ADU Design-Build Services | Sacramento & Davis, CA

Design-Build Whole House Remodeling for a Home That Feels Cohesive, Functional, and Fully Considered

An ADU may have a smaller footprint than your main house, but designing and building one asks many of the same questions as creating a home from the ground up. It needs to fit your property, work beautifully for the people who’ll use it, meet local requirements, and make thoughtful use of every square foot.

MAK Design + Build works with homeowners in Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Winters, and nearby communities to create accessory dwelling units that feel intentional rather than simply added on. As a design-build firm, we bring design, permitting, and construction together through one connected team, so you’re not left coordinating separate designers, consultants, and builders yourself.

Whether you’re creating space for family, planning for aging in place, welcoming long-term guests, or simply giving your property more flexibility, we start by listening to what you need the space to do.

An ADU Is a Small Home. We Treat It Like One.

An accessory dwelling is an independent living space with its own planning, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, kitchen, bath, and site considerations.

That’s why the design-build model works especially well for ADU construction in Sacramento and Davis.

Our designers are thinking about how the space will feel and function at the same time our construction team is considering what it will take to build it well. We look at utilities, access, setbacks, privacy, natural light, storage, landscape relationships, and the connection to your existing home early, before those questions become expensive surprises later.

You get one team responsible for carrying the project from the first ideas through design, permitting, construction, and final inspection.

Our ADU Design-Build Process

adu bedroom opening to a covered patio and stone path by mak design build in davis ca

We Meet

We’ll talk about why you’re considering an ADU, who may live there now or in the future, what privacy means on your property, and how you want the new space to relate to your existing home. We’ll also begin looking at the practical side of the project, including the site, access, utilities, jurisdiction, and overall scope.

Contemporary ADU Living Room with Pass Through Shelving

We Design

Our design team explores how the ADU can work on your property. We consider layout, light, storage, circulation, views, privacy, materials, and the connection between indoors and outdoors. We also evaluate buildability and budget, prepare the drawings, and coordinate what’s needed for permit review.

We Build

An ADU involves full residential construction, from foundation and framing to plumbing, electrical, mechanical systems, cabinetry, tile, fixtures, finishes, and site work. Because our design and construction teams work together, questions can be resolved by the people who already understand the reasoning behind the design.

We Celebrate

The best ADUs give your property more ways to support the people in your life. Your ADU might bring aging parents closer, give adult children a comfortable place to return to, or make extended visits easier. And as your needs change, the space can change with you. That flexibility is part of what makes a well-designed ADU so valuable.

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Frequently Asked Questions About ADUs in Davis and Sacramento

What is an ADU?

An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is an independent residence located on the same property as a primary home. It has its own spaces for living, sleeping, cooking, and bathing.

ADUs can take several forms, including detached backyard homes, attached additions, and conversions of existing spaces. The right approach depends on your property, the people who’ll use the ADU, and what you want the new space to accomplish. Both Sacramento and Davis recognize multiple forms of accessory dwelling units under their current rules.

What does an ADU cost?

At MAK, a typical ADU investment ranges from $300,000 to $800,000, depending on the size and complexity of the design, site conditions, utility connections, finishes, and permitting requirements. For a closer look at the factors that influence that range, explore our cost guide.

Do I need a permit to build an ADU?

Yes. An ADU requires local review and building permits before construction begins.

With MAK, you won’t be left to figure out that process on your own. Our design-build team develops the plans, coordinates the required project documentation, and manages the permitting process with the appropriate jurisdiction. The city or reviewing agency always retains final authority over approval.

What are the ADU requirements in Sacramento?

The requirements depend on your property, the type of ADU you’re considering, and whether you’re within the City of Sacramento or another jurisdiction.

For example, the City of Sacramento currently allows attached and detached ADUs and has specific standards governing matters such as number of units, floor area, setbacks, building plans, utilities, addressing, and other site conditions. Because the city describes its ADU guidance as a live document, we confirm the requirements that apply to your particular property as part of the planning process rather than designing from a generic checklist.

Are ADU rules different in Sacramento and Davis?

