Frequently Asked Questions - ADU in Sacramento, CA
Straight answers to the questions Sacramento homeowners ask us most about accessory dwelling units, from cost to permits to how long the whole thing takes. If you don't see your question here, call (279) 256-1973 and ask us directly.
Pricing & Cost FAQs
In Sacramento right now, a detached ADU typically runs $180,000 to $320,000, a garage conversion lands between $90,000 and $160,000, and an attached addition ADU usually falls in the $140,000 to $240,000 range. Your specific price depends on site conditions, utility runs, foundation work, and finish level. In neighborhoods like Natomas and Land Park, we often see costs shift based on how far gas and sewer lines need to travel. Russ Delmar and our team give every homeowner a written price before any work starts, so there are no surprises at the end. Call (279) 256-1973 for a free estimate on your lot.
A garage conversion is almost always the least expensive ADU path in Sacramento because the structure, foundation, and roof already exist. You're mainly paying for insulation, drywall, electrical, plumbing, and finishes rather than building from the ground up. In areas like Carmichael and North Highlands where garages are standard, conversion costs typically run $90,000 to $160,000 depending on how much plumbing work the existing slab needs and whether the electrical panel can handle the added load. A conversion also moves faster through permitting than a detached unit. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll walk your specific garage through pricing.
Garage conversions in Sacramento generally range from $90,000 to $160,000, which is more affordable than new construction because you're reusing the shell. What moves the needle is whether the existing concrete passes inspection, whether the garage shares a wall with the house, and how much trenching your lot needs for new water and sewer lines. Woodland and Folsom lots with older slabs sometimes need extra work, and we'll tell you that before you commit. Every job we price gets a written line item quote first, so you see exactly where the money goes. Call (279) 256-1973 for a number specific to your garage.
Yes, an ADU typically adds value to a Sacramento home because buyers in this market see it as rental income potential or space for extended family. Appraisers in Sacramento County regularly compare ADU homes to comps without them, and an accessory unit usually commands a noticeable premium, though the exact figure depends on the school district, lot size, and build quality. A well built unit in Roseville or Folsom with a separate entrance and full kitchen tends to appraise higher than a basic conversion. The best way to protect that value is quality work with a written guarantee. Call (279) 256-1973 to talk about what fits your lot.
Most Sacramento homeowners finance their ADU through a combination of HELOCs, cash-out refinances, construction loans, or renovation loans, and we work with whatever financing route you choose. Some homeowners in Gold River and La Riviera use their home equity because rates on HELOCs are often lower than personal loans. We provide the written estimates and line item pricing your lender will need, and we can adjust the scope to fit your approved budget. Once you tell us your financing situation, we'll shape the plan around it. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll walk you through it.
Service & Process FAQs
Most Sacramento ADU projects take six to ten months from initial planning to final inspection, though a simple garage conversion can finish in four to six months while a custom detached unit may run longer. The biggest variables are city plan check times, utility connection scheduling, and whether your lot requires soil work. Sacramento's building department has improved ADU turnaround in recent years, and we handle the permitting end to keep things moving. Our team gives you a clear schedule before we start and we show up in the window we gave. Call (279) 256-1973 to get a realistic timeline for your project.
Here's how building an ADU with us works in Sacramento. First, we assess your lot and goals, then we deliver a written design and price before any work starts. Next we handle permits with the city or county, then we prepare the site, pour foundation or modify your garage, and move through framing, rough plumbing and electrical, insulation, drywall, and finishes. Finally, we schedule inspections, correct anything noted, and hand you the keys. Russ Delmar and the team keep you informed at each step and leave the job site cleaner than we found it. Call (279) 256-1973 to start step one.
No, you don't need to be home during construction. Most Sacramento homeowners continue their normal routines while our crew works, and we coordinate access to the garage or backyard directly with you. We set expectations ahead of time about when we'll be on site and what areas of the property we'll use for staging, and we always leave the place cleaner than we found it at the end of each day. If you want to check in on progress, you're always welcome, but we'll also keep you updated by phone. Call (279) 256-1973 with any other process questions.
In many cases, yes. Sacramento's ADU ordinance allows units as small as 150 square feet, and a detached unit can often fit in a corner of a modest yard if setbacks are met. Attached conversions and garage conversions are popular in La Riviera and North Highlands precisely because they don't consume much yard space. The real question is whether your specific lot's setbacks, easements, and existing structures leave enough room, and that's something we check before giving you a price. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll evaluate what actually fits on your lot.
Yes, we manage the full ADU process in Sacramento from first sketch through final inspection. That includes architectural drawings, city permit submission, utility coordination, construction, and the close-out paperwork. Homeowners in Carmichael and Folsom tell us the permitting stage is the one they dread most, and that's exactly where our local team earns its keep. We know the Sacramento planning desk, we know what inspectors look for, and we fix issues before they stall a project. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll handle the whole thing for you.
Most single family lots in Sacramento qualify for at least one ADU under state law, which the city and county have adopted. The main qualifications are that you have a single family home on the lot, you can meet the required setbacks (usually four feet for a detached ADU), and your lot has room for the unit size you want. Zoning in areas like Woodland and Rancho Murieta can have local overlays that affect height or style, and we check those before you commit. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll confirm what's allowed on your specific parcel.
Brands & Parts FAQs
We work with high quality prefab and panelized ADU lines where they make sense for a Sacramento lot, and we have experience with systems including Abodu, Dvele, and James Hardie siding products. Prefab can shorten on site build time significantly, though site work, foundation, and utility hookups still happen locally and follow the same permitting path. The right choice depends on your lot access, your budget, and your finish preferences, and we'll give you an honest comparison rather than pushing one system. Call (279) 256-1973 to talk through which approach fits your property.
