You’ve probably heard the news by now: no city within the State of California is allowed to restrict the construction of an accessory dwelling unit on a residential property. This is true no matter the size of your residential lot. Even the strictest HOA in Mission Viejo can no longer prohibit you from building an ADU in your backyard if you want one. This is great news for Mission Viejo homeowners who want additional living space on their properties or who want to build a unit that can bring in some rental income.
It’s important to note, however, that even though California has removed some major roadblocks when it comes to the approval of ADUs on residential properties within the state, it doesn’t mean that you can just start construction on an ADU in Mission Viejo right away. Every ADU still has to go through the permitting process with the city and be built to code. This means that you want to work with a general contractor in Mission Viejo who is familiar with local building codes and who knows how to construct a home that will pass inspections.
At Scott McKee Construction, we can not only build an ADU on your property, but we can also help you design one and take it through the permitting process with the City of Mission Viejo (or any of the surrounding cities). During the design process, we will work closely with you to understand your goals for your ADU. Are you building it to house an elderly family member who still wants to live independently, but also needs to be near family? Do you want to provide affordable housing for a young adult child? Will it be purely a rental unit, or will it serve as guest quarters for visiting friends and family members?
The purpose of your ADU will help determine its design, at least in part. There are some elements that all ADUs must include, such as a full kitchen and bathroom, and for new construction ADUs (as opposed to existing accessory units that are converted to ADUs) the California Energy Code requires the addition of solar panels. In addition, Mission Viejo’s municipal code says, “Accessory structures in residential zones shall be compatible with the materials and architecture of the main dwelling on the property.” In other words, the ADU on your property must be designed in a similar style as your main house so it doesn’t look out of place. It doesn’t have to be a miniature version of your main house, but it does have to be compatible when it comes to its style and materials.
For most people, once they decide to build an ADU on their property, the want the process to go fairly quickly. When you work with the team from Scott McKee Construction, we work hard to complete your project within the agreed-upon timeline. This is one of the things that sets us apart from other ADU contractors in Mission Viejo. We finish projects in a timely manner so you can start enjoying them sooner.
If you have any questions about ADUs in Mission Viejo or want to get a quote on having one designed and built on your property, contact us today. Our experienced team can help you through the entire process—from beginning to end!
