Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit | Pros and Cons | Should you build a JR ADU or an ADU?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- The pros and cons of a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit, and the most common situations where I recommend using a Junior ADU (JR ADU).
0:00 Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADU) - Definition
0:52 2 Key concepts (1- JADUs are not ADUs and 2- It pays to do your research)
2:08 The most important characteristics of JADUs
4:55 Variation in your city or county
9:24 Advantages and Disadvantages of JADUs
12:14 3 situations where I recommend Junior Accessory Dwelling Units
15:40 How much does it cost to build a JR ADU
17:20 Next up: how to start a project • How to build an ADU - ... or learn more about the laws around JADUs • New ADU Law - Californ...
Two links I mention in the video:
Get started on your ADU with my help: bit.ly/youtube-adu
A Junior ADU project in my region that cost less than $15k in construction: • Marian in Sebastopol
Here is an article that covers the same material as this video with more legal citations and references: www.how-to-adu.com/adu-articl...
JADUs have some advantages like:
-They can share sanitation with the primary residence
-They do not need as much utility separation as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
-They can be built in addition to an ADU so you can have a triplex
-Sometimes, they can add square footage to your house
But they have some limitations too:
-Homeowner occupancy requirement
-Size is limited to less than 500 sq ft
-The JADU has to be contained entirely within a single family residence
-Unless you’re converting garage or basement, it’s not very different from renting a room out of your house, and potentially much more expensive
Learn about this important tool for homeowners and how you might use a Junior ADU on your property.
Subscribe for more accessory dwelling unit resources: / @howtoadu
GET STARTED WITH YOUR OWN ADU PROJECT: bit.ly/yt-adu
Let’s connect:
If you have questions about your own ADU project, there's a Facebook group where lots of experienced homeowners can talk to you about the questions you have. Every ADU is unique, so it's important to just ask specific questions so people with up-to-date experience in your county or city can chime in and help. / 1497985200356915
Twitter - @howtoadu
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Want to know how to start building a JADU or ADU?
One of the country's leading voices on ADUs explains how you should do it in this video: th-cam.com/video/NykDknr30Xg/w-d-xo.html
Love your work. Thanks!!
Good Stuff my friend.
You are so helpful. I hope to have my single garage into a JDU for myself. I’m thinking of the future and will need rental income to rent the main house.
Unfortunately I swear I have a black cloud over me. No matter what I try to do like remodeling a kitchen that’s been coming up to 2 yrs and it’s an empty room that’s painted and floors installed.
All this scares me and I don’t know if I can afford to build out my small garage.
Again, I think you are so wonderful helping people with very common and unknown questions.
Bless your heart.🙏🏻💖🌸
Thanks for watching and hang in there. It's a marathon not a sprint!
Keep learning about your options, and hopefully the right path will become clear for you one day :)
My city allows up to 1 detached ADU and 1 JADU per property. So what I'm currently doing is building a 750 sq ft detached ADU with a 500 sq ft attached accessory structure (unfinished storage room). So once my ADU is finished, shortly after I will apply to convert the storage space into a JADU since technically I will them be converting an "existing space." I will essentially have a duplex on my property that will cash flow nicely.
can be added to sf on property !!! Wow!! sold ,, thank you for the info
Love your thought process for explaining ADUs. The Mountain View, CA Planning Department does not count up to 800 sq ft of a standard ADU in the floor to area ratio (FAR) because of the state requirement. However, this city department says the junior ADU (JADU) square footage is included in (and therefore, not separate from) the FAR. Do you think that, based on what is or isn't in the state law, the City has the discretion to specify that the JADU square footage be counted in the maximum FAR allowed for the lot?
Hmm that’s an interesting one. For ADUs there are no size limits to interior conversions. But JADUs might not be included in that. I’d need to re read and brush up since the issue is a bit niche. Or you can email me ryan@how-to-adu.com and I can send you the section I think will explain this and you can read through
Hi and thanks so much. I have two questions, does a garage conversion to a JADU need footing or foundation? and do we need sheer walls?
Your planning and building department are the best place to ask about your specific project. But broadly, conversions are required to be up to code which means a good safe foundation, and a weather tight shell. Sheer wall specifically depends on a bit of the detail but most do. Sometimes you can put that or fire wall requirements on the inside of the conversion - ask a licensed contractor.
Thank you for the information! This is very helpful! If the ADU was built before 2020, does it still require owner occupancy? Thank you!
As usual, the answer probably depends on your jurisdiction and how the ADU was permitted.
