Got your ADU feasibility study? Now get the real price.
Upload the feasibility study you received through MHP's ADU Incentive Program, from any provider, and we'll price a detached ADU on your property across every one of our models and finish tiers. Plus our honest second opinion on your study.
Upload my studyFree. No strings. Takes about 3 minutes.
What you'll get back
- All-in pricing for every detached model we build, in each finish tier
- Site, foundation, utility and permitting costs, not just the house
- A second opinion: what your study got right, what it missed
- Delivered in 1 business day, by email
Your study tells you what's possible. Did it give you a build cost?
Through the ADU Incentive Program, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities pay qualified providers $500 per study, so any Massachusetts property owner can get one feasibility study for little or no cost. It's a great first step. But by design, it's a first step.
What an MHP study typically covers: property conditions and constraints, local zoning and permitting considerations, utility needs, preliminary design considerations, and high-level cost estimates.
What it doesn't include: architectural or engineering plans, construction documents or permit applications, a guarantee the ADU can be built, or a standard format. Every provider's study looks different.
Where we come in: real pricing and a second opinion from deep experience. We've built 130+ ADUs, and we finish one every week. And as MHP says, you're under no obligation to hire the provider who did your study. Or us.
Don't have a study yet? Find a provider in MHP's provider directory. Backyard ADUs is one of them.
How it works
Three steps. No site visit needed to start.
Upload your study and photos
Send us the PDF from your feasibility study provider, plus as many photos of your yard as you like: where you'd put the ADU, the driveway, the septic or sewer area, the electric meter.
We run it through our pricing system
Your site conditions go into the same costing system we use to write our fixed-price contracts. Then a Backyard ADUs team member reviews every number.
Get your pricing and second opinion
You receive our Feasibility Deliverable: pricing for every model in every tier, plus our take on your study. Keep it, compare it, share it with your lender.
Every model. Every tier. Your property.
Most feasibility studies give you one ballpark number. We give you the full menu, priced for your lot, so you can see what a 448 sq ft one-bedroom costs next to an 810 sq ft two-bedroom, and what moving from our Basic to Select finishes adds. Every price is all-in: the home, foundation, utility connections, site work, design and permitting.
| Model | Basic | Rental | Select |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Line 448 · 1 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| L-Line 525 · 1 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| Square 600 · 1 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| S-Line 637 · 1–2 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| Square 722 · 1–2 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| L-Line 810 · 2 bed | $ — | $ — | $ — |
| Square 900 · 2 bed, 2 bath | $ — | $ — | $ — |
Illustration only. Your Feasibility Deliverable includes real numbers for your property.
Priced from real builds, not rules of thumb.
Our proprietary costing system is built on line-item costs from more than 130 ADUs we've designed, permitted and built, plus current factory quotes for every model. It's the same system we use to write fixed-price construction contracts, so these aren't marketing numbers. They're the numbers we'd sign.
Why "high-level" estimates miss: the house is less than half the cost
On a small home, septic expansion, a long utility run, a well upgrade or heavy tree clearing can swing the total more than the finishes do. Our system prices those from your site, and we flag anything on your property that moves the price more than 5% either way.
Our pricing is as accurate as the study you give us.
We'll be straight with you: we price from what's in your study and your photos. If your provider measured the utility runs, checked septic capacity and confirmed setbacks, your pricing will be tight. If the study is thin on site details, we'll say so, show you which numbers carry the most uncertainty, and tell you what would firm them up.
Plus a second opinion from a builder.
We've permitted ADUs in towns across Massachusetts under the new state ADU law. We'll read your study the way a builder would and tell you whether the zoning and setback read matches current state and local rules; utility, septic and site issues that could change the budget; where the study's cost estimate looks high, low or incomplete; and clear next steps if you want to move forward, with anyone.
No strings attached. Really.
You get your pricing either way. Someone from our team may call once to walk you through it; feel free to let it ring. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link. The pricing is yours to keep.
Upload my studyUpload your study
Detached ADUs in Massachusetts. Any provider's study works, whether it came through the MHP program or not.
Photos help a lot: the spot you're thinking about, the path from the street, your septic or sewer cleanout, and your electric meter.
Questions? Call (413) 779-8377 or email info@backyardadus.com.
Questions
Is this really free?
Yes. There's no cost and no obligation. We do this because a lot of homeowners who see real numbers decide to build, and we'd like to be the ones you call when you do.
Does my study have to come from the MHP ADU Incentive Program?
No. This page is built for people who got a study through the MHP program, but any third-party feasibility study for a Massachusetts property works.
Am I locked in with the provider who did my study?
No. MHP is clear that getting a study doesn't obligate you to build an ADU or to hire that provider for anything else. Getting a second set of numbers is smart.
Do you price attached ADUs or conversions?
This free pricing covers detached ADUs, which is what we build. If your study looked at an attached unit or a garage or basement conversion, send it anyway and we'll let you know what we can do.
How long does it take?
Your pricing goes out within 1 business day. If we need something from you, like a missing measurement, we'll ask.
How would I pay for an ADU?
Many of our clients use home equity or construction financing. MHP's program page also points to the MassHousing ADU Loan Program. Ask your lender about eligibility. Our pricing gives your lender a real number to work with.
What happens to my study and photos?
They're stored securely and used only to prepare your pricing. We don't share them.
Backyard ADUs is an independent company and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership or the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The ADU Incentive Program is administered by MHP. Program details: mhp.net/one-mortgage/adu-incentive-program. Pricing is an estimate based on the information provided and is not a contract. Final pricing is set in a signed agreement after site review.