Building Our Own ADU
When my husband and I bought our “forever home” in late 2023, our plan from the start was to build an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) or “casita” for my mom to live in on the property. After thinking through some of the ideas for this project we landed on what ended up being the most cost and time-effective option: converting our carport into a 650+ sq. ft. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home.
When you tell people you’re turning your carport into a home for your mom, it can be a little awkward. “I promise I love my mom and there’s a ton of potential in the space!” I’d find myself saying. I had great faith in our vision, but I’d be lying if I said I never had concerns. What if it doesn’t turn out that nice? Then what?
The first step in this process started when our offer on the house was accepted. In Arizona purchase contracts default to giving buyers a 10 day due diligence period, which is their time to do all of the research they deem necessary. This time can be shortened, extended, or waived, but I never advise waiving it. In addition to physical inspections this might mean researching schools, driving around the neighborhood at different times of the day and night, and making sure the neighbor’s dog isn’t constantly barking, among other things. For us, it meant reading thoroughly through our CC&R’s (Convenants, Conditions, & Restrictions) and talking with the city to see what type of hurdles we may need to jump through in order to get this project off the ground.
My next step was finding a general contractor or construction company we could trust to take this project on. In my mind this was the most crucial decision we were going to make, since hiring the wrong company could end up costing us so much more in the long run. Luckily, I had been following Unstoppable Construction — a stellar construction team focusing on ADUs — on Instagram for a bit and knew they were the first people I wanted to interview. After meeting with the company’s co-owner, Amanda, she pretty much sealed the deal and I knew I didn’t want to talk with anyone else.
My first piece of advice for anyone wanting to build an ADU is to make sure that your general contractor is organized and great at communication. This will save you from some major headaches. You must also be realistic about your budget (building a home costs more than you may think) and timeline. In this instance, permitting took longer than actually building the casita, which I don’t think is particularly uncommon. Although construction was only 108 or so days, we started actually planning this project about a year prior to completion.
It’s also vital to be adaptable and, if possible, somewhat available. Thanks to my flexible work schedule, I was able to answer questions quickly, provide access to necessary utilities, and talk with the team when necessary. It is possible to take on projects like this if your work is especially demanding, but I imagine it would be more difficult.
Because of Tucson’s housing shortage and high demand, the city has been working to make building an ADU easier, but it still comes with its challenges. If you’re in an HOA I imagine it’s all but impossible, and if your zoning isn’t R1 it becomes more difficult. In our case (RX-2 zoning) we had to ask for approval for parts of the project — namely, building a new carport — and the neighbors declined. Luckily, actually building the casita was something we didn’t have to get permission for since it satisfied lot setback requirements from the get-go.
As a self proclaimed “house nerd,” I grew up reading the classifieds for home sales and checking issues of Architectural Digest out from the library because I loved looking at houses that much. Tackling a project like this was a dream come true for me, and while I would have made different choices if our budget allowed for it, the challenge of staying within our price range while embarking on a significant transformation was truly gratifying.
Check out this before and after video and see some photos of the completed space below. If you’re interested in building an ADU in Tucson, I couldn’t recommend Unstoppable Construction more. They are true professionals who worked diligently to build the best new home possible for my mom.
