Sacramento Additional Dwelling Unit Contractor
Designed, permitted, and built on your Sacramento lot. Detached, attached, and garage-conversion ADUs handled by a veteran-owned General B contractor who picks up the phone after move-in day.
Additional Dwelling Units Built for Sacramento Lots
Sacramento’s housing pressure has made the Additional Dwelling Unit one of the smartest moves a homeowner can make. Whether the goal is rental income, a private space for aging parents, or a teenager’s first apartment behind the main house, an ADU adds a second residence on land you already own without the cost or wait of buying a new property in this market.
California state law (Government Code 65852.2) overrides most local restrictions that previously limited ADU construction, and the Sacramento updated its zoning code to comply. On most single-family residential lots in Sacramento, a homeowner can now build a detached ADU up to 1,200 square feet, an attached ADU up to 50% of the primary residence’s floor area, or convert an existing garage or basement into a separate dwelling unit.
ADC Construction handles every type. Adam meets you on the property, walks the lot, and tells you exactly what the Sacramento will and will not permit on your specific parcel. Setbacks, height limits, fire-separation requirements, sewer connections, and utility tap fees are all sorted before the design phase begins, so the project doesn’t stall at the permit counter.
The three most common ADU types we build in Sacramento: detached ADUs (a standalone structure in the backyard, typically 600 to 1,200 sqft, full kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom), attached ADUs (added onto the main house with a separate entrance, often built off the back or side wall), and garage-conversion ADUs (existing detached garage converted to a dwelling unit, often the lowest-cost path).
Sacramento lots vary widely in what they can accommodate. Older neighborhoods tend to have deeper lots with more rear-yard space, which favors detached ADUs with their own driveways or rear-access paths. Newer subdivisions often have shallower rear yards and tighter side setbacks, which makes an attached ADU or a garage conversion the practical answer. Lot coverage maximums, second-story height restrictions, and rear-yard privacy considerations for neighbors all factor in. Adam reviews the parcel map and your jurisdiction’s lot-coverage calculator with you during the quote so the project is sized to what your lot can actually carry.
Sacramento has some of the most ADU-friendly ground in the region, and the city has leaned into backyard units as part of its housing answer. But the neighborhoods vary enormously, and that changes the build. In the older grid districts like Oak Park, Curtis Park, East Sacramento, and Land Park, you get deep lots with alley access out back, which is close to ideal for a detached ADU with its own entrance off the alley and a clear separation from the main house. The tradeoff is that many of these homes are pre-war, so we watch for knob-and-tube wiring, undersized panels, and old foundations that the new unit’s utilities have to work around. In the newer subdivisions in North Natomas and along the county edges, lots are tighter and the attached ADU or garage conversion tends to pencil out better.
Two Sacramento realities shape almost every unit we build here. First, the summer heat is real and sustained, so the envelope gets built to hold cool air: right-sized heat pump, deep insulation, low-E glazing on the sun-hit walls, and shade where the site gives it. Second, mature trees are everywhere in the old neighborhoods, which is part of what makes these districts beautiful, but it means we plan around root zones and canopy so the foundation and the utility trenches do not fight a heritage oak. Adam walks the lot, checks the alley access, the panel, the trees, and the setbacks, and lays out a unit that fits the neighborhood instead of one that fights it.
Adam earned his General B contractor’s license after serving in the US Army, and he built ADC Construction in 2022 on one principle: treat every property like it’s your own home. That standard applies whether the ADU is a small garage conversion or a custom detached unit with a covered patio and laundry hookups.
Call (209) 200-5302 or request a free on-site quote. See finished work in our project gallery, including detached ADUs, garage conversions, and full-home remodels across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. We serve Sacramento, Sacramento, Folsom, Lodi, Stockton, and 29 more cities within 30 miles of our Lodi office.
Six Reasons Sacramento Homeowners Trust Us with the ADU
Licensed & Insured
California General B license with full liability coverage. Sacramento permits pulled and inspected start to finish.
