ADU Before & After in San Jose, CA
We could spend a page telling you we build a tight ADU. Instead, here’s the work itself. These are real scenarios we walk into across San Jose neighborhoods: overgrown side yards, underused garages, awkward lots in Willow Glen, Rose Garden, Cambrian, and Evergreen. The before is what the homeowner lived with. The after is what they got from Sutton ADU San Jose. Every project below follows the same discipline: written price before work starts, the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and a crew that arrives background-checked and photo-badged. The photos come once each project wraps, but the stories are anchored in jobs we actually do.
Recent Transformations
Detached Backyard ADU in Willow Glen
The problem: a 650-square-foot patch of lawn behind a 1920s bungalow, doing nothing but growing crabgrass. We set a 590-square-foot one-bedroom ADU against the rear fence, holding the side setback at four feet to preserve the neighbor’s light. The result is a rent-ready unit with its own entrance, a full bath, and a small covered porch. The homeowner’s mortgage is now offset by a tenant who walks to Lincoln Avenue for coffee.
Garage Conversion in Cambrian Park
The problem: a two-car garage holding a lawnmower, three bins, and a workbench that hadn’t seen a project since 2011. We lifted the slab, leveled the floor, and ran new electrical and plumbing through a wall the original builders never intended to open. The result is a 480-square-foot studio with a kitchenette and a private bath, done under a James Hardie exterior that makes it read as part of the original house. Tuff Shed framing helped keep the cost under $160,000 before finishes.
Prefab ADU Installation in Evergreen
The problem: a steep lot in Evergreen where stick-built would have meant six months of foundation work and a retaining wall the homeowner didn’t want to pay for. We spec’d an Abodu unit sized to the flat portion of the yard and poured a simple perimeter foundation. The result is a 500-square-foot one-bedroom delivered and set in under three weeks. The homeowner kept the old garden shed exactly where it was.
Room Addition for a Growing Household in Rose Garden
The problem: a three-bedroom Rose Garden home with two kids sharing a single bathroom and no space for visiting grandparents. We tied a 420-square-foot primary suite addition into the back of the house, matching the century-old cedar siding so closely the assessor had to check the records. The result is a true primary bedroom with an en-suite bath and a walk-in closet. The family stayed in the house the entire build.
Backyard ADU with a Budget Ceiling in Alum Rock
The problem: an Alum Rock homeowner who wanted an ADU for an aging parent but had a hard ceiling of $200,000 all-in, site work included. We kept the footprint to 400 square feet, used a Boxabl shell, and ran utilities off the existing panel. The result is a clean one-bedroom with a small efficiency kitchen and a comfortable sitting area. The written price held to the dollar because there were no change orders to pass along.
Pool House to Year-Round Rental in Almaden Valley
The problem: a 1970s pool house with a wet bar and no heat, no insulation, and an electrical panel that tripped when you plugged in a space heater. It was a three-season room at best. We gutted it to studs, insulated the walls and ceiling, ran a new subpanel, and added a compact full bath. The result is a 460-square-foot rental unit with a view of the pool, now occupied year-round. The homeowner pays the property tax increase with the first two months of rent.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started the same way: a homeowner called us with a lot, a budget, and a question. You don’t need to know which brand you want or what the setback rules are in your neighborhood. You need a written price and a team you can vet before they show up. Call (669) 444-4530 and Miles will walk your lot with you. The estimate is free.
Written by Miles Hartwell, Owner at Sutton ADU San Jose, serving San Jose since 2006.
