Bay Area ADUs,
additions & remodels.
From San Francisco and Oakland to Walnut Creek, Fremont, San Jose, Palo Alto, Richmond, Antioch, and Livermore, Alpha Dream Construction designs and builds permit-ready ADUs, garage conversions, additions, kitchens, baths, and full-home remodels.
The Bay, on paper.
Our Bay Area crews cover the core Bay and selected surrounding cities, depending on project size, permit complexity, and schedule.
- San Rafael
- Novato
- Vallejo
- Hercules
- Richmond
- Berkeley
- Oakland
- San Leandro
- Walnut Creek
- Concord
- Antioch
- Pleasanton
- Livermore
- Hayward
- Fremont
- Milpitas
- Daly City
- San Francisco
- South San Francisco
- San Mateo
- Redwood City
- Palo Alto
- Mountain View
- Sunnyvale
- Santa Clara
- San Jose
What the Bay studio builds.
Detached ADUs
Backyard cottages, rental units, guest houses, and family housing.
Garage Conversions
Convert existing garage space into legal, comfortable living space.
Home Additions
Bedroom additions, second-story planning, expanded kitchens, family rooms.
Kitchen Remodels
Layout reworks, cabinets, counters, lighting, plumbing, finish upgrades.
Bathroom Remodels
Tile, waterproofing, vanities, lighting, showers, tubs, luxury finishes.
Whole-Home Remodels
Full interior rebuilds, structural changes, MEP upgrades, finish packages.
Permit notes, by city.
Every Bay city has its own permit rhythm, water utility, and hillside rules. We keep a short field note on each one.
Oakland
Oakland runs ADU plan check through its Planning & Building Department and applies state ADU law on top of a local ordinance that streamlines conversions and pre-approved plans. The real schedule variables aren't the building permit itself — they're the EBMUD water service drop, the Wildland-Urban Interface overlay on the Oakland Hills, and the city's soft-story retrofit ordinance on older multifamily buildings.
Read permit notes →
San Jose
San Jose has invested heavily in making ADUs easy. The Single Family ADU Process gives by-right approval to ADUs meeting objective standards, and the city's pre-approved plan program can collapse plan check to 4–6 weeks when a standard plan fits the lot. The main schedule variables are the Hillside Combining District on the foothills and which water utility serves the specific block.
Read permit notes →
San Francisco
San Francisco permits are the slowest in our Bay Area service area, but they're predictable once you pick the right track. State ADU Law gives ministerial approval at 60 days from a complete submittal. The SF Local Program is more flexible (allows unlimited ADUs in some multifamily buildings) but adds Section 311 neighborhood notification and Planning review on top of DBI. The schedule variables are which track you choose, whether exterior changes trigger 311, and the DBI queue.
Read permit notes →
Fremont
Fremont runs one of the smoothest ADU permit processes in the Bay Area. Development Services accepts ADU applications online, the pre-approved plan program is well-stocked, and ACWD water service is fast. The main variables are the Wildland-Urban Interface overlay on the eastern foothills and lot geometry on older Niles / Centerville parcels.
Read permit notes →
Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek runs ADU permits cleanly under state law with a published procedure manual that makes the process predictable. The main schedule variables are hillside parcels (most of the city's northern and eastern edges), EBMUD water service coordination, and the patchwork of HOAs in the city's master-planned neighborhoods. Rossmoor is age-restricted and follows separate rules.
Read permit notes →
Bay Area construction is not one city.
It is many permit worlds.
San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Fremont, Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, and surrounding cities each review ADUs and remodels differently. We help homeowners understand feasibility, site conditions, utility issues, access, parking, fire separation, and inspection sequencing before construction starts.
From the Bay binder.
These are concept studies for upcoming Bay Area projects — real photography lands as each one wraps.
Project study
Oakland Garage Conversion
Oakland, CA
480 sqft · rental-ready studio concept
Garage conversion · ADU permit · MEP rework · radiant floor
Project study
San Jose Detached ADU
San Jose, CA
720 sqft · backyard family unit
Detached ADU · foundation · framing · plumbing · finishes
Project study
Walnut Creek Kitchen Remodel
Walnut Creek, CA
Open-plan kitchen with structural beam work
Structural beam · cabinetry · stone counters · lighting
Project study
Fremont Bathroom Suite
Fremont, CA
Full waterproofing, tile, lighting, and vanity upgrade
Waterproofing · tile · vanity · skylight · brass fixtures
The Bay, in short.
- How much does an ADU cost in the Bay Area?
- Most detached ADUs in the Bay Area land between $350K and $550K all-in, depending on lot access, utility runs, and finish level. Garage conversions typically run $180K–$280K. We give a one-page feasibility note before contracting so the number isn't a surprise.
- Do you help with permits?
- Yes — we handle the full plan set, structural calcs, Title 24 energy compliance, and the back-and-forth with the local planning and building departments. The homeowner only signs.
- Do you work in San Francisco?
- Yes. San Francisco ADUs and remodels have their own quirks — Planning Department review, neighbor notification, sloped lots, and tight street access. We've built the workflow around them.
- Do you work in San Jose?
- Yes. San Jose's pre-approved ADU program can shorten permitting significantly, and we use it whenever the lot fits. Custom plans are also available when the standard footprint won't work.
- Can you convert my garage into an ADU?
- Usually yes — California state law strongly favors garage-to-ADU conversions, and most Bay Area cities allow them as-of-right. We confirm setbacks, fire separation, and existing slab condition before committing.
- Do you handle design and construction?
- Yes — we're a design-build studio. One team draws it, prices it, permits it, and builds it. No three-way blame triangles between architect, contractor, and homeowner.
- How long does a Bay Area ADU take?
- Typical timeline is 3–5 months for permitting plus 4–6 months on site, depending on the jurisdiction. San Jose's pre-approved program can cut the permit window in half.
- Can you check if my property qualifies?
- Yes — send us the address and we'll pull zoning, setbacks, FAR, and any historic or hillside overlays before you spend money on drawings.
From the Bay Area binder.
Backyard ADU · 2025
“They walked our Oakland lot, came back with a one-page feasibility note, and the number held through close-out. No drama.”
— P. & S. Chen · Oakland
Garage conversion · 2025
“Permits in San Jose moved fast because they used the pre-approved program. We were on site within the quarter.”
— Adrian M. · San Jose
Whole-home remodel · 2025
“Walnut Creek hillside lot, tight access, two existing trees to protect. The crew solved every constraint cleanly.”
— Dr. R. Patel · Walnut Creek
Got a Bay Area lot in mind?
Send us the address and we’ll pull zoning, setbacks, and ADU eligibility before you spend money on drawings.
Start a Bay Area project →