Bay Area ADU budgets: compare scope before numbers

Define what the budget includes

List design, measurement, engineering coordination, permit-related costs, site work, utilities, construction, finishes and equipment separately. Mark each as included, separate or unknown. Two totals are only comparable when their scopes are comparable; website planning figures can start a conversation.

Keep property and finish choices visible

Confirm slope, access, existing structure and utilities before incorporating them into the scope. Express finish preferences with alternatives: which are essential and which can change? Record unknown conditions as questions instead of assigning invented costs.

Compare written scope and change handling

Ask which size and configuration underpin the planning range, what is excluded, who checks unknown conditions, and how changes are reviewed. Budget, timing and a final quote depend on the actual proposal; a simple formula cannot promise them.

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