Are you asking if a Junior ADU built before 2020 requires owner occupancy? It depends on the way the local ordinance was worded.
Are you asking if a conventional ADU built before 2020 has an owner occupancy requirement? It depends on what the laws were in the local jurisdiction when that ADU was built. Here's the guidance from the HCD's September 2020 Update "Prior to recent legislation, ADU laws allowed local agencies to elect whether the primary dwelling or ADU was required to be occupied by an owner. The updates to state ADU law removed the owner- occupancy allowance for newly created ADUs effective January 1, 2020. The new owner-occupancy exclusion is set to expire on December 31, 2024. Local agencies may not retroactively require owner occupancy for ADUs permitted between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024.
However, should a property have both an ADU and JADU, JADU law requires owner-occupancy of either the newly created JADU, or the single-family residence. Under this specific circumstance, a lot with an ADU would be subject to owner-occupancy requirements. - (Gov. Code, § 65852.2, subd. (a)(2))"
If you are in an ADU that was built before 2020, and you know there was an owner occupancy requirement, send me an email at ryan@how-to-adu.com and I'd be happy to help research what the local jurisdiction can do for you. Maybe there's a way out?
Hi, thanks for great info , I have question I live in Los angles city..currently we have an ADU detached I was thinking to do jadu question: if I we get permit for jadu later on if we want to sale house can we remove the jadu and covert it back before saling the house?
I have 2 questions, one is regarding fire separation and the other is regarding sewage. I want to convert my attached garage to a JADU. A small 10x10 laundry room which connects the garage to the main house will be converted to the kitchen. I plan to close off the door and separate the spaces, and had the impression that I do NOT need a "firewall" since it is not an ADU (something I read on the HCD.CA>GOV website). However, after a consultation I was told that both ADU and JADU's require a 1hr fire barrier. I just don't know what is what anymore. This detail can drive up cost and I need to know for planning and budgeting. The 2nd question was about connecting the new bathroom toilet and shower waste line and tapping directly into the existing main house waste/sewage line before it reaches the street. Is that okay? My understanding of the rule is that an ADU requires an entirely separate sewage line to the street and a JADU does not. this also affects cost significantly. I'm in the city of Santa Clarita, CA. Thanks a million for your videos and any help you can pass my way.
Oof, sorry you're not getting a clear message.
From what I've heard from homeowners, both answers vary by region (and sometimes the specific planner or inspector you're speaking to!) And the answers change over time as policies are updated.
For example, LA has been requiring people to trench around their house and connect to the sewer in front of the house (rather than go through it) but my understanding is that they are changing that policy (and there was much rejoicing!)
So I can't speak to the law in Santa Clarita at this moment, but you're asking the right questions. Make sure you budget for the firewall and have the conversation with your planners and make sure your construction documents are thorough when they get approved so you can point to them later and say "Hey, this got approved this way because x/y/z" during inspections.
Sorry I can't help more specifically without diving into a lot of detail. I offer hourly consulting if you do need help (but I think you've got this under control!)
If you have a bathroom sink do you need a kitchen sink?
Does JADU need separate plumbing/gas/swere from the house? Separate because its rental?
Edit I see you mentioned that @4:39
Thanks for the question.
Since filming this, I've heard some pretty strange stories. Some jurisdictions seem to really insist on separate utilities while others refuse to give a separate address for the JADU meaning it's difficult or impossible to get separate utilities. Even when you share one sewer connection with the primary house, you may have to connect to the sewer lateral in front of the house (rather than going through the primary).
Best bet is to speak to the planning department in your jurisdiction for a clear answer about your specific project.
Great job at explaining. I still have questions...
It’s mentioned that if I was to move from my SFR I would no longer be able to rent out the JADU. Is the disadvantage much larger than that? If I was to move from this property, that I would never want to sell, could I not rent out the
SFR if I keep the ADU unrented? Keeping in mind that I am in LA County and they are now requiring property owners to register their rental units. “If a property contains a JADU, either the SFR or the JADU shell be the principal residence of at least one legal owner of the lot, as evidenced at the time of approval…” I find the code vague, including the Release of Owner-Occupancy Covenant, that seems to undo the covenant “that required owner-occupancy in perpetuity”, as soon as it is submitted but only to the benefit of the County? If a JADU is permitted but not occupied is the property considered not containing a JADU. Therefor I can rent out the SFR?
If the JADU is unoccupied and I remove the stove is it no longer a JADU so I could rent the SFR?
Thank you.
