ADU builder in San Francisco, CA · Design, permits and construction · Licensed & insured
ADU CraftSan Francisco
ADU builder · San Francisco

A second home inside the house you already own.

Garage and ground-floor conversions, backyard cottages and junior ADUs for San Francisco homes, with the State or Local ADU Program chosen to fit your building.

Check what my lot allows San Francisco ADU costs
City street of bay-windowed houses with parked cars and the bay beyond
Program chosen for youState or Local, based on your building
Licensed & insuredCalifornia contractor; details with your quote
Design to finalOne team for plans, permits and construction

Which ADU program should I use in San Francisco?

San Francisco runs two. The State ADU Program follows state law: a 60-day review from a complete application, no neighborhood notification and no discretionary review. The Local Program allows more units in some buildings and waivers from certain Planning Code rules, but those units fall under the city's rent control law. Which is better depends on your building, as of November 2026.

See the full cost guide

What kinds of ADUs do we build in San Francisco?

Most San Francisco ADUs are conversions of ground-floor garage or storage space. Backyard cottages and junior ADUs round out the list.

Small gray-sided house with a shed roof, front porch and planted yard

Detached ADU

A separate backyard home with its own kitchen, bath and entry.

Detached ADU
Beige roll-up garage door set in shingled siding

Garage conversion

Turn a garage into a legal, livable unit.

Garage conversion
Single-story modern house with white walls and dark trim

Attached ADU

An addition joined to your house with its own entrance.

Attached ADU
Small unit interior with a kitchenette, wood-clad wall and vaulted ceiling

Junior ADU

A unit inside your home, up to 500 sq ft.

Junior ADU
Designer holding up a sheet of floor plans by a window

Design and permits

Plans, engineering and the city review, handled for you.

Design and permits

Why do so many San Francisco ADUs start in the garage?

Because the space is already there. Thousands of homes, especially in the western neighborhoods, have a ground floor of garage and storage under the living level. With enough ceiling height, light and a way to the back yard, that floor can become a studio or a one-bedroom.

The city notes that an ADU cannot remove housing services such as a garage, laundry or storage that tenants use without a just-cause reason, so buildings with tenants need a careful plan.

Sloping residential street of attached houses with garages

How does an ADU project work?

  1. Lot checkZoning, setbacks, easements and utility routes for your address.
  2. DesignFloor plans sized to the yard and the budget.
  3. PermitsPlans submitted and followed through city review.
  4. BuildConstruction, inspections and final sign-off.

Inside the units we build

Compact kitchens, bright rooms and baths sized for small spaces.

New kitchen with a white counter, sink and light wood cabinets
New kitchen with a white counter, sink and light wood cabinets
Bright studio room with a bed, chairs and tall French windows
Bright studio room with a bed, chairs and tall French windows
Bathroom with a frameless glass shower and long vanity
Bathroom with a frameless glass shower and long vanity
Backyard pergola over an outdoor kitchen and dining table
Backyard pergola over an outdoor kitchen and dining table

Neighborhoods we work in

All of San Francisco. Four pages cover what tends to come up in each.

Painted Victorian row houses at sunset with the downtown skyline behind

Sunset District

Ground-floor garages that become ADUs.

ADUs in Sunset District
Painted Victorian houses facing a park with the city skyline behind

Richmond District

Ground-floor units and rear cottages.

ADUs in Richmond District
Winding brick street with flower beds between hillside homes

Excelsior

Single-family homes with garages and back yards.

ADUs in Excelsior
Dense hillside neighborhood of houses and apartments in the city

Bernal Heights

Hillside lots and creative layouts.

ADUs in Bernal Heights

Is your lot ready for an ADU?

Send your address and a sentence about what you want. We look up the zoning, setbacks and utility routes and reply with the ADU types that fit.

We build in San Francisco, CA.

We use your details only to answer this request. Your address is never published.

San Francisco ADU questions

State or Local ADU Program in San Francisco? Are ADUs rent controlled in San Francisco? What are the ADU rules in San Francisco? How much does an ADU cost in San Francisco? How long does it take to build an ADU in San Francisco?