AUSTIN & CENTRAL TEXAS
ADU Feasibility and Planning in Austin
Find out what your lot can support, what it's likely to cost, and what permitting involves — before you spend thousands to build.
A free 20-minute call to talk through your goals and your property. We'll cover what's likely possible, what a feasibility assessment would include, our rates, and what to do next.
- We don't build
- You choose your builder
- Feasibility before design
- Austin & Central Texas
SCOPE OF WORK
What We Figure Out for You
We don't build. Our job is to help you make informed decisions before the expensive commitments start.
Know what your lot can actually support
We review your lot, your goals, and the requirements that apply to your specific property, so you know what may be possible before paying for design work.
Understand what the city will approve
Austin's requirements changed substantially under the HOME amendments. We translate the rules that apply to your lot into plain language and a realistic sequence.
See what it costs and how long it takes
Understand where the money actually goes — design, engineering, permits, utilities, site work, construction — and how long each stage tends to take.
Hire the right people for your scope
When you're ready to hire, we help you compare professionals against your actual scope and budget rather than whoever answered the phone first.
Why Talk to Us Before You Call a Builder?
| Going straight to a builder | Starting with Backyard Homes |
|---|---|
| Your project is scoped around what that builder offers | Your project is scoped around what your lot and goals allow |
| Pricing reflects one company's approach | You see several possible approaches before committing |
| The conversation is a sales conversation | The conversation is a planning conversation |
| You're deep into one company's process before you've compared anything | You stay free to hire any builder, including one you find yourself |
Before you hire an architect or builder, find out what actually makes sense for your property.
Book a Free CallBACKGROUND
ADU Basics for Austin Homeowners
What Is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a secondary housing unit on a single-family lot — a backyard cottage, a garage apartment, or a small detached home. These are fully independent living spaces with their own kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area.
What Changed Under the HOME Amendments
Recent changes through Austin's HOME amendments have expanded the housing options available on many residential properties. Most lots zoned SF-1, SF-2 or SF-3 can now hold up to three dwelling units. What's actually allowed depends on your specific lot — its zoning, size, setbacks, easements, existing structures, deed restrictions, and other applicable requirements. That's exactly what a feasibility review is for.
Why Homeowners Add an ADU
Flexible Living Space
Room for aging parents, adult children, a home office, or a private guest space — without leaving the neighborhood you already live in.
Potential Rental Income
Depending on your property, construction costs, financing, and local rental demand, an ADU may create an additional source of income. We'll help you pressure-test the numbers before you commit.
Build on Land You Already Own
A well-designed ADU can increase the utility and marketability of your property, though the effect on value varies by property and market conditions.
ABOUT
About Backyard Homes
Backyard Homes helps Austin homeowners make the most of the property they already own. Build where you belong.
The business was founded after years of managing complex technology projects — work that shares a great deal with an ADU project. Both involve multiple specialists, approvals, budgets, sequencing, and decisions that get expensive when they happen in the wrong order. Most ADU problems aren't construction problems. They're planning problems that surface after the money is already spent.
We're a consulting practice, not a construction company. Homeowners hire us to understand their goals, run a feasibility assessment on their property, and handle the details they'd rather not deal with themselves. We can point you toward builders we've worked with, but you're never obligated to use them — plenty of clients bring their own.
Most of our work is ADU feasibility for Austin homeowners. We also help landowners outside city limits, where county requirements, septic, water access, and agricultural valuation drive the answer instead of zoning. In either case, a good deal of the job is making the phone calls — to the county, the appraisal district, the permitting office — so you don't have to.
As housing costs rise and inventory stays tight, ADUs offer a practical way to create flexibility on lots that already exist.
GET STARTED
Start With What Your Lot Can Actually Support
A free 20-minute conversation about your property and what you're trying to do with it. We'll walk through likely requirements, our hourly and package rates, and whether it's worth pursuing. No obligation to hire anyone.
Prefer to send details first? Fill out the intake form.
Following Austin's ADU rules from a distance?
Get occasional updates on Austin ADU requirements, costs, and homeowner guidance.