Veteran Discipline
US Army standards applied to every ADU jobsite: clean, organized, on time, on budget, no excuses.
Free Project Quote
Adam walks the Sacramento lot, assesses zoning + setbacks, and explains your options with zero pressure.
Transparent Pricing
Itemized quotes within 48 hours. Foundation, framing, utilities, finish. Every line item explained.
Design + Build
Architectural plans, structural engineering, Title 24 energy, and construction all coordinated under one contract.
Post-Project Support
We pick up the phone six months, six years later. The relationship outlasts the certificate of occupancy.
ADU Construction Across the Sacramento Region
Same craft standard on every ADU within 30 miles of Lodi.
Sacramento ADU Questions
How much does an ADU cost in Sacramento, CA?
Three things set the number on a Sacramento ADU. First is the type of build. A garage conversion reuses a slab and a roof that are already there, so it is the shortest path. A detached unit starts from bare dirt with its own foundation and framing. Second is size, since every additional square foot carries framing, roofing, flooring, and conditioned air with it. Third is finish level, meaning the difference between builder-grade cabinets and a laundry room, patio cover, and upgraded surfaces throughout. In the older Sacramento neighborhoods a fourth variable shows up regularly: a service panel that has to be upgraded before it can carry a second dwelling, an aging sewer lateral, and alley or side-yard access that decides how equipment gets in. Adam prices the actual conditions on the walkthrough and the itemized quote follows within 48 hours.
Do you handle the Sacramento ADU permits?
Yes. We pull every permit required by the local Planning Department and Building Division: zoning clearance, building permit, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and any encroachment permits for sewer or utility taps, and coordinate inspections through final certificate of occupancy. Permit fees are line-itemed in your quote.
What’s the maximum size ADU allowed on my Sacramento lot?
State law allows up to 1,200 square feet for a detached ADU on most Sacramento single-family lots regardless of local zoning. Attached ADUs are limited to 50% of the primary residence’s floor area, capped at 1,200 sqft. Adam will measure your specific lot and confirm what’s allowed during the on-site quote visit.
How long does an Sacramento ADU build take from design to move-in?
Plan on 8-12 weeks for permits, plans, and engineering before the first shovel hits dirt, then 4-8 months of construction depending on type. A garage conversion is the fastest path (3-5 months building). A custom detached ADU is the longest (6-8 months building). We provide a realistic schedule with your quote and hold to it.
Can I rent out my Sacramento ADU?
Yes. California law requires Sacramento to allow long-term rentals of ADUs on single-family lots. Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO under 30 days) are restricted under local ordinance. Confirm current rules with the Planning Department before counting on STR income. Long-term tenant rental is the standard income path most of our Sacramento ADU clients pursue.
My Sacramento home is old with an alley out back. Is that good for an ADU?
It is one of the best setups in the city. Alley access lets a detached ADU have its own entrance, its own address feel, and real privacy from the main house, which tenants and family members appreciate. What we watch for on these older Sacramento homes is the wiring and the panel, since pre-war houses often have knob-and-tube or a small service that a second dwelling will outgrow, and we plan the utility routing so it does not disturb old foundations or mature tree roots. Adam checks all of that during the walkthrough and lays out the alley-facing unit so the build is clean and the neighborhood character stays intact.
How do you protect mature trees when building a Sacramento ADU?
The old Sacramento neighborhoods are shaded by heritage oaks and other large trees, and that canopy is part of what makes them worth living in. When we lay out a backyard unit we map the trunk and root zones first, then place the foundation, trench the utilities, and route the drainage to stay clear of the critical roots. Sometimes that means shifting the unit a few feet or choosing a pier design over a full slab near a big tree. Adam works the tree protection into the site plan up front so you keep your shade and your ADU passes review without a fight.
Sacramento ADU Built to Last. Answered After Move-In.
Ready to start your Sacramento ADU project? Call Adam directly or request a free on-site quote. We walk the lot, talk through your options, and quote it transparently.