Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what Temecula Valley homeowners ask us most, covering ADU rules, costs, timelines, bathroom remodels, permits, and how we work. If your question is not here, call (951) 551-6165 and ask Spencer directly.
Request a site visit
ADU Basics
7 questionsAn accessory dwelling unit is a self contained second home on the same lot as an existing house, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance. Also called a granny flat, casita, in-law unit, or backyard cottage. Full ADU guide.
Detached units, attached units, garage conversions, and junior ADUs. Every project is sized to your lot, your budget, and how you plan to use the unit.
One standard ADU and one junior ADU on nearly every single family lot in California. They can be combined, so a garage conversion plus a junior ADU inside the house is permitted.
Up to 1,200 square feet for a detached or attached unit. Up to 500 square feet for a junior ADU, which must sit inside your existing walls.
Four feet from the side and rear property lines for a detached unit, plus roughly ten feet of separation from your main house. An ADU built inside an existing garage footprint does not need the four foot setbacks.
No, not for a standard ADU. California removed the owner occupancy requirement for standard ADUs permitted after January 1, 2020. Junior ADUs still require the owner to live in the main house or the JADU.
No. State law prevents an HOA or community association from prohibiting an ADU on a single family lot. Architectural standards on exterior materials, colors, and roofing still apply, so we design to pass review the first time.
ADU Costs
6 questionsRoughly $225,000 for a 499 square foot one bedroom, $290,000 for a 749 square foot two bedroom, $230,000 for a 500 square foot attached ADU, $165,000 for a two car garage conversion, and $105,000 for a junior ADU. Those totals cover construction, plans, engineering, typical utilities, and standard finishes. Site costs and fees are extra. Full cost breakdown.
Site plan of your lot, city permit fees, school fees, and additional engineering consultants. Depending on your property, also a soils report, grading plan, grading and long utility trenching, retaining walls, HOA fees, and new utility connection fees. Site costs are specific to each property.
Roughly $390 to $450 per square foot for construction, plans, engineering, typical utilities, and standard finishes. Smaller units cost more per foot because fixed costs like a kitchen, a bathroom, a permit, and a roof spread across less area.
A garage conversion, because the foundation, roof, and walls already exist. A junior ADU inside your existing home is also considerably cheaper than a detached new build.
ADUs under 750 square feet are exempt from impact fees. Units of 750 square feet and above pay them proportionally to the size of the main dwelling. This is one reason our floor plans are sized at 499 and 749 square feet.
Site costs. Grading, soils reports, retaining walls, trench distance, septic upgrades, and panel upgrades are property specific and frequently left out of a headline number. Ask every contractor exactly what their figure excludes.
ADU Timelines and Permits
5 questionsConstruction runs four to six months for most detached units. Design and permitting add another two to four months before construction starts. Total is roughly six to eleven months from first call to final inspection. A garage conversion is faster on both ends.
Yes. We submit the application, respond to every plan check correction, and schedule inspections. You do not sit at a counter.
State law requires a decision on a complete ADU application within 60 days.
California requires every city to maintain a program of pre-reviewed ADU plans. Where one fits your lot, plan check moves faster because the design has already cleared review. We compare that route against our free floor plans and a custom set on the first visit.
Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, and Lake Elsinore. Some outlying parcels permit through Riverside County rather than a city, which is a different process entirely, and we handle those too.
Will an ADU Fit My Lot
6 questionsTake a tape measure into your yard. Mark four feet in from your rear fence. Mark four feet in from each side fence. Mark ten feet out from your house toward the rear. The rectangle between those markers is your buildable area. Compare it against our floor plan footprints: 16 feet 3 inches by 30 feet 9 inches for a 499 square foot unit, 19 feet 4 inches by 38 feet 9 inches for a 749, and 32 feet 8 inches by 56 feet 4 inches for a 1,199. See the floor plans.
