Homeowners Build $250,000 ADUs for $3,000 Monthly Rent as 24 States Ease Rules
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 19
Homeowners Build $250,000 ADUs for $3,000 Monthly Rent as 24 States Ease Rules
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 19
Summary
$3,000 a month in rent is helping some homeowners justify building accessory dwelling units, with a 900-square-foot Washington ADU costing roughly $230,000 to $250,000 and serving as both rental housing and future family space.
24 states have adopted rules to encourage ADUs as a housing-supply fix, but local zoning and permitting still shape what owners can build, including limits on size, height, setbacks and whether the owner must live on site.
$200,000 is what one Washington homeowner expects to spend on a new two-level ADU, after already paying $30,000 in design and permit costs and revising plans over a one-foot measurement error.
Eight to 12 months is a typical timeline from design to completion, while garage or basement conversions can be cheaper—about $80,000 to $120,000—and often move more easily through permitting.
Rental income can offset mortgages, but lenders often will not count projected ADU rent without a payment history, leaving many owners to rely on home equity or savings and to weigh privacy and landlord duties.