answers You Need Before Spending on ADU Plans
Your Clarity Report reviews your specific parcel against your city’s actual rules and state ADU law, under the supervision of a licensed California contractor. You get clear answers on:
It all comes in a 10-page property report with your findings laid out page by page — yours to keep, print, and put in front of any contractor or architect you ever talk to. When someone quotes your project, you’ll be the homeowner holding the answers, not the one hoping they’re right.
The Best Outcome Is Clarity Before You Spend Thousands
When the early findings are encouraging, your ADU Clarity Report helps you understand what your property may support, where an ADU could potentially fit, and which direction is worth exploring before you invest in plans.
If the review uncovers a potential concern, you learn about it while the project is still in its earliest and least expensive stage—not after thousands have already gone into drawings, engineering, or assumptions that may need to change.
Either result puts you ahead: a clearer path forward—or an early warning before the expensive decisions begin.
The homeowners who move forward with the most confidence are not the ones who guessed right. They are the ones who reviewed the property before spending money on design.
Know What Your Property Allows in 3 Simple Steps
Give us your property address, complete the secure checkout, and we take it from there.
We review your property against local ADU rules, California law, lot constraints, and the issues most likely to delay or derail your project.
Receive a plain-English report showing what your property may support, what could stand in your way, and the safest next step. Then review it with us on a 15-minute call.
What Homeowners Caught Before They Spent
“I thought I could build an 800 sq. ft. two-bedroom ADU, but the report showed my usable area was tighter than I expected. It helped me plan around a smaller one-bedroom instead and gave me a more realistic budget.”
“I assumed I could place the ADU close to the back fence, but the report showed the fire-code setback could push it farther into the yard than I pictured. That helped me rethink the size and placement instead of designing around the wrong spot.”
“Before ordering the report, we weren’t sure if our lot would work for an ADU or where the unit could actually fit. The report gave us a clear answer, showed us the likely placement, and helped us move into permitting with a lot more confidence.”
Find your surprises before they cost you — not after.
A note from the contractor behind your Clarity Report
Choose the Right First Step Before You Spend More on Plans
Most homeowners start with the 48-hour report. If you are closer to moving forward and want the lot reviewed in person, choose the Site Walkthrough option.
Questions Homeowners Ask Before They Spend Money on Plans
Why should I do this before talking to a designer or contractor?
Because you should know what your property may allow before anyone designs around assumptions. The report helps you understand the lot constraints first, so you can avoid paying for plans or bids that may need to change later.
What do I receive?
A 10-page, property-specific PDF report reviewing your parcel against your city’s rules and state ADU law — eligibility, size and placement, setbacks and constraints, utilities, fees, and your safer next step — plus a 15-minute expert review call to walk through it. Yours to keep, print, and put in front of any contractor or architect you talk to.
What do you need from me?
About 10 minutes. After checkout you complete a short intake form — your property address and what you’re hoping to build. We handle the rest.
How fast do I get the report?
Within 48 hours of your completed intake — or the report is free.
What is the difference between the $195 and $495 options?
The $195 Clarity Report is a 48-hour review of your parcel, your city’s rules, and state ADU law. The $495 option adds an in-person site walkthrough by a licensed CA contractor team — red flags caught on the ground, on-site photos and notes, and a next-step roadmap. Most homeowners start with the $195 report.
Can’t the city tell me this for free?
The city can tell you what code theoretically allows — generic to your zoning. Your report tells you what’s actually buildable on your specific lot: your address, your site conditions, your utility situation, and the constraints that reshape projects. That’s the difference between a rule and an answer.
What if the report says I can’t build what I want?
Then you found out for $195 instead of thousands in plans. Your report shows exactly what stands in the way, whether it can be solved, and your safer next step — move forward, adjust the idea, or pause before committing more money.
What is your refund policy?
Your report is delivered within 48 hours of your completed intake — or it’s free. Full details are in our Refund Policy, linked in the footer.
Don’t Spend Thousands on ADU Plans Until You Know Your Property Works
Find out what your lot may support, what could delay it, and the safest next step before you pay for design.
Get My Clarity Report — $195Still deciding? Get the free guide first.
3 ADU rights most homeowners miss— and why California law is more in your favor than you’d think. No cost, no obligation.