Yes. California law establishes the broader framework for ADUs, but local procedures and property-specific requirements can still differ.

The City of Sacramento and City of Davis maintain their own ADU resources, and Davis specifically notes that state updates continue to affect portions of its local zoning regulations. That’s one reason we verify your jurisdiction and current requirements at the beginning of the project, rather than assuming the same rules apply everywhere.

How many ADUs can I build, and how large can they be?

There isn’t one answer that applies to every property. For example, current City of Sacramento guidance allows up to two ADUs on a qualifying parcel and places specific limits on the size and configuration of attached and detached units. Davis has its own standards and review paths, with state law continuing to shape local ADU regulations. Your lot, existing structures, jurisdiction, and proposed ADU type all need to be evaluated before deciding what’s feasible.

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Areas We Service

Davis + Sacramento, CA

We service families and homes in the Greater Sacramento area, including Davis, Woodland, and Sacramento. We try to keep all projects within a 45-minute driving radius of our office in Downtown Davis. Below are some of the areas we work in. If you have any questions about if you are within our service range please don’t hesitate to call and ask, we’d love to chat!

MAK Design + Build is your neighborhood remodeler in:

Davis

Central Davis
College Park
East Davis
El Macero
North Davis
South Davis
West Davis
Willowbank

Sacramento

Arden-Arcade
Curtis Park
East Sacramento
Fab 40s
Land Park
Midtown
Pocket
River Park
South Land Park
Upper Land Park

Winters

Woodland

Client Reviews

“The way of MAK is quality, transparency, and efficiency. With MAK, they helped achieve our vision of updating our almost 100 year old home to exude a more modern presence while still maintaining some of its old, good bones. It was our first time ever doing this type of thing and every step of the way we felt confident and comfortable that MAK was doing right on our behalf. The culture that Ken, and likely others, have crafted at MAK is truly amazing and refreshing in this day-in-age. Every employee is gracious, courteous and smiling. From our perspective as the client, the bankroll, it is easy to state that we were treated as first-class citizens . But even more marvelous to see was how positively MAK interacted with the community, neighbors, and sub-contractors. The MAK culture is firmly present from within but emanates to those around which, for us, produces a better product.”

+ Derek S., 2025

Whole House, Central Davis

“We thoroughly enjoyed working with the MAK team on our garage conversion in Davis. Every single team member showed a commitment to quality and transparency, and they were all very respectful and pleasant. We never had to worry about the overall quality of the work because our project manager was on site every day to make sure every aspect of the build was taken care of. We also enjoyed working with the design team and appreciated their guidance. We ended up with an airy and modern looking multi-use room and beautiful bathroom that fits our personal style! The team even helped us problem solve a unique storage solution that made up for the loss of our garage. We plan to use this team again for our upcoming kitchen and second bath remodel.”

+ Brittany A., 2024

Garage Conversion, Central Davis

“We have been entirely enjoying our renovated kitchen, flooring, and other areas of the house that MAK Design + Build helped us conceptualize and enact. Working with their design team was easy and inspiring, and their construction workers were unfailingly helpful and accommodating. Equally importantly, MAK stands behind their work, making corrections when needed. We have enjoyed recommending MAK to others who similarly seek a renewal of their place to live.”

+ Ross T., 2023

Kitchen, North Davis

MAK is the best! Our renovation project involved a complete gutting & re-do of the foyer, kitchen, dining room, family room and laundry/mudroom (over 1,000 sf). This was the largest remodel we had ever done. On past projects we had encountered the ‘usual’ contractor problems and cost overruns. We were nervous about having the same issues on a much larger project. We really needed a company that could handle the day-to-day issues without us.
Everyone involved on the project, from Ken the owner, to all the subcontractors were very friendly and easy to work with. Our project was completed on time, on budget and we loved the outcome! We will continue using MAK for a smaller Phase II project involving French doors. We wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone, with no hesitation — great people, excellent work ethic, high integrity with outstanding results.

+ Ana M., 2021

Kitchen, Living Room + Laundry Room, West Davis

ADU Design-Build in Sacramento and Davis