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Design your ADU with clarity —
before you talk to a builder.

Explore ADU models, styles, and realistic budget ranges using intelligent design tools built on real construction data.

No pressure. No guesswork. Just clear next steps.

Start Exploring ADU Options

Start Exploring ADU Options

See How It Works

See How It Works

Built on professional-grade ADU tools.

Ohana Dwellings is powered by the same platform used by builders and developers to plan, price, and permit ADUs accurately.

AI Delivering ADUs
faster and more cost effective

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News

May 28, 2024

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Everything you need to build your ADU business—AI-powered, streamlined, and all in one place.

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FAQ Third question

FAQ Third question

Explore Models

You’ll see best-fit footprints that respect privacy, sun, and access. Make sure it fits first.

Digitally Place

Pick a look you love and swap finishes—siding, roof, windows, floors—without breaking code or your allowed footprint. What you see is buildable, not “inspiration only.”

Design it

Instant price ranges update as you change packages and options, based on real assemblies and local factors. No hidden math—see assumptions and what’s included so you can set a realistic budget.

Price It

Turn your chosen model into next steps: a jurisdiction-specific checklist, plan notes, and links to the right forms. You’ll know what to submit, in what order, and what to expect for timing.

OhanaPermits.com

Permit it

Builds a materials take-off from your chosen package and quantities, ready for efficient and optimized material ordering.

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Build Smarter

Know it fits and what it costs—before you commit

See exactly where an ADU can legally go on your lot and get a clear, selection-based price range the same day. No guesswork, no surprise “gotchas”—just a realistic budget you can plan around, AI empwoered.

One guided path from idea to permit to materials

Place it, style it, price it, permit it, and procure it in one flow. You leave with a permit-ready checklist, plan notes, and exportable take-offs your builder can order from—saving weeks and preventing rework.

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Smart Site Planner

Instant Visualizer

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Take The Model Quiz

How this works:

STEP 1

Run your free feasibility report

Get expert help to bring your ADU project to life:

Instant Property Intelligence — Enter any address and get an AI-generated feasibility report with eligibility confidence, lot analysis (size, buildable area, elevation, setbacks), permit fees and realistic timelines — all jurisdiction-specific, no phone calls required.

"Verify Before You Spend" Risk Framework — The report flags the three things that kill ADU projects early — easements, utility capacity, and setback compliance. It turns abstract risk into a clear action checklist.

Run a quick feasibility report

Run a quick feasibility report

Step 2

Check Your Lot

Interactive Lot Fitting — Homeowners place, resize, and rotate ADU models directly on their actual property satellite view, with live setback calculations showing exactly what's buildable.

Instant Model Matching — The tool filters 155+ models down to what actually fits the lot (68 in this case), eliminating guesswork and moving homeowners from "can I?" to "which one?" in seconds.

Real-Time Cost Estimates — Materials, labor, and total price range appear the moment a model is placed, compressing weeks of back-and-forth quoting into one self-service session.

Find Your Model

Find Your Model

STEP 3

Customize Your Design

Use our design tool to tailor floor plans, finishes and exteriors—perfect for homeowner inspiration and builder value-engineering.

STEP 4

In depth Site Planning & Feasibility Analysis

Get expert help to bring your ADU project to life:

Smart ADU Placement - Visualize the optimal ADU location on your lot based on setbacks, access, and existing structures

Topography & Grading Insights - Analyze slope and elevation to determine grading needs, foundation type, and site prep complexity.

Utility Distance Awareness - See approximate distances to water, sewer, electric, and gas to anticipate trenching scope and costs.

Run a quick feasibility report

Run a quick feasibility report

STEP 5

AI-Powered ADU Pricing.

See real costs instantly — broken down, validated, and ready to review.

Room-by-Room Cost Clarity - Automatically calculates materials and labor by exterior, kitchen, living spaces, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

Intelligent Cost Breakdown - View materials, labor, site planning, and total project costs in one unified, easy-to-understand summary.

Approval-Ready Pricing - Approve or adjust selections in real time with transparent line items, vendors, and pricing logic.

STEP 6

Connect with Builders or Use Your Builder

Get expert help to bring your ADU project to life:

Turn your ADU plan into a real project — with the right builder.

Pre-qualified ADU builders.

