Figuring out how much your ADU is going to cost can be a headache. There are so many costs that go into the final total, it can be easy to miss a couple or underestimate. That’s why we found the ADU calculator you have been looking for to make your ADU estimate.

What Are The Costs Associated With An ADU?

Before we reveal the best ADU calculator, it is important to know the costs that are associated with building an ADU. The four main cost categories are:

  • Design and planning
  • City fees
  • Construction labor and material
  • Finish materials

There are a lot of different costs that go into each category, but to make things simple, they are grouped together into four main costs.

What Type Of ADU Are You Building?

In order to get the most accurate estimate out of the calculator, you are going to need to know a few important aspects of your ADU idea. For starters, you will need to know the type. There are four main types of ADUs, but calculators are usually broken up into conversion or new construction. Meaning, you would use a conversion calculator if you are turning your garage into an ADU and a new construction calculator if you are building an attached or detached ADU.

How Big Will Your ADU Be?

Adding a second floor is of course going to add quite a bit more money to your final costs than if you only planned to build one floor. Not to mention, the bigger your ADU, the more expensive it will be as well. So, it is good to have a general idea of how many square feet you want your ADU to be.

What Type of Lot Do You Plan To Build On?

The land you plan to build on can have a huge impact on construction site prep costs. If your lot is on flat ground, it will be much easier to level than if it was on a hillside. Plus, when working on a hillside, you need to take into consideration stormwater plans to keep erosion from happening.

The Best ADU Calculator

Once you have all this information, you can use this ADU Cost Calculator to get a good estimate about how much your ADU will cost.