FAQ

For a Backyard studio model, you’ll need a 39’✕25’ area on your property, which includes the legally required setbacks. The one-bedroom model requires a 47’✕25’ area, and the two-bedroom model needs a 57’✕25’ area.

While Backyard is primarily designed as an “accessory” to a primary residence, it can also be permitted as a standalone single-family residence (which can be complemented with its own ADU). We’ll help you determine if the cost and timeline for installing a standalone Backyard unit are the right fit for your needs.

Absolutely not. We’ve spread out the milestone payments throughout the entire project timeline, and we won’t collect payment or begin work until you’ve secured financing.

Don’t worry – our team has established relationships with various financing partners. If you haven’t found a financing partner yet, we’ll assist you in the process.

For a Backyard studio model, you’ll need a 39’ x 25’ area on your property, which includes the legally required setbacks. The one-bedroom model requires a 47’ x 25’ area, and the two-bedroom model needs a 57’ x 25’ area.

It usually takes around seven months from start to finish. This includes getting permits, manufacturing the unit, and installing it on your property. Since the time it takes to get a building permit can vary, we’ll provide you with a personalized timeline once you request a proposal.

Yes! In California, Backyard units are pre-approved and prefabricated in parallel with your local permitting process. While permit times do vary, the typical Backyard installation is 4-6 months faster than traditional site-built construction.

Our installation process is designed to minimize disruptions to your property and daily life. Our site preparation work typically takes 4-6 weeks, which is much shorter than the usual 6-12 months for on-site builds. The most significant disruption is when we deliver and crane your Backyard unit into place, which sometimes requires a temporary street closure. Don’t worry—we’ll give you and your neighbors plenty of notice.

All construction has a degree of noise, but we keep it to a minimum. We complete the noisiest parts of construction in our factory, and the fast site preparation work makes this the least noisy way to add an ADU to your property.

Absolutely not. We’ve spread out the milestone payments throughout the entire project timeline, and we won’t collect payment or begin work until you’ve secured financing.

Don’t worry – our team has established relationships with various financing partners. If you haven’t found a financing partner yet, we’ll assist you in the process.

We offer Financing for Backyard, a second mortgage with lower rates and more flexible terms than your typical first mortgage. To learn more about Financing for Backyard, click here.

Other financing options typically include cash-out refinances, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), home equity loans, and renovation or construction loans.

Our team can help you find the right financing for your specific situation.

The base installation cost covers a range of services to accommodate most sites, with the final installation price tailored to your specific property. The base installation scope includes:

• Full-time project management by our operations team
• Allowances for building permits and encroachment permits necessary for installation
• General site infrastructure, including mobilization, a site toilet, protective work zone barriers, and required stormwater contamination prevention measures
• Surveying services for a typical Backyard installation, including boundary and foundation surveys
• Site clearing, including small bush and shrub removal
• Minor landscape irrigation rerouting at the installation location
• Standard foundation installation, designed for most sites in California
• Equipment, labor, and materials for utility connections, including 100’ of 3” sanitary sewer, 75’ of 60A electrical conduit and wire, 75’ of teledata conduit, and 50’ of ¾” PVC water line
• A crane capable of lifting your Backyard at least 125’, traffic control, and safety barriers for delivery day
• Wooden entry stairs at the main entrance
• Solar system installation
• Touchup and final cleaning after delivery

Yes! If the final location for your Backyard unit doesn’t require all the services we initially included, we’ll adjust the cost in your final proposal. You’ll only pay for what your site needs.

We’ll help you identify potential extra costs early on. However, be aware that the following factors could lead to additional costs:

• Remote properties with significant travel for our crews
• Additional permits and services required by your local jurisdiction
• Concrete or structure demolition
• Deep lots requiring extra trenching, utilities, or a larger crane
• Tree removal beyond minor shrubs and bushes
• Electrical service upgrades (though usually not needed)
• Fire sprinklers and water upgrades
• Limited site access that requires hand digging or other costs
• Re-routing of larger irrigation lines encountered during excavation (>1” Line)
• Unforeseen site conditions discovered during excavation or permitting

Yes, you do. But don’t worry! Our team will take care of obtaining all the necessary permits to make the process as easy as possible for you.

In some areas, faster permitting options are available through pre-approval processes or third-party reviewers. We’ll work with you to understand your timeline and find the best option based on your property and location.

While Backyard is primarily designed as an “accessory” to a primary residence, it can also be permitted as a standalone single-family residence (which can be complemented with its own ADU). We’ll help you determine if the cost and timeline for installing a standalone Backyard unit are the right fit for your needs.

Front yard ADUs can be difficult to build, but starting in 2023, they are easier to permit in California thanks to the recent passage of Assembly Bill 2221.

Yes, California law allows two ADUs for each single-family home: a detached ADU (like Backyard) and a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU), which is a specific type of conversion of existing space contained within an existing or proposed single-family residence, not exceeding 500 square feet.

Solar is not required, but Backyard offers solar options to protect against rising electricity costs and maximize your investment. Our team can help you decide if solar makes sense for your situation.

State law indicates that ADUs are intended for long-term housing with average rental periods exceeding 30 days. However, local jurisdictions may allow shorter rentals. Our team can help you understand your area’s rental rules based on how you plan to use your Backyard unit.

SB9 is a California state law allowing the subdivision of a parcel in a single-family zone into two parcels.

In California, an ADU can be up to 1,200 square feet. However, ADUs larger than 750 square feet might have extra requirements. Smaller ADUs under 800 square feet and with certain height and setback rules are called “statewide exemption ADUs.”

This type of ADU is up to 800 square feet, 16 feet in height, and has a minimum 4-foot side and rear yard setbacks. State ADU law ensures that no lot coverage, floor area ratio, open space, or minimum lot size will prevent the construction of a statewide exemption ADU. It allows for a detached new construction statewide exemption ADU to be built on the same lot with a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) in a single-family residential zone. ADUs are also allowed in any residential or mixed-use zones regardless of zoning and development standards.

Impact fees are charges from local agencies to help manage the effects of a development project. They don’t apply to Backyard and other ADUs under 750 square feet.

Yes, adding an ADU will increase your property tax based on its value, but it won’t trigger a re-assessment of your primary residence. This makes ADUs a tax-efficient way to add extra housing or space to your property. Depending on how you use your ADU, there may also be tax-related benefits, which we can help you understand.

Yes, a permanent ADU can increase your property’s livable square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, and overall value.

Detached ADUs can be a fantastic investment, depending on your property and goals. They can generate extra income from renters and positively impact your property’s value and long-term appreciation. While we’re not financial advisors, we’ll help you understand the potential long-term benefits of adding Backyard to your property.

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a secondary living space that shares the building lot of a larger, primary home. These livable spaces have a kitchen and bathroom, and are sometimes called granny flats, in-law units, or backyard homes. They offer a quick and low-impact way to add housing and increase the value of existing properties for California homeowners.

Factory-built housing (FBH) is a type of residential building or dwelling unit manufactured off-site and regulated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). These units are approved and inspected by HCD-approved agencies and bear an HCD insignia of approval upon completion. FBH typically refers to modular housing built and transported in modular units and set on a permanent foundation.