ADU Design
Site evaluation, concept floor plans and construction-ready drawings shaped around your lot.
Serving Millcreek and 23 nearby cities
ADU Builder in Millcreek, UT
ADU design and construction for Millcreek homeowners. Established east-side neighbourhoods, mature trees and a city that has been unusually forward-leaning on accessory dwelling units.
No obligation. Every estimate starts with a straightforward conversation and a walkthrough of your lot.
Design → Permits → BuildDetached · Attached · Garage
Building ADUs in Millcreek
Millcreek became a city on 28 December 2016, incorporating what had long been an unincorporated part of Salt Lake County. It covers about 12.8 square miles with roughly 63,400 residents at an elevation near 4,285 feet, bordered by Salt Lake City to the north and west, South Salt Lake to the west, and Holladay to the south.
The city is made up of established communities — Canyon Rim, East Mill Creek, Mount Olympus and Millcreek proper — that were built out long before incorporation. That means mature housing on mature streets: large trees, settled landscaping and lots that were laid out generously by modern standards.
Those trees are a genuine planning input rather than a nicety. On a Millcreek lot, where a backyard unit can go is often decided by what is already growing there and what you are unwilling to lose. Protecting established planting during construction takes deliberate sequencing.
Ground rises from west to east toward Mount Olympus and the canyons, so grade varies across the city. Western Millcreek is essentially flat; the eastern edge carries real slope, with the foundation and drainage decisions that come with it.
What Shapes an ADU Project in Millcreek
Mature Trees Shape the Siting
Established landscaping on long-settled Millcreek lots frequently decides where a backyard unit can sit, and protecting it during construction needs deliberate planning.
Flat West, Sloped East
Ground rises toward Mount Olympus and the canyon mouths. Western Millcreek is level; eastern properties bring grade, retaining and drainage into the design.
A City Since 2016
Millcreek incorporated in December 2016 after decades as unincorporated county, and has its own planning department and ordinance — worth confirming directly rather than assuming county rules still apply.
What we build
ADU Services in Millcreek
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.
Millcreek Property Conditions to Plan For
On a Millcreek property, these tend to decide the project:
- Existing trees and root zones — often the real constraint on siting, and a protection plan rather than an afterthought
- Side-yard access — established lots with mature planting can be genuinely difficult to reach the back of
- Grade on the eastern side — properties toward Mount Olympus need foundation and drainage decisions that western lots do not
- Existing garage or outbuilding — settled properties often have a structure worth assessing before building new
- Basement height and egress — worth checking before committing yard space
- Utility age and position — services on long-established lots were not laid out with a second dwelling in mind
Where the trees and access allow it, a detached ADU suits these lots well. Where they do not, a garage conversion or basement conversion avoids the access problem entirely. Either way, siting is the decision that matters most here, and it starts with design work.
Need Help?
ADU Questions From Millcreek Homeowners
What comes up most often when we walk properties in Millcreek.
Are ADUs allowed in Millcreek?
Utah state law makes internal ADUs a permitted use in most residential zones statewide. Detached units are governed by Millcreek City ordinance. Because Millcreek only incorporated in 2016 and has developed its own planning framework since, it is particularly worth confirming the current position with Millcreek City rather than assuming older county rules apply. We help you work through it.
Will I have to remove trees?
Sometimes, but we treat that as a last resort rather than a starting assumption. On Millcreek lots the usual approach is to site the unit around what is already there and put a protection plan in place for root zones during construction. If a mature tree genuinely blocks the only viable position, we tell you that clearly and you decide.
Can equipment reach my backyard?
That is one of the first things we check here. Established lots with mature planting and narrow side yards can be genuinely hard to reach, and it occasionally points a project toward converting existing space instead of building new. Better to establish it at the walkthrough than halfway through.
My property is on the eastern slope. What changes?
Foundation type, retaining and drainage all become design decisions rather than details. Slope on the eastern side of Millcreek is real but rarely severe, and plenty of units get built on it. It adds cost rather than removing the option.
How far is Millcreek from your base?
A straightforward drive south from Bountiful through Salt Lake City. 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 Millcreek, these are the neighbouring communities we cover:
- Salt Lake City — immediately north and west
- Holladay — directly south
- South Salt Lake — west
- Murray — south-west
- Bountiful — our base in South Davis
The full list is on our service areas page.
Build an ADU in Millcreek
Millcreek lots tend to have the space for a proper backyard unit — the question is usually how to fit it around what is already growing there.
We design and build detached ADUs, attached ADUs, garage conversions and basement conversions throughout Millcreek.
Send us the address and we will walk the lot and work out where a unit can actually go.