Before You Talk to One More Architect, Contractor, or “ADU Expert”…
Put your numbers into the box below and get a real-world reality check:
- What an ADU in your ZIP typically costs
- How long it usually takes
- Where homeowners get blindsided on permits and utilities
- Whether your plan sounds realistic or like a YouTube fairy tale
Most homeowners skip this step. They pay for it later.
You’re not going to be one of them.
Step 1: Tell the Truth
“This is where the guessing ends and the planning starts.”
Tell the tool what you’re honestly thinking about building:
- Your ZIP code
- Your ADU type (garage conversion, detached, attached, JADU)
- Estimated square footage
- Basic details about your lot and utilities
Then hit submit.
Start Here — Your ADU Quick-Start Estimator
Get a fast, plain-English snapshot of cost, timeline, and complexity in your area.
ADU ESTIMATOR APP EMBED
Embed your Horizon app or iframe here.
For example:
<iframe src="YOUR-APP-URL" style="width:100%;height:480px;border:0;border-radius:6px;"></iframe>
What You’ll See (In Plain English)
No fluff. No “perfect world” nonsense.
You’ll get a quick snapshot:
- A realistic cost range based on your type and size
- An estimated timeline from “idea” to “move-in”
- A gut-check on permits, design, and utilities
- A little red flag if your plan smells risky
This isn’t a crystal ball. It’s a street-level reality check, built from real ADU projects, real phone calls, and real headaches homeowners run into again and again.
Who’s Behind This, and Why Should You Trust It?
My name is Steph Wynne.
For the last six years, I’ve worked inside a structural engineering firm in California.
I don’t sit in an ivory tower, I sit where the phone rings.
I’ve heard:
- The confused homeowners
- The “my contractor never told me that” stories
- The “I thought this would cost $40,000” fantasies
- The “why is the city asking for this?” meltdowns
I got tired of watching good people walk blindly into five- and six-figure projects. So I did what I always do: I researched the hell out of it.
That turned into a clear, step-by-step ADU guide, this estimator tool, and now the ADUSCA system to help homeowners stop guessing and start planning.
The Estimator Is Just the Beginning…
If the numbers you see make you think:
“Okay… now I really need to understand this.”
Good. You’re the person I wrote this for.
The Ultimate Guide to Building Your ADU
For California homeowners who don’t want to learn the hard way.
Inside, I walk you through:
- Feasibility (can you even build what you want?)
- Design & engineering (who you need and why)
- Permits (what the city really cares about)
- Utilities (the quiet budget killer nobody prepares you for)
- Construction stages (what actually happens and in what order)
- Timelines, red flags, and common traps to avoid
It’s the book I wish every caller had read before they picked up the phone.
Your ADU will either be the best decision you made with that property, or the most expensive lesson. Let’s make sure it’s the first one.