Clear scope and pricing from day one

STEP 7

Permitting & Compliance Hub

Navigate the ADU permitting process with clarity, confidence, and fewer surprises.

Step-by-Step Permit Guidance - Follow a guided checklist that walks you through research, document prep, submission, review, and approvals—tailored to your jurisdiction.

Intelligent Plan Set Review - Automatically identify missing sheets, code compliance issues, and priority corrections before plans are submitted.

Timeline & Requirement - Visibility Understand estimated fees, approval timelines, size limits, setbacks, and required studies upfront—so you can plan with confidence.

STEP 4

Preview in AR

Turn your vision into a reality with expert guidance:

Step Inside Your ADU—Before It's Built

Use your phone or tablet to place a life-size 3D model of your ADU right in your backyard. With our Augmented Reality (AR) preview, you can walk around, peek inside, and experience the design at full scale—just like it’s already there.

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The Ohana Permits Property Preview generates a realistic, conceptual visualization of ADU potential from a single photo — in about 60 seconds. Here's exactly how it works.

See What Your Property Could Look Like With an ADU — Before You Spend a Dollar on Plans

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have become one of the most powerful tools for adding value to residential property—but for homeowners, buyers, sellers, and even professionals, the process is still far more confusing than it should be. Between zoning rules, financial tradeoffs, and permitting uncertainty, many ADU conversations stall before they ever turn into action. Ohana Permits was built to change that. Our goal is simple:
to make ADU decisions clearer, faster, and grounded in real data—so people can move forward with confidence.

Ohana Permits: Bringing Clarity to ADU Decisions

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are no longer a niche topic—they’re a recurring part of buyer and seller conversations across California and beyond.But while interest is high, one challenge consistently slows deals down: The numbers. Clients want to know: Does building an ADU actually make financial sense? How does it compare to buying a larger home? What’s the real monthly impact—not just the headline cost? Until now, answering those questions meant spreadsheets, rough assumptions, or sending clients elsewhere. That’s exactly what Ohanapermits.com’s Realtor ADU Calculator Widget was built to change.

The Realtor’s New Edge: A Branded ADU Financial Calculator That Clients Actually Use

The Mortgage Bankers Association is urging Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to modernize construction and renovation lending—securitizing single-close construction-to-perm loans at closing, extending credit-document age to 18 months, and easing HomeStyle Renovation completion rules. If adopted, these changes would lower lender friction, expand access to financing, and accelerate delivery of new housing supply—especially small infill like ADUs. Net-net: smoother cash flow, fewer mid-project re-underwrites, and a clearer path to affordability.

How Smarter GSE Construction Lending Could Supercharge ADUs

AB 130 requires agencies to approve or reject qualifying projects within 30 days—a drastic acceleration compared to the historic months‑long or even years‑long CEQA processes

The ADU Express Lane: California’s 2025 Housing Reforms in Action

AI-driven site planning tools are revolutionizing ADU development by integrating real-time zoning compliance, dynamic site visualization, and AI-powered customization to streamline the design process. These tools provide homeowners and developers with instant property analysis, zoning guidance, and real-time pricing, making ADU planning faster, more accurate, and more efficient than ever before.

AI-Driven Site Planning: Streamlining ADU Development with Smart Technology

VIDEO: Homeowner's Guide to Building an ADU

‍VIDEO: Choosing the Right Framing Method for Your Build: Lumber, Light Gauge Steel, or SIPs

Colorado is set to launch a comprehensive program aimed at assisting homeowners in constructing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Colorado's Blueprint for Affordable Living with New ADU Support Program

Vermont is proactively addressing its housing shortage through the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) 2.0, offering grants and forgivable loans of up to $50,000 per unit to homeowners for the creation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Vermont's ADU Development Grants Offer Up to $50,000 for Homeowners

New York State is proactively addressing its housing shortage through the Plus One Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program, a $85 million initiative aimed at increasing affordable housing options.

Unlocking Affordable Housing: New York's Plus One ADU Program Offers Up to $125,000 for Homeowners

Senate Bill 1077 (SB 1077), introduced by Senator Catherine Blakespear and signed into law on September 22, 2024, aims to streamline the approval process for ADUs in coastal zones, balancing the need for affordable housing with environmental preservation.

Streamlining Coastal Housing: California's SB 1077 Simplifies ADU Approvals in Coastal Zones

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