A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateADU Company in San Rafael, CA
Lodgewick ADU Builders handles accessory dwelling units, garage conversions, and home additions across San Rafael, CA. Most of the homes we work on here are 1950s-70s single-family ranchers built on sloping lots, which means ADU feasibility in San Rafael hinges on drainage, foundation work, and hillside permitting rules before a single wall goes up. We give homeowners a written price before any work starts, and every project includes the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If you’re weighing an ADU, a garage conversion, or an addition on a San Rafael lot, call (707) 760-0502 for a free estimate.
Why San Rafael Homes Are Different
San Rafael’s terrain is the first thing any ADU builder has to reckon with. Much of the city climbs into the hills, and the city’s hillside development rules are stricter than what you’ll find in flatter Marin County towns. Many San Rafael properties need geotechnical review, custom foundation design, and engineered drainage before the city will even look at ADU plans. That’s not a hurdle you hit in Novato or central San Anselmo, but it’s routine here.
The housing stock adds another layer. A large share of San Rafael homes date to the 1950s through 1970s, and plenty sit on hillsides with older foundations and limited flat yard space. Wet winters mean seasonal runoff moves downhill fast, so hillside ADUs need erosion control and drainage that actually hold up. In the Dominican neighborhood, many 1960s ranchers still have their original carports, and homeowners often convert those to ADUs because the footprint already exists. The catch: San Rafael’s daylight plane rules restrict second-story additions, which pushes a lot of designs toward single-level or step-down conversions rather than builds that stack upward.
Our Main San Rafael Services
San Rafael homeowners call us most often about two things: adding square footage to an existing home, and converting underused space like garages or carports into a rentable or family-ready ADU. Each service has its own San Rafael page with pricing and details, linked below.
Home Addition Contractor in San Rafael
An addition on a San Rafael hillside is rarely a simple “bump out.” Lot slope, setbacks, and drainage all come into play, and older foundations sometimes need reinforcement before the new section can tie in. We handle single-level and step-down additions that work within San Rafael’s daylight-plane height limits, and we price the whole scope in writing before work begins. Home Addition Contractor in San Rafael covers what a hillside addition costs and how the permit path works.
Garage Conversion Contractor in San Rafael
Converting an existing garage or carport is often the fastest ADU path on a San Rafael lot, because the structure and slab already exist. In neighborhoods like Dominican, where original carports are common, a conversion sidesteps some of the grading and foundation work a detached new build requires. You still need a plan that meets current code for insulation, electrical, and egress. Garage Conversion Contractor in San Rafael walks through what a garage-to-ADU job costs and what inspection milestones to expect.
ADU Builders in San Rafael
Detached ADUs on San Rafael hillsides are where geotechnical work matters most. We assess slope stability, drainage, and foundation type early, because those three factors drive both cost and whether the city will approve the project at all. We also work with prefab ADU systems when the lot and access allow it, which can shorten the on-site build window significantly. ADU Builders in San Rafael explains detached ADU pricing, hillside foundations, and design options for this city.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in San Rafael
We work with prefab and materials brands including Boxabl, Plant Prefab, and James Hardie, matched to the lot and budget. For San Rafael hillside projects, we often specify James Hardie siding for moisture resistance through wet winters. See our brands for the full lineup we install and service.
Pricing for ADU Company in San Rafael, CA
The table below shows typical ranges for common ADU-related work in San Rafael. These are ballpark figures, not final quotes – your written price comes after a site visit and scope review.
| Service | Typical Range in San Rafael |
|---|---|
| Attached ADU (converted garage or addition) | $120,000 – $240,000 |
| Detached ADU (new build, hillside lot) | $180,000 – $350,000+ |
| Garage conversion to ADU | $110,000 – $220,000 |
| Junior ADU (JADU, interior conversion) | $80,000 – $150,000 |
| Home addition (400-800 sq ft, single-level) | $150,000 – $300,000 |
| Hillside foundation & drainage package | $25,000 – $60,000 |
| Carport conversion to ADU | $120,000 – $230,000 |
Slope is the biggest price mover in San Rafael. A detached ADU on a steep hill runs higher than the same footprint on flat ground because the foundation, drainage, and sometimes shoring all add scope. Whatever your lot looks like, the price we put in writing before work starts is the price you pay – no change orders at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in San Rafael
We schedule estimates and build projects across San Rafael, including the Dominican, Terra Linda, Gerstle Park, Sun Valley, and Peacock Gap areas. Response times for estimates in San Rafael are usually within a few business days from your call, and once a build starts, the crew is on site on the schedule we gave you in writing.
- Dominican
- Terra Linda
- Gerstle Park
- Sun Valley
- Peacock Gap
Service Area – Cities Near San Rafael
While this page covers San Rafael specifically, our crews also work in nearby Marin and Bay Area communities. If you’re outside San Rafael city limits, you can learn more about our work in Corte Madera, CA, Sausalito, CA, Richmond, CA, and San Francisco, CA.
Serving San Rafael, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Rafael area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Company in San Rafael
Detached ADUs on hillside lots typically run 8-14 months from design to final inspection. Garage conversions and JADUs go faster, often 5-8 months, because the structure and slab already exist. Permit review time at the city can add weeks to any San Rafael project. Call (707) 760-0502 for a timeline estimate based on your specific lot.
On most San Rafael hillside lots, yes. The city’s hillside development rules commonly require geotechnical review before ADU permits are issued, especially for detached structures. Flat-lot garage conversions may skip the soils report, but the city decides case by case. We coordinate that review as part of your written scope and price.
No. We put a written price in front of you before any work begins, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise means if the work isn’t right, we come back and make it right – that commitment is written into every project. Call (707) 760-0502 to schedule your free estimate.
Call Lodgewick ADU Builders at (707) 760-0502 for a written, no-hassle estimate on your San Rafael ADU, garage conversion, or home addition. Led by Russ Delmar, our team answers live, 24/7.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local adu pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What San Rafael Customers Say
"The ADU came out beautiful and the permitting, which terrified me, was handled start to finish. They kept me updated every week so I was never wondering what was happening."
- Shauna Mills"Turned our detached garage into a little guest house. Clean crew, respectful of the neighbors, and no mystery charges at the end. Love how it turned out."
- Carmela Fontes"I was nervous about adding on but they walked me through every step and every cost before we started. No surprise change orders halfway through like I'd heard horror stories about."
- Eleanor Pratt
