News: Prefab ADUs Coming to North Bay

Author: Edward Booth for the Napa Valley Register

The Napa Valley Register recently published an article about the proliferation of prefabricated ADUs in the North Bay, quoting our very own Napa Sonoma ADU Center Director on her take on prefabs and how they can help us meet our housing needs.

Read the full article here to learn more about prefab companies building ADUs in the North Bay.

“All prefab ADUs have the advantage of generally being built more quickly than traditionally constructed units and taking a much shorter time to be installed on the property, Schomp said. 

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But, Schomp added, it's important to recognize that other options — traditional "stick-built" ADUs, junior ADUs that convert areas inside an existing home into housing, multifamily affordable housing — have upsides as well.

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And there are also a few limitations to prefab units to consider, she said. Having a flat lot and enough access to the site that a truck can drive in there with the unit, or so a crane can place it, is essentially a requirement.

The ADU center recently launched a “Standard Plans Program” which features a gallery of plans that at least some of 16 Napa and Sonoma county jurisdictions have pre-approved. That allows for a diversity of options for interested buyers, and helps the center pursue a goal of saving homeowners and cities time and money on the design and permitting process for ADUs, Schomp emphasized. 

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“What I have seen time and time again in the housing space is there’s no single silver bullet solution,” Schomp said. “You cannot say prefab is the answer; it’s one of the tools in the toolkit. And we’re going to be the most successful to meet our housing crisis if we approach with a diversity of housing options.”  ”

Check out our Napa Sonoma ADU Standard Plans Program to easily see +50 different ADU plans, some of which are prefab ADUs “pre-reviewed” for your city or county!

For help kickstarting your ADU planning, sign up for an ADU feasibility consult today.