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How to Build an ADU in Monterey County: From Feasibility to Permit
Exterior rendering of a single-storey house behind a timber fence, viewed from the garden
The order that keeps an ADU project in Monterey County on schedule: jurisdiction, site checks, ADU type, design, engineering and the 60-day permit clock.
What Happens If You Build Without a Permit in California?
Rendering of a hillside residence with wraparound decks — RDD Solutions, Monterey County CA
Most unpermitted work in California is not discovered when it is built. It is discovered years later: when a neighbor complains, when an insurance claim...
Does an ADU Increase Property Taxes in California?
Aerial rendering of a residence and driveway on a wooded parcel — RDD Solutions, Monterey County CA
Yes, an ADU increases your property taxes. But in California it increases them far less than most homeowners fear, because of how Proposition 13 treats...
California ADU Law in 2026: What the State Guarantees and What Monterey County Adds
Rendering of a two-story hillside home with stepped decks — RDD Solutions, Monterey County CA
California has rewritten its ADU law almost every year since 2017, and the result is one of the most homeowner-friendly sets of rules in the...
How Much Value Does an ADU Add to a Home in California?
Aerial site rendering showing a home set among oaks on a large parcel — RDD Solutions, Monterey County CA
Ask how much value an ADU adds and you will find a confident percentage on almost every builder's website. The honest answer is that there...
Building an ADU Over a Garage in California: Height, Structure and Fire Rules
Rendering of a single-story home with attached garage on a level lot — RDD Solutions, Monterey County CA
The garage is the most common place Monterey Peninsula homeowners look when they want an ADU. Some want to convert it. Many want to keep...
Converting an Attached Garage Into Living Space in California
Modern single-storey home exterior at dusk — the scale of project a home addition typically produces
What it takes to convert an attached garage into a family room or living space in California — the parking rule that decides most projects,...
How Big Can an ADU Be in California? What Actually Fits in 500, 750, 1,000 and 1,200 Square Feet
Contemporary waterfront home at dusk — permitted residential construction in California
What actually fits in a 500, 750, 900 or 1,200 sq ft ADU - plus the 750 sq ft line that decides whether you pay...
Granny Flat, Granny Pod, Casita or ADU? Four Names, One Building
Coastal homes above Ribera Beach, Carmel CA — the kind of parcel that drives local permit requirements
Granny flat, granny pod, casita, ADU - only two of those exist in California law. What each name really means, and what you can actually...
Do You Need a Geotechnical Report for a Hillside Lot?
Coastal homes above Ribera Beach, Carmel CA — the kind of parcel that drives local permit requirements
What a soils report is, who is licensed to produce one, what triggers it on a sloped lot, the state seismic-zone exemption, and how findings...