Get Matched: How It Works
Tell Us About Your Project
ADU type, location and timeline. About two minutes.
We Introduce You to Local Builders
Your request goes to up to five ADU builders serving your area — never more. Builders pay us a flat fee; you pay nothing.
Compare & Choose
Use the checklist below to compare them. No pressure and no obligation.
Get Free ADU Quotes in Your Area
Tell us about your project and we'll pass it to ADU builders serving Your Area. Free, no obligation — you choose who to work with. We don't have builders in every area yet; if nobody covers yours, we'll email you to say so.
Takes about a minute.
Up to 5 independent local ADU builders — never more, and we tell them nothing you don't submit here.
Compare quotes, verify license & insurance, hire (or don't). No spam either way.
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How to Find a Good ADU Contractor
Most ADU projects that go wrong do so for reasons you could have checked before signing. Work through these in order — each one is quick, and each one eliminates builders who would have cost you money.
Check the license yourself
Look the business up on your state’s register (table below). Confirm the license is active, that it is in the same business name you’re signing with, and that its class actually allows building a dwelling — several states license trades and remodelers who cannot legally build a new unit.
Confirm insurance directly
Ask for certificates of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and have the insurer confirm them. A certificate handed over by the builder can be out of date.
See finished ADUs
Ask for addresses or photos of completed ADUs, ideally in your city, and for a past client you can call. Plan review and utility connections are where ADU projects stall, so local experience matters more than general building experience.
Get two or three written quotes on the same scope
Hand each builder the same description of the work. Quotes that describe different work can’t be compared, and the lowest number often leaves out design, permits, utility connections or site work. Our ADU cost calculator gives you a local ballpark first.
Read the contract before you sign
It should name who pulls the permits, tie payments to completed milestones, explain how change orders are priced, and state the warranty. Check the license once more on the day you sign.
Check an ADU Contractor’s License, State by State
These are the registers we use ourselves when we look builders up. Each link goes to the state’s own lookup. “Active” is not the whole answer — the license class and the business name matter just as much, and in some states the details that matter most only appear on the full record.
| State | Who licenses builders | Register | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Contractors State License Board (CSLB) | Look up a license | A B (General Building) license. Open the full license detail, not just the “Active” line: bond status, workers’ compensation and any pending disciplinary action appear only there. |
| Arizona | Registrar of Contractors (ROC) | Look up a license | Classes B, KB-1 and KB-2 authorize building a home. B-3 is remodel and repair only, and CR- and C- classes are single trades. |
| Washington | Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) | Look up a license | An active contractor registration with a current bond and insurance on file. |
| Oregon | Construction Contractors Board (CCB) | Look up a license | An active CCB license in the builder’s own business name. |
| Nevada | State Contractors Board (NSCB) | Look up a license | Only a B (general building) or B-2 license authorizes building a dwelling. Trade classes such as C-3 do not, however the business describes itself. |
| Utah | Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) | Look up a license | An active contractor license in the business’s name. |
| Minnesota | Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) | Look up a license | A Residential Building Contractor license for new construction. A Residential Remodeler license covers work on existing structures only, which usually rules out a new detached unit. |
| Maryland | Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) | Look up a license | An active MHIC license for work on an existing home. |
| North Carolina | Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) | Look up a license | A general contractor license is required for jobs of $40,000 or more, so a builder doing only small projects may legitimately have none. An inactive license is flagged next to its number. |
| New Jersey | Division of Consumer Affairs | Look up a license | Home improvement contractors must be registered. Search by business name, not by person. |
| Virginia | Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) | Look up a license | A Class A, B or C contractor license. The class caps the size of job they can legally take on. |
| Florida | Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) | Look up a license | A certified (statewide) or registered (local) building, residential or general contractor license. |
| Texas | No statewide builder license | — | Texas does not license general or residential builders at state level. Check whether your city requires contractor registration, and ask for proof of insurance directly from the insurer. |
Not listed? Search for your state’s contractor license lookup. If your state doesn’t license builders, your city or county building department can tell you what local registration applies. License status changes — a bond can be cancelled or a disciplinary action filed within weeks — so check again right before you sign.
Questions to Ask Before You Hire
- How many ADUs have you completed, and can I see one? Finished ADUs, not just additions or remodels.
- Will you pull the permits and handle plan review? Get the answer in the contract.
- What exactly is included in your price? Design, engineering, permit fees, site work, utility connections and finishes are the usual gaps.
- How long from signed contract to final inspection? Ask what the longest delay on their last ADU was, and why.
- Who will be on site day to day? The person you meet is often not the person running the job.
- How are change orders priced? In writing, before the work, every time.
- What is the payment schedule? Payments should follow completed milestones, not the calendar.
Red Flags
- A license number that’s missing, inactive, or registered to a different business name
- A license class that doesn’t cover building a new dwelling
- A large payment demanded up front — in California a home-improvement down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less
- A suggestion to skip permits “to save time”
- Pressure to sign today, or no written contract at all
What a Good ADU Quote Includes
A quote you can compare breaks the work into parts. If one of these is missing, ask whether it’s excluded or just not itemized:
| Line item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Design & engineering | Plans, structural and energy calculations, plan-review revisions |
| Permits & fees | Building permit, plan check, impact and school fees where they apply |
| Site work | Grading, access, tree removal, trenching |
| Utility connections | Water, sewer, electrical service and any panel upgrade on the main house |
| Foundation & structure | Slab or foundation, framing, roof |
| Systems & finishes | Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, kitchen, bath, flooring |
| Contingency | Usually 10–15%; ask how unused contingency is handled |
How Our Introductions Work
We introduce your project to up to five ADU builders who serve your area, and never more than that. Builders pay us a flat fee when they choose to take on an introduction; you pay nothing and are under no obligation to hire anyone. Where a state publishes a license register, we look builders up on it — but license status changes, so please check again yourself before you sign.
We are an introduction service, not the contractor, and we don’t guarantee any builder’s work — always confirm licensing, insurance and references directly.
Hiring an ADU Contractor: Common Questions
How do I find a good ADU contractor?
How do I check an ADU contractor’s license?
Should I hire an ADU specialist or a general contractor?
How many quotes should I get for an ADU?
How much deposit should an ADU contractor ask for?
Is it free to get matched with ADU builders here?
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