Why the same ADU costs more at the back of the lot

Two identical units on two identical lots can quote differently, and the reason is usually invisible in the drawings.

Distance costs money

Every ADU needs sewer, water and power. Those come from where the existing house connects, and the further the unit sits from that point, the more trench, pipe, conduit and labour it takes. On a deep lot this line item is not a rounding error.

Electrical deserves its own look. An older panel may not have the capacity for a second dwelling, and a service upgrade is its own permit, its own schedule and its own cost.

Access costs money too

If a truck can back up to the build area, material gets delivered. If it cannot, material gets carried. That difference is paid in labour hours, every day, for the whole project.

Grade costs the most

A flat, stable pad is the cheapest foundation you can build on. A slope means retaining, extra excavation and engineering that a level lot does not need.

None of this shows up in a rendering. It shows up in the number, which is why we walk the property before we quote instead of pricing from a floor plan.