Bay Area planning tool
Estimate Bay Area ADU, JADU, detached ADU, attached ADU, and garage conversion costs before drawings get expensive.
Methodology
A useful ADU estimate has to split the work into fixed project costs, size-driven construction, city and finish multipliers, utility risk, permit/design work, and a contingency reserve.
Bay Area labor, access, and review paths vary. Palo Alto is not the same pricing environment as a generic national calculator.
The structure exists, but slab, ceiling height, insulation, fire separation, utilities, and shell repairs can swing the number hard.
Drawings, coordination, plan check responses, and licensed professional support need their own budget line.
Scope
The model is intentionally editable. Once Fabuhome has more real project data, we can tune city multipliers, fixed costs, soft costs, and garage risk factors without rebuilding the page.
Sources
The model uses public ADU process references and Bay Area planning assumptions. It should be updated as real Fabuhome project data replaces estimates.
FAQ
These are the decisions that change the budget before a plan set exists.
It is useful for early planning, not bidding. It gets sharper after drawings, site review, utility review, and city-specific permit feedback.
The garage shell helps, but slab condition, ceiling height, insulation, fire separation, plumbing, electrical, and shell repairs can still make the project expensive.
Yes, the estimate includes a separate planning line for design, permit, and coordination work. Final costs depend on the city and scope.