ADU Inspection
ADU inspections in San Francisco and the Bay Area
Backyard cottages, garage conversions and in-law units, inspected as a home in their own right — with their own report.
A second home deserves its own inspection
Accessory dwelling units are everywhere in the Bay Area now: backyard cottages, converted garages and ground-floor in-law units. Each is a small home with its own plumbing, electrical, heating and weather-tight shell — and its own problems, separate from the main house.
They also vary more than most homes. Some were built recently with permits; others are decades-old conversions done without them. A converted garage was built for cars, not people, and it shows up in the floor, the ventilation and the wiring.
We inspect the ADU as its own dwelling and give it its own report, rather than a few lines at the end of the main-house report. Buying the whole property? We can inspect both on the same visit.
Free quote
Inspecting the main house on the same visit? We'll quote both together. Same-day report included.
(628) 230-0357See a sample reportWhat we inspect
Roof, walls & windows
The shell of the unit — roof, siding, windows and doors — where water gets into small, often lightly built units.
Moisture & mold screening
Moisture readings at window frames, door bases, baseboards and wet areas, with thermal imaging. Any visible growth is photographed.
Electrical
The unit's panel or subpanel, visible wiring, outlets, GFCI protection, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Plumbing
Supply and drains, fixtures and the water heater, plus bathroom floors and showers for cracked tile and open joints.
Heating & ventilation
The heat source and the bathroom and kitchen fans. Small units trap moisture fast when a fan doesn't work.
Safety & exits
A second way out, bedroom windows large enough to escape through, and stairs and railings.
Permits: what an inspection can and can't tell you
An inspection can't confirm whether an ADU was permitted. That's a records question for the city's building department.
What we can do is point out signs of work that probably wasn't inspected: wiring and plumbing that don't match the rest of the property, bedrooms without a way out, and heating or ventilation that wouldn't pass. Ask the seller for the permit and final sign-off, and confirm it with the city.
Renting it out?
If the unit is, or will be, a rental, an inspection gives you a dated, photographed record of its condition before a tenant moves in — and finds moisture problems before they become a tenant's complaint.
What we find in ADUs
Mold at windows and door bases
Growth along window frames, tracks and baseboards, with moisture readings above normal at the same spots.
Water-damaged trim and paint
Blistered, lifting paint and swollen, separating trim where water has been sitting.
Cracked tile in wet areas
A cracked bathroom floor tile or open grout joint is a path for water into the floor beneath.
Weak ventilation
No exhaust fan, or one that runs without moving air, in a room too small to air itself out.
Electrical added later
Circuits added without the protection the rest of the property has, and subpanels asked to carry more than they were meant to.
Garage conversion shortcuts
Concrete floors that draw up moisture, low ceilings, and an old garage door opening walled in without proper weatherproofing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buying, renting or checking an ADU?
ADU inspections with their own same-day report.