This is a great question - I have similarly never understood what the local agency is supposed to do if somebody moves. Are they going to come in and "condemn" the JADU and pour cement down the toilet? That seems a bit extreme. Especially if the JADU was previously a habitable room - wouldn't it just revert to being a room in the larger SFR?
That said, you really need to talk to the local jurisdiction about what they intend to do. Some have you sign a very specific deed restriction when permitting/building the JADU. Others are pretty loosey gooey about it.
Note that I've heard of exemptions to owner occupancy requirements for very specific reasons too (for example, military deployment).
@@HowToADU I got bad news." If you wish to move away from your property built with a JADU but still retains ownership of the property, the JADU can no longer exist. You would need new approvals from Regional Planning and Building & Safety for the re-conversion to meet applicable single-family residential development standards under Title 22 (Zoning) of the County Code." I would have to remove external stairs, door and stove + permits. I also asked twice to see the actual covenant but all she gave me was "Sample covenant language". I would get the real thing when I submit plans. Sounds like Hotel California. How do we make this covenant go away?
Hey Ryan! Can I build JADU 499 sqft attach to the ADU 1199 sqft that already built vs build it attach to the original house? Thanks!
Most places require you to convert an existing part of the house to be the jadu. Some places will let you convert part of the ADU. But it’s subtractive in both cases most of the time
How big can a garage conversion be? The garage is detached. Can I build that to the max 1200 squ ft? Or does that land on jadu 500 sq max?
Generally speaking, an ADU conversion of an existing structure has no maximum size limit. A 3000 sq ft barn can be a 3000 sq ft ADU; a huge garage can be a huge ADU. In theory
A JADU can be limited to 500 sq ft.
If you are adding to the footprint of an existing structure, there are often different rules than for pure conversions.
And there are commonly percentage based size maximums for attached ADUs.
In another video of yours, you a partner mentioned that there are companies helping the customer with the ADU building process. Do you know of any of these companies in Los Angeles?
Sure - I really like NEO Builders down there. If you want a company that literally builds the ADU and rents it out, United Dwelling is down in that area.
What's ideal, 1 or 2 bedrooms?
Hello, i want to convert my 1-car garage into an JR ADU, can i stack second story on the top of the garage?
Generally most California cities will only let you use a JADU permit if you’re converting existing space. Adding onto the garage will usually require an ADU permit even if it’s smaller than 500 SF
The Junior ADU legislation requires owner occupancy but it seems some cities are looking at SB 13 to allow Junior ADUs in non-owner occupied houses until 2025. In my region, the City of Oxnard is allowing Junior ADUs in non-owner occupied houses while the City of Ventura has yet to even draft a new ordinance. Have you heard anything about this?
That's right - some cities are enforcing the owner occupancy requirement on JADUs (as the state law allows them to) and they are often choosing to do this with deed restrictions. Other cities are not enforcing this requirement. When a city does not adopt ADU ordinances, they will generally enforce state law but sometimes you'll know as much about it as they do!
Thanks for the info! You mentioned something I’ve never heard before - Building a detached 700 Sq ft ADU and a 500 Sq ft Jadu as one building. I love the idea. I'm wondering if we could use this strategy to build a 1,200 Sq ft building and avoid impact fees by making the ADU under 750 Sq ft.
Or a 749.9 Sq ft two bed two bath Adu and a 450 Sq ft JADU. I also sent you an email from Rapid :)
Also, could I buy a spreadsheet from you with condensed and updated ADU building codes for all the major jurisdictions in the SF Bay Area? I’m assuming you could sell this information as a subscription service to many professionals in the area.
Glad it helped.
The combo idea works in some jurisdictions and not in others. I have a little ebook I’m working on with form letters. Email ryan@how-to-adu.com for a working draft.
I like the idea of that spreadsheet! I’ll let you know what I can put together. Which county is your personal priority and how much do you think is a fair price? Be interested to hear your thoughts. I have most of the work done already!
@@HowToADU I'm interested in data for the entire Bay Area, mainly around the peninsula and high-priced areas around Walnut Creek. Maximum build size, setbacks from other structures, cost of impact fees for units above 750 sq feet, standard permit fees, required size for water main, how ADU friendly they are, average timelines to get approvals, etc.
I haven’t thought about what that might be worth to me. Still, it would be valuable to me if it were accurate, detailed, and updated regularly to reference it while meeting with homeowners throughout the Bay Area. I’d even be willing to pay something upfront to get it going.