A garage conversion is usually the answer. A conversion inside your existing garage footprint does not require the four foot setbacks, which is exactly why it works on tract lots. A junior ADU inside your existing house is the other option. Garage conversions and junior ADUs.
Santiago Estates, Meadowview, Wine Country, and parts of Crowne Hill. Tighter tract neighborhoods like Harveston, Wolf Creek, Redhawk, Morgan Hill, and Paloma del Sol usually work better as a conversion. See the Temecula neighborhood guide.
Considerably. A sloped pad needs a soils report, engineered foundation work, often retaining walls, and a drainage plan. On hillside parcels around Lake Elsinore and Crowne Hill this is the single largest variable in the budget.
If your property runs on septic, the county reviews whether your existing system handles a second dwelling. Sizing the unit as a one bedroom rather than a two bedroom sometimes keeps you inside existing capacity. We test this before you spend anything on design.
Often. Older homes here run 100 or 125 amp service and a full second dwelling usually pushes that past capacity. We check the panel on the first visit so an upgrade is a line item rather than a change order.
Renting, Value, and Financing
5 questionsYes, for standard ADUs. Short term rentals under 30 days are commonly restricted by local ordinance, so check your city's rules before counting on that income.
An ADU adds rental income and square footage under roof. What it adds to appraised value depends on your neighborhood and the unit quality. Ask a local appraiser for a figure specific to your address rather than trusting a national percentage.
California assesses new construction at its added value. Building an ADU does not reassess your existing home. Under Proposition 13 your original assessment stays where it is and the county adds an assessment for the ADU itself. Ask the Riverside County Assessor for a figure specific to your project.
Homeowners here commonly use a HELOC, a cash out refinance, or a renovation loan. We are contractors and not financial advisors, so talk to a lender about what fits your situation.
Separate metering costs more upfront and makes billing a tenant far simpler. Shared metering is cheaper to build and harder to administer if you rent. We walk through this during design.
Bathroom Remodeling
6 questionsMost remodels fall between $15,000 and $35,000 depending on size and finishes. We give you a clear written estimate before work begins.
Full bathroom remodels, tile work, vanities, walk-in showers, bathtubs, lighting, and plumbing upgrades. See our bathroom work.
Three to five weeks for a full remodel. Two to three weeks for a guest bath or powder room. Three to four weeks for a tub to walk-in shower conversion.
Yes. We contain the work area with plastic and zip walls, protect the flooring on the path in and out, and clean the site daily. The rest of your home stays usable.
On 1990s and 2000s tract homes, usually fiberglass tub surrounds with water tracking behind the seam, and builder grade tile installed over greenboard with no waterproofing membrane. On 1970s and 1980s homes, add corroded supply lines and undersized drains. We check during demolition and tell you what needs replacing before we close walls.
Yes. Curbless entry, slip resistant tile, comfort height fixtures, doorways widened to 36 inches where framing allows, and grab bars blocked into the studs so they carry real weight rather than pulling out of drywall.
Working With Us
7 questionsYes. California general contractor license B-842038, active and in good standing, plus general liability and workers compensation. We provide certificates before work starts. Verify the license yourself at cslb.ca.gov.
Yes. In-home or virtual, free and with no obligation.
Spencer has worked in construction since 1990. Woollard Construction has been building in the Temecula Valley since 2004, with more than 350 completed projects.
Spencer. He walks your property on the first visit and stays your point of contact through final inspection. No handoff to a project manager you have never met.
Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, and Lake Elsinore.
No. We build ADUs and remodel bathrooms, plus room additions, lofts, decks, and patios.
Ask four questions. Does the number include a soils report and grading, or are those extra? What trench distance did you assume from my house to the pad? Have you checked my panel capacity, and is an upgrade included if needed? Which permit, school, and utility fees are excluded? A contractor who cannot answer has not walked your property carefully enough.
Still have a question?
Call (951) 551-6165 and ask Spencer directly, or request a free consultation.