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ADU guides

Everything you need to go from curious to confident, written in plain English, grounded in how ADU projects actually happen.

What is an ADU?

The complete primer: definitions, terminology (JADU, DADU, casita), why cities regulate them, and why they've exploded in popularity.

Realistic 2026 budgets by ADU type, the line items people forget, and the levers that actually move the total.

HELOCs, cash-out refinancing, renovation loans, construction loans, and state incentive programs compared.

Detached, attached, garage conversion, basement unit, and junior ADU: costs, trade-offs, and which lots each suits.