ADU Design
Site evaluation, concept floor plans and construction-ready drawings shaped around your lot.
Serving Holladay and 23 nearby cities
ADU Builder in Holladay, UT
ADU design and construction for Holladay homeowners. Large lots and mature landscaping make this one of the best places in the valley for a properly separate backyard unit.
No obligation. Every estimate starts with a straightforward conversation and a walkthrough of your lot.
Design → Permits → BuildDetached · Attached · Garage
Building ADUs in Holladay
Holladay sits on the east side of the Salt Lake Valley between Millcreek to the north, Murray to the west and Cottonwood Heights to the south. It is one of the older settled areas in the valley and one of the greener ones, with generous lots and established tree cover that sets it apart from newer suburbs further out.
For ADU work, lot size is the headline. Holladay properties are frequently large enough that a detached backyard unit can be built without swallowing the garden — which is exactly the trade that stops the idea elsewhere. Where a South Salt Lake homeowner is checking whether a footprint fits at all, a Holladay homeowner is usually choosing where to put it.
The complication is the same thing that makes the city attractive: mature trees. Established planting decides siting more often than setbacks do, and protecting root zones during construction takes deliberate sequencing rather than good intentions.
Ground rises gently toward the east side of the city and the mountains beyond. It is not the pronounced slope of Cottonwood Heights, but it is enough that grade and drainage get measured rather than assumed.
What Shapes an ADU Project in Holladay
Lots With Genuine Room
Holladay properties are frequently large enough for a detached unit that does not consume the garden — the trade that rules the idea out on tighter valley lots.
Mature Landscaping Drives Siting
Established trees decide where a unit can sit more often than setbacks do, and protecting root zones through construction needs planning rather than luck.
Gentle Eastern Grade
Ground rises toward the mountains on the eastern side. Not severe, but enough that foundation and drainage decisions get made on measurements rather than assumptions.
What we build
ADU Services in Holladay
ADU Construction
Full-scope building from foundation and framing through mechanical rough-in and final finishes.
Garage Conversion
Turning an attached or detached garage into a self-contained unit using what is already on site.
Detached ADU
Standalone backyard units with their own foundation, entrance and utility connections.
Attached ADU
Additions sharing a wall or roofline with the main house while staying fully self-contained.
ADU Remodeling
Updating an existing ADU, basement apartment or converted space to a livable standard.
Holladay Property Conditions to Plan For
On a Holladay property, siting is usually the whole conversation:
- Tree positions and root zones — the most common factor deciding where a unit can go
- Access route to the rear of the lot — large properties can still have constrained access past the house
- Grade across the intended building site — gentle in most of the city, more pronounced toward the east
- Distance to existing utility service — deeper lots mean longer runs, and it is a real cost line
- Privacy from neighbouring properties — window and entrance orientation matter when you have room to choose
- Whether single-level access is needed — worth designing for from the outset if the unit is for a parent
Holladay is one of the places where a detached ADU is genuinely the right recommendation rather than the aspirational one. Where budget or timeline argues otherwise, a garage conversion still produces a self-contained unit for less.
Need Help?
ADU Questions From Holladay Homeowners
What comes up most often when we walk properties in Holladay.
Are ADUs allowed in Holladay?
Utah state law makes internal ADUs a permitted use in most residential zones statewide. Detached units are governed by Holladay City ordinance, and cities may apply parking, owner-occupancy and rental licensing requirements. Rules change, so confirm the current position with Holladay City as part of planning. We prepare the documentation and coordinate the process.
Will building an ADU mean losing trees?
Not usually, and we treat removal as a last resort. On Holladay lots there is generally enough room to site the unit around established planting, with a protection plan for root zones during construction. If a mature tree genuinely occupies the only viable position, we say so plainly and let you decide.
How big can the unit be?
Size is set by local requirements and by how much garden you are prepared to give up, rather than by lot area alone. On Holladay properties the second factor is usually the real limit. During siting we lay the footprint out against the actual yard so the trade is visible before anything is committed.
Can you build a single-level unit for my parents?
Yes, and on a lot with room it is one of the strongest arguments for detached over a basement conversion. Ground-level living with a level entrance removes the stairs problem entirely, and that is usually the point of the exercise.
How far is Holladay from your base?
A straightforward drive south-east from Bountiful. Site visits are easy to arrange and travel does not distort the estimate.
Nearby Areas We Serve
We work across South Davis County and the greater Salt Lake area. If your property is near Holladay, these are the neighbouring communities we cover:
- Millcreek — immediately north
- Murray — west
- Cottonwood Heights — south toward the canyons
- Sandy — south
- Bountiful — our base in South Davis
The full list is on our service areas page.
Build an ADU in Holladay
Holladay gives you something most of the valley does not: enough room to build a genuinely separate unit and still have a garden worth sitting in.
We design and build detached ADUs, attached ADUs, garage conversions and basement conversions throughout Holladay.
Send us the address and we will walk the lot and work out where the unit belongs.