Tacoma Two-Story
Two-story 1,100 sqft DADU in Tacoma's North End — mixed black-steel and warm cedar slat exterior, long-term rental.
- Type
- Detached ADU
- Sqft
- 1,100
- Beds / Baths
- 2 / 2
- Completed
- Feb 2024
- Duration
- 36 wks
- Budget
- $385,000
01 / BRIEF
What the owner asked for
Investor wanted a Class-A rental positioned for the Tacoma-to-Seattle commuter market. Tacoma TMC 13.06.150 (2023) raised the DADU cap to 1,100 sqft on lots ≥4,500 sqft and waived parking entirely within 0.5 miles of a frequent transit corridor.
02 / CHALLENGE
What stood in the way
The lot is 0.4 miles uphill from the 26th & Proctor transit stop — qualifying for parking waiver but introducing a 22-foot grade change to the proposed building pad. The City's geotech threshold (slope ≥15%) triggered a Critical Areas review.
03 / APPROACH
How we solved it
Coordinated with a licensed geotech (Robinson Noble report #RN-23-2241) to confirm bearing capacity and recommend a 24" wide footing with #5 rebar at 12" o.c. Used a pier-and-grade-beam foundation on the downhill corner to avoid over-excavation. The exterior pairs Bridger Steel A606 weathering steel panels (north/east — weather side) with Climate-Shield cedar rainscreen (south/west — view side).
04 / OUTCOME
What got delivered
Construction completed in 24 weeks after a 12-week permit. Rented within 14 days at $2,900/month. Tacoma's 5-year MFTE didn't apply (DADU < 4 units) but the investor secured 30-year fixed financing at 6.875% with the DADU's appraised rental income.
SPEC_05 / FACTS
Project specification
- Footprint
- 550 sqft (two-story)
- Bedrooms / baths
- 2 / 2
- Foundation
- Pier and grade beam, 24" footings
- Lot slope
- 18% (Critical Areas)
SCHEDULE_06 / PHASES
36-week delivery
- 01Feasibility & design4–6 wks
Site survey, zoning memo, schematic plans, owner review.
- 02Construction docs3–4 wks
Structural, MEP, energy compliance, permit-ready set.
- 03Permit review12 wks
City corrections, utility sign-offs, building permit issued.
- 04Site work + foundation3–4 wks
Erosion control, excavation, footings, slab or stem wall.
- 05Framing + dry-in5–6 wks
Floor, walls, roof, windows, weather-resistive barrier.
- 06MEP rough-in + insulation4–5 wks
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, blower-door prep.
- 07Finish + cabinetry6–8 wks
Drywall, paint, flooring, cabinets, tile, fixtures.
- 08Inspections + handover1–2 wks
Final inspections, punch-list, 24-week build closeout.
MATERIAL_07
Materials
- Cladding (north/east)Bridger Steel A606 weathering steel, 1.5" rib
- Cladding (south/west)Climate-Shield Western Red Cedar rainscreen
- WindowsAndersen 100 Series, Fibrex, U-0.28
SYSTEM_08
Systems
- Heating / coolingBosch IDS 2.0 18K BTU heat pump, ducted
- Water heatingRheem RTGH-95DVLN gas tankless
- VentilationBroan AI ERV-130S
PERMIT_09 / RECORD
Permits & compliance
- Permit numberTacoma BLDR-2023-19842
- Critical AreasGeo-hazard review approved (RN-23-2241)
- Right-of-wayDriveway permit ROW-2023-4451
METRIC_10 / OUTCOME
By the numbers
- $2,900
- Monthly rent achieved
- 14
- Days on rental market
- 8.1%
- Gross yield (Year 1)
LESSON_11 / FIELD NOTES
What we'd repeat
- On slopes ≥15%, pulling geotech before architectural CDs lets the engineer right-size the foundation and avoids the most expensive scope creep in this category.
- Tacoma's 2023 DADU rewrite removed the owner-occupancy requirement for DADUs permitted after July 1, 2023 — meaningful for investor-financed projects.
ARCHIVE_∞ / MORE
Other field reports
- REF_4492 · Detached ADUBallard Monolith
A 1,000 sqft two-story DADU clad in vertical western red cedar with floor-to-ceiling industrial glazing — long-term rental on a 4,800 sqft Ballard lot.
- REF_4376 · Attached ADUBellevue Wing
A 720 sqft side-yard AADU grafted onto a 1962 craftsman in West Bellevue — independent entry, separate utilities, no shared interior wall openings.
- REF_4218 · Garage ConversionKirkland Garage Studio
A two-car detached garage converted into a high-end work-from-home studio with a 6'x6' fixed skylight — Kirkland's Norkirk neighborhood.
Frequently asked
Can I tour a project like "Tacoma Two-Story"?
Yes — we typically have 6–10 ADUs in framing or finish at any time across the Puget Sound, so we can usually arrange a site walk on a project at the same stage you're planning. For completed projects, tours depend on the current owner's availability and privacy preferences. Request a tour and we'll match you to the closest active or completed project that resembles "Tacoma Two-Story" in size, configuration, and AHJ.
Go deeper: Read the Cold-weather concrete pours in the Puget Sound (2026 field guide) guide
What did this project actually cost?
Each project page includes the all-in cost range for the size and configuration shown, scaled to 2026 prices. Actual contract value at time of build is confidential to the client, but the range we publish is anchored in real numbers from our bid archive — not aspirational pricing. For a tailored estimate against your lot, run our feasibility study or use the cost calculator.
Go deeper: Read the Five hidden ADU costs that wreck Puget Sound budgets guide
How long did this project take?
Most projects of this size and configuration run 9–14 months from contract to certificate of occupancy: 6–8 weeks of design, 8–16 weeks of permit, 18–26 weeks of construction. Schedule variance is driven by AHJ workload, owner selection pace, and field-discovered conditions during demo or excavation. We publish a Gantt at contract and update it weekly.
Go deeper: Read the Eastside deck cost & permits: cedar, IPE, composite (2026) guide
Could you build "Tacoma Two-Story" again on my lot?
Often yes — most of our projects are anchored on repeatable design DNA (envelope details, structural assemblies, MEP standard layouts) that adapt to different lot conditions with modest configuration changes. We'll review your lot's zoning, soils, and access to confirm fit. Where the original layout doesn't fit, we propose the closest workable adaptation that preserves the look you liked.
Go deeper: Read the Cold-weather concrete pours in the Puget Sound (2026 field guide) guide
What inspections did "Tacoma Two-Story" go through?
Standard Puget Sound ADU inspection sequence applied: footing, underfloor MEP, framing, plumbing rough, electrical rough, mechanical rough, insulation, drywall nailing, shower pan, gas piping, final building, final plumbing, final electrical, final mechanical, and final energy verification (blower-door ≤3 ACH50). All passed with no notable callbacks — typical for our builds because we run internal QA checklists at each milestone.
INTERNAL_LINKS / Deep Map