Add a backyard cottage, garage apartment or in-law suite.
ADUs for Charlotte-area homeowners, from the zoning check through permits and construction. One crew, one contract. Licensed & insured.
How much does an ADU cost in Charlotte?
A 2026 North Carolina cost guide estimates a mid-range 600 sq ft detached ADU in Charlotte at roughly $120,000 to $175,000, as of October 2026. Converting an existing garage often costs less because the shell is already standing. Drawings, permits and new utility lines are extra. We price your project in writing after we see it.
What kinds of ADU can I add in Charlotte?
As of October 2026, Charlotte's development rules allow one ADU on a lot with a single-family home in any zoning district. The size limit is a share of your main house, so the house you have shapes the unit you can add.
Backyard cottageA new freestanding unit, up to half the floor area of the main house in Charlotte.
Garage conversionAn existing garage rebuilt inside as a complete unit with kitchen and bath.
In-law suiteA unit inside or attached to the house, with its own door and no shared interior access.
Garage apartmentLiving space over parking, no taller than the main house.
What are the steps to building an ADU?
- Lot checkWe confirm your town, zoning and the ADU limits that apply.
- Site visitWe measure, find utilities and give you a written, itemized quote.
- Plans and permitsZoning review with your town, building permit with the county.
- ConstructionThe build, the inspections and the certificate of occupancy.
Which towns do we work in?
Charlotte plus four Mecklenburg County towns. Each town writes its own zoning rules, and a 2026 state law will apply to some of them but not others.
Charlotte
ADUs allowed with single-family homes citywide under the UDO.
Charlotte ADU notesHuntersville
Rear-yard units with a 650 sq ft footprint floor in the town's rules.
ADUs in HuntersvilleMatthews
Town zoning rules, confirmed for each parcel.
ADUs in MatthewsMint Hill
Town zoning, county building permits.
ADUs in Mint HillPineville
A small town with a zoning ordinance updated in 2026.
ADUs in PinevilleCheck what your lot allows
Share the address and the kind of unit you are picturing. We pull the zoning, compare it with the ADU rules for that town, and tell you what looks buildable.
Serving Charlotte, Matthews, Huntersville, Mint Hill and Pineville.