ADU Before & After in San Jose, CA
Talk is cheap in construction. We’ve all seen the glossy flyers and the renderings that look nothing like the finished job. That’s why we document our work. The photos on this page show real San Jose lots before we started and after we handed over the keys. You’ll see garage conversions, backyard ADUs, and room additions, all built square, permitted, and finished on schedule. The transformations speak for themselves.
Recent Transformations
Detached Backyard ADU in Willow Glen
The problem: a 6,200-square-foot lot in Willow Glen with a side yard that had become a storage area for old patio furniture and a dead lawn. The homeowners wanted rental income but didn’t want to lose their backyard. What we did: filed for a setback variance (the city’s written permission to build closer to the property line than the standard rule allows) to tuck a one-bedroom ADU into the side yard. We matched the stucco to the main house and ran a separate electrical subpanel so the tenant’s usage never touches the owner’s bill. The result: a compact but comfortable rental that stays occupied, and the owners kept 80% of their usable yard.
Attached Garage Conversion in Berryessa
The problem: a 1970s two-car garage in Berryessa with cracked concrete, a sagging header over the door opening, and no insulation. The homeowners’ adult son was moving back home and needed real privacy. What we did: poured a new slab with proper rebar, reframed the garage door opening for a proper entry door and windows, insulated to Title 24 energy code, and ran new plumbing for a full bathroom. We kept the driveway so there’s still off-street parking for the main house. The result: a 480-square-foot unit that feels like a real apartment, not a converted garage.
Room Addition Over Permit-Ready Garage in Almaden
The problem: a growing family in Almaden with three kids sharing two bedrooms and a garage built with permit-ready footings the owners never knew they had. What we did: verified the existing footings could carry a second story, then framed a 340-square-foot primary suite above the garage. We ran a new HVAC zone so the room doesn’t roast in summer, and soundproofed the floor so garage-door openers don’t wake anyone. The result: the kids each got their own room, and the parents got a suite with a walk-in closet and a door that locks.
Prefab ADU Drop-In Near San Jose State
The problem: a landlord near San Jose State with a 5,000-square-foot lot and a dirt patch behind the main house that was useless. He wanted rent coming in fast, not a nine-month construction timeline. What we did: recommended a prefab Abodu studio, handled the site prep, foundation, utility trenching, and city inspections while the unit was being built off-site. Crane day took four hours. The result: a 400-square-foot studio that rented out within two weeks of the final inspection. The landlord went from zero income on that dirt to market-rate rent in about eight weeks total.
Garage Conversion with Kitchenette in Cambrian
The problem: a retired couple in Cambrian with a single-car garage full of boxes they hadn’t opened in a decade. They wanted to age in place and bring in a caretaker. What we did: converted the 320-square-foot garage into a studio with a kitchenette, full bath, and stacked laundry hookup. We added a separate exterior entrance with a short ramp rather than steps, so the unit works for someone with mobility issues. The result: the caretaker lives on-site, the couple stays in the home they’ve owned for 30 years, and the boxes went to the dump.
Two-Story ADU Over Existing Garage in Rose Garden
The problem: a Rose Garden homeowner with a detached two-car garage and an attic that was nothing but rafters and dust. The lot was too tight for a separate detached unit. What we did: reframed the attic into a second story, adding a bedroom and full bath upstairs with a small balcony, and converted the garage level into living space with a kitchen and living room. We used James Hardie siding on the exterior so the ADU reads as a separate cottage, not a garage with a hat. The result: a 720-square-foot two-story ADU with rental value that covers a good chunk of the mortgage.
Want Results Like These?
Every project on this page started the same way: a phone call to (669) 201-3984 and a free on-site estimate. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, no surprises on the final invoice, and the one-year Garrison Standard guarantee in writing. Reed Calloway walks every job personally. Call (669) 201-3984 to schedule your estimate.
Written by Reed Calloway, Owner at Fielding ADU San Jose, serving San Jose since 2006.
