Plan smarter.
Build with fewer surprises.
An ADU can create rental income, house family, support aging parents, or create more options for the future. This book walks you through the decisions that matter before expensive plans, permits, financing, and construction commitments are made.
By Chris Thompson · Book Man Publishing
The building is only part of the project.
A successful ADU starts with understanding the rules, the property, the budget, and the reason you are building before choosing a floor plan or signing a construction contract.
Decide if an ADU is right for you
Clarify why you want an ADU, compare realistic alternatives, consider lifestyle impacts, and test whether the project makes sense before committing.
Start with zoning and feasibility
Learn what to investigate about zoning, setbacks, lot constraints, access, septic or sewer, drainage, utilities, and other conditions that can change the project.
Design for real life
Think through size, privacy, accessibility, storage, parking, future use, stock plans, architects, design-build firms, and prefab options.
Build a realistic all-in budget
Account for design, permits, engineering, site work, utilities, construction, financing, contingency, and costs that are easy to overlook.
Hire and manage contractors
Compare bids, identify exclusions, evaluate contractors, understand change orders, monitor construction, and keep project records organized.
Plan for what happens afterward
Prepare for family use, rental income, insurance, taxes, long-term ownership, retirement flexibility, and changing housing needs.
Free Digital ADU Companion
The book explains what to understand. The Digital ADU Companion gives you reusable worksheets, calculators, checklists, research forms, comparison tools, and trackers to put that knowledge to work.
Use it to organize feasibility research, document local rules, plan utilities, build budgets, compare financing, evaluate contractors, track permits and construction, and manage the finished ADU.
Access Your CompanionInside the Companion
- 50-page fillable digital PDF
- 50-page printer-friendly PDF
- 49 planning tools and worksheets
- Zoning and local-rule research forms
- Site and utility planning tools
- Budget, contingency and financing worksheets
- Rental-income, cash-flow and ROI tools
- Contractor, permit and construction trackers
Choose your format
Choose the digital or print edition that works best for you. Every edition includes access to the free Digital ADU Companion.
Digital Edition
Purchase the complete digital edition directly from Book Man Publishing. Includes EPUB, PDF, and both versions of the ADU Digital Companion.
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Read on KindlePaperback
Prefer a physical copy? Order the paperback edition through Amazon.
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