The ADU Handbook: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit or Tandem House

Adding a second unit to an existing residential property can be a challenging undertaking. We wrote this book to give homeowners a step-by-step guide to building an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit or a Tandem House on a residential lot. An ADU (also known as a granny flat, carriage house, cottage, in-law apartment, home office, or rental property) or Tandem House can capitalize on the increasing demand for single-family homes, by allowing more residents to live on a single-family lot at a reasonable price.

In this book, we define the differences between an ADU, Tiny House and a Tandem House, and cover all the relevant topics, including zoning, site requirements, design, budgeting, financing, the development and building permit process, the construction process, a typical timeline, demographics driving the demand for ADUs and Tandem Houses, reasons you would want to build a second unit, practical points on decorating and furnishing, and some approaches to maintenance costs.

Based on the strong demand and low supply of affordable housing, most planning professionals believe that Auxiliary Dwelling Units and Tandem Houses are on the precipice of large resurgence. Our goal in writing this book was to have homeowners become more comfortable embracing this unique, affordable housing option so they can confidently move forward with constructing a second unit on their property.