How to Build a Tacoma DADU: PART 2
Welcome back! If you’ve read Part One of this blog series, you already know that Tacoma has specifically changed their laws to simplify ADU (Additional Dwelling Unit) and DADU (Detached Additional Dwelling Unit) construction in the city, but there is still criteria that your future DADU needs to fit into. Here are some of the main points that the City of Tacoma Planning Department will be checking in your plans.
The DADU cannot be more than 85% of the square footage of the main house, nor can it exceed 1000 total square feet.
The DADU has to be smaller than the main house in height and overall appearance.
The structure cannot exceed 15% of the total lot size.
The total average height of the DADU cannot exceed 18 feet to the midline of the roof OR the height of the main building. This is an important caveat! Most people want to build on top of a garage- but this criteria makes it quite difficult to do, so often creative use of roof lines is required (and sometimes not possible).
When building a Tacoma DADU
One of the biggest sticking points is the visual hierarchy. The city has broken this up into 3 distinct points-- and you have to hit 2 of these 3 points perfectly in order to get your plans approved.
Exterior facade-Siding material, siding size, orientation of siding, paint color, and trim all need to match the main house. This can be accomplished by painting the main house to match your ADU color or vice versa.
Roof line- You will want the new roofline to match the roofline on the main house. For example, if its a gable roof on your house with a 4:12 pitch, the ADU will need the same. A home with a mono-pitch will need an ADU with a mono-pitch etc. Additionally, the roof material needs to be the same. When my partner and I converted our garage into an ADU, we replaced the roof on the main house and the garage so that they matched.
Windows & doors- All to match the style and orientation of the windows on the main house. If the main house has white vinyl windows that are sliders- then the ADU has to have those as well. This can be difficult and costly if your main house is large and has old windows and you end up having to replace them. If the doors are all craftsman style on main house, can’t put a modern door on the ADU and the spacing and orientation of the windows needs to be similar as well- small vs. large etc.
Having a Tacoma DADU contractor that knows this criteria is so important!
This can make the difference in getting your plans approved, and your new ADU getting on the schedule sooner rather than later. Continue reading the next blog PART THREE for additional criteria and details when building your ADU. Please reach out with any questions or to get started on the process of finding your property!
(**These guidelines apply specifically to Tacoma. University Place, Lakewood and Fircrest may have differing criteria.)
