--- title: "ADU Builder in Dallas, TX | NRG Remodeling" description: "ADU builder in Dallas: backyard cottages and guest suites built from the foundation up, plus Dallas ADU rules on approval, size and rentals. Free estimates." url: "https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/adu/" --- # ADU Builder in Dallas Wood framing of a new backyard ADU ## Accessory Dwelling Units NRG Remodeling is an ADU builder in Dallas: we build accessory dwelling units, from backyard cottages to guest suites, from the foundation up. In most cases Dallas allows an ADU only with a Board of Adjustment special exception or a neighborhood ADU overlay, so we start by checking which route your lot has. We also build in Arlington and Grapevine. [Get a free estimate](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/contacts/)[Call 214-810-6785](tel:+12148106785) ## Selected ADU and addition work ## Can you build an ADU in Dallas? Yes, but in most cases not by right. The city's own ADU page says so plainly: "ADUs are not allowed to be built by right in most cases." On a single family lot an extra dwelling unit gets approved one of two ways, and the right one depends on rental use and on whether your neighborhood already has an overlay. ### Route 1: a Board of Adjustment special exception This is the route for one property. You apply to the city's Board of Adjustment, which can grant a special exception when, in its opinion, the unit will not adversely affect neighboring properties. The Dallas Development Code gives the board two versions: - **Additional dwelling unit, not rented.** A unit that is not used as a rental. The board requires a deed restriction on the property that prevents renting it. - **Rentable accessory dwelling unit.** The board requires a deed restriction that the owner lives on the property, and the rental has to be registered every year in the city's single family rental program. If no extra off-street parking space is provided, the board decides whether that creates a traffic hazard and can require one. The application is filed with the Building Inspection Division at the Oak Cliff Municipal Center, which also supplies the checklist of required materials and the month the case would go before one of the board's three panels. The board administrator schedules the case and mails the hearing date, and the applicant or a representative is encouraged to attend both the briefing and the hearing. The applicant has to show why the exception should be granted, and the city notes that no case sets a precedent: a neighbor's approval does not decide yours. ### Route 2: an ADU overlay on the neighborhood Neighbors can ask the city to place an accessory dwelling unit overlay on their area. A committee of at least 10 property owners starts it, the petition needs signatures from more than half of the property owners in the area, and the overlay goes to the City Plan Commission and then City Council. Once an overlay is approved, owners inside it can apply for ADU building permits directly, under the rules in the next section. **Before anything is drawn:** look up your zoning on the city's zoning map, check whether your area already has an ADU overlay or sits in a planned development, historic or conservation district, and read your neighborhood's deed restrictions. Arlington, Grapevine and other cities set their own rules, so the Dallas routes above apply only to addresses inside the city of Dallas. Foundation forms for a new backyard ADU ## Size, height and placement rules for a Dallas ADU Inside an ADU overlay, Section 51A-4.510 of the Dallas Development Code sets the limits. They are written for lots inside an overlay. On the Board of Adjustment route each case is decided under Section 51A-4.209, so there the overlay numbers are a reference for what the city has accepted as an ADU, not a rule. - **Size.** A detached ADU is at least 200 square feet. A detached or attached ADU can be up to 700 square feet or 25 percent of the main house, whichever is greater. - **Height and stories.** One story, and no taller than the main house. An ADU over a detached garage may go to the height the zoning allows. - **Placement.** Not in front of the main house, unless the Board of Adjustment grants a special exception for it. A unit under 15 feet tall needs only a three-foot rear yard, and a three-foot side yard when it sits in the rear 30 percent of the lot; taller units follow the normal setbacks. - **Parking.** One off-street space, or none within 1,200 feet of a DART bus or transit stop. - **Utilities.** Up to two electrical services and two meters on the lot. Outside an overlay, a single family lot in a single family district is limited to one meter unless the board allows more. - **Ownership.** The ADU cannot be sold separately from the main house. If one of the two units is rented, the owner has to live in the other (an absence of up to one year needs the director's approval), and the rental is registered with the city. Sources: the City of Dallas [Accessory Dwelling Units page](https://dallascityhall.com/departments/pnv/Pages/Accessory_Dwelling_Units.aspx) and the Dallas Development Code, [Sec. 51A-4.510](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-83814) and [Sec. 51A-4.209](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-80662) (code as published July 2026). Rules change: confirm them for your address before you commit to a design. ## Detached, attached or garage ADU? - **Detached backyard cottage.** A small house of its own behind the main one, with its own foundation, roof, kitchen and bath. It is a separate building with its own entrance, and it is the type in the project cards above: a backyard unit built from a new foundation up. - **Attached ADU.** A unit that shares a wall with the house, with its own entrance and kitchen. It is built much like a room addition, so our page on [home additions in Dallas](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/home-additions/) explains the construction side; the ADU rules above decide whether it can be a separate unit. - **Garage ADU.