ADUs & DADUs in Edmonds
The Svensen Timber Collection — productized, priced, ready.
Edmonds is a design-literate, waterfront arts community — the Bowl, the ferry, the galleries. Buyers here notice craft, and a timber-forward custom home or thoughtful remodel reads as exactly the kind of quality the town is known for.
Washington's ADU law changes turned the backyard into the most valuable square footage on many lots. Svensen builds detached (DADU) and attached (ADU) dwellings that add real, rentable, livable space — with the same timber craft as our custom homes.
To make the decision simple, we productized it. The Svensen Timber Collection is a set of fixed models with tiered pricing, so you know what you are getting and what it costs before the first drawing.
The Svensen Timber Collection
- Timber 800 — efficient one-bed / studio footprint
- Timber 1000 — one to two bedrooms, full kitchen
- Timber 1200 — two-plus bedrooms, premium finish
- Detached (DADU) and attached (ADU) configurations
- Permit and code navigation under current WA ADU law
- Site work, utility connections, and finish
What Edmonds allows, and the alley rule worth knowing
Edmonds rewrote its accessory dwelling unit code to match state law, and the result is more permissive than most homeowners expect. A principal dwelling can now carry two accessory units in any combination: one attached and one detached, two attached, or two detached. Two backyard cottages on a single Edmonds lot is legal.
The rule worth knowing before you plan anything is the alley setback. If your rear lot line abuts a public alley, a detached unit needs no rear setback at all, whatever its size, as long as clearance from overhead electrical and vehicular sight distance are satisfied. In the Bowl, where alleys are common, that single provision often decides whether a DADU fits the lot or not.
Requirements here have changed in recent years, so it is worth working from current standards rather than older guidance. We confirm the specifics with the city for your address before design, which is usually where the real constraints show up anyway.
- Units per lot
- Two, in any configuration: one attached plus one detached, two attached, or two detached.
- Alley lots
- No rear setback required for a detached unit where the rear lot line abuts a public alley, regardless of unit size.
- Other rear setbacks
- Reducible to 10 feet, or 7.5 feet in some zones, for a detached unit 15 feet or less in height.
- Parking
- None required for the first unit. One space for a second, waived entirely within a half mile of a major transit stop.
- Access
- Each unit needs its own ingress and egress, separate from the principal dwelling.
- Fees
- Transportation and park impact fees plus sewer general facility charges apply per unit. Water and stormwater charges may apply depending on scope.
Source: Edmonds Community Development Code 16.20.060, verified September 2026. Codes and fee schedules change. Confirm current requirements with the city before relying on this.
Because we mill and engineer in-house, a productized ADU does not mean a cheap one. The Timber Collection ships with real exposed timber that a typical modular or panelized ADU cannot offer at the price.
How the supply chain worksTiered, transparent pricing
Timber 800 / 1000 / 1200 are offered as priced tiers. Pick a model, confirm your site, and we give you a number — no mystery, no open-ended bid. (Current tier pricing available on request.)
From idea to backyard build
Pick a model
Choose the Timber 800, 1000, or 1200 based on your goals and lot.
Confirm the site
We assess setbacks, utilities, and access, and confirm your build is permittable.
Permit & prepare
We handle the ADU permit path and prep the site.
Build & finish
Your unit is built, connected, and finished to the Collection standard.
ADUs & DADUs in Edmonds: FAQ
Can I build an ADU or DADU in Edmonds?
In most cases, yes. Washington’s 2024–2025 ADU law changes (HB 1337) and Snohomish County’s Ordinance 25-014 expanded ADU rights, allowing up to two units on many lots. We confirm what your specific Edmonds lot allows during feasibility.
How much does an ADU cost in Edmonds?
Detached ADUs in the Puget Sound typically run roughly $250K–$450K all-in as of 2025. Our Svensen Timber Collection (Timber 800, 1000, 1200) is offered as fixed tiers so you get a clear Edmonds number up front instead of an open-ended bid.
How big can my ADU be in Edmonds?
Most Washington jurisdictions allow ADUs in the 800–1,200 sq ft range, which is exactly why our Timber Collection comes in 800, 1000, and 1200 — sized to the rules and ready for your Edmonds backyard.
Can I really build two detached units on one Edmonds lot?
Yes. Edmonds permits two accessory dwelling units per principal dwelling in any combination, including two detached. That is more flexible than several neighbouring cities, which allow only one detached unit. Whether both fit is a question of setbacks, lot coverage and access rather than permission.
My lot backs onto an alley in the Bowl. Does that help?
Considerably. Where the rear lot line abuts a public alley, no rear setback is required for a detached unit, regardless of its size, provided clearance from overhead electrical lines and vehicular sight distance are met. On a compact Bowl lot that is often the difference between a comfortable cottage and a cramped one, and it is one of the first things we check.
Do I need to add parking for an ADU in Edmonds?
Not for the first one. A second unit requires one off-street space, unless the property sits within half a mile of a major transit stop, in which case no parking is required at all. Given the ferry terminal and the transit corridor, a good number of Edmonds lots qualify for that exemption.
What will the fees add up to?
Transportation impact fees, park impact fees and sewer general facility charges apply for each unit, and water and stormwater charges may apply depending on scope. Edmonds does not waive these the way some neighbouring cities do, so it is worth pricing them before you commit to a design. We can pull current figures for your address.
Is an Edmonds ADU worth it for family rather than rental?
It is one of the most common reasons we get the call here. Edmonds skews older than most of Snohomish County, and a detached unit lets a parent stay on the property with real independence. Built well, it also holds its value as a rental or guest space later, which is the argument for building it properly the first time.
ADUs & DADUs nearby
Let’s build something that outlasts the mortgage.
Tell us about your project. We’ll tell you what’s buildable, what it costs, and how the supply chain works in your favor.