Free ADU consultation
There are good reasons homeowners are adding units in a backyard or above a garage. For most people, home improvement is purely an expense — an ADU is one of the few that can add value to the property and income to offset the monthly bills at the same time.
Our consultation is education, not sales. We walk through zoning, the permit process, what financing usually looks like, and whether the idea makes sense for your lot at all. We do not build ADUs, we do not design them, and we do not refer you to anyone who does.
Why homeowners add an ADU
- Extra space for guests, aging parents, adult children, or a home office
- Rental income that can offset part of a monthly mortgage payment
- No state limit on renting it out — though short-term rentals under 30 days are commonly restricted by local ordinance
- An HOA cannot unreasonably prohibit an ADU on a single-family lot (California Civil Code § 4751), though it may still impose reasonable restrictions
- In cities that have chosen to allow it under AB 1033, an ADU can be sold separately from the main house as a condominium — this is a local opt-in, not a statewide right
The $40,000 state grant: where it actually stands
The CalHFA ADU Grant Program offered up to $40,000 toward pre-development costs — design, permits, soil tests, impact fees, surveys, energy reports. Its most recent round of funding was fully allocated on December 28, 2023, and the program has not accepted new applications since. There is no confirmed relaunch date. It could be funded again in a future state budget; it also might not be.
CalHFA itself warns that anyone telling you they can still get you this grant may be attempting a financial scam. Nobody can secure funding from a program that is not open. If someone asks you for money, a deposit, or an application fee to "reserve" your $40,000, that is the moment to walk away and verify directly with CalHFA.
We have left this section on the site rather than removing it because a great deal of ADU marketing still advertises the grant as though it were available. If you were told you qualify for it, you now know what to ask.
What the consultation covers
Zoning and setback requirements for your parcel, the permitting sequence and roughly what it costs, how ADUs are typically financed when there is no grant, the difference between a detached unit, a garage conversion, and a junior ADU, and the questions worth asking any contractor before you sign anything. Ask whatever you want. There is nothing to buy at the end of it.
This is general education about California law and programs, not legal, financial, or construction advice, and it is not a substitute for your city's planning department. Requirements vary substantially by jurisdiction.