** Living space made from an existing garage, or a unit built over a detached one. Turning a garage into a dwelling raises its own questions about floors, the door opening and where the cars go, covered on our [garage conversion page](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/garage-conversion/). [Finished room addition with siding and new windowsHome AdditionsMore room attached to the house you have.](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/home-additions/)[Spray foam insulation inside a new ADUGarage ConversionsLiving space inside the garage walls.](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/garage-conversion/)[Foundation forms and rebar for a backyard ADUFoundation RepairWhen foundation signs need a closer look.](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/foundation-repair/) ## What drives the cost of an ADU An ADU is a small house, so it carries most of the costs of one at a smaller size. What moves the price: - **Detached or attached.** A detached unit needs a full foundation, four walls and its own roof; an attached one shares a wall and sometimes a roof line. - **Utilities to the unit.** Water and sewer lines run from the main house or the street, and a separate electrical service and meter where the rules allow one: up to two meters inside an overlay, while elsewhere a second meter needs the board's approval. Distance from the house and the depth of the sewer line both matter. - **Kitchen and bath.** A full kitchen and bathroom add drains, water lines, venting, cabinets, counters and fixtures, and a unit meant as a full home has both. - **Foundation on Dallas clay.** Much of the county has clay soils with high shrink-swell potential, so the foundation is designed for the soil on your lot. If the main house already shows movement, our [foundation repair page](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/services/foundation-repair/) explains what an inspection checks. - **Heating, cooling and insulation.** The unit needs its own system, and how well it is insulated shows up in the bills. The backyard ADU in our project cards was insulated with spray foam in the walls and roof. - **Approvals.** A Board of Adjustment case means an application with its filing fee, a hearing and a deed restriction, all before the building permit; inside an overlay the permit can be applied for directly. - **Finishes and access.** Flooring, cabinets and fixtures, and how easily equipment can reach the backyard. The estimate is free, and financing is available through our partners; ask about both when you call. Wood framing of a new backyard ADU ## From approval to move-in: how an ADU build runs 1. **Feasibility.** Zoning district on the city's map, any ADU overlay, planned development, historic or conservation district, deed restrictions, lot size and where utilities can run. 2. **Approval.** Outside an overlay, the Board of Adjustment case: application, scheduled panel, briefing and hearing, then the deed restriction the board requires. 3. **Design and permit.** Drawings sized to the rules, then the building permit. 4. **Foundation.** Forms, rebar and the pour, with utility lines placed before the concrete. 5. **Framing and roof.** Walls and roof structure, sheathing, roofing, windows and doors. 6. **Rough-ins and insulation.** Plumbing, wiring and HVAC, inspected, then insulation such as spray foam. 7. **Finishes and final inspection.** Drywall, kitchen, bath and flooring; the permit is closed, and a rental is registered with the city. Foundation forms and rebar for a backyard ADU Foundation forms and rebar for a backyard ADU NRG built, before the pour. ## What to ask ADU builders in Dallas - **Have you built a detached unit from the foundation up?** Ask to see one at the foundation and framing stages, not only finished photos. Ours are in the project cards above. - **Who prepares the Board of Adjustment application?** The approval comes before the permit, and the applicant carries the burden of proof at the hearing. - **How do water, sewer and power reach the unit?** The route and the meter plan belong on the drawings, not settled in the field. - **How is the unit insulated and cooled?** A small building with its own system needs both sized for Dallas summers. - **What is in the written scope?** Approvals, utility connections and finishes, line by line, so two bids can be compared. ## What ADU owners say on Google Google > "We hired NRG Remodeling to build an ADU in our backyard, and Ariel was fantastic throughout the whole process." Read the full review -> Google > "We just wrapped up an ADU build and honestly, it turned out better than we ever expected. The team was reliable, easy to communicate with, and really cared about doing a good job." Read the full review -> Google > "We wanted to add an ADU for extra space, and Ariel made it happen without the usual construction headaches." Read the full review -> ## ADU questions from Dallas homeowners **Are ADUs legal in Dallas?** Yes, with approval. In most cases Dallas does not allow an ADU by right: it takes a Board of Adjustment special exception for your property, or an ADU overlay approved for your neighborhood. **Can I rent out an ADU in Dallas?** Yes, if it was approved as a rentable unit. The owner has to live on the property, either in the main house or the ADU, and the rental has to be registered with the city's single family rental program. **How big can an ADU be in Dallas?** In an ADU overlay, up to 700 square feet or 25 percent of the main house, whichever is greater, and one story. A detached unit must be at least 200 square feet. **Can an ADU have its own electric meter?** In an ADU overlay the lot can have up to two electrical services and two meters. Elsewhere, a single family lot in a single family district gets one meter unless the Board of Adjustment grants more. **How much does an ADU cost?** It depends mainly on whether it is detached, its size, the utility runs, the kitchen and bath, and the approval route, so a fair price comes from your lot and plans. Our estimate is free. ## Talk to an ADU builder about your lot Send us your address and what the unit is for: a rental, a parent or a guest house. We are rated 4.9 on Google, and we will go over which approval route your lot has before any design work starts. Building in [Arlington](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/arlington/) or [Grapevine](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/grapevine/) instead? Those cities have their own rules, and we work there too. [Get a free estimate](https://nrgremodelingenergy.com/contacts/)[Call 214-810-6785](tel:+12148106785)