We specify materials suited to Sacramento's climate and your budget, and James Hardie fiber cement siding is a common choice because it holds up well to valley heat and wet winters. For interiors, we use moisture resistant drywall in kitchens and baths and engineered flooring that handles temperature swings. Roofing is typically composition shingle or standing seam metal depending on the neighborhood and design. Every home is different, and your written quote will list exact brands and products before you sign anything. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll talk through material options for your unit.
Prefab ADUs from manufacturers like Abodu or Cover are sometimes less expensive on the structure itself but not always cheaper overall, because your Sacramento lot still needs foundation, site utilities, and finish work. Where prefab shines is schedule and predictability, with the module built indoors while site work happens in parallel. That said, some Sacramento lots in older neighborhoods like Land Park have tight access that makes a stick built or panelized unit the better financial call. We'll price both paths honestly. Call (279) 256-1973 for a comparison based on your actual lot.
Licensing & Insurance FAQs
Every pro working under the Lodgewick ADU Sacramento name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires, and we carry the coverage a serious construction company should. That means general liability coverage for the work we do on your property and workers' compensation for anyone on site. Before you sign, ask to see proof of coverage and we'll show you what's in place. Russ Delmar leads this location and stands behind every project we take on in Sacramento. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll answer any credential questions directly.
Yes, nearly every ADU in Sacramento requires a building permit, and in most cases you'll also need plan check sign off from the city or county. There are very narrow exceptions for tiny pre-approved designs, but the honest answer is that a legal, insurable, and resalable ADU goes through permitting. We prepare the drawings, submit them, respond to comments, and pull the final permit before work starts. Doing it right protects your property value and your insurance coverage. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll handle the entire permit process for you.
Sacramento and the surrounding cities inspect ADU work at key stages: foundation or slab, framing, rough plumbing and electrical, insulation, and final occupancy. Our team schedules each inspection, walks it with the inspector, and corrects anything noted before the next phase moves forward. We pass inspections because we build to code the first time and we don't hide shortcuts behind drywall. When the final is signed off, you get a legal, insurable unit ready for family or tenants. Call (279) 256-1973 if you want to understand the inspection path before you start.
Emergency & Response FAQs
If something fails inside your written guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge. That's the Kingswell Guarantee, and it's stamped on every job we do. The guarantee covers our workmanship and the materials we install, and it's put in writing before construction starts, never just spoken. Whether it's a plumbing fitting, a door that binds, or a finish issue, you call us and we schedule the repair. We put it in writing so you don't have to argue. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll explain exactly what your guarantee covers.
Our hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. We are closed on Saturdays. You can reach us during those hours at (279) 256-1973 to ask about your project, schedule an estimate, or talk through a design question. If you call while we're closed, leave a message and we'll get back to you the next business day. We answer when we say we answer, because showing up in the window we gave is one of our core promises. Call (279) 256-1973 during business hours and a live coordinator will connect you with the local team.
Once you approve your written price and we pull permits, we schedule your start date and put it in writing. The speed from contract to first shovel depends on Sacramento's plan check queue and your project's complexity, and we'll give you an honest window rather than a vague promise. We don't rush the permits or cut corners on the front end, because that's what creates problems later. When the date is set, we show up when we said we would. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll look at current city timelines for your neighborhood.
Warranty & Guarantees FAQs
The Kingswell Guarantee is the written promise behind every Lodgewick ADU Sacramento project: a written price before any work starts, a real arrival window, a clean job site, and a written guarantee on the work. If a repair fails inside the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge. The guarantee is the reason our homeowners in Roseville, Folsom, and across Sacramento don't worry about paying twice for the same fix. It's not a handshake. It's a document. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll show you the guarantee before you sign anything.
Your ADU workmanship guarantee period is spelled out in writing before construction begins, and it covers the work we do and the materials we install for the full term stated in your contract. If something fails inside that window, we come back and fix it at no charge. That includes things like plumbing leaks in our work, doors that settle out of square, or finish issues that show up after move in. We put it in writing because the guarantee only means something if it's on paper. Call (279) 256-1973 and we'll walk you through exactly what your warranty covers and for how long.
Yes, estimates are free. We'll visit your Sacramento property, look at the lot, talk through what you want, and give you a written price before any work starts. That price includes the scope, materials, and timeline, and it won't change unless you change the scope. Homeowners in Carmichael, Citrus Heights, and across the Sacramento area call us for these estimates because they want a real number, not a ballpark. Say the price before the work is rule one around here. Call (279) 256-1973 to schedule your free estimate.
We build ADUs throughout Sacramento and the surrounding communities, including Roseville, Folsom, Carmichael, Woodland, Gold River, North Highlands, Dixon, Galt, Winters, Rancho Murieta, and La Riviera. Our local team knows the permitting desks, soil conditions, and setback rules across these areas, which means fewer surprises during your build. If you're just outside these cities, call us anyway. We'll tell you honestly whether your project is in our service area, and if it isn't, we'll say so. Call (279) 256-1973 and let's see if we're a fit for your lot.
Because ADUs are all we do. A general contractor splits their attention across kitchens, baths, and additions, but our entire Sacramento team focuses on accessory dwelling units: design, permitting, and construction. That focus means we know the city's ADU rules, we know which designs pass plan check the first time, and we know what these projects actually cost. Russ Delmar leads a team that has built this expertise specifically in the Sacramento market, backed by the Kingswell Guarantee. Call (279) 256-1973 and talk to people who do this work every day.
Written by Russ Delmar, Owner at Lodgewick ADU Sacramento, serving the Sacramento area since 2010.
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