ADU Builder Denver
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a fully self-contained second living space on your property. Whether you’re calling it a granny suite, an in-law suite, or just “the back house,” Vertical Contracting designs and builds ADUs across the Denver metro.
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ERVICE
What We Do
Whether you need a backyard cottage for rental income, a granny suite for aging parents, or a garage-top apartment for an adult child, our team designs and builds Accessory Dwelling Units that fit your lot, your budget, and how you’ll actually use the space.
ADU
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a fully self-contained second living space on your property. With its own foundation, walls, roof, kitchen, and bath, an ADU works as a rental, a granny suite, an in-law suite, or simply more room for your family. Most Denver lots now allow ADUs by-right.
Garage Conversion
Converting an existing detached garage into living space is often the most cost-effective path to an ADU. The foundation and walls are already there, which shortens the timeline and lowers the budget compared to a ground-up build. The before-and-after photos below show our most recent garage conversion projects.
WHY BUILD AN ADU?
WHY CHOOSE
Best Service
Denver homeowners build ADUs for three big reasons: rental income, family flexibility, and property value. Recent zoning updates have made the process faster than it used to be.
Rental Income
A backyard rental can cover a meaningful chunk of your monthly mortgage. Long-term tenants, mid-term professionals, and seasonal visitors all create real income streams from a single unit.
Multi-Generational Living
An ADU lets adult children or aging parents stay close while keeping everyone’s privacy intact. The separate entry and full kitchen mean no one feels like a permanent houseguest.
Property Value Boost
Appraisers in Denver routinely include legal ADUs in property valuations. Documented rental income also helps with refinance qualifications, which makes the unit a financial asset rather than just an upgrade.
Denver Zoning
Recent Denver code updates expanded the neighborhoods where ADUs are allowed by-right. If your lot qualifies, you can move from concept to permitted plans in months rather than the year-plus timeline that used to be standard.
Flexible Use
An ADU can shift purposes as your life shifts. Rental this year, parent’s suite next year, a private workspace after that. We design with the long view in mind so the space stays useful for decades.
BENEFITS
BENE
Why Build an ADU in Denver?
Denver homeowners build ADUs for three big reasons: rental income, family flexibility, and property value. Recent zoning updates have made the process faster than it used to be.
1. Rental Income
A backyard rental can cover a meaningful chunk of your monthly mortgage. Long-term tenants, mid-term professionals, and seasonal visitors all create real income streams from a single unit.
2. Multi-Generational Living
An ADU lets adult children or aging parents stay close while keeping everyone’s privacy intact. The separate entry and full kitchen mean no one feels like a permanent houseguest.
3. Property Value Boost
Appraisers in Denver routinely include legal ADUs in property valuations. Documented rental income also helps with refinance qualifications, which makes the unit a financial asset rather than just an upgrade.
4. Denver Zoning
Recent Denver code updates expanded the neighborhoods where ADUs are allowed by-right. If your lot qualifies, you can move from concept to permitted plans in months rather than the year-plus timeline that used to be standard.
5. Flexible Use
An ADU can shift purposes as your life shifts. Rental this year, parent’s suite next year, a private workspace after that. We design with the long view in mind so the space stays useful for decades.
GALLERY
ALLER
Our ADU Projects
EXCELLENCE
EXCELL
Why Choose Vertical Contracting for Your ADU Project?
Expertise
We’ve been building in the Denver metro for over a decade, with hands-on experience in foundations, framing, exterior finishing, and full interior buildouts. ADUs sit at the intersection of those skills, which means we don’t have to subcontract pieces other builders treat as specialty work.
Most projects fall between $200,000 and $400,000 fully built and finished. ADU sit on the higher end and garage conversions on the lower end. Lot complexity, finish level, and utility connections drive most of the variation. We provide detailed estimates after the initial site evaluation.
Plan on 12 to 18 months from first conversation to move-in ready. Design and permitting typically take 4 to 6 months, and construction takes another 6 to 9 months depending on the type of unit and when in the year we break ground.
Most single-family lots in Denver now allow ADUs by-right, but setbacks, height limits, and lot size minimums vary by zone district. The fastest way to find out is to send us your address and we’ll pull the zoning ourselves before any design work starts.
Yes, both as added square footage and as rental income potential. Appraisers in Denver routinely include legal ADUs in property valuations, and lenders count documented rental income toward refinance qualifications.
Transparent Communication
From the first zoning check to the final inspection, you’ll know where the project stands. We answer questions in plain language and surface issues early so small surprises don’t turn into multi-week delays.
Quality Assurance
Every ADU we build is a permitted, code-compliant dwelling, not a quick conversion. We use materials and methods built for Denver’s climate so the unit holds up the same way the main house does.
Customer Satisfaction
The unit isn’t finished until you can hand keys to a tenant, a parent, or yourself and know everything works the way it should. We treat the final walkthrough as the start of the relationship, not the end.
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The unit isn’t finished until you can hand keys to a tenant, a parent, or yourself and know everything works the way it should. We treat the final walkthrough as the start of the relationship, not the end.