What ‘We Handle the Permits’ Should Mean on a Salinas Backyard ADU
Direct Answer: A licensed local general contractor should. Aldridge Construction, a Salinas general contractor (CA license 1081584), screens the lot, draws the application package, answers plan check corrections, and sequences agency and utility reviews. Almost every week I get a message from a homeowner in Salinas, Marina, Seaside or Pacific Grove who already has the […]
ADU Impact Fees Will Only Apply Above 750 Square Feet in 2027
Direct Answer: Starting January 1, 2027, SB 1117 lets local agencies charge ADU impact fees only on livable area above 750 square feet, for the first two ADUs on a lot. Several people who reach out to me ask a version of the same question before anything else: how big am I allowed to build, […]
Modular or Site-Built ADU: When a Factory Unit Won’t Work on Your Lot
Direct Answer: A factory ADU works on a flat, accessible lot taking a standard layout. Narrow access, slope, overhead lines, garage conversions, attached units, or custom footprints usually require a site-built approach. If you have spent a few weekends reading about modular ADU vs site built, the pitch you keep hearing is about speed and […]
ADU impact fees in 2027 apply only to space above 750 square feet
Direct Answer: Starting January 1, 2027, SB 1117 charges qualifying impact fees only on ADU square footage above 750, on lots with no more than two ADUs. Units 750 square feet or less still pay none. For years, the advice I gave homeowners in Salinas and across Monterey County was simple: if you can live […]
What Monterey County Reviews Before an ADU Permit Gets Issued
Direct Answer: Monterey County reviews a scaled site plan, stamped construction drawings, energy calculations, and agency items like solar, a dedicated heating system, fire access, and a new address before issuing an ADU permit. Almost every ADU conversation I have starts with a picture in someone’s head. A homeowner knows where the unit goes, roughly […]
There’s Already a Studio Out Back. Convert It to an ADU or Start Over?
Direct Answer: Converting an old backyard structure is cheaper only if the foundation, framing, and ceiling height already work. Once those need replacing, you are paying near new build cost for a used footprint. You walked out back with a tape measure. There is already a studio, a shed, an old guesthouse, or a detached […]
Your Home Is on the Historic Inventory. Can You Build an ADU?
Direct Answer: Usually yes. Historic status generally changes how an ADU is reviewed and designed, not whether it is allowed. Confirm with your city or county planning department, since rules vary by jurisdiction. You pull up the assessor record, or a realtor mentions it in passing, or a neighbor tells you over the fence: your […]
What Happens on the Site Walk Before Anyone Can Price Your ADU
Direct Answer: The site walk checks utilities, panel capacity, setbacks, slope, drainage, and truck access. Those distances and conditions set the price, so no honest ADU number exists before someone walks the lot. Almost every ADU conversation I have starts the same way. Someone wants one number before they let a contractor anywhere near their […]
Two Bedrooms in an ADU: What Fits at 600 Square Feet and What Doesn’t
Direct Answer: A second bedroom in a 600 square foot ADU is possible, but it costs you living space, closet depth, or bathroom size. Decide bedroom count before you pick a square footage. Most ADU calls I take start the same way. Someone wants two bedrooms, and the second thing they say is a square […]
Two Detached ADUs Allowed on One Single Family Lot Starting January 1, 2027
Direct Answer: Starting January 1, 2027, AB 956 requires local agencies to ministerially approve up to two detached, new construction ADUs on a lot with an existing or proposed single family home. A homeowner wrote to me this summer saying her two bedroom, one bath house had gotten too small for her life. A neighbor […]
