AUREABUILDADU construction · Austin, Texas
Whether an ADU fits on your lot gets decided by zoning, utilities, access and the ground itself, and that check should happen before anyone pays for design. After that, an ADU is a small house with a full kitchen and bathroom.
Who this is for: Property owners planning an ADU, garage apartment or guest house.
First steps
Rules for accessory dwellings vary by lot, zoning and city, and they change over time, so this page doesn't print limits. The city's permit office, or a written zoning check, settles what's allowed on your property. Our Austin ADU guide covers the questions owners ask most and is a good first read.
What we can do is help you pull together what the check needs: a survey or plat, the location of existing buildings, trees, easements, utility lines, slopes and drainage. A lot can be allowed to host an ADU and still be a poor candidate, because of grade, access or how far the utilities have to travel.
Utilities are the biggest unknown on most ADUs. The distance to the nearest sewer connection, whether the existing electrical service can feed a second dwelling, and how water and gas will get to the unit can each move the budget a long way. Septic properties are a different and tighter problem.
Meters, water heating and HVAC add more decisions: shared or separate, one system or two. Utility work and site work get listed as their own lines, so you can see where the money is going before the building itself comes up.
A detached new build gives the most design freedom and needs a new foundation and full utility connections. A garage conversion uses a slab and walls that already exist, and is limited by their condition, ceiling height and what the garage was built to do. An attached unit or one above a garage ties into the main house or garage structure, which brings the same connection problems a home addition has.
Small doesn't mean simple here. The unit still needs a foundation, framing, a roof, mechanical systems, and a full kitchen and bathroom, which take a large share of the budget for the floor area they cover.
Clay along the eastern I-35 corridor moves with moisture, and shallow limestone in the Hill Country makes excavation slow and changes how a foundation is designed. Neither shows from the street. The guide to clay and limestone conditions explains why a site review comes early, and some lots call for a soil investigation before the foundation is designed.
Mature trees, easements, flood and watershed rules, and HOA design review can all take buildable area or force changes to the plan. Getting a delivery truck and a concrete pump into a backyard through a side gate is a real question, and the answer affects cost.
The usual order is feasibility and lot review, preliminary scope, design and engineering, proposal, permit, construction and closeout. Permit review time depends on the city and the project. On site, work moves through site preparation and foundation, framing and roof, utility connections, rough-in and inspections, insulation, then finishes. Utility work can take longer than the building itself, and spring storms slow the early stages.
At handoff you get a walkthrough, a punch list, permit and inspection closeout where they apply, and the manufacturer documents for the equipment. Our permit guide goes into the permit side.
A unit built for a tenant and one built for a parent call for different choices: durable flooring and easy-to-replace fixtures in one case, grab bar blocking and a step-free entry in the other. We can talk through the construction side of that. Whether a rental makes financial sense is a question for an accountant or lender, and what investors choose to spend on is covered in where investors should spend.
Common questions
Zoning, lot conditions, utilities and any HOA or deed restrictions all weigh in, and the rules change by city and over time. A written zoning check or the city's permit office gives the real answer. We can help you collect what that check needs.
A conversion uses an existing slab and walls, so it's limited by their condition and ceiling height. A new unit costs more to start but gives you a new foundation and a free layout. We compare both against your garage, your yard and your goals.
Water, sewer or septic, electric and gas connections can eat a big part of the budget, and the cost depends on distance, depth and the capacity of what's already there. Looking at the route early keeps the budget from being built on a guess.
We can explain the construction scope and what drives its cost. Investment, tax and financing questions belong with an accountant or lender, and we can't promise rental income or resale value. We'll give you solid construction numbers to take to them.
An ADU needs drawings, engineering and a permit. We coordinate those pieces with the designer or engineer you use, or help you figure out where to start. Review time and requirements vary by city and by project.