Building An ADU In Concord? City Announces 6 Pre-Approved ADU Plans

CONCORD, CA — The City of Concord on Monday officially introduced its pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit —ADU —program to help people save time and money during the design, planning, and permitting process of building an ADU.

Using a grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, Concord created six building code-compliant, construction-level drawings, which are now available to the public at no cost.

Sometimes called “granny units” or “in-law units,” ADUs are residential units located on the same lot as an existing or proposed single- or multi-family principal dwelling and provide complete independent living facilities for one or more people.

Concord's six designs include studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms. The designs range in size from 200 to 900 square feet, and each floor plan can accommodate different layouts. The designs also have multiple architectural styles commonly found in Concord, such as Bungalow/Craftsman, Spanish-inspired, Post-war suburban rancher, and modern, city officials said in a news release.

“This is a huge benefit to our community,” said Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister. “Providing these free ADU plans will assist the City in meeting the identified goals and policies contained within our adopted Housing Element by making it easier, quicker, and less expensive for our residents to add these units to their property.”

People who use the pre-approved plans will not incur the cost of hiring a design professional to prepare drawings, and will significantly reduce the plan check fees associated with reviewing the plans prior to obtaining a building permit, the city said.

It also significantly reduces the time it takes to get a building permit. Applications for custom ADUs typically require multiple rounds of plan review and it can take weeks before a permit is issued. With the new pre-approved plans, complete applications can be approved within as few as five days, the city said.

More information and links to floor plans/elevations, site plan templates and full drawing sets are online at Cityofconcord.org/ADUs.