Sacramento County, California
ADU Builder in Sacramento
Upside ADU is a Sacramento ADU builder serving all of Sacramento 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 Sacramento Community Development Department, which we handle end to end.
Your Sacramento ADU builder — from design to move-in
Strong, steady rental demand across Midtown, East Sac, and Land Park makes Sacramento ADUs reliable income and a clear resale-value add.
We build every type of ADU in Sacramento 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.
Sacramento lots: Sacramento's grid neighborhoods mix narrow infill lots (Midtown, Curtis Park) with deeper alley-loaded parcels (Land Park, Pocket) that easily fit a full detached build.
Popular Sacramento areas: Midtown, East Sacramento, Land Park, Tahoe Park, Curtis Park, Pocket-Greenhaven.
- $1,000 deposit — the CA legal max
- Inspection-tied milestone payments
- All 5 ADU types built here
- Property-manager referral when you rent
Sacramento ADU rules & limits
Within City of Sacramento limits, detached ADUs follow a 4 ft side/rear setback, a 16 ft height limit (taller near transit), and require no replacement parking. The city's pre-approved ADU plan set and ADU Resource Center can drop plan check to roughly 30 days, and units under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees.
Statewide, every Sacramento 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 Sacramento County rulebook — setbacks, height, and owner-occupancy by ADU type — see our Sacramento-region ADU rules & setbacks guide.
ADU services in Sacramento
Sacramento ADU cost & ROI
Sacramento ADUs run about $125,000–$432,000 all-in in 2026, and a typical unit rents for $1,500–$2,800 a month. Older deep lots in Land Park, East Sac, and Tahoe Park rent fast to Midtown and downtown commuters, so a 750 sq ft unit often clears $2,000+/mo and pays back in roughly 9–13 years before appreciation.
See the full Sacramento 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
$250–$360 / 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 Sacramento
Sacramento ADU permits are issued by the City of Sacramento Community Development Department (ADU Resource Center). 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 Sacramento
Sacramento's central grid sites a detached unit cleanly: alley access in Land Park and East Sac lets a crane set the unit without crossing the front yard, and the deep parcels in Pocket-Greenhaven and Tahoe Park fit a full build behind the main house. 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 Sacramento — FAQs
Most Sacramento ADUs cost $125,000–$432,000 in 2026 depending on size and type, or roughly $250–$360 per square foot. A 750 sq ft detached unit runs about $187,500–$270,000 turnkey, with design, permits, and construction included.
Sacramento ADU permits run through the City of Sacramento Community Development Department. Within City of Sacramento limits, detached ADUs follow a 4 ft side/rear setback, a 16 ft height limit (taller near transit), and require no replacement parking. The city's pre-approved ADU plan set and ADU Resource Center can drop plan check to roughly 30 days, and units under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees.
A typical Sacramento ADU rents for about $1,500–$2,800 a month in 2026, with detached and larger units at the top of that range. Older deep lots in Land Park, East Sac, and Tahoe Park rent fast to Midtown and downtown commuters, so a 750 sq ft unit often clears $2,000+/mo and pays back in roughly 9–13 years before appreciation.
We're an ADU builder, not a property manager — but once it's built we'll connect you with vetted Sacramento 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 Sacramento
Start your Sacramento ADU
Get a transparent quote and a free feasibility check for your Sacramento lot.