@@stevenwilliams1205 That's helpful. I think some things like the impact fees are going to be hard for me to wrangle in a lot of places (but they're probably the most valuable thing that would separate me from other providers!) In any case, I'll start a working document and it would be great to get your feedback on it - you get some free access for now, in exchange for your help! :)
@@HowToADU I'm happy to collaborate! Thank you :)
We have a home on a hill that we want to add ADU but it has a Ceptic tank so we would have to connect to the sewer. We live on a private unincorporated street. How/who do I contact for that info? The house is in EScondido, CA but since we are unincorporated it’s under San Diego
The way water and sewer service work varies a lot from one unincorporated area to the next. I’d call the county and ask how it works for your address. You may have the option to connect to sewer or you may not. You may have the option to add to your septic system. You may have options to remove fixtures from your primary in order to build the adu on the same system. Lots of variables! Start with county front desk or county planning.
I can hire a construction company to build the adu. Im wondering, with your consultation through the whole process, if i could get it done for about half or with significant savings? Do you offer a service like this?
Can I convert my single car attached garage ( about 250 sq ft) to a JADU in Carmel by the Sea CA? 17:45
I've been wanting to do JADU but I'm wondering if I really should. If I'm only doing a bedroom and a bathroom, what would be a reason to ask for a permit to make it an official JADU rather than just renting it out? Trying to figure out my best options here. I'd love to get some advice from you.
You're asking yourself the right question, Tina-marie. Are you thinking about doing an attached "addition" of a bedroom and bathroom (ie expanding the house)?
If you can do an addition in your jurisdiction and you don't mind sharing an entrance and a kitchen with the person residing in the JADU, then you don't necessarily need a JADU.
If on the other hand, your jurisdiction prevents you from building that addition or requires you to go through a discretionary process, then the JADU path may allow you to get your permit despite other limitations. For example, if the addition exceeds allowed FAR restrictions, or triggers CEQA review, the JADU may avoid those types of restrictions.
There are lots of reasons to choose not to do a JADU or to choose to do a JADU. Happy to chat more about your situation if you like ryan@how-to-adu.com
@@HowToADU Hi Ryan, thank you for responding. My detached ADU is almost finished and now I'm about to submit plans for an addition to the main house. 530 sq ft. The idea is for me to rent it out. The plans already include a separate entrance. I'm ok having a double locked door separate the addition to the main house. I'd rather keep the square footage to over 500 and rent separately (has its own bathroom). Is the only leftover reason to do a JADU permit, because of the kitchen? Am I not allowed to ask for a permit for another kitchen in my house, rather than specifically name it a JADU? I hope this makes sense? If I HAVE to make it a JADU, then I'll need to shrink the square footage which I'm trying to avoid.
@@tina-marievelasco7828 please send me an email at Ryan@how-to-adu.com with your address and we can get into the details.
You mentioned renting out both the ADU and a junior ADU but then you also said that Junior a do use require owner occupancy. Which is it?
Always best to check with your local planning office what the rules are for your property.
Junior ADU can require owner-occupancy of ONE of the units (with exceptions for community land trusts, government agencies, etc). So it depends.
On some properties, one can live in the primary and rent out both the ADU and JADU. Or one can live in the JADU and rent out the other two. For example...
Is it ok that I have fallen in love with you!!!! You are the sweetest ❤️❤️❤️❤️
awwwwww, thanks for watching. Let's get you a house!
I am following your channel!! Thank you for all the amazing information you share with us. I promise, I will reach out to you when I am ready for an ADU. Do you have a business website?
@@drakedrones how-to-adu.com - look forward to hearing about your project one day.
What are my options if I want to rent out my jr adu and I eventually want to rent the main part of my home?
Broadly speaking, cities can require owner occupancy when permitting Junior ADUs. There are exceptions. Have you considered converting the interior space into a conventional ADU instead of a Junior?
@@HowToADU how would they know if I eventually move out?
My house is too small it would need to be my garage only that gets converted to a jr adu
Hot tip: If you live in the City of Los Angeles make sure you're looking at the city's rules, not the county's.
That is some sound advice!!! People get mixed up all the time. Furthermore if you’re subject to a specific plan that means extra rules. (and historic districts, coastal zones too!)
Do you know how much the property tax goes up if i build a jr ADU
This is a question for the county tax assessor. The methodology varies by county. A lot of the time, it's an additional assessment JUST for the JADU, while the rest of the property stays the same. Here's the county assessor for Sacramento County explaining it: th-cam.com/video/-HKGAIzcKVg/w-d-xo.html
I'm trying to purchase a home where can I send you the address. I'm inquiring about the garage its a block wall garage in the city of Ontario ca and it looks like a 24x22 garage n not sure
Thanks for sharing. www.how-to-adu.com/get-started or email ryan@how-to-adu.com
Do JADU require electric appliances in the kitchen? What about water heater and clothes dryer?
