A detached ADU in Dracut — sheathed, roofed, attached garage. Ground-up construction in every respect.
Massachusetts now allows an accessory dwelling unit as-of-right in every single-family zoning district in the state. Our work is supervised by Matthew Moisan under Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License CS-119855 — we handle the design questions, the town, and the build.
A detached ADU in Dracut — sheathed, roofed, attached garage. Ground-up construction in every respect.
The Affordable Homes Act made protected-use ADUs legal statewide, effective February 2, 2025. These are the rules that matter when you're deciding whether to build.
What towns can still require: site plan review, Title V septic compliance, dimensional standards, setbacks, building height, and short-term rental rules. These are real and they vary town to town — they're also the part we deal with for you. Anyone who tells you an ADU is now a formality hasn't pulled a permit lately.
See If My Property QualifiesThe by-right rules took effect on 2 February 2025. Here is what has happened since, from the people counting.
That last point is why we publish the rules town by town rather than one statewide summary — the local layer is where projects actually stall.
Which one fits depends on your lot, your existing structure, and your septic or sewer capacity. We'll tell you which is realistic before you fall in love with one.
A standalone cottage. Most design freedom and the strongest rental appeal, but it needs lot area, setback clearance, and its own utility runs. Usually the highest cost per square foot.
Often the best value, since the foundation and shell already exist. The real questions are insulation, ceiling height, egress, and whether the slab and framing can carry a living space.
Keeps your parking and adds a private entrance. Almost always a structural job — the existing framing rarely carries a full living load without reinforcement. This is CSL territory.
Lowest shell cost, hardest code compliance. Ceiling height, egress windows, moisture control and fire separation decide whether it's viable. We check these before quoting.
An addition with its own entrance, kitchen and bath. Good when the lot is tight, and it keeps utilities simple by tying into what's already there.
That's the normal starting point. The on-site assessment is free and ends with a straight answer on what your property can actually support — including if the answer is none of them.
Partly. It can no longer require a special permit for a protected-use ADU, but it can still apply site plan review, setbacks, height limits, septic rules and short-term rental restrictions. The zoning fight is largely over; the building requirements are not.
Septic, more often than anything else. Adding a bedroom can push a Title V system past its rated capacity, and a new system is a serious line item. If you're on septic, that's the first thing we check — before you spend money on plans.
It depends far too much on your specific property for a number here to mean anything. Foundation and site conditions, utility runs, septic or sewer capacity, whether the existing structure can carry the load, and your town's requirements all move it substantially. The on-site estimate is free precisely so you get a real written number.
Under the protected-use rules there is no owner-occupancy or family-relationship requirement, so a long-term rental is generally permitted. Short-term rental rules are a separate matter and your town can regulate those. Confirm your local short-term rental bylaw before you count on that income.
Months, not weeks, and permitting timelines vary a lot by municipality. You'll get a written schedule with the estimate, and we'd rather give you an honest date than a comfortable one.
Sometimes clearly yes, sometimes clearly no. Because Matt is also a licensed Massachusetts real estate agent with RE/MAX Encore, we can tell you what the unit is likely to add in value and rent against what it costs to build — and say so plainly when the math doesn't work.
Free on-site assessment covering lot, structure, septic or sewer, and what your town will actually require. You get a straight answer — including if the answer is that it isn't worth building.
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