Rental Property Investor · SF Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 352 posts · 543 votes
Hi,
I'm looking at building a casita or in-law house on my primary residence. We have a problem with the front yard area that needs work/landscaping. But instead of spending 20-30K for landscaping, I thought why not build a little casita? In my neighborhood the higher end homes have these in the front of the house so it would add value to the home for resale.
here is my problem. I totally expected a little casita to cost around 150 - $200/sqft to build. But in my area, my first quote was for around $400/sqft!!! Thankfully, our current home is worth around $400/sqft so we would break even if we built it for that much.
the casita would have fully function - full bath, washer/dryer, studio vs. 1 bedroom or loft. at around 400-500 sqft.
Anyone have any experience with building an in-law unit?
Property Manager · SF Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 46 posts · 16 votes
11y
@Joe Kim, my parents recently got multiple quotes for an in-law suite to add to their primary residence (SF Bay Area, CA), and the quotes (for an addition without high-end finishes, ~600 sq ft) ranged $200-$400/sq ft. These quotes came from multiple GCs and 'one-stop shop' firms.
@Joe Kim, my parents recently got multiple quotes for an in-law suite to add to their primary residence (SF Bay Area, CA), and the quotes (for an addition without high-end finishes, ~600 sq ft) ranged $200-$400/sq ft. These quotes came from multiple GCs and 'one-stop shop' firms.
Thanks Ally,
That sounds about right. Everything is so much more expensive in California!
Maybe I can aim for $300 -$350 sqft.
Can you refer me to contractor they finally settled on?
@Joe Kim, my parents recently got multiple quotes for an in-law suite to add to their primary residence (SF Bay Area, CA), and the quotes (for an addition without high-end finishes, ~600 sq ft) ranged $200-$400/sq ft. These quotes came from multiple GCs and 'one-stop shop' firms.
Thanks Ally,
That sounds about right. Everything is so much more expensive in California!
Maybe I can aim for $300 -$350 sqft.
Can you refer me to contractor they finally settled on?
Thank you,
Joe
The unforunate cost of living in California! Don't even get me started about Hawaii....you don't want to hear the cost of roofing here ;)!
They haven't made a final decision yet....my dad's considering being his own GC and coordinating subcontractors to minimize the cost (he has some construction experience and a bit more free time on his hands). I'll let you know what they decide and who they decide on. Good luck!
Investor · Dripping Springs, TX · Member since 2017 · 17 posts · 4 votes
6y
Well hear we are 5 years later and (hopefully) almost post-COVID 19 virus! I am a builder in the Austin, Hill-Country area. I just spent 2 days putting together a detailed budget for a custom casita client who brought me plans. His plans and selections for his 714 sq ft casita has a slab, rock and stucco on the elevation, 10 sizable windows and fairly mid-range to upper range quality on finishes. Just their appliance package came to $11K and that's without laundry. Their full sized kitchen needs $15K of cabinets and they are real hardwood floors and tile throughout. Their allowances for these items came to $59K and their total price is at $179K. That makes it about $250 per square foot in cost. I think that is average but the homeowner, who builds pools for a living, thought it would be closer to 100K total. Not sure if he was just posturing or if he was serious to start with . But $250 in 2020 here in Texas seems like a fairly good deal considering. Our builder fee plus some overhead reimbursement is about 16 -18% depending on the job.