Single-story modular ADUs. Three plans, ready to ship.
Single-floor living, factory-built, delivered in months. Clever S, Clever 1, and Clever 2 — a studio, a one-bedroom, and a two-bedroom — all pre-engineered, all California-certified.
One floor. Live anywhere on the lot.
For accessibility, smaller backyards, easier permits, and lower install cost, going horizontal beats going vertical. Single-story ADUs are the workhorse of the California ADU market.
ADA accessibility
No stairs. Single-floor living works for aging-in-place, mobility needs, and multigenerational households without retrofits.
Lower lot grading
Smaller, simpler foundation. Less site grading. Lower site prep cost. Works on lots that wouldn't carry a 2-story build.
Faster permit
Single-story footprints attract less neighbor pushback and slide through the ministerial 60-day clock with fewer plan-check rounds.
Lower install cost
One floor means one module, one crane lift, one install day. The simplest delivery profile in the catalog.
Clever S.
The smallest, cleanest single-story unit we build. 221 square feet of efficient studio living — sleeping area, full bath, kitchenette, and clever storage tucked everywhere it fits.
Clever S works as a backyard guest house, a long-term rental for a single tenant, an office-with-a-bathroom, or a starter ADU on a tight lot. One floor, one room, one full bath, ready to ship.
- Standalone or rental — fits the smallest lots
- Lowest install cost in the catalog
- Full kitchenette + full bath — independent dwelling
Use cases: guest house, rental studio, office, aging-in-place caregiver suite.
Clever 1.
Our best-selling single-story plan. 385 square feet, one bedroom, one full bath, a real kitchen, and a covered deck that extends living to the outdoors.
Clever 1 is the unit most California homeowners reach for when they want a proper ADU that reads like a small house: a separate bedroom, a real kitchen, a place to sit outside, and enough finish detail that it pulls market rent.
- Most popular Clever floor plan
- Covered deck included — outdoor living standard
- Strong rent comps in most CA markets
Use cases: long-term rental, adult-child housing, in-law suite, downsizer primary on a flag lot.
Clever 2.
504 square feet of single-story two-bedroom living. The right answer when you want a family-sized ADU but you don't want stairs.
Clever 2 is the workhorse for multigenerational households, family rentals, and operators looking for top-of-market rent in the single-story segment. Two real bedrooms, full bath, full kitchen, real living room.
- Family-sized — two real bedrooms
- Top of the single-story rent stack
- Accessibility-friendly — no stairs anywhere
Use cases: family rental, multigenerational housing, ADA-friendly primary, premium rent comp.
Built to last.
Every Clever single-story ADU ships with the same premium materials package. No upgrade tier, no surprise invoices.
Inspected at 500 points before it leaves the factory. CA HCD Factory-Built Housing certified.
ADU financing — sorted.
Most homeowners finance a single-story ADU through a HELOC, a renovation refi, or an ADU-specific loan from a California credit union. Cash works too — and given the lower install cost on single-story units, cash-pay is more common in this segment.
We work with a network of CA-specific lenders who understand modular ADU construction. We'll point you at the right one for your situation.
Financing detailsFive steps. Four to seven months.
From the day you sign to the day you get keys, one contract and one project manager.
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01
Quote
Tell us about your lot. We come back with feasibility, budget, and timeline within 5 business days.
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02
Design
Pick your model (S, 1, or 2), choose finishes, lock the layout, and finalize the site plan.
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03
Permit
We submit the ministerial ADU permit. Your jurisdiction has 60 days to act.
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04
Build
Your ADU is factory-built and 500-point inspected while site work happens in parallel.
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05
Install
Crane day. Your finished unit lands on the foundation. Final connections. Keys.
Single-story ADU questions.
It depends on your lot, your budget, and your use case. Clever S works for studio rentals and guest houses. Clever 1 is our most popular — a true 1BR ADU at moderate cost. Clever 2 is for family-sized households or operators chasing top-of-market rent in the single-story segment.
Yes — single-story by definition. All three models have no stairs at the dwelling level and can be specified with ADA-compliant bathroom configurations, wider doorways, and zero-step entries during the design phase.
Almost certainly. Single-story Clever ADUs have smaller foundation footprints than our 2-story line and fit nearly every California lot — including narrow lots, flag lots, and lots with significant setbacks.
Typical contract-to-keys is 4 to 7 months. Single-story units typically run on the shorter end of that range because permit review and install day are simpler than the 2-story line.
Yes. California ADU law explicitly allows long-term rental. Single-story ADUs are the most common rental ADU in California because they appeal to the widest tenant pool — including seniors, singles, couples, and small families.
Clever S is the lowest-cost unit in the catalog. Clever 1 is a moderate step up — more square footage, more finishes, deck included. Clever 2 is the largest. Site work and utility connections add to the unit cost, and we quote everything as an installed budget so there are no surprises.
Ready to put a single-story ADU on your lot?
Tell us about your property. We'll recommend the right model — S, 1, or 2 — and come back with an installed budget and projected timeline.