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City Guides

Jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction breakdowns of the cities we build in.

Sep 2025 · 8 min

Tacoma's ADU rules in 2026

Tacoma adopted HB 1337-compliant ADU code in 2024. Here is what the Tacoma Municipal Code now allows and where the friction still lives.

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Aug 2025 · 7 min

Redmond ADUs and the Microsoft commute calculus

Why a Redmond DADU pencils out for tech-employee rentals — and how the city's updated code interacts with the light-rail expansion.

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Jun 2025 · 7 min

Seattle's pre-approved DADU plans: real timeline savings

What the SDCI pre-approved DADU plans program actually shaves off the schedule — and the trade-offs nobody discusses up front.

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May 2025 · 6 min

Short-term rental rules for Seattle ADUs

Seattle's STR ordinance, how it applies to ADUs and DADUs, and the licensing math for owners considering Airbnb instead of long-term rental.

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May 2025 · 8 min

Bellevue's ADU pathway in 2026

Bellevue's Land Use Code post-HB 1337: what is now permitted by right, what still requires conditional approval, and how design review actually works.

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Apr 2025 · 7 min

How long Seattle ADU permits actually take in 2025

The SDCI dashboard, our project ledger, and the three things that move median timeline from 14 weeks to 18.

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Apr 2025 · 6 min

Kirkland Zoning Code 115 and ADU heights

The specific Kirkland code that drives DADU massing decisions, and how to design around the upper-floor cutbacks.

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Apr 2025 · 7 min

How our Seattle ADU costs compare to AARP's national data

AARP's ADU research is the most-cited benchmark in the country. Here is how Puget Sound numbers stack up.

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Apr 2025 · 10 min

Seattle's ADU code, decoded

SDCI Tip 116 plus SMC 23.44.041 in one read — height, setbacks, FAR, and the rules most homeowners get wrong.

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Apr 2025 · 6 min

Seattle ADU rental comps in 2025

Census ACS, Zillow Research, and our own lease ledger — what a 700 sq ft DADU actually rents for in Seattle today.

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Mar 2025 · 7 min

King County septic vs sewer: ADU implications

Why your sewer status drives 30% of the feasibility decision on unincorporated King County ADUs.

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Mar 2025 · 6 min

When Seattle dropped ADU owner-occupancy — and why it changed the math

The 2019 reform that quietly transformed Seattle into one of the most ADU-friendly cities in the United States.

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Mar 2025 · 5 min

What an ADU does to your property tax in King County

King County Assessor data, applied to a real Seattle parcel — the assessed-value bump and the tax math.

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Mar 2025 · 6 min

Bellevue ADU rules — what changed under HB 1337

Bellevue updated LUC 20.20.120 to comply with state law. Here is what's actually different on the ground.

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Feb 2025 · 7 min

AADU vs DADU resale value in Seattle

Multi-year analysis of Seattle MLS sales: which configuration actually contributes more to resale price, and why.

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Feb 2025 · 6 min

Kirkland ADU rules — the most predictable Eastside permit path

Kirkland Zoning Code Chapter 115 plus the City's pre-application process produce the shortest median permit timeline on the Eastside.

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Feb 2025 · 8 min

What an ADU really costs in Seattle in 2025

Honest, line-by-line numbers from our last twelve completed DADUs — design, permitting, hard costs, and the line items most contractors hide.

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Feb 2025 · 8 min

Snohomish County DADU options outside Seattle

Everett, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Bothell, Mill Creek: where Snohomish ADU rules sit post-HB 1337 and what each city allows.

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Feb 2025 · 5 min

Seattle's Pre-Approved DADU plans — when they make sense

A free SDCI program that cuts permit time in half. Here's when to use it and when to walk away.

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Jan 2025 · 6 min

Septic or sewer? What it means for your ADU

Public Health — Seattle & King County governs on-site sewage. Here's what changes when you add a second unit on septic.

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Jan 2025 · 7 min

Long-term vs. short-term rental ADU in Seattle

Seattle FAS short-term rental rules, the math vs. long-term tenancy, and what we see actually working.

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