Five Questions to Ask About ADUs n “Can my contractor design and build the ADU to match the main house?” A matching design may be the property owner’s preference or a requirement included in the covenants,
the City of Napa,” says Walker. He knows a bit about ADU construction because he and his husband built a detached ADU in their backyard. “It helped that we have a big backyard with alley access. It’s also good that we have a reliable tenant. The rent they pay on the unit helps cover the loan for construction,” says Walker. One couple’s story Michel and Shirley Augsburger have a sleek, modern ADU in the Town of Windsor. Their home is an example of the potential that ADUs can unlock. The 500-square-foot unit is 10 feet wide by 50 feet long. It took about a year to build from submitting the application to move- in. “It feels big because we have a mirror on the back wall and 16-foot- high ceilings. Our back porch leads out to the backyard of the primary structure, where our daughter lives,” says Shirley Augsburger. The ADU shares its northern wall with the wall of the primary structure. As a result, the main house lost eight windows on the left side. “Since the primary structure lost light, we added two large windows and two skylights [to their home],” says Shirley Augsburger. The Augsburgers rarely run their heat. They save on air conditioning because they can open the front and back doors to cool the space. Fans in the living room and bedroom help as well. “When we were younger and raising our kids, we lived in a large house in Windsor. Now that we’re older and the kids are grown, we wanted a smaller space. It’s easier to clean and take care of. Selling the old house and furniture helped us do that," says Michel Augsburger. The couple used the proceeds from the sales to finance the construction of the ADU and modifications to their daughter’s home. their county’s planning department website if they live in an unincorporated area of a county. n “What is the investment potential of my ADU?” This will depend on the money that the property owner spends on the ADU, the terms of their construction loan (if they have one), state and local ordinances related to rent stabilization, the condition of the local rental market (i.e. what renters are willing to pay) and restrictions placed on use of the ADU, like requirements of the property owner’s loan forgiveness program. n “What lifestyle changes can I expect?” Shifts can include monitoring utility bills for multiple households, figuring out how to make repairs for shared elements like roofs and backyards and becoming versed in landlord-tenant law. The changes will differ depending on the property owner’s situation. A property owner should seek general advice from their builder, municipality and ADU-related nonprofit, like Napa Sonoma ADU Center. A property owner should hire a landlord-tenant attorney for legal advice, like laws for eviction.— Jessica Zimmer
“When property owners inform us of their reasons, it is often to provide housing for an elderly or disabled family member. [We know] most [of our] ADUs are located in backyards,” says Brent Cooper, community development director for the City of American Canyon. ‘Magic ingredients’ for construction The City of Napa sees a high rate of ADU permitting. This makes it a good indicator of property owners’ interests and the needs ADUs fill. Napa has issued permits for between 50 to 60 ADUs a year since 2021. Of these, three to four property owners a year utilize the Affordable ADU program. “Property owners are building ADUs all over Napa, so the spread is evenly distributed. People prefer to build ADUs near homes built in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. [These] typically have larger lot sizes,” says Michael Walker, senior planner for the City of Napa. The “secret recipe” appears to involve owners with the financial security to build an ADU, a parcel with adequate space for an ADU, access to city water and sewer services and local governments that streamline application processing. Not every location has areas with all these factors present. Unique attributes of land are also relevant. For example, it might cost less to build an ADU in a rural part of West Sonoma County than in residential neighborhoods near downtown Petaluma. Yet it could be costly to insure the West County parcel because of seasonal flooding. Cities’ and counties’ preferences are important as well. The City of Napa supports ADUs that would not cast a shadow over neighbors’ homes. They also encourage ADUs that do not look down into neighbors’ backyards. “Access to sunlight and privacy are important considerations for conditions and restrictions (CCRs) of a homeowner’s association (HOA) or property owner’s association (POA). n “What costs are there beyond basic construction?” These typically include costs for standard city and/or county permits, installing a foundation, transportation on a Translift machine to move a prefabricated ADU, standard utility hook-ups, consulting, tax on the ADU, installation of required elements like fire sprinklers, insurance and furnishing the ADU. n “What are the development standards like setback requirements for an ADU?” These depend on the location of the parcel, like the city and/or county in which it is situated. They also depend on whether the main parcel is in a single- family or multi-family zoning district. A setback is typically not more than 4 feet from the side and rear property lines for a single-family property. A property owner can typically find this information on their city’s planning department website. They should look on
48 NorthBaybiz
April 2025
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