Front Yard ADU with 3 Car Garage in Carlsbad
Basswood Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Homeowner Story: Generate rental income
Other Features: Garage
Video TourCustom Front Yard ADU with Garage Bays in a Coastal Community
This large front yard ADU was designed from scratch by the homeowner who wanted to add plenty of garage space to the property along with a rental ADU. This 1,000 square foot two bedroom and one bath ADU includes three garage bays for plenty of space. The private driveway to the front of the unit also adds valuable parking space and separate entrance off of the main road.
Inside, the large L-shaped kitchen features admiral blue base cabinets and white upper cabinets and two floating shelves in wood tones. The white subway tile backsplash and quartz countertops pair perfectly with a farmhouse sink and antique bronze finishes.
The large bath has a full-sized tub and tiled shower, plus a convenient exterior door for trips from the beach. The dark blue vanity contrasts beautifully with the vinyl plank flooring that continues throughout the unit. Pale blue paint throughout the unit adds visual interest and lightness to this property that is just a few minutes from the beach.
Interested in building an ADU with a garage? Check out our blog post on all about ADU with garages.
Building a Front Yard ADU
Homeowners often ask if it’s possible to build in their front yard. Whether or not it’s feasible depends on your local zoning and setback requirements (see local regulations here) as well as if there is any alternative location to build the ADU.
You can build an ADU in your front yard if the unit is located outside of the front yard setback as well as side yard and building separation setbacks as determined by your zoning & jurisdiction. Oftentimes the front setback in residential zones ranges somewhere between 10-30′.
In certain situations where no other buildable area exists on a lot, state law allows you encroach upon the front yard setback up to 800 square feet under the statewide exemption. This law overrides local zoning restrictions, meaning jurisdictions cannot deny the project based on setback rules alone, so long as no alternative location exists on the property.
At SnapADU, we help homeowners determine where ADUs can be built on their property, including unique front yard configurations. Our team ensures each project complies with local requirements while maximizing the available space. If you are considering a front yard ADU, we encourage you to reach out to our team!
Floor Plan:
Custom ADU Floor Plan
Community:
The Carlsbad ADU Guide
Several SnapADU team members live in Carlsbad, and we know the city’s regulations and processes very well. Turnaround times at the city are moderate. Carlsbad requires in-person submissions as well as soils reports (>750sqft), both of which do add some processing time and expense. Also, some of Carlsbad is in the coastal zone and minor use permits are required in those areas.
What about Carlsbad’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Permit Ready Program?
You may have heard about the City of Carlsbad’s permit ready ADU program. Under the program, the city offers a handful of floor plans that may be used by the public.
However, these plans require property-specific modifications and additional documentation to meet full permitting requirements. While initially seeming cost-effective, pre-approved plans may not offer significant savings due to construction costs and potential design adjustments needed for your specific site. To our knowledge, the permitting time for these plans is also not any different than other ADU plans.
For a detailed exploration of using pre-approved ADU plans and their implications, read more about the considerations for using pre-approved ADU plans from cities.
