Why we built this
Building an ADU is legal and encouraged. Actually doing it is still confusing.
California made it far easier, legally, to add an ADU. But the real process is still hard: zoning rules differ by city, cost estimates are murky, and picturing the finished unit usually means hiring a designer.
Other ADU tools are built for tech-comfortable DIY researchers. We built ADU Made Simple for homeowners with the equity and the interest — but who'd rather not wrestle with a complicated website. Every screen uses large text, plain language, and one clear next step.
How it works
Four checkpoints, one clear path
Dream It → Plan It → Build It → Live In It. Start anywhere. Your answers carry forward, so you never repeat yourself.
Dream It
Explore what's possible. Answer a few simple questions, pick a floor plan and style, and see an interior you can picture yourself in.
Available nowPlan It
Turn the dream into numbers. See a real cost range and whether the rental income would pay for itself — with the honest tradeoffs shown plainly.
Available nowBuild It
Turn the design into something buildable: a trade-by-trade scope of work and contractor bids you can compare side by side.
BetaLive In It
Move in, welcome family, or rent it out — with the guidance to manage what you've built.
Coming soon
Built for you
Built for real homeowners, not computer experts
Our single most important rule: would this confuse or intimidate a first-time website user? If the answer is yes, we redesign it.
- Large, high-contrast text you can actually read
- No confusing typing — just sliders and simple choices
- One clear next step on every screen
- Honest tradeoffs, never just the rosy number
Simple pricing
Start free. Upgrade only if it's worth it to you.
Dreaming up your ADU is always free, with unlimited renderings and no cap. Founding rates are for early members and stay yours while you stay subscribed.
Free
Free account needed to save your work.
- Full Dream It: pick a floor plan and style, unlimited renderings
- Full Plan It: cost range, ROI calculator and financing guidance
- Project Summary Card and city rules snapshot
- Compare your saved projects side by side
- Research and News: ADU rules for your county and city
- Homeowner community Coming soon
Founding Member
Founding rate, locked in while you stay subscribed.
Opens in November
Start freeEverything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited project creation
Build It
- Build It for 1 active project Beta
- Compare contractor bids side by side Beta
- Track construction: change orders, daily logs and your fix list Beta
- Scope of work read from your own plan set Coming soon
Live In It
- Close-out checklist and project export Coming soon
Founding Pro
Founding rate: $5 a month off the regular Pro price, locked in while you stay subscribed.
Opens in November
Start freeEverything in Founding Member, plus:
Build It
- Build It for up to 3 active projects Beta
- 3D picture of your own approved plan, 3 a month Coming soon
- Document Intelligence Coming soon
- Proactive Decision Support Coming soon
- AI-narrated bid comparison Coming soon
Across every step
- AI chatbot: ask questions in plain English Coming soon
- Smart Page: project summary and guidance Coming soon
- Rearrange the furniture in your renderings Coming soon
Work in the business? Contractor pricing · Broker pricing
Questions about plans and billing? Read the answers
Free, Founding Member or Founding Pro, one honest promise: we show you the real tradeoffs, not just the number that looks best.
See what your backyard could become
It takes about two minutes, it's free, and there's nothing to install. Start dreaming.
What fits my yard?For contractors
Built for contractors who build ADUs
Pre-qualified homeowner projects with a defined scope of work, in the counties you serve.
See how it works for contractors →For mortgage brokers
Financing leads for ADU projects
Anonymized homeowner financing requests with the key numbers already on the table.
See how it works for brokers →
Proudly veteran owned and operated.