Let`s share some of the different considerations you should think about before embarking on a project of this size. Many people think, because it has laundry connections, that it should be a breeze and quite affordable. There`s much more to consider than water and electricity in one place. Many existing garages need to be redeveloped for residential purposes. You`ll need to explore and deploy a new power box to support more outlets and more watts. See the following details for more considerations. If you want to renovate your garage, remember that you must already have a family home in a residential area. First, you need to determine if you are legally allowed to renovate your garage. The first thing to keep in mind is that a guest house does not allow a kitchen. No more than a garage, at least not without permission. Because California`s landlord and tenant liability laws are so complex, it`s a good idea to seek professional help. You may want to talk to a lawyer or property management company for advice on renting a garage to tenants.
Making sure everything is legal and code-compliant before you start renting the property can help you avoid serious problems later on. While illegal garage conversions are all too common, you should resist the temptation to ask for forgiveness rather than permission when thinking about such a project. If you get caught by the city, as is the case with many homeowners, fines for unauthorized work can increase quickly, and the process of obtaining permits retroactively is probably more difficult than proper inspections during construction, as you need to open the walls so the inspector can see the electrical or plumbing work. In some cases, the city may ask you to convert the space back into a garage. Even if the city doesn`t understand it, an unauthorized garage renovation can put off potential buyers when you try to sell your home. Permits exist for a reason and, overall, they should benefit the owner 2 times; One is that the building is made to live according to the code and safely, and the other is that the person taking the permits takes responsibility for the work. You do not want your name to appear on the licence unless you are a licensed and insured general contractor. You also don`t want an uninsured construction professional to claim your home insurance because they were injured on the job. Remember that permits protect you and only apply to new construction, as inspectors have neither the time nor the interest to look for unapproved work on our property. Protect yourself and make sure your general contractor pulls them. When assessing the existing condition of the garage intended for renovation, it is equally important to determine whether or not there is a step between the garage floor and the existing living space of your home. Such a step is most often found in connected garage units.
According to California building codes, in this situation, you need to level the floor of the garage to match the floor of the house. Outdoor space and terrace: It is nice to consider a private outdoor space for the renovation of your garage, provided that it is a private space for the resident. Making a concrete patio or even installing pavers is a good surface for a table or seating etc. A few potted plants or landscaping is fine, but a lawn is probably useless. Building a patio cover for shade is a very nice detail, but it`s not always cheap. Foundation and flooring requirements vary from project to project. That being said, here are some common things to consider: • New backfilling when opening the existing garage door • A porch wall for water separation • R-19 insulation for raised wooden floors • Perimeter insulation of the R-7 panel in climate zone 1 The next and final step in converting the ADU garage is the fully customized conversion. The conversion will include the demolition of the existing garage, and the conversion will consist of a much larger floor plan or extension to the 2nd floor. The first step, after learning that you can turn a garage into a living space, is to create plans that are completely compliant with the code. In some cities, you may need to build another garage or install another off-street parking lot. Typically, you will need to get the renovation plans approved by the city, get a building permit to complete the renovation, and possibly register the new unit with your city`s housing authorities. The price of an ADU garage conversion is much cheaper than a new standalone or connected ADU.
As the garage already exists, a conversion saves money for the foundation, framing and roof parts of the construction project. Laundry: Since a garage conversion is a residential unit, including washing machines is an important detail. It`s not great if the garage renovation shares the laundry room with the main house or uses a laundromat. Recent legislation, which went into effect in January 2020, makes it legal for ALL California residents to sue ARUs on their property. Each city has local regulations that it may need to support its city`s civil engineering plan. This includes, but is not limited to, access to viable parking spaces when built in your existing parking garage, proximity to public transportation, the ratio of space to unused space, and many other individual parameters specific to each city. With land use planning now beginning to be limited, California is encouraging landlords to consider this to provide additional housing for current or new residents, thus holding more retail spending in California as well. The legislation also reversed the fee reduction with utilities to further encourage homeowners to build UADs.
On September 27, 2016, Governor Brown signed the Additional Housing Units Act into state law, Senate Bill (SB) 1069, which amended the existing State Second Unit Act. Thanks to the new state law, homeowners throughout California can easily build a secondary apartment on their property and efficiently and legally convert their existing garage into an auxiliary apartment with city inspections and permits. As examples, we can look at three different garage renovation projects and the approximate cost of each. Sometimes your existing garage isn`t big enough to accommodate the size of ADU you need. In this scenario, renovating the garage could be the perfect answer, as it allows you to double the footprint in the existing garage. The plan review process can go through one or two review cycles and take four to six weeks. As soon as the construction department has issued a garage conversion permit, construction can begin. HVAC: Be sure to include a high-quality HVAC system in your garage renovation so that your occupant feels comfortable in the home all year round. The first step is to find a small architect or design office to draw up the garage conversion plans under your direction. It`s a pretty simple project, so you don`t need an expensive architectural office. According to SeniorLiving.org, the average annual cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home can be as high as $100,000! The high price shows that if aging parents are able to reasonably live independently in their own private space, a garage renovation can be a much better use of money than the costs of nursing home or assisted living. In a perfect world, you would have your own “main list” of all the items that should be included in the auction, with which you can compare all the bids.
Check out my ADU checklist article for a complete list of requirements you can use as a resource. Ideally, you can prepare this ADU checklist when you decide what to include in your ADU garage conversion and then give it to every contractor you come across. Sound insulation: Especially when adding garage conversions, you need to make sure that there is insulation and maybe even soundproofing material between the detached houses so that residents do not hear any noise from each other.
