Accessory dwelling units · Utah
Build an accessory dwelling unit on the land you already own — for grandma, for the kids, or for monthly cash flow — while we navigate the city rules, setbacks, and permits that stop most homeowners.
Why an ADU, why now
Buying another house along the Wasatch Front is slow, expensive, and often impossible for the people you love. An accessory dwelling unit lets you keep the family close, create legal rental income, and grow the value of the property you already own — without starting over in a new neighborhood.
Envision Utah estimates the state will need about 840,000 new homes by 2055, and that current production could fall roughly 235,000 homes short. ADUs are one of the few ways homeowners can add housing without waiting for a new subdivision.
Outlook Builders is a Salt Lake–based custom builder. We already design and construct luxury homes in this market. An ADU on your lot gets that same collaborative process: architects, designers, engineers, and a general contractor who will own the permitting path with you.
Concept: primary home + matching detached ADUNumbers that move the decision
Three reasons homeowners build
An ADU is not a one-use structure. Many families start with a parent or adult child, then rent the unit later — or the reverse. We design for both life stages.
Keep mom or dad on the property without turning your guest room into a clinic. A lockable suite with a kitchen, bath, and separate entrance preserves independence and puts help 30 seconds away. Better than a rushed assisted-living search when housing is already scarce.
Starter homes along the Wasatch Front are brutally competitive. A well-built ADU gives a newly married couple, a student, or a returning adult child a real home — not a basement couch — while they save. You keep family close without living on top of each other.
You are not buying a second lot. You are adding a legal dwelling to an asset you own. Long-term rent of $1,100–$2,200+ a month can offset the mortgage, fund the build over time, and raise resale value. Short-term rentals are restricted in many cities — we design for legal, 30-day+ tenancy.
Floor plans & sketches
These are concept plans — not your lot’s final drawings. On the site assessment we match setbacks, parking, height, and whether an internal unit or a detached cottage is the smarter first move.
Outlook Builders custom work — the same standard on your ADUInternal vs. detached
Internal ADU. Built inside the existing house — most often a basement apartment. Fastest path in many cities because Utah’s HB 82 already treats qualifying internal units as a permitted use. Needs egress, a kitchen, a bath, parking, and (in many places) owner occupancy of one of the two dwellings.
Detached ADU. A backyard cottage, garage conversion, or new accessory structure. Highest rent and the cleanest privacy. Salt Lake County loosened rules in 2024; statewide detached ADU protection expands October 1, 2026 on lots generally 11,000 sq ft and larger in specified municipalities. Park City, Heber, and each Utah County city still have their own overlay.
This is the part homeowners underestimate. Setbacks, lot coverage, parking replacement, water-provider letters, owner-occupancy, and short-term rental bans are where DIY plans die. We run that gauntlet before you spend on a foundation.
Have us check your lotCraft you can see
How we work
Todd McBride has built in Utah for more than 20 years. Outlook Builders has been a custom builder since 2011. ADUs fail when design ignores parking, water, fire, and owner-occupancy. We start there.
Lot size, zone, setbacks, parking, utilities, and whether internal or detached is even legal on your parcel.
Floor plan, elevations, and finishes that look like Outlook work — not a backyard afterthought.
Building permit, water-provider letter, address marker, parking proof, and the back-and-forth with planning staff.
Weekly communication, trade coordination, and a unit you can house family in or rent legally. Financing is lined up before construction — not after the first invoice.
Dedicated financingMoney should not stall the ADU
Outlook Builders has dedicated financing for this exact work. You do not need to shop five lenders, guess a loan type, or pause the design while you figure out cash. We time the money to the project — after we know what your lot can take, before we break ground.
Plan it
Site assessment and a real scope — so you are not financing a guess.
Finance it
Dedicated Outlook financing, lined up when the numbers are real.
Build it
Construction starts with the money path already in place.
Service area
Google Ads searches are local. So is this page. If you searched “ADU builder Salt Lake,” “detached ADU Lehi,” or “granny flat Park City,” you are in the right place. Choose your city for local zoning, parking, and neighborhood detail.
ADU questions homeowners actually ask
Often yes — especially an internal/basement ADU. Detached units have higher lot-size floors in many cities. Unincorporated Salt Lake County currently uses 6,000 sq ft (internal) and 7,000 sq ft (detached). SB 284’s statewide detached floor is generally 11,000 sq ft in specified municipalities starting October 1, 2026. We verify your parcel before we sell you a cottage.
Many Utah cities require the owner to occupy either the main house or the ADU. There are short exceptions (military, medical, religious service). If your goal is a pure investment with no owner occupancy, we will tell you that up front rather than design a unit you cannot legally rent.
Usually no. Internal ADUs are defined around 30-day-plus tenancy in state law, and cities such as Salt Lake City restrict short-term ADU rentals. Plan on family use or long-term rent. That is still excellent cash flow in this housing market.
Internal conversions are typically the fastest ROI. Detached cottages cost more because you are building a new structure, but they also command higher rent and more privacy. We do not publish a fake “from $X” that ignores soils, snow load, or Park City design review. The site assessment is where a real range comes from.
No. Outlook Builders has dedicated financing so you are not left shopping lenders on your own. We introduce it at the right point in the process — after the plan is real, before construction — and walk it with you. Ask for it on the free site assessment.
Because the ADU has to live next to a custom Utah home — often yours. Outlook already builds luxury residences with architects, designers, and a trade base we’ve trusted since 2011. Matching roof, windows, and millwork is not a side hustle for us. It is the job.
Free site assessment
Call (385) 553-0032 or send the form. We serve Salt Lake County, Utah County, Park City, and Heber.