Garage to ADU

(Note: A pseudonym is used to protect the identity of the homeowner.)

The Huertas bought their home in 1999 to raise their family. Their daughters are now adults and still live at home while they finish college. Code enforcement initially identified some obvious exterior code enforcement issues on the property that could be seen from the street, including a carport that extended too close to the property line and a RV that was stored at the back of the property. Upon a walk-through of the property, they also cited them for a laundry room was added onto the back patio, and conversion of the garage to a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment. The apartment was rented out to a friend from the community who has since had to find alternative affordable housing until the apartment can be legalized.

Upon review of the apartment in the garage, it clearly lacks adequate natural lighting, ventilation, plumbing and electrical upgrades to meet current building codes for the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. In addition, the existing garage windows are inadequate for proper egress at the bedroom in case of a fire. All of these issues will be properly addressed to provide a much safer and functional living unit in the future.

There are a variety of lessons that we anticipate learning from this property that will benefit other homeowners that need to make changes to their properties, including:

- Clarity regarding carport, storage building, laundry room, and RV storage regulations on private property.

- Full sets of architectural drawings and details, that benefit from having professional drawings and support in the permit submission process.

- Structural reinforcement at the garage door, interior walls and other areas as identified through a proper review of the existing structure, as well as a structural review of the carport addition to the main house.

- Plumbing, electrical, and ventilation upgrades as required for bathroom or kitchen additions.

- Electrical, heating, window/door, and insulation upgrades as required by Title 24 in the Building Code.

- Other current building and fire code upgrade requirements, including wired smoke and CO detectors, an illuminated address sign, etc.

RTP is finalizing plans for the garage conversion at the end of October, and anticipates 2-3 months for the project to pass planning and building reviews. Once the permit is approved (hopefully by January), RTP will proceed with construction and hopes to complete the garage conversion by March or April 2019.