JADU vs. Full ADU — How to Know Which One Is Right for Your Property
This is one of the first questions homeowners ask us, and the right answer is never one-size-fits-all. It depends on your property, your budget, your goals, and your timeline. Here's an honest comparison.
A JADU is built within the existing footprint of your home. It's limited to 500 square feet, must include an efficiency kitchen and a separate exterior entrance, and can share a bathroom with the main house. Because you're working within existing walls, the construction is faster, the permitting is simpler, and the cost is significantly lower. For families who want a connected but private space think an aging parent, an adult child, or a live-in caregiver a JADU is often the ideal solution.
A full ADU can be detached or attached, typically includes its own bathroom, and can be up to 1,200 square feet or more depending on your city's rules. It offers greater independence, higher rental income potential, and more design flexibility. But it also costs more, takes longer to build, and involves a more complex approval process.
Here's a detail many homeowners don't realize: California law allows you to build both a JADU and an ADU on the same single-family property. Some of our clients in Gilroy and Morgan Hill where lot sizes make this especially feasible have built both, creating two additional income-generating units on a single lot.
Not sure which direction to go? That's literally what our free consultation is for. We'll look at your home, your lot, your local regulations, and your goals and we'll give you a clear recommendation with no pressure attached.