Making Every Foot Count
Two reclaimed feet and a hard-won setback approval made room on a tight San Diego lot for a garage, office, and laundry below, with a one-bedroom ADU above.
The original freestanding garage was more than 100 years old, too small for a modern car, and in poor condition. The new garage accommodates a full-size vehicle with surplus room for bicycles, tools, and storage. Replacing it created an opportunity to add useful space and a separate rental unit without remodeling the main residence.
Finding Space That Was Already There
On a lot this narrow, a few feet made a substantial difference. The existing fence line did not accurately represent the property boundary. A survey established that the homeowner’s property extended approximately two feet farther than previously believed.
The original garage also sat 2½ feet inside the actual property line. At the time, San Diego’s ADU regulations permitted the new structure to be built at a zero setback. By combining the newly verified property with the setback allowance, we could extend the building to the property line and use the available space much more effectively.
Work, Laundry, Parking, and Storage Downstairs
The ground floor gives the homeowner a quiet, private office for days spent working from home.
An adjoining full bathroom lets the office function independently of the main house. The open hookups between the vanity and toilet are ready for a stacked washer and dryer, moving the laundry indoors from its former location on the back patio.
Protection from Fire and Water
Building Safety at the Property Line
The zero-setback design made more space possible, but it also introduced strict fire-protection requirements. Because the building sits extremely close to the neighboring property, the enclosed stairwell was constructed with fire-resistant walls on all sides.
Replacing Gravity with a Pump
The site presented another challenge. The property was developed over an old creek bed, and gravity-fed drainage systems had repeatedly failed because of the lot’s contours. A sump pump installed at depth now collects pooling and residual water and mechanically moves it away from the low area beside the new structure.
Income-Generating ADU
The second floor is a complete one-bedroom ADU with its own kitchen, living space, bedroom, and bathroom. A tenant now occupies the upstairs residence, while the homeowner continues to use the ground-floor office and bathroom.
The finished project provides rental income and substantially more utility from the property. More importantly, it accomplishes all of that within a compact footprint and without disrupting the existing home.
