Gresham ADU Builder

Every Gresham ADU starts with a feasibility check

Portland is one of the most ADU-friendly cities in the country, yet every lot is different, so a feasibility check comes before a floor plan. JDI Construction is a family-owned, Vancouver-based design-build remodeler, and we hold to that even on the ADU-friendly Oregon side of the metro: an accessory dwelling unit should be designed to your particular parcel, so we confirm what your specific Gresham property allows before we draw anything. In east Multnomah County, that matters because Gresham spans two very different worlds — the older downtown core with its established lots, and the large newer developments filling in the east side — and the same question plays out differently across them.

Our designers and trades work as one team, so the unit you approve is grounded in what the site and the code actually permit — we don't hand a hopeful floor plan to a separate crew and find out later it won't pass. Here's what we build, what decides what's possible, and what to expect on cost and timeline.

Types of ADUs we build

"ADU" covers several very different builds, and the right one depends on your lot, your budget, and how you'll use it:

A few decisions worth making early

The choices that make or break an ADU come well before design. The first is feasibility: Oregon has opened the door to ADUs broadly, but the specifics — size limits, setbacks, height, parking, and fees — are decided city by city, and what the City of Gresham allows is not identical to the City of Portland or unincorporated Multnomah County. We confirm what your specific lot permits before drawing anything, which matters here because a compact older lot near downtown Gresham and a larger newer parcel on the east side start from different places. The second decision is type and use: a garage conversion, a basement unit, an attached addition, and a detached cottage carry very different costs and site demands, and whether you're building for rental income, family, or a home office shapes the layout. The third is budgeting for the parts you can't see — the sewer, water, and power connections and the system development charges that come with adding a dwelling.

What Gresham homeowners build ADUs for

Most Gresham ADUs we're asked about come down to a few uses: a rental for income, a private and independent space for aging parents or adult children, or a studio or home office kept separate from the main house. Each one steers the design differently — a rental favors durability and its own entrance, while a multigenerational unit favors single-level, accessible living.

Gresham's mix of housing gives homeowners real options. On the older downtown lots, a garage conversion or an interior unit can make good use of what's already there, while the newer east-side developments often have the yard room for a detached cottage. Whatever the use, we design a compact footprint to live larger than its square footage, with the light, storage, and ceiling height that keep a small home from feeling small.

What does an ADU cost in Gresham?

ADU cost is driven first by type: a garage or basement conversion that reuses an existing structure generally costs less than a detached cottage built from the ground up. After that it's size, finish level, and — the part homeowners often underestimate — the site and utility work. Running sewer, water, and power to a new dwelling, handling grading and access, and covering the connection and system development charges can be a meaningful share of the budget, which is exactly why we scope them early. With design and trades both in-house, we give you an itemized estimate once we know what your lot allows and which type fits, so the number reflects your project rather than a generic per-square-foot figure.

How long does an ADU take to build?

An ADU runs on three clocks: feasibility and design, permitting, and construction. Permitting for a second dwelling can take longer than a straightforward remodel because it involves zoning and utility review, so we build that time into the plan rather than promising a quick turnaround. Once permits are in hand, construction depends on the type — a conversion is faster than a ground-up cottage. We give you a realistic schedule after the feasibility check, handle the permitting, and keep you updated through our client portal as the unit comes together.

Why homeowners in Gresham choose JDI

An ADU rewards a builder who understands the rules as well as the construction, because the project can stall at the permit counter long before the first wall goes up. As a single accountable design-build team, we handle the feasibility, the design, the utility connections, and the build under one roof, so nothing gets lost between a zoning question and the crew on site. We manage the permitting, keep you informed through our client portal, and stand behind the work with a five-year workmanship warranty. Gresham is a short drive from our Vancouver home base, close enough for us to stay responsive throughout a project this involved.

JDI Construction — "Built by family. Trusted by neighbors." Design-build remodeling and ADU construction based in downtown Vancouver, WA, serving Gresham and the greater Portland–Vancouver metro since 2007.