El Monte ADU

El Monte is a culturally diverse, family-oriented city with a rich history and numerous historic attractions. This friendly city within the San Gabriel Valley is famous for having some of the best Chinese restaurants in Southern California and numerous fascinating public parks. These resources have made El Monte an excellent region for homeownership, though home prices are becoming increasingly prohibitive for new buyers throughout Southern California. If you’re a homeowner in the city of El Monte looking for a reliable long-term source of revenue, you might consider an accessory dwelling unit.

An accessory dwelling unit, also known as an ADU, in-law flat, granny flat, secondary dwelling unit, or backyard cottage, is a form of housing built on a larger residential property. Legally, it is defined as any secondary habitable dwelling that co-exists on a residential lot with a larger primary structure. ADUs can be built in a backyard or on top of a garage, depending upon the layout of the residential property.

ADUs are cost-efficient options for homeowners seeking to enlarge their residences at a significantly lower cost than purchasing a new, larger home. They are also excellent investments for homeowners looking for supplementary income – as rental units, they can provide long-term revenue that can actually pay off the cost of the construction within a few years. Best of all, they can enhance the property value by a significant margin; sometimes as much as 51 percent.

The barriers to building structures on single-family or multi-family properties aren’t as high as they were only a few short years ago. ADU structures are becoming more popular due to the loosening of zoning, planning, and construction restrictions in California. Some of the benefits of building ADU include:

• They offer low-cost additional residential space
• They don’t require an additional land purchase
• They’re environmentally friendly
• They’re multi-use

Types of Accessory Dwelling Units

Although ADUs are typically built as residences either for family, guests, or renters, they can be used for any purpose, including children’s play center, home gym, or home office. The main categories of ADUs include:

• Attached ADU: Attached ADUs are structures that are connected to the main structure or built on top of an adjoining garage. They have their own separate entrance that can be accessed without going through the primary dwelling.
• Detached ADU: ADUs that are constructed completely independently from the primary dwelling.
• Garage Conversions: ADUs that either use transformed garage space to create a fully functioning dwelling, or ADUs that are built on top of a garage.
• Junior ADU: Any ADU – attached, detached, or garage conversion – that is under 500 square feet.

EcoSmart Builders provides homeowners with comprehensive project management support for the construction of custom-designed, eco-friendly accessory dwelling units in El Monte and throughout Los Angeles County. To learn more about building an ADU on your property or to qualify your residential property for a garage conversion, please visit our information page