Remediate RenovationBay Area and Dallas–Fort Worth · 24/7, a person answers
(281) 671-7777
Don't Wait—Call Remediate.
In-law suites
Remediate Renovation builds in-law suites in the San Francisco Bay Area and Dallas–Fort Worth, and a person answers 24/7 to talk one through. A bedroom, a bathroom and a place to sit for the parent, grown child or caregiver who moves in with you. Built inside the house you have or attached to it, so family is under one roof and everyone still has a door to close.
- Insured
- Design, permits and plans handled by us
- Free consultation and quote
Family under one roof
What is an in-law suite?
An in-law suite is private living space for a family member that stays part of your home. It shares the roof, the address and usually the front door with the rest of the house, which is what sets it apart from a backyard cottage.
Who it is for
A parent who should not live alone any more, an adult child coming home, a caregiver who stays overnight, or guests who come for weeks rather than days.
What it usually holds
A bedroom, its own bathroom and a small sitting room. Some suites add a kitchenette or a private entrance; many do not need either.
What you get back
Your family close enough to help, with enough privacy that both households still feel at home.
Who you deal with
Us, from the first walk through the house to the final clean-up. Design, permits and the building work stay with one team.
Choosing the space
Inside the house, attached, or a separate unit?
Where the suite goes decides how much is built new, how private it feels and which rules apply. These are the four places we look at.
Rooms you already have
A guest room and the bathroom next to it, a den or a main-floor office, reworked into one suite. Often the quickest route, because the walls and roof are already there.
An attached garage
Part or all of an attached garage becomes the suite, sharing a wall with the house. The floor, insulation and the big door opening all change; our garage conversion page covers that work.
A new addition
When no room can be spared, the suite is built onto the side or back of the house, with its own foundation and roof, and joined to the hallway you already use.
A separate home instead
If both households want their own kitchen, entrance and address on the lot, that is an accessory dwelling unit. See ADU construction.
Room by room
What goes into a well-planned suite
A bedroom that is quiet
Placed away from the kitchen and the TV, with insulated walls and a solid door so both sides of the house can keep their own hours.
A bathroom just for the suite
A walk-in shower without a step, a comfort-height toilet, and a vanity with room to sit. See walk-in showers.
A sitting room or corner
Space for a chair, a small table and visitors, so the suite is somewhere to live, not only to sleep.
A kitchenette, if the rules allow it
A sink, a small refrigerator and a counter for coffee and breakfast. A full kitchen can change how your city treats the suite; the next section explains how.
Heat, cooling and light of its own
A suite at the far end of the house, or over a former garage slab, may need its own heating and cooling and more windows to feel like the rest of the home.
The rules
Does a kitchen turn an in-law suite into a second home?
It can. Building codes treat space as a separate dwelling unit when it has complete, independent living facilities, with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. A suite without permanent cooking is a part of your house; add a full kitchen and the rules for a second unit may apply.
In California: the junior ADU
State law allows one junior ADU inside a single-family home, an attached garage included: up to 500 square feet, with an efficiency kitchen, and its own bathroom or one shared with the house. Cities may not require parking for it. Source: California HCD, ADU Handbook.
Renting a junior ADU in California
The owner must live on the property only when the junior ADU shares a bathroom with the house. Any rental must run longer than 30 days, and a recorded deed restriction keeps it from being sold apart from the home (same HCD handbook).
In Dallas
A second dwelling unit in a single-family district needs a special exception from the Board of Adjustment, which requires a deed restriction against renting it. Source: City of Dallas, Board of Adjustment minutes.
In Fort Worth and the rest of Texas
Fort Worth allows an accessory unit in single-family districts when it is not rented or used as a separate residence (City of Fort Worth). Texas has no statewide ADU law (Texas Legislature Online, SB 673), so each city sets its own rules.
We go through your city's rules with you before anything is designed, so the suite you plan is one the city will approve.
For the years ahead
Planning a suite a parent can age in
Most in-law suites are built for someone who will grow older in them. The changes that matter cost far less to build in now than to add later.
No steps on the way in
AARP's HomeFit Guide calls for at least one zero-step doorway into every home. A suite on the main floor, reached without stairs, is the place to start.
Doors a wheelchair fits through
The same guide sets a clear opening of at least 32 inches for each doorway, so a walker or wheelchair can pass. Hallways and the bathroom get room to turn.
Grab bars on solid backing
Bars fixed to studs or proper anchors, never suction cups. We put backing in the bathroom walls before they close, even for bars added later.
Source: AARP HomeFit Guide.
How it goes
From the first walk-through to move-in day
Consultation
We walk the house with you, hear who is moving in and what they need, and look at which rooms, garage or yard could hold the suite.
Design
Design is included: the layout, the bathroom, the entrance, any kitchenette, and the finishes.
Permits and plans
We handle the permits and plans the job needs, and check your city's rules on kitchens and second units first.
Construction
Framing, plumbing and wiring, insulation, the bathroom, then floors, paint and fixtures.
The first consultation and quote are free.
Cost and planning
What changes the cost of an in-law suite?
Converting or adding on
Reworking rooms you have costs the least; an attached garage needs a new floor, insulation and a wall where the door was; an addition starts with a foundation.
Plumbing for the bathroom
How far the new bathroom, and any kitchenette, sits from the drains and water lines already in the house.
Size and finishes
The square footage, the shower and tile, the floors and the fixtures you choose. The quote follows a visit, never a price list.
The first consultation and quote are free. Our work comes with a written warranty, its terms set in your contract, and financing is available through our lending partner.
Related services
Where we build in-law suites
We build in-law suites in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Dallas–Fort Worth, and each city has its own rules for them. See the cities we serve.
Questions
In-law suite questions
What is the difference between an in-law suite and an ADU?
An in-law suite is part of your house: a bedroom, bathroom and sitting space for family, under the same roof and usually without a full kitchen. An ADU is a second, complete home on the lot, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. Which one you build changes the permits and the rules that apply.
Can an in-law suite have its own kitchen?
A small kitchenette often can. A full kitchen may turn the suite into a second dwelling unit in your city's eyes. In California a junior ADU of up to 500 square feet inside the house may have an efficiency kitchen; Dallas and Fort Worth limit second units in single-family areas. We check your city's rules before the design.
Can you turn part of my house or my attached garage into an in-law suite?
Yes. A guest room with a nearby bathroom, a den or a main-floor office can be reworked into one suite, and an attached garage can be converted, with a new floor, insulation and a wall where the big door was. We look at both on the first visit.
Does an in-law suite need its own entrance?
Not always. Many suites open only to the hallway of the house. In California, a junior ADU without its own bathroom needs a separate entrance plus an entry into the main house. A private outside door is a design choice we plan with you.
Can I rent out an in-law suite?
It depends on where you live. In California a junior ADU may be rented for longer than 30 days, and the owner must live there only when it shares a bathroom with the house. Dallas and Fort Worth generally do not allow a second unit in a single-family area to be rented. We point you to the rule that applies.
Don't Wait—Call Remediate.
Plan an in-law suite with us
Tell us who is moving in and what they need. We come and walk the house, then tell you where the suite fits and what it takes.
Call (281) 671-7777