What Type of ADU Build is Right For You?

If you’re a landowner in California, chances are you have heard of Accessory Dwelling Unit Designs in Los Angeles. As they have been on the rise in recent years. Along with this, there has been an expected increase in companies that specialize in different types of ADU construction.

What most people don’t realize is that there is more than one way to build an ADU in your backyard, there are two types of ADU’s build: Standard ADUs (includes: Detached ADUs, Attached ADUs and Garage or Basement Conversions), and prefabricated ADUs (the most popular are modular or panelized prefabs).

Standard ADUs

Constructing a Standard ADU involves creating a new independent home with a separate exterior entrance from the primary single or multifamily dwelling. There are three ways that Standard ADUs can be created on a property:

• Conversion: Convert part of the existing home, garage, or other accessory structure.
• New Construction (Attached): Build a new addition to the existing home or garage.
• New Construction (Detached): Build a new, free-standing dwelling unit on the property.

Prefabricated Homes

Modular construction is a practice in which a housing unit is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities – but in about half the time because all units are similarly designed and constructed.

There are two types of prefabricated building techniques:

• Modular: The whole ADU is built in a factory, then transported to your backyard and lifted onto the pre-built foundation.
• Prefab ADUs: The framing package is being built in a factory and shipped on-site to be assembled.

Which One is the Right for You?

Just like normal houses, Standard ADUs regularly have similar floor plans and architectural styles, but fundamentally, every ADU is unique. When you sign up to turn your backyard or garage into a housing unit, it is designed and built by an experienced team of architects, engineers, and construction workers, tailored to the specifications of each structure.

Modular homes, by contrast, are pre-constructed in a process that can be much more scalable and come at a lower cost. Simply put, modular homes are mass-produced, while ground-up construction ADUs are customized; a modular ADU can be built offsite, loaded up on a truck, and installed in your backyard in a matter of days.

Choosing the right ADU for your needs can be a complicated task, but we are to help you navigate the entire process. Let us help you determine what is best for you, your property, and your budget. Call us at (310) 974-3174 or schedule a free consultation for ADU Design & Construction Management in Los Angeles.