We tell you whether your lot can support an ADU, an SB-9 lot split, an addition, or a sale. We name which path is the highest and best use, and we flag what could derail it after approval, before you waste money on plans, consultants, escrow, or construction decisions.
Free tools tell you what is legal on your lot. The Read tells you which path is profitable, and what kills it after approval.
The permit only confirms what you are allowed to build. It says nothing about the six things that quietly sink SB-9 projects after the city says yes.
A finished unit can wait up to a year for a meter when the transformer is at capacity. Target 6 months, max 12, missed about half the time.
A PG&E or sanitary easement across the new lot can block the build or leave the rear parcel with no legal access.
Selling units separately by condo map can add 4 to 9 months over a simple lot split.
A separate water, sewer, and electric service on a new fee lot commonly runs 25,000 to 60,000 dollars that was never budgeted.
Two smaller lots can appraise lower combined than the original, and the owner-occupancy affidavit can conflict with loan terms.
18 to 30 months of carry, tax reassessment, and insurance can consume 10 to 20 percent of project cost. Most models skip it.
Sacramento rewrote the playbook for small residential lots. Most owners have not run the new math on their own parcel.
An eligible single-family lot can be split into two lots with up to two units on each. The 3-year owner-occupancy affidavit is the catch most owners miss.
Read the SB-9 breakdownSan Jose adopted AB 1033, which lets an owner sell an ADU as its own condo instead of holding it as a rental only.
Read the AB 1033 breakdownAB 253 lets an owner hire a qualified licensed third-party reviewer when the city takes longer than 30 business days on plan check.
Read how a stuck permit gets movingMost owners pay architects and engineers before they know what their land can actually do. We flip that order.
Send your property address. We tell you whether your parcel has two or three viable paths, and that one is the highest and best use. No call, no cost.
Every path, the unit counts, concept site plans, and the post-approval risks specific to your parcel. Written and delivered in 24 to 72 hours.
Once you have the Read and want to plan the build, we sit down. First 30 minutes $150, then $450 an hour. We send the booking link after your Read.
Enter your property address and email. We send your free preview, then you decide if you want the full $499 report.