Los Altos Hills Home Additions

A home addition involves building onto your existing structure. These projects add cosmetic appeal to the outside of your residential space and leave room for additional family members and guests. Valley Home Builders listens to your expectations for expansions and can help you make the right decision for these major home renovations:

• Second-story additions: If you’d like more living space, you might want to add a floor to your house instead of extending your existing foundation. A second-story addition helps you preserve your landscaping while enhancing the amount of space you have on your whole property.
• Room additions and bump outs: If you need a little extra space in your home, consider building a room addition or expanding on a room you already have. A room addition is a completely new room added to your home. On the other hand, a bump out adds a little extra square footage to an existing room.
• Sunrooms: A sunroom allows you to enjoy the outdoors while staying comfortable inside. Sunrooms often use aluminum framing and thermal-resistant glass. You can use this additional living space as an office, entertainment area or workout studio to accommodate your lifestyle needs.
• Patio or deck remodeling: Your patio or deck is an extension of your house. When you design it correctly, it becomes an exterior room on your property. Consider upgrading your outdoor living space with a fireplace or kitchen to host family gatherings and get some fresh air.
• Home expansions: A home expansion involves adding multiple rooms — such as a bathroom, living room, dining room, guest bedroom, great room and master bedroom — to your current living space. Consider this service if you need more space or want to change certain aspects of your house’s layout.

Los Altos Hills ADU Builder

The San Francisco Bay Area is an excellent location for accessory dwelling units. Sometimes known as in-law apartments or granny flats, ADUs can be connected to the main home or detached as a separate dwelling altogether. Valley Home Builders specializes in the planning and construction of ADUs to grant you an extra living space to use how you see fit.

There are endless options for renovations, from yoga studios to home offices, when you work with our ADU builders in Los Altos Hills. Here are some of the ways you can use an ADU:

• Basement conversion: If you would like to get more use out of your basement, you might want to convert it into an office, studio or additional living space. Since you are connecting to your home’s existing utilities, this ADU style is more convenient than others.
• Garage conversion: Our ADU builders can construct an additional living space on top of your garage to make an office or extra entertainment space. A garage ADU offers more privacy than a basement conversion, and it makes the most of unused space on your property.
• Attached ADU expansion: An attached ADU is an expansion of the main house, usually on the side or back of your property. Like a basement conversion, this configuration uses your existing electrical and plumbing systems. You might want to build an attached ADU if you are caring for an elderly relative.
• Separate unit: A detached ADU gives you a private place to work, relax or entertain loved ones. If you have enough land for it, this miniature guest house would be ideal for accommodating family members or downsizing your current living situation.

ADU Zoning and Regulations in Los Altos Hills

Los Altos Hills upholds the following requirements for ADUs.

Number of Units

Any single-family lot in Los Altos Hills may have one ADU and one junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU). One of each type is allowed regardless of the lot size.

Types of ADUs

Los Altos Hills permits single-story attached and detached accessory dwelling units. Attached and detached structures may fall into the following categories:

• Studio ADU
• One-bedroom ADU
• Two-bedroom ADU
• JADU

Building Size

A property of any size may have an ADU and a JADU either separately or simultaneously. The standard maximum square footage for ADUs is 800 square feet in Los Altos Hils. The city will allow expansions if the property’s maximum floor area (MFA) and maximum development area allow it. Such dwellings may reach the following sizes:

• JADU: 500 square feet
• Studio and one-bedroom ADU: 850 square feet
• Two-bedroom ADU: 1,000 square feet

An ADU with a qualifying on-site parking space and setback to the rear and sides may expand to a maximum of 1,200 square feet. A JADU with qualifying parking may extend to 650 square feet.

Building Height

The maximum height for a new accessory dwelling unit is 16 feet. However, the maximum is 19 feet for an ADU with at least 30 feet of setback on the back and sides and an on-site parking space.

Setbacks

Setback refers to the distance between the dwelling and the nearest property line. Any new ADU in Los Altos Hills must have a 40-foot front setback and 4-foot setback to the back and sides. However, on-site parking is not required for an ADU on a lot within a 1/2 mile of a public transportation stop. Additionally, an ADU built from the primary dwelling’s existing floorspace does not need additional on-site parking.

Properties with more setback to the back and sides may qualify for larger ADUs.

Parking

A new ADU must have at least one parking space. The parking space must be separate from the primary building’s parking, but it may be built entirely or partially on setback.

A new JADU does not require on-site parking.

Any accessory dwelling must share a driveway with the lot’s primary building. Homeowners may not add a new driveway for an ADU.

Owner Occupancy

The lot owner may rent an ADU apart from the primary residence so long as the rental period is at least 31 days. The sale of the lot must include both the primary and accessory dwellings.

Disclaimer

Zoning law and other requirements for residential properties may change. We update our website to reflect Los Altos Hills’ most recent regulations.

Want to know more about zoning requirements in Los Altos Hills? We are here to answer your questions, so contact Valley Home Builders today!