Tacoma ADU Tips with Tacoma DADU
In this article we talk with Tacoma DADU about tips for buying a home to build an ADU in Tacoma.
When shopping for a house, we think it’s a wonderful strategy to look for a property that has the ability to build a DADU (detached accessory dwelling unit) on! Adding a DADU can bring in passive income in the form of rent that can help cover your mortgage and add money to your bank account. We sat down with Matt Rody from Tacoma DADU to make a list of the top 5 aspects to look for when you’re going to buy a home in Tacoma and build an ADU. Read on for our recommendations to best fit your needs!
Large backyard
This is the most important aspect when shopping for a house to buy if you want to build a DADU for a pretty obvious reason- room to build! If the backyard is too small, adding a house simply won’t work. Look for large lots, or a medium sized lot where the main house is set close to the street in the front.
A Level or Low Slope Lot
Take a look at the backyard, and make sure that it is flat and isn’t sloping too far downward or upward. While you might be able to potentially add your DADU on a sloped lot, this can add in extra costs when considering utilities such as electrical and sewer. If your backyard slopes down for example, that makes installing the sewer line extremely difficult because of the slope required to tie into your existing sewer line at the front of the house. If your backyard slopes up from the house, this is less of a problem because you’re able to meet the grade of the sewer line, but retaining walls and extra excavation may be required.
Alley Access
While this isn’t a requirement, having the lot be on an alley can make every part of the DADU process more feasible. Generally it will be easier to have parking for the unit, and while the mailbox still needs to be on the main street that the primary residence faces, the door to the DADU can be alley facing. It makes getting to the backyard much more convenient for whatever large tools, leveling, concrete etc. that will be happening. A definite plus!
Total Lot + House Square Footage
Generally if you know that you are going to want to add a DADU, you don’t want the main house to be tiny. There are a few rules to keep in mind
The square footage of your ADU can be no more than 85% of the square footage of the main house, and a maximum of 1000 sq ft. If the main house is small and cozy, the DADU will end up having to be an extremely tiny dwelling!
There are also the limitations of total DADU footprint in regards to total square footage of the lot. Whatever is the smallest number of these rules is what the square footage of the DADU is allowed to be. So it's either 85% of the footprint or 15% of the square footage of the lot. For example, on some properties, you can have a big house with a smaller lot. If this is the case, then the lot would be dictating the DADU square footage.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend aiming for a primary property that is 1500 sq ft or larger, and of course, a large lot helps as well!
The Taller the Better
Having the primary property be a two story house , or at least pretty tall, can be very helpful. It gives you the most options, as the DADU cannot be taller than the main house. Please keep in mind that while it is beneficial to be able to do a two story DADU, there are additional height rules that are required for 2 story structures. These are a bit too complicated to break down here, but we’re happy to discuss further during your home search.
It’s also a great idea to discuss what you are wanting and what your needs are with your contractor during your home search, and we highly recommend Tacoma DADU to help you start your DADU plan today.