Service
Additions & ADUs in Austin
An addition is decided by the lot before it is decided by the plan. Impervious cover, setbacks, height limits, tree protection and, in some neighborhoods, historic review determine what is actually buildable. We settle that first, then design to it.
- Pricing
- Fixed price after design
- Scheduling
- Planned for your house
- Warranty
- 12-month labor workmanship
What is included.
- Feasibility review of the lot: coverage, setbacks, height, trees and drainage, before design
- Architectural plans and structural engineering
- Foundation, framing, roofing, siding, windows and doors
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC extension or new systems, by Texas-licensed trade partners
- Full interior finish of the new space, and tie-in detailing so it reads as part of the house
- Permitting with the relevant city, plus historic or arborist review where it applies
- 12-month workmanship warranty on labor
What is not.
- Land purchase, survey fees and City impact fees, which are paid directly by the owner
- Landscaping and fencing beyond restoring what construction disturbs
- Furnishing or appliance packages
- Renovation of the existing house, unless you add it to scope
We publish the exclusions because they are where surprises live. Anything on this list that you want included becomes part of the scope and part of the fixed price.
Where the number comes from
What pushes the cost up, and what brings it down.
Pushes it up
- Second stories, which require structural reinforcement of everything below
- Working inside a heritage tree's critical root zone, which changes the foundation approach
- A detached ADU needing its own utility service and connections
- Sloped lots requiring retaining walls or deep foundations
- Matching historic exterior details on a contributing property
Brings it down
- A single-story rear addition on a flat, unconstrained lot
- Keeping the addition on the same side as existing plumbing and electrical
- Converting an existing garage or outbuilding rather than building new
- A simple roofline that ties in cleanly to the existing structure
How it goes
The same five steps, every project.
- 01
Consultation
- 02
Design & Selections
- 03
Fixed-Price Proposal
- 04
Permitting & Pre-Construction
- 05
Construction
Questions
Additions & ADUs questions we get most.
Can I build an ADU on my lot?
It depends on lot size, coverage, setbacks and your jurisdiction's rules. We check feasibility at consultation, before you pay anyone to design something that cannot be permitted.
Will the addition look added on?
Not if it is detailed properly. Matching siding profile, window proportion, roof pitch and trim is most of the work, and in Hyde Park and other historic districts it is also a review requirement.
How does permitting work for an addition?
It involves more review than an interior remodel, and more again if trees, historic status or a separate city are involved. The review calendar belongs to the reviewing authority rather than to us, and we report where your submittal sits every week.
Tell us about your project.
Send us the basics and we will follow up with a clear, honest sense of the budget for what you have in mind. If we are not the right fit, we will say so quickly.
We reply within one business day.