Backdoor Revolution-The Definitive Guide to ADU Development
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I: The Homeowner’s Guide to ADU Development
1) What Is an ADU?
Defining an ADU
Other Terms Used for ADUs
What’s in a Housing Unit?
Structural Forms of ADUs
The Multitude of Benefits of ADUs
Economic
Environmental
Social
Policy Goals
Terms You’ll Find in This Book
2) Timeline to Design and Build
Design and Permitting Process
Construction Process
3) Financing
How ADUs Build Wealth for Their Owners
ADUs as an Investment
Reducing Mortgage Payments
Breaking Even
Return on Investment
Paying Off the ADU
Financing an ADU
Cash Savings or Other Liquid Assets
Home Equity Lines of Credit
First Mortgage Cash-Out Refinance
Family-and-Friends Loans
Nonsecured Loans and Credit Cards
Renovation Loans
Construction Loans
4) Costs and Management of Development
What ADUs Cost to Build
The Costs of Development for Your Locale
Fixed Costs: Small Is Expensive
What Type of ADU to Build
Detached New Construction
Conversion of Preexisting Structures
Garage Conversions
Basement Conversions
Internal ADU Conversions
Addition-to-ADUs
Large Variables That Drive Costs of Construction
Designer and Builder
Developer, General Contractor, Builder
Become the General Contractor
Use a General Contractor for the Weathertight Shell; and Become the General Contractor for the Finish Work
Use a General Contractor for the Entire ADU
Defraying Development Costs through Sweat Equity
Level of Finish
Salvaging Finish Materials
5) Design Principles
Small-Space Design Principles for ADUs
Design Principles for Detached ADUs
ADU Design Tips and Tricks
Technical Issues in Basement ADUs
6) Income Models
Common Models for ADU Ownership
Market-Rate Rentals
Short-Term Rentals
Or Do Not Rent It
The Social Relationship of the Residents
Fledgling Development Models
ADUs as Condos
Part II: The Professional’s Guide to ADU Development
7) What Is Distinctive about Developing and Inducing ADUs
Amateur Homeowner Developers
Asynchronous Development
Faith in Government
The Challenge of Financing ADUs
Small Business Infrastructure
Flexible Use
8) Zoning Barriers
Poison-Pill Regulations
Owner-Occupancy Requirement
Off-Street Parking Requirements
Conditional Use
Prohibitively Restrictive Development Regulations
Property Line Setbacks
Size Limits on ADUs
Minimum Lot Sizes
Structural Forms
Sewer or Water Connections, Development Fee Costs
9) Impacts on a City
Matching Housing Demographics with Housing Options
ADUs as Affordable Housing
Impact on Neighborhood Character
Parking Impacts
Space Efficiency and Location Efficiency
The Presence of Informal ADUs
The Cottage Industry Economics of ADUs
10) Case Studies of Advancing ADUs in Cities
Portland, Oregon
ADU History
Political Support
Economics
Zoning
Urban Growth Boundary
Use Provisions
System Development Charge Waiver
Permitting Office Transparency
By-Right Development
Flexible Development Regulations
Advocacy and Educational Entrepreneurship
Vancouver, British Columbia
History
Political Support
Economics
Urban Growth Boundary
Zoning
By-Right Development
Use Provisions
Development Regulations
Economics and Financing
Austin, Texas
Santa Cruz, California
11) A Pathway for Planners and Advocates toward More Permitted Development
Affordable Rental Housing Crunch
Dominance of Single-Family Residential Zoning
Political Leadership
Regulatory Steps to Induce ADUs
Attached First, Then Detached
Chipping Away at the Poison-Pill Regulations
Keeping Administrative Fees at Bay
Program Guides in Plain English
Incentives to Build ADUs
Metrics of ADU Development Progress
Practical Roles for Advocates
When Financing Options Come to Fruition
Challenging the Flawed History of Single-Family Zoning
Programs That Have Not Worked
Legalizing Informal ADUs
Promoting ADUs without Creating Suitable Development Conditions
Tethering ADUs to Affordable or Senior Housing Programs
12) Civil Disobedience and Accessory Dwellings
The Homeowner’s Perspective
Work-Arounds and Loopholes
Alternatives to ADUs
Detached Bedrooms and Other Accessory Structures
Basement Living Space and Other Carve-Out In-Law Suites
Nonhabitable Accessory Structures
Camping in Temporary Dwellings
Tiny Houses on Wheels
Mobile Dwellings: RVs, Vans, House Trucks, and Travel Trailers
Yurts and Tents
Tree Houses
Other Types of Small Housing
Building Beautiful Is Illegal
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Administrative Aspects of Ownership: How Utilities, Insurance, Appraisals, and Property Taxation Work
Appendix 2: History of ADUs
Appendix 3: Synonyms for ADUs
Appendix 4: Informal ADU Studies
Appendix 5: ADU Model Code
About the Author
Return to the main page to buy Backdoor Revolution-The Definitive Guide to ADU Development