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ADU construction guides

What it costs, and what it takes, to add a legal accessory dwelling unit.

All Permits Kitchen Bathroom Countertops Design ADU Whole Home Custom Homes Process Bellevue Seattle Kent Kirkland Sammamish Issaquah

Showing all 3 ADU articles

Craftsman house with a separate exterior entrance to a lower-level unit in the foreground and a detached backyard cottage at the end of the driveway behind

ADU

Attached ADU vs. detached ADU (DADU): which is right for your property?

Once you have decided to add an accessory dwelling unit, one question shapes everything that follows: build it attached to the house, or detached in the yard.Sep 15, 2026Read article

Open-plan kitchen and living room in a Pacific Northwest home, evergreens through the windows

ADU

Building an ADU in Issaquah: zoning laws, height limits & setback rules

An accessory dwelling unit is a second, self-contained home on a lot that already has a house. A backyard cottage, a unit above the garage, a converted basement with its own entrance and…Sep 14, 2026Read article

Split image of a Seattle DADU: a blue pre-approved plan drawing on the left resolving into the finished cedar-clad backyard cottage on the right, with the Space Needle behind

ADU

Seattle pre-approved DADU plans vs. custom design: which saves more time and money?

Building a backyard cottage is one of the best ways to add space or rental income to a Seattle property, and the very first decision you make can shape the entire budget.Aug 3, 2026Read article

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