ADU Before & After in San Jose, CA
Anyone can promise a smooth build. Seeing what actually happens on a San Jose lot, from the cracked concrete pad to the finished kitchenette, tells you more in ten seconds than a sales pitch does in ten minutes. These projects show the range of work our crews do across San Jose neighborhoods, including garage conversions, backyard ADUs, and attached additions. Each one started with a specific problem and ended with rentable, livable square footage.
Recent Transformations
Detached Backyard ADU in Willow Glen
The homeowner had a 55-by-28-foot rear yard that did nothing but demand mowing. They wanted rental income without losing their garden. We set the ADU along the back fence line, kept a planter strip along the west side, and used James Hardie lap siding to match the 1940s main house. The result is a one-bedroom unit that rents consistently, with the garden still intact along the property edge.
Attached Garage Conversion in Rose Garden
The garage stored boxes nobody had opened in six years. The owners needed a place for their adult daughter that gave her privacy but kept her close. We converted the garage into a studio with its own entrance off the side yard, insulated the slab, and added a mini-split. The family got what they wanted without anyone moving across town.
Prefab ADU Installation in Berryessa
This homeowner came to us already sold on a prefab approach but unsure which manufacturer fit their site. We walked the lot together and compared Abodu, Cover, and Boxabl against their budget and the utility locations. Abodu won on ceiling height and delivery window. Our crew handled the pad, the utility trenching, and the finish work after set. From permit pull to final inspection took just over four months.
Garage-to-JADU Conversion in Japantown
A JADU, or junior accessory dwelling unit, is an efficiency unit up to 500 square feet built within the footprint of an existing home, and this garage was the right candidate. The problem was a 90-year-old foundation that needed leveling before any framing could start. We told the owner that cost honestly in the written price, then handled the leveling, plumbing, and finish. The unit now serves as a long-term rental.
Home Addition for Multigenerational Living in Cambrian
An aging parent needed to move in, but the main house had stairs everywhere. We added a ground-level suite with a zero-threshold shower and wide doorways where the attached garage used to sit. The suite connects to the main house through a short hallway but has its own exterior door. The family now has three generations under one roof with enough separation to keep everyone sane.
Backyard Replacement ADU in Evergreen
The old structure on this lot had single-pane windows, no insulation, and a roof that leaked in two places every winter. Tearing it down and building new actually cost less than trying to retrofit it to code. We worked with Dvele panels for the envelope, which sped up framing significantly. The homeowner now has a unit that stays cool in San Jose summers without running the AC all day.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started with a free walkthrough and a written price before any work began. If you own a lot or a garage in San Jose and want to know what’s possible, call (669) 266-4319. One of our team members will pick up, answer your questions, and schedule a site visit. No voicemail, no chatbot.
Written by Russ Delmar, Owner at Lodgewick ADU San Jose, serving San Jose since 2010.
