Accessory dwellings
A second home on the lot you already own, drawn to sit beside the first as if it had always been there.
Guest houses, homes for a parent, studios and rentals between 600 and 1,200 square feet, designed, permitted and built by one team.
- 600 to 1,200 sq ft
- Detached or attached
- Septic and well coordination
- Fixed design fee
An accessory dwelling unit is a second, smaller home on the same lot: a guest house, a place for a parent, a studio, or a rental. In unincorporated Santa Clara and San Benito Counties most rural lots can hold one, and many can hold two when one is attached to the main house.
We start where every project starts, with a walk of the lot. A dwelling of 600 to 800 square feet looks simple on paper; on a hillside it depends on the septic field, the well, the fire access road and where the slope allows a level pad. The walk tells us which of those decides the size.
From there the work follows our five steps. A concept and a model in the studio, then a drawing set coordinated with the structural and septic engineers, submitted to the county by us. Typical permit time in this area has been four to seven months; we keep you told of every comment and answer it the same week.
Built by our own crew, an accessory dwelling takes six to nine months once the permit is issued. Because the same team drew it, decisions on site are made in hours, not in a change-order cycle.
If you are deciding between an accessory dwelling and an addition, ask for a feasibility study: a fixed-fee site walk and a short written comparison of the two, with rough costs and timelines for each.
