Building an ADU in Portland ME without an ADU builder.

[Dan Adams]

All of the meetings that I see about ADUs are sponsored by builders who want to sell their ADUs.
Are there others who want to build their own or want to share their experiences about building ADUs / converting outbuilding / navigating codes in Portland that DO NOT involve hiring one of these tiny house start-up companies?

[Dan Weber]

Hey @Dan Adams, ADU's in Portland are still a newer topic and builders are the ones who are savvy enough to have figured out the rules to market to homeowners efficiently what they can offer. I'd highly suggest coming to one of the local meetups to network with other locals that are interested in doing this. Here's the info for our next meetup:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/1182656-real...

[Bruce Woodruff]

Any builder can build an ADU. They are just smaller houses. Nothing special about the construction aspect, just the zoning and regulatory part of them....

Start calling Licensed builders, maybe find a younger , newer guy and give him a chance on an easier project.....

[Dan Adams]

Thanks for the replies.  I am an experienced renovator, having done work and management on all aspects of my own properties from the foundation up for 18 years.
Since the State laws are new, I'm excited about the possibilities, and looking to chat with other Owner/Builders about the feasibility and pitfalls.
I guess that my biggest open questions are about foundations and waste water management requirements in conjunction with an existing multi family building.  I have not done a lot of research yet, but I imagine that others in town are begining to wonder about their options as well.
Being creative and building are the parts that I'm passionate about, so I'm not interested in cookie cutter designs or paying others to do what I consider to be the fun part.

[Bruce Woodruff]

@Dan Adams You may want to do a deep search here. This subject (ADUs) is discussed here often....they are the newer shiny object in the room and everyone is excited about them. 

But they do not have the ROI that many expect, so check your numbers carefully....if you are doing this just for the $$ return you may be surprised. The regulations and hoops you have to jump through often negate the monetary benefits. It can take a looong time to make your investment back, but if you just want to have another house on your property go for it.

[Mark Bohstedt]

What Bruce said, I just finished one for a customer in Arizona and it was north of $400 a square foot. Exactly what my customer needed for his hobby room, but I don’t see them making money as a rental.  

[Whitney Hill]

ADU Builder here, I know you were especially wanting to hear from us :) I'm down in San Diego and hope to offer a perspective of value, as we don't serve your area and I've devoted my life to ADUs for the past four years. We've designed, permitted and built over 100 ADUs (every one of them is on our website so you can see what we've actually done).

I do have to challenge (and chuckle at) the statement: "Any builder can build an ADU. They are just smaller houses. Nothing special about the construction aspect, just the zoning and regulatory part of them...."

This is akin to saying, "any attorney can handle your criminal trial. There's nothing special about the license; it's all in the trial preparation and strategy..." Would you entrust your criminal defense to a real estate attorney or a divorce lawyer?

So while the proper expertise is vital in a successful ADU project... yes, please do question the tiny house start-up companies, or anyone touting themselves as "ADU experts" without the evidence to back that up. You'll immediately be able to tell who has real expertise, and who just bought a franchise. ⚓

Here's what to ask (beyond the obvious questions you can google that you should ask every contractor):
-How many ADUs have you permitted and built? Where are the pictures of the completed projects?
-How will you plan for the utility connections required for my project? How will you know exactly what is required upfront? How do you plan enough lead time for the utilities?
-What was the most costly inspector requirement that you pushed back on and it turned out it wasn't required?
-What is your warranty policy and how do you handle warranty claims?

And in the end, what is your time worth? Do you want to learn the ins and outs of ADU law, local energy codes, and inspection requirements? How much visibility do you want into the fully loaded cost of the project upfront (vs. finding out through change orders)? The answers to those questions will help you determine how DIY you want to go, and how much you can leave up to chance.

I can't post links here, but for more, please google:
"Why you need an experienced ADU builder" - case examples where cities asked for tens of thousands of dollars of work, or flat out would not have allowed an ADU project, except for knowing when to push back

"ADU sitework & utility costs: 10 hidden costs" - dozens of costs you need to account for on your ADU project that I promise you haven't thought of and no one else will tell you about

"How to find ADU builders" - compares DIY route vs. other options, plus more on what to look for in a good contractor