Everything we get asked.

Up to 8 detached ADUs, capped at the existing number of primary units. So a fourplex can add 4; a sixplex can add 6; an eightplex can add 8.

No. SB 1211 explicitly removed the parking-replacement requirement for ADUs added to multifamily lots. You can convert surface parking into ADU footprint.

The local building department reviews the permit application for code compliance only — no discretionary review, no public hearings, no design committee. The state has set a 60-day clock.

Only on objective, code-compliance grounds. Subjective design review, neighborhood opposition, or surplus-parking arguments are not valid grounds.

They're small-lot subdivision laws, not ADU laws. SB 684 (effective Jul 2024) lets developers split multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial-zoned land into up to 10 small lots and build up to 10 for-sale homes ministerially, with no CEQA and a 60-day clock. SB 1123 (effective Jul 2025) extends the same process to vacant single-family lots. Together they relegalize the small starter home in California.

SB 79 (effective Jul 1, 2026) overrides local height and density limits near major transit stops in eight urban counties (LA, OC, SD, SF, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sacramento). Mid- and high-density housing is allowed by-right when affordability and labor standards are met. Transit agencies can also zone their own land.

Effective Jan 1, 2026, local agencies have 15 business days to issue a completeness determination on an ADU application. Miss the deadline and the application is automatically deemed complete — the 60-day approval clock then starts. Resubmittals are limited to items in the original deficiency list.

Where AB 1033 has been locally adopted, yes — the ADU can be sold as a condo. About a dozen California cities have opted in so far, including San Jose, Berkeley, and Oakland. The list is growing.

Yes. AB 2533 (effective Jan 1, 2025) requires local agencies to approve legalization of ADUs and JADUs built before 2020, unless the unit is a verified life-safety hazard. You hire a licensed contractor for a confidential pre-inspection, fix any safety items, and submit — cities can't deny based on prior lack of authorization.

AB 462 (urgency, signed Oct 2025) just rewrote this. Local agencies with a certified Local Coastal Program have 60 days to approve or deny ADU Coastal Development Permits, running concurrently with land-use review. Coastal Commission appeals for ADUs are eliminated. Plus a disaster-zone carve-out lets a detached ADU receive its Certificate of Occupancy before the destroyed primary dwelling is rebuilt.

Two things, effective Jan 1, 2026. (1) JADU owner-occupancy is only required when the JADU shares a bathroom with the primary home — separate-bath JADUs are exempt. (2) Local agencies can no longer impose parking standards on ADUs of 500 sq ft or less. JADUs also can't be used as short-term rentals.

We've moved to a quote-based pricing model — every ADU is sized, sited, and installed differently. Request a feasibility analysis and we'll send a specific installed price for your lot within 5 business days.

Yes — 15–20% lower than equivalent stick-built California ADU quotes. The savings come from climate-controlled assembly, bulk material purchasing, and parallel factory + site work.

Usually 4–7 months end to end — from signed contract to handed keys. Factory build is 12 weeks; we run site prep in parallel.

No, Clever Builds doesn't provide financing. Most homeowners use a HELOC, cash-out refi, or an ADU-specific loan product. We'll introduce you to lenders we work with.

10-year structural warranty. Standard residential warranties on appliances and finishes per manufacturer.

Yes — request access from the developers page. The pack includes spec sheets, BIM/Revit files, MEP risers, sample contracts, and a pro-forma model.

Our factory ships 3 homes per week. Development-scale orders are scheduled during pre-construction; we'll confirm timing for your specific project size.

Yes. We respond to RFPs and RFQs from public agencies, nonprofits, and private developers. Capabilities statement available on request.

Yes — through our CA install partner network. Factory production is on its own wage structure; site installation is dispatched through prevailing-wage-capable partners when required.

Yes — we're certified under California's HCD Factory-Built Housing program. Every unit is inspected at the factory and at the site.

We're open to MBE/WBE/DBE partnership configurations on agency projects. Talk to our agency BD lead.

Yes — references available on request. We've worked with municipal housing authorities, county-level workforce programs, and tribal housing organizations.

Clever Elements is our 2-story modular system (Blocks A, B, C) for tight lots and multifamily. Clever Modular ADU is single-story (Studio, 1BR, 2BR) on permanent foundation for homeowners.

Standing seam metal roof, HardiePanel siding, quartz countertops, name-brand appliances (Bosch/Fisher & Paykel), full-tile bathrooms, and a 10-year structural warranty.

Within the system. We don't do full custom one-offs at our scale, but we offer a real-world set of finish, fixture, and configuration options. Talk to our team for what's possible.

Typically 2–4 weeks of design and 60 days of permitting under SB 1211 (longer for non-ADU project types). We run as much as possible in parallel.

Our California install partner network. We coordinate; they execute. You're on one Clever contract with one PM.

Heavy grading, retaining walls, long utility runs, special foundations — these are scoped separately and priced once we've walked the site.

10-year structural warranty on the building shell. Appliance and finish warranties per manufacturer. We honor the warranty because we plan to be here in 10 years.

Common parts kept in stock at our SoCal warehouse for same-day or next-day fulfillment to in-state operators. Most service work is handled by local CA contractors we've trained.

Not formally at launch — most operators handle ongoing service through local contractors. We'll add formal service contracts as the install base scales.

100% family-owned. No PE, no VC. We've turned down acquisition offers because our founders plan to run this for 30+ more years.

Ensenada, Baja California — 90 minutes from our San Diego office, an hour from the US border. 85,000 sq ft. 120+ team members.

Same family, same factory, same engineering team. Two product lines for two regulatory paths — THOW (Clever Tiny Homes) and HCD modular FBH (Clever Builds).