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 get in the way, and what to know before design begins.
Property-specific ADU guidance for homeowners across California.
The Red Flags Most Homeowners Find Too Late
Most ADU projects get expensive before construction starts.
That usually happens when early decisions are made around assumptions instead of the actual property.
One missed size, placement, parking, utility, or setback issue can force the plan to change after money is already in motion.
A plan built on the wrong assumptions can send the entire project in the wrong direction.
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.
Question the assumptions while the project is still flexible.
Six Answers That Give You a Clearer ADU Direction
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 Knowing What You’re Working With
When the early findings are encouraging, your Clarity Report helps you understand what your property may support, where an ADU could potentially fit, and which direction appears worth exploring.
If the review uncovers a potential concern, you discover it while the project is still flexible enough to adjust the direction.
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 the ones who understand their property, their constraints, and the questions that still need answers.
Get Clarity in 3 Simple Steps
Share your property address, complete checkout, and we take it from there.
We review the rules, lot conditions, and red flags shaping your ADU options.
Receive your findings and next steps in a 15-minute review call.
What Changed Once Homeowners Had the Facts
“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.”
Turn property unknowns into a clearer path forward.
The Property Comes
Before the Plans
Choose the Right First Step for Your Property
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 Moving Forward
Why should I do this before talking to a designer or contractor?
Because you should understand the property before someone designs around assumptions. The report helps you identify the lot constraints, likely ADU direction, and questions that still need confirmation so those conversations start from better information.
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 the report still did its job. You learned what appears to stand in the way, what may be adjustable, and whether the smarter next step is to move forward, modify the idea, or pause.
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.
Know Your Property Before You Choose Your Next Step
See what your lot may support, what needs attention, and the direction worth exploring next.
Get My Clarity Report — $195Still deciding? Get the free guide first.
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