It's always best to ask these questions at the local planning department since they're the final say for your project!
JADUs generally require cooking facilities. Those do not have to be electric, but I think they do need to be permanent.
Clothes driers are generally not required for permanent living facilities.
I believe California building code does require hot water for sanitation (including the kitchen sink). That said, many JADUs will use the same water heater as the primary residence - please speak to your planning department about your specific case.
The types of questions you're asking (like do I need a water heater?) usually come from people who are trying to do something other than convert part of their home into a rentable unit. There might be other ways to accomplish what you're trying to do that have lighter requirements than a JADU.
Is there a way to talk to you at some length to get advice?
@@stephendflax Yes, I offer consults at an hourly rate with a small retainer. Email me about your project and we can have a look. (That said, I'm not a lawyer/architect/contractor/financial advisor so a lot of the answers will still be to speak to a licensed professional!)
May I have your email?
@@stephendflax ryan@how-to-adu.com Looking forward to your email Stephen.
Are JADUs Subject to water and sewer Connection and Capacity Fees?
Good question with a bit of a complicated "not usually" answer.
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65852.22
The state code says "(e) For purposes of providing service for water, sewer, or power, including a connection fee, a junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be considered a separate or new dwelling unit.
(f) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a local agency from adopting an ordinance or regulation, related to parking or a service or a connection fee for water, sewer, or power, that applies to a single-family residence that contains a junior accessory dwelling unit, so long as that ordinance or regulation applies uniformly to all single-family residences regardless of whether the single-family residence includes a junior accessory dwelling unit."
So based on section e, the spirit of the code is definitely to allow a JADU without a bunch of extra fees. But if there is an ordinance that says every house has to pay a capacity charge per room, then section f might allow the capacity charge for the whole house to increase. And it's kind of debatable. I've seen water districts continue to enforce rules about capacity per "equivalent dwelling unit" even though section e is pretty specific.
If you politely ask the local jurisdiction or water agency in question, you might get the answer for your specific case.
If you don't like how the local water district is interpreting the rules, I recommend contacting a representative of your local LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Committee).
@@HowToADU Thank You for your prompt reply. I'm going to check Marina,Ca water district and see.
@@viziocasaconto5754 Please let us know how it goes with the water district - ryan@how-to-adu.com
Thank you for the question and I hope to help you more in the future if you can like the video and subscribe to the channel :) 👍
@@HowToADU Done.
@@HowToADU Bad news. Marina, CA Water district requested to pay fees for water connection upgrade and also we need to pay fees for the Sewage upgrade. Approximately the costs is 15-18K before start doing anything for the JADU.
Jadu....you can not have it's own bathroom?
You may! You're not FORCED to.
So when you apply for a permit for a JADU, if you have a bathroom, that's fine - and if you submit without a bathroom, that's okay too as long as there's access to a shared bathroom in the primary dwelling.
When you apply for an ADU, if there's no bathroom in the plans, they would say "Hey that's not an ADU!"
Is this still valid in 2023?
Most of what I said is still generally true in California.
Do you want to be my nerd 🤓 friend?...🤭
Yes it is my calling!
I spoke to an individual who is a structural Engineer. He said for my proposed JADU blue prints plus help to get the Permits with City of Long Beach would cost $4000. Does that sound like the going price for an AJDU? I thought it was kind of high because the JADU already has a bathroom and entry door but would need a small kitchen designed. He also said he could create the blue prints without coming to the house I would only need to provide him a basic drawing of the JADU floor plan. Does this sound legit? Thanks, Allan
I can’t give you specific advice. In general… Conversions are pretty unpredictable in my experience. It really depends on what the city expects. For example, sometimes they want to know what’s in the walls and they want detail sections in your blue prints for the foundation, insulation and other elements. Other cities will be easier to deal with. And it’s sometimes down to the specific person at the city. So hard to say. $4k is cheap for stamped permit set. But make sure you have a plan if the city requires more.
How much do you charge for help with an JADU. Have a master bedroom with bathroom, separate entrance but need help with kitchen requirements and permits with the county of Los Angeles (Long Beach). Thank, Allan
Email me and I can send you the JADU section of the code and Long Beach code. Only charge when people need a bit more personal help