ADU builder warranty — Sacramento
The Upside guarantee, in writing
Every Upside ADU in Sacramento is backed by a written one-year workmanship warranty, a fixed contract price, and an on-time promise. Your deposit is capped at $1,000 — the California legal maximum — and every payment after is released only when an inspected milestone is done.
Why this page exists
Sacramento homeowners lost millions to ADU outfits that collected 30–50% deposits and walked off the job. We structured Upside so that can't happen here: a deposit the law caps at $1,000, payments earned through inspected milestones, and a warranty written into the contract before you sign. A guarantee you can't read isn't a guarantee — so ours is on paper.
Fixed price, in writing
Your contract price is locked at signing. Changes happen only through written, owner-approved change orders — never a surprise markup mid-build.
Written workmanship warranty
One year on everything we build, two years on installed systems, ten years structural by California statute — all spelled out in your agreement.
$1,000 down, inspected draws
The California legal cap on your deposit, then milestone payments that release only after each phase passes inspection. You never pay ahead of the work.
The price & timeline guarantee
The number on your contract is the number you pay. We quote turnkey — design, engineering, permits, site work, utilities, and construction — so there's no second invoice for "extras" that should have been in the bid. The only line items that can move are upgrades you choose or true unknowns behind a wall or under the soil, and each one is a written change order you approve first.
- Contract price fixed at signing — turnkey scope, no hidden allowances
- Every change priced in writing and approved by you before any work begins
- An honest completion window, with a defined remedy if we miss it on us
- We only take jobs we can staff — capacity is a promise, not an afterthought
Want the actual dollar figures, deposit amount, and full draw schedule? Those live on our transparent pricing page. This page owns the promise; pricing owns the numbers.
The on-time picture
California puts the permit on a 60-day clock — about 30 days where the jurisdiction accepts pre-approved plans. We build the realistic version of that into your schedule, then hold ourselves to it.
The workmanship warranty
A warranty is only worth what its coverage windows say. Here's exactly what we cover and for how long on every Sacramento-region ADU we build — the same tiered structure California new-home buyers get, applied to your backyard unit.
| Coverage period | What it covers | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Full workmanship | Everything we install and finish — doors that stick, paint, trim, tile, fixtures, hardware. If our crew built it and it fails, we fix it at no cost. |
| 2 years | Mechanical, electrical & plumbing | Wiring, outlets, switches, water lines, drains, and HVAC distribution we installed. Manufacturer warranties on appliances and equipment run in parallel. |
| 10 years | Structural | Load-bearing framing, foundation, and structural assemblies are covered under California's statutory new-construction warranty — the same protection a production builder owes you. |
One accountable team designs, permits, and builds your ADU, so there's no finger-pointing between trades if something needs a callback. See how the whole process works from consult to handoff.
Deposit protection & inspected draws
By law, a California contractor cannot collect a down payment greater than $1,000 or 10% of the contract price — whichever is less. Since every ADU costs far more than $10,000, your down payment is $1,000. Everything after that is earned through milestone draws, and a draw releases only once that phase has passed a real inspection you can see.
- $1,000 maximum down payment — the legal cap, not a percentage
- Every draw tied to a completed, inspected phase of work
- Active CSLB license, bonded and insured — verify it yourself
- You always pay behind the work, never ahead of it
Your payment schedule
- $1,000At signingThe legal maximum down payment in California — that's it
- DrawDesign & engineeringReleased when your plans and engineering are complete
- DrawPermit approvedReleased after your city or county issues the permit
- DrawFoundation completeReleased after the foundation passes inspection
- DrawFraming completeReleased after the rough-frame inspection
- DrawRough MEP completeMechanical, electrical & plumbing pass inspection
- DrawDrywall completeReleased after drywall is hung and inspected
- BalanceFinal & walkthroughReleased after final inspection and you walk the unit
Exact draw percentages and the full price by ADU type are on the pricing page.
What the warranty does not cover
A guarantee that claims to cover everything covers nothing — so here are the honest exclusions. Knowing these up front is how you tell a real warranty from marketing.
- Normal wear, settling cracks, and grout/caulk maintenance that comes with any home
- Damage from owner alterations, deferred maintenance, or work by other contractors after handoff
- Manufacturer-covered items (appliances, water heater, windows) — those run on the maker's warranty, which we register for you
- Acts of nature, abuse, or neglect, exactly as any reputable builder's warranty excludes
Questions to ask any ADU builder
Use this with us — and with anyone else you're considering. The right builder welcomes it.
- Is my down payment $1,000 or less, as California law requires?
- Are all payments tied to passed inspections — and is that in the contract?
- What's your active CSLB license number, and are you bonded and insured?
- How long is your workmanship warranty, and is it written into the agreement?
- Can I visit a completed local ADU and talk to that owner?
- What happens — in writing — if you miss the agreed completion date?
Warranty & guarantee FAQs
Upside backs every Sacramento ADU with a written one-year workmanship warranty, a two-year systems warranty on the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing we install, and California's ten-year statutory structural warranty. It's in your contract before you sign, not promised verbally after.
Your contract price is fixed at signing. The only changes are owner-requested upgrades or genuine unknowns like hidden soil or sewer conditions, each priced in a written change order you approve before any work proceeds. There are no surprise markups.
$1,000 — or 10% of the contract, whichever is less. Because every ADU costs far more than $10,000, your deposit is capped at $1,000 by California law. Builders who demanded 30–50% up front were breaking that statute.
After the $1,000 deposit, you pay in milestone draws tied to inspected phases — design, permit, foundation, framing, MEP, drywall, and final. A draw releases only after that stage passes inspection, so you never pay ahead of completed, verified work.
Your agreement sets a target completion window with a defined remedy if we miss it for reasons within our control. We'd rather quote an honest timeline than a flattering one, which is why we only take work we can actually staff and finish.
Build with a warranty you can actually read
Get a turnkey, fixed-price quote with the full guarantee in writing — and a feasibility check for your specific Sacramento-region lot.