Many property owners in Santa Barbara choose to build an ADU for one of the following reasons:
- Add additional space for a family (kids moving home or aging parents moving closer to family.
- Rental Income – adding an ADU in your backyard is an excellent opportunity to create rental property to generate income.
What is an ADU in Santa Barbara?
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU), granny flat, or “backyard home” is a legal and regulatory term for a secondary house that shares the building lot of a larger, primary home. The units cannot be bought or sold separately, but they are often used to provide additional income through rent or to house a family member. We build our ADUs with prefabricated construction to save time and money for clients. As ADU BUILDERS, we consider prefabricated construction to be less disruptive to homeowners and neighborhoods as we can typically complete a project onsite in a few weeks once the home is built in our factory.
Santa Barbara Facts:
- Population: 91,376 (2019)
- County: Santa Barbara County
- The city of Santa Barbara is a quaint beach town with the Santa Ynez Mountains as a beautiful backdrop. When visiting Santa Barbara, there are many lively parts of the city, like shopping on State Street or wining and dining in the newer Funk Zone. Our city is located on the central coast and is home to many celebrities, also being a stone’s throw from places like Solvang. Santa Barbara is also home to the University of Santa Barbara.
Why choose USModular, Inc. to build your Backyard ADU in Santa Barbara:
The Team at USModular, Inc. is unique in the industry as we are general contractors, ADU contractors in Santa Barbara, licensed Manufactured Home Manufacturers, Modular Home Dealers Park Model /Tiny Home dealers, and a licensed Modular Home Factory. Our team is led by 2nd generation contractors, and our team has combined over 100+ years of experience in the Prefabricated Construction industry. We are a ONE-STOP SHOP for building backyard dwellings– we handle everything: design, permits, site construction, home fabrication, transportation, installation, utility connections, and then we hand you the keys!
How Much Do Backyard Dwellings Cost in Santa Barbara?
Backyard ADUs in Santa Barbara can start at $150,000 and go up from there depending on your customizations, square footage and the ADU floorplan you choose. You do have the option of financing a prefab ADU in Santa Barbara, but many will pay cash. If Cash is not an option, ADU financing is typically achieved through:
- Home Equity Loan
- Cash from refinance of the Primary residence
- A home Renovation loan can be used to build a prefabricated ADU.
- Tiny Home financing is available through several national banks.
The monthly mortgage cost for the ADU will typically be significantly less than the rental income or the cost for family members to rent a comparable property. The bottom line is it the backyard ADU in Santa Barbara should generate positive cash flow or provide livable space for a family member at less than a comparable rental in Santa Barbara.
What About Zoning for ADUs in Santa Barbara?
State laws have made it easier to build an ADU in every city in California. The City of Santa Barbara ADU Ordinance states you can build an ADU from 400 sf to 1,200 sf. ADUs can be built on single-family or multifamily residential zoned lots. ADUs are allowed in all residential zones. The City of Santa Barbara ADU requirements for parking have been relaxed. Setback Side and Rear have been shrunk to 4’. Permit Fees have been reduced and, in some cases, waived. The bottom line is it’s a good time to add extra space, as laws are in your favor. The Santa Barbara ADU laws have been changed recently to allow more ADUs to be built in Southern California. The City of Santa Barbara Pre-approved ADU plans can be found on our website or the city government website!
What is the difference between a Tiny Home vs. a Backyard ADU in Santa Barbara?
Sometimes Nothing! A tiny home, aka a park model, is technically an RV that cannot exceed 400 sf. Many cities, like Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, have approved Tiny Homes as ADUs, and Santa Barbara is close behind in allowing tiny homes/ park models as ADUs. Many of the tiny homes we offer are built to both ANSI and CBC requirements to satisfy local building officials – PLUS, we feel it provides a better-built home. We have many models that include lofts and porches that are not included in the livable space but extend the actual usable space. The ADU designs in Santa Barbara can be very similar to that of a Tiny home or a Companion unit if you want them to be.
Why Choose a Prefabricated ADU in Santa Barbara?
Prefab ADUs and Tiny Homes are built in a factory by a team that works together daily. Building your ADU in a factory makes building an ADU in Santa Barbara more cost and time-efficient. Teamwork, Bulk buying power, and Smart designs will save time and money!
Visit https://myadu4less.com/ for our current ADU floorplans and pricing!
USModular Inc
Info@usmodularinc.com
Toll Free: (888) 987-6638
Local: (951) 679-9907 Ext. 1
