ADU questions, answered

A second, smaller home on the same lot as the main house. It can be detached, attached, or converted out of a garage or basement. You'll hear them called guest houses, casitas or in-law suites, but the definitions vary by jurisdiction. In some places a guest house isn't allowed a full kitchen, which is usually what separates the two.

It's cheaper and it permits faster, because the drawings are already done and the jurisdiction has seen them before. You also get fewer surprises on the schedule, since these have been built already and we know where they get awkward.

They run from 356 to 1,521 square feet. The smallest is a single compact bedroom. The largest are two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath layouts with an attached garage. You can filter the catalog by size, bedrooms, bathrooms and features.

Yes. Finishes and materials are yours to pick, and small layout changes are usually straightforward. Bigger changes are possible too, they just cost more in drawing time and can add to the permit. If you'd rather start from a blank page, we do that as well.

It varies by city and county. Two to four months is typical across the Tri-Cities. Starting from a pre-designed plan usually shortens it.

Three to six months once the permit is approved. Site conditions are the usual reason it runs long.

There's no honest way to answer that without seeing the property. Size and finish package matter, but site work is what swings the number most, and that depends entirely on your lot. We'll put a written quote together once we've been out to look.

Not necessarily. Home equity loans, renovation loans and ADU-specific programs all get used for this. We can put you in touch with lenders who handle them regularly.

The plans are drawn to meet local zoning and building code. Your lot may still have requirements of its own on top of that, like setbacks, easements, or where the utilities run. Those get sorted during planning, before anything is submitted.

Usually, and plenty of people build one for exactly that. Short-term rentals are the ones that tend to get restricted, so check with your city or county before you count on that income.

Water, sewer and electricity, and sometimes gas. How they get run depends on where the existing lines sit, which is worth looking at early because it can move the price.

Call (509) 430-4244 or email brandon@tinycottagebuildersnw.com. The first step is a look at the property and a conversation about what you're after.