Yolo County, California
ADU Builder in Davis
Upside ADU is a Davis ADU builder serving all of Yolo County. We design, permit, and build all 5 ADU types — detached, garage conversion, attached, junior, and multigenerational — for a $1,000 deposit, with transparent fixed pricing. Permits run through the City of Davis Community Development & Sustainability, which we handle end to end.
Your Davis ADU builder — from design to move-in
University-driven demand keeps Davis ADU occupancy high and rents resilient year-round.
We build every type of ADU in Davis with one transparent, all-in price and a $1,000 deposit — the California legal maximum — then tie the rest of your payments to inspection-passed milestones so money only moves when verified work is done. When it's ready to rent, we'll connect you with a trusted local property manager.
Davis lots: Central and South Davis have modest infill lots; Mace Ranch and Wildhorse offer newer, larger parcels with room for a full detached unit.
Popular Davis areas: Central Davis, South Davis, Mace Ranch, Wildhorse.
- $1,000 deposit — the CA legal max
- Inspection-tied milestone payments
- All 5 ADU types built here
- Property-manager referral when you rent
Davis ADU rules & limits
Davis permits through its Community Development & Sustainability department in Yolo County and is among the more ADU-friendly jurisdictions, with streamlined review. Note that JADUs here carry an owner-occupancy requirement, and energy/sustainability standards run above the state minimum.
Statewide, every Davis ADU under 750 sq ft is exempt from impact fees, detached units can reach 1,200 sq ft, and no replacement parking is required when you convert a garage. For the full Yolo County rulebook — setbacks, height, and owner-occupancy by ADU type — see our Sacramento-region ADU rules & setbacks guide.
ADU services in Davis
Davis ADU cost & ROI
Davis ADUs run about $131,250–$453,600 all-in in 2026, and a typical unit rents for $1,700–$2,800 a month. UC Davis demand keeps occupancy high and rents resilient year-round; by-the-room student leasing can push effective yield well above a standard single-tenant ADU.
See the full Davis ADU cost breakdown by type and size, run your own numbers with the ADU cost calculator, or see the full payback and rent-comp math in our ADU rental income & ROI guide.
Estimate your ADU
Ballpark 2026 turnkey cost, financing, and rental return for your area.
Estimated turnkey cost
$263–$378 / sq ft · incl. design, permits & construction
Estimates only — 2026 regional ranges, not a bid. Your real price depends on site conditions, finishes, and your lot. We confirm with a free feasibility check.
Permitting & timeline in Davis
Davis ADU permits are issued by the City of Davis Community Development & Sustainability (Yolo County). California law requires a decision within 60 days of a complete submittal, and pre-approved plan sets can shorten review to about 30 days. We prepare the full package, pull the permit, and manage every inspection so you never stand in line at a counter.
Plan on roughly 6–9 months end to end for a detached build: about 2–6 weeks of design, 4–10 weeks of permitting, and 12–16 weeks of construction. Garage conversions and junior ADUs move faster.
The Upside Guarantee
Your money is protected at every step
Sacramento homeowners were burned by builders who took huge deposits and vanished. We built Upside to be the opposite — structured so you're protected before, during, and after the build.
$1,000 down — the legal maximum
California caps a contractor's down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract — whichever is less. On an ADU that's $1,000, not the 30–50% other builders demanded. Everything after is earned.
Inspection-tied milestone draws
After the deposit you pay in defined draws — design, permit, foundation, framing, MEP, drywall, completion — each released only after that phase passes inspection.
Honest capacity & timelines
We only take on work we can actually deliver, with realistic schedules and references to completed local projects you can visit.
ADU projects in Davis
Davis ADUs often pencil out for student leasing, which favors by-the-room layouts and the city's above-code energy standards. Central Davis lots are tight; Wildhorse and Mace Ranch are roomier for a full detached build. Every build is fixed-price, inspection-milestone funded, and backed by our written guarantee.
See completed builds, specs, and before-and-after photos in our Sacramento-region ADU project gallery.
ADUs in Davis — FAQs
Most Davis ADUs cost $131,250–$453,600 in 2026 depending on size and type, or roughly $263–$378 per square foot. A 750 sq ft detached unit runs about $196,875–$283,500 turnkey, with design, permits, and construction included.
Davis ADU permits run through the City of Davis Community Development & Sustainability. Davis permits through its Community Development & Sustainability department in Yolo County and is among the more ADU-friendly jurisdictions, with streamlined review. Note that JADUs here carry an owner-occupancy requirement, and energy/sustainability standards run above the state minimum.
A typical Davis ADU rents for about $1,700–$2,800 a month in 2026, with detached and larger units at the top of that range. UC Davis demand keeps occupancy high and rents resilient year-round; by-the-room student leasing can push effective yield well above a standard single-tenant ADU.
We're an ADU builder, not a property manager — but once it's built we'll connect you with vetted Yolo County property managers we trust to lease and run it for you. Plenty of owners self-manage instead.
Nearby service areas
Popular ADU models
Costs & rules in Davis
Start your Davis ADU
Get a transparent quote and a free feasibility check for your Davis lot.