ADU Builder and Contractor in Morgan Hill, Temecula
Morgan Hill is a 2000s master planned community in south Temecula off De Portola Road, with an HOA running the clubhouse, pool, gym, and courts. Homes are large. Lots are not.
That combination pushes most projects here toward garage conversions, attached units, and lofts rather than detached builds. License B-842038.
Call (951) 551-6165Request a site visit
The Morgan Hill Setback Problem
This is the conversation we have most often in this neighborhood, so here is the honest version up front.
Four foot setbacks sound generous until you measure
California requires four feet from the side and rear property lines for a detached ADU. On a Morgan Hill lot, once you subtract the house footprint and both side yards, the remaining buildable area frequently cannot hold a unit worth building. Owners usually learn this after paying for design. We measure on the first visit and tell you before you spend.
What works instead
A garage conversion uses a footprint you already have. An attached unit shares a wall and shortens utility runs. A loft builds above the existing floor plan and uses no yard at all. All three clear the same permit path as a detached unit and all three cost less.
When a detached unit does fit
Corner lots and the larger parcels on the perimeter sometimes hold a compact detached unit. It happens. We measure rather than assume in either direction.
ADU Options in Morgan Hill
Garage conversions
The most common answer here. Foundation, roof, and walls already exist, so you skip the most expensive part of a build. We add insulation, drywall, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, windows, and an entry door. California prohibits cities from requiring replacement parking for a conversion, so your driveway stays a driveway.
Junior ADUs
Up to 500 square feet carved out of your existing house with its own entrance and a small kitchen. No new foundation, no exterior change requiring heavy HOA review, and often the fastest path to a legal second unit on a tight lot. JADUs require you to live in the main house or the JADU. See our junior ADU work.
Loft additions
Morgan Hill homes have the ceiling volume to support a loft in many floor plans. We built lofts in nearby Summer's Meadow and Summer's Bend for exactly this reason: the lot left no room to expand sideways.
HOA Architectural Review
Morgan Hill carries an active HOA with design standards. State law prevents an HOA from prohibiting an ADU on a single family lot, but exterior materials, colors, and roofing still go through review.
Match the street, clear the committee
A design matching your existing roof pitch, stucco color, and tile profile passes review with far less friction than one that stands apart. We select materials against the standards rather than submitting and hoping.
Order matters
Association review comes before the city permit. Submitting to the city first means redesigning the exterior afterward and resubmitting, which adds months to a build.
Remodeling Morgan Hill Homes
Morgan Hill homes went up in the mid 2000s, which puts them around 20 years old. That age has a specific profile.
The plumbing is fine, the finishes are not
Copper supply and ABS drain from that era are usually intact, so you are not paying for a re-pipe. What fails is cosmetic and moisture related: cracking grout, builder grade tile, and fiberglass tub surrounds with water tracking behind the seam.
Predictable timelines
Because the surprise range is narrow, a full bathroom remodel here runs three to five weeks with a budget that holds. Most owners here convert an unused tub into a larger walk-in shower and upgrade to a double vanity. See our tub to shower conversion work.
Permits in Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill sits inside Temecula city limits. ADUs permit through the Building and Safety Division under Municipal Code Chapter 17.23. State law caps the city decision at 60 days on a complete application and requires the city to maintain pre-approved ADU plans, which shortens plan check when one fits your lot.
We submit to the HOA, then the city, handle every plan check correction, and schedule inspections.
Costs in Morgan Hill
See our full ADU cost breakdown.
These are estimated ranges. They cover construction and standard finishes. They exclude site plan, permit fees, school fees, and engineering consultants, plus any soils report, grading, trenching, retaining walls, HOA fees, or utility connection fees your property requires.
Call For A Real NumberEstimated costs. Every property is different, so your final price depends on your lot, design, and finish selections. We give you a firm number after a free site visit.
Licensing and Credentials
Spencer has worked in construction since 1990 and has built in Temecula since 2004. More than 350 completed projects. Bonded and insured, with certificates provided before work starts.California general contractor license
B-842038, active and in good standing.
Experience
Spencer has worked in construction since 1990 and has built in the Temecula Valley since 2004. More than 350 completed projects.
Bonded and insured
General liability and workers compensation certificates provided before work starts.
Licensed subcontractors only
Every subcontractor on your job is licensed and insured.
Verify any California contractor license, including ours, through the Contractors State License Board. Check it before you hire anyone.
What Temecula Valley homeowners say
More than 350 completed projects in Southern California and the Temecula Valley, and a five star rating across Google, Yelp and Houzz.
“As a plumbing contractor I've worked with a lot of builders over the past 25 years and the truly exceptional ones are few and far between. Woollard Construction is one of the best. We routinely go back to homes they've either remodeled or performed additions to years later for general plumbing maintenance or repairs and the homeowners still speak glowingly of their experience with Woollard construction even decades later. There is only ONE home builder I regularly recommend and that is Woollard Construction.”
“Everything about our experience with Woollard Construction was amazing!! Spencer was fantastic!! He was punctual, professional and great at communicating where we were in every step of the process. Our ADU is beautiful and we are so happy with how everything turned out.”
“We received several quotes before going with him, and his price was extremely competitive, especially considering the quality of his work. I was concerned about having the bathroom be an unusable mess during the remodel, but Spencer left it spotless each time he finished for the day. He communicated clearly every step of the way and was prompt and thorough.”
Sometimes, on corner and perimeter lots. On a standard interior lot the four foot setbacks usually leave too little buildable area. We measure before you spend anything on design.
No. State law prevents an HOA from prohibiting an ADU on a single family lot. Architectural review still applies to exterior materials, colors, and roofing.
You lose the garage, but not the driveway. California prohibits cities from requiring replacement parking when you convert a garage to an ADU.
A garage conversion is usually cheaper because the shell exists. A loft keeps your garage. We price both on the first visit so you can compare.
Get a free Morgan Hill site visit
We measure your lot, tell you honestly whether a detached unit fits, and price the alternatives. Call (951) 551-6165.
Request a site visit
Woollard Construction. License B-842038. Serving Morgan Hill and all of Temecula.