In-law suites
A floor of their own, in the house you already own
A parent moving in shouldn't have to climb. We build a private suite on the ground or second floor, with a bath on the same level.
Most row houses have a back room or a second-floor bedroom that can become a suite. What decides it is the bath: it needs a drain path, a vent and a floor that can take the weight of a shower. We find those on the visit.
What a suite can include
A bedroom with a closet
A bath with a low-threshold shower
A sitting area or small kitchenette
A door that closes from the rest of the house
Handrails and lighting where a parent needs them
What changes the price
What decides the price of a suite
A suite has more trades in it than an attic bedroom, so the scope matters most.
The bath
The route for the drain and the vent sets how much of the floor opens up.
A kitchenette
A sink and a counter are one job. A full kitchen is a zoning question as well as a building one.
The way in
A separate door or a landing that doesn't cross your rooms adds framing.
Accessibility
A zero-step shower, wider doors and grab-bar blocking are cheaper to build in than to add.
Mechanicals
A suite on its own thermostat needs its own heat source or zone.
The rooms below
Plumbing runs open ceilings and walls, so we plan the repairs with the job.
How it goes
How a suite comes together
- 01
Step 1: Measure and sketch
We draw the suite two ways, so you can see what each takes from the house.
- 02
Step 2: Zoning and permit
We check whether the plan makes the house two units and what that means.
- 03
Step 3: Rough-in
Framing, plumbing, electrical and heating go in, and the city inspects them.
- 04
Step 4: Finish
Floors, tile, paint and trim, with the shower last.
- 05
Step 5: Walk-through
A final walk with a written list of anything left to do.
Questions
Questions about in-law suites
Can I put a full kitchen in?
A second full kitchen can make a house two units in the eyes of zoning, which changes the rules. A kitchenette often doesn't. We check before we draw.
Does a suite need its own door?
Not by code, but many families want one. We draw a way in that doesn't cross your living space when the plan allows.
Can it be built for a wheelchair?
We can build to accessible dimensions. Tell us at the visit and we'll draw the doors, the turning room and the shower to suit.
Will I need to move out?
No. The rooms being worked on close, and the rest of the house stays yours.
Planning a suite for a parent?
Tell us who is moving in and what they need on one floor.