It depends on your specific zoning district's setback and separation requirements, which vary by city and county — there's no single tri-county number. We confirm the exact buildable envelope for your lot before finalizing placement.

It needs an engineered foundation appropriate for a permitted dwelling — not shed-grade construction. The specific foundation type depends on your soil conditions and site elevation requirements, which we evaluate before design.

Adding permitted square footage to your property generally does affect its assessed value, since it's new taxable improvement. We're not tax advisors, so we'd point you to your county property appraiser for exact numbers, but it's a real factor to plan for financially.

Often yes, but construction access affects cost and logistics — equipment and material staging are more involved without alley access. We assess site access as part of the feasibility review, since it changes both price and timeline.

Some jurisdictions and HOAs require exterior material or design compatibility with the main house; others don't regulate it at all. We check what applies to your specific property and can design to match or intentionally differentiate, depending on what's allowed and what you want.

Generally longer, since there's no existing structure to build from — foundation and framing add real time that a conversion skips. Permitting timelines also tend to involve more zoning review for a new structure's placement. We give a project-specific timeline once site and design details are set.

Expect disruption in the immediate work area and along any utility trenching path. We plan site logistics to minimize impact on landscaping you want to keep and can discuss protecting specific trees or features during the site evaluation.

Some jurisdictions assign a separate address or unit designation to a permitted detached ADU, particularly if it's intended for independent rental; others keep it under the main address. This varies locally and we confirm it as part of permitting.