Guide to Planning your Detached, Newly Constructed, Residential Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
This guide is intended to assist you in determining the feasibility of adding an ADU to your property and will help answer your questions of “How large of an ADU can I add?”, “Where on my property will an ADU fit?”, and many more. The intent with this guide is to be a self-service guide; […]
ADU FAQs
Is there a minimum or maximum size my ADU can be? Recent State legislation has addresses size limitations for ADUs. The State legislation allows for efficiency units that can be as small as 150 SQFT and units as large as 1200 SQFT (with stipulations) and 800 SQFT (with fewer stipulations). It should also be noted […]
Conversation with Russell Davidson
I recently spoke to Russell Davidson about the design process for commercial and non-residential buildings. After receiving his degree in Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Russell initially worked for a boutique architecture firm in San Francisco, followed by a move back to Grass Valley to work for a local firm. In 2018 Russell […]
Custom Home Design Process
Having a home designed for yourself may seem like a daunting process, and it can be if you’re not prepared. If you want to go through this process with seemingly ease, we suggest being prepared on multiple accounts. Be prepared with an overall budget for your project. Be prepared with an idea or multiple ideas […]
Conversation with Patrick Macias
I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Patrick Macias to discuss some do’s and don’ts for homeowners looking to build a new home, addition, accessory dwelling unit (ADU), and/or becoming first time landlords. Patrick is a long time attorney, who has focused his practice primarily on Real Estate Law and secondly on […]
Conversation with Rayce Lucas, Home Smart Realty
I recently spoke with Rayce Lucas about real estate as it pertains to homeowners. Rayce has been in the real estate industry for about 40 years now, and his wife and business partner has been in it for about 35 years, bringing 75 years of total experience. During his time in the industry, Rayce has […]
More on ADUS
If you haven’t heard yet, additional homes/dwelling units can be built on single family zoned lots. And with recent legislative changes in California, your ability to add more units to your lot has become less restrictive! Some of the major restrictions include smaller setbacks, no minimum lot size, no impact fees for units less than […]
Are all engineering designs treated equally?
As is the case with most professions, each individual will come up with a slightly, or drastically, different solution to a given problem. All these solutions should perform to a minimum standard, but at what cost? And is there a benefit to a solution performing a little above the standard, or significantly better than the […]
Solar For Homeowners: A Conversation With Jim Hammond
Conversation with Jim Hammond, owner at Hammond Electric I recently sat down with my good friend (and cousin) Jim Hammond to discuss solar for homeowners. We discussed the pros, cons, evolution, and current code requirements. Jim is a 3rd generation electrician and California native. Jim’s father, Gary, started Hammond Electric in 1980, and since then […]
Residential Energy Updates
Background In the mid 1970s, the Warren Alquist Act was passed. This created the California Energy Commission and granted the Commission authority to develop and maintain building energy efficiency standards. The California Energy Commission states “A review of California’s 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards compared to international standards set in 2015, found a 29 percent […]