Find out exactly what you can build in your backyard, and what it will cost.
A Backyard ADUs Feasibility Study is a home inspection for your ADU project. We visit your property, check your zoning, map your utilities, and hand you a written report with construction pricing.
No obligation. You keep the report whether or not you build with us.
Why our Feasibility Study is different
- We've completed over 1,000 ADU feasibility studies since 2019.
- We do an actual site sketch, drawn from measurements we take on your property, which lets us:
- Make specific utility recommendations
- Measure utility trench length
- Tell you which trees are coming down
- Calculate crane horizontal lifts and establish constraints
- Determine the cost impact of slopes on your foundation
Where we've done feasibility studies
Chances are we've already walked a lot like yours. Southern Maine, Greater Boston, the Pioneer Valley and Cape Cod are where most of our work is, which is also where most of the zoning headaches are.
Map below: one dot per study from our project records. 1,000+ studies completed since 2019.
Pricing
Invoice sent after the site visit, payable by credit card.
The other $500 is covered by the MHP ADU Incentive Program, which we're an approved provider for. Invoice sent after the site visit, payable by credit card.
Invoice sent after the site visit, payable by credit card.
Why is Massachusetts more expensive? MA is far more complicated than NH and ME: more regulation, more complicated regulation, and more variety in how towns implement it.
Already have a study from another provider? We'll price it for free.
What you get
Most "free consultations" are a sales call. This is a report you can take to a lender, a town hall, or another builder.
Our foundation-up pricing is model specific, but our site work estimate is universal, and based on 100+ builds.
| What's included | What it answers |
|---|---|
| In-person site visit | An advisor walks your property, measures, photographs, and brainstorms with you. Scheduled within 2 weeks. |
| Zoning review | Setbacks, lot coverage, height, parking, owner-occupancy rules, and whether your town needs a special permit or just a building permit. |
| Utility plan | How water, sewer or septic, and electric reach the ADU, and what each connection costs. |
| Site conditions | Grade and slope, ledge, trees to clear, access for equipment and delivery, driveway needs. |
| Model recommendation | Which of our ADU models fit your lot and your budget, with pros and cons. |
| All-in project pricing within 10% | A line-item estimate for your recommended model on your lot, built from 130+ completed ADUs. Not a square-foot guess. Including preconstruction, town fees and construction cost: everything. |
| Next steps | Exactly what to do if you want to proceed: with us, with another builder, or not at all. |
| Unlimited phone and Zoom follow-up | Questions after the report lands? Call us. |
Every study comes with a measured site sketch
Three recent site sketches. Every study includes one, drawn from measurements we take on your property: setbacks, utility runs, trees, grade, crane reach.
How it works
Request your study
Fill out the form below (2 minutes). Tell us about your property and who the ADU is for.
Quick intro call
A local Small Home Expert calls within one business day to confirm you should pay for a site visit. We don't want to waste your money.
Site visit
We come to you, usually within 2 weeks. Plan on about 2 hours.
Your report
The written Feasibility Study, a site sketch based on field measurements, and real pricing. 2-week turnaround.
You decide
Build with us, build with someone else, or sit on it. The report is yours either way. Many of our families take up to a year to decide, and some even longer.
Why our pricing holds up
Priced by the people who will build it, from 130+ ADUs we've already built.
Most feasibility studies end with a cost range so wide it's useless: "$200,000 to $400,000." Ours doesn't. Every Backyard ADUs study is priced in the same proprietary costing system we use to bid and build our own projects. It has been fed by more than 130 completed ADUs across Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and we finish roughly one more every week.
That means the number in your report is the number we would actually sign a contract for, within 10%. The remaining 10% may be something we missed in the feasibility (it happens), but it's more often driven by your customization of the ADU design: a full-size chef's kitchen, huge modern windows, a custom shower.
Already got a study from another provider? We'll price it for free.
Upload the report you received and we'll send back full pricing for every Backyard ADUs model that fits your lot, plus our second opinion on the study itself. No site visit needed, no strings attached.
Price my existing studyFAQ
What does it cost in Massachusetts?
$500. The full study is $1,000; MHP pays us the other $500 directly through the ADU Incentive Program. You never see that half.
Do I have to build with Backyard ADUs afterward?
No. The report is yours. The MHP program requires us to say that, and we'd say it anyway.
What if my property doesn't qualify for the MHP program?
We'll tell you on the intro call. You can still book the study at the full $1,000 rate.
Does the study guarantee I can build?
It's not a guarantee, but we work very hard to identify the project killers, whether they are zoning, utility or budget related. We won't let you pay for our Design Phase if we think the project is too risky and less than 80% likely to get built.
How is this different from the free studies other providers offer?
Many providers use superlative language to describe site conditions on a flashy AI-built report.
We actually tell you how long your septic run will be, and how much it will cost. We actually tell you what type of electrical service you should use, and how much it will cost. We actually tell you if you need a new water service, and how much it will cost. We actually tell you if you need soil test pits for stormwater design, and how much it will cost.
We think the facts matter, and if you are ready to build your ADU, hand-wavy ideas are useless.
What if I already have a study from another provider?
Send it to us and we'll price it for free in 1 business day. Caveat: our pricing will only be as good as the study's findings are accurate and detailed. Often studies do not provide enough detail to actually price site work, but we'll do our best.
Who does the site visit?
A local Small Home Expert from our team, not a subcontractor or a salesperson. The person who visits your home is most often the person you work with for your entire ADU project, from design to move-in.
How long does it take?
Site visit within 2 weeks of your intro call; report within about 2 weeks after that.
Start your Feasibility Study
Two minutes now, a real answer in a few weeks.