A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable ADU Builders Across Aldine
If you’re searching for ADU builders in Aldine, TX, you likely want a straight answer on cost, permits, and timeline before you commit to anything. An accessory dwelling unit (a small, self-contained home built on the same lot as your main house) in Aldine typically runs $180 – $380 per square foot depending on site prep, foundation type, and finish level. That means a 500-sq-ft one-bedroom ADU usually lands between $110,000 and $190,000 all-in. The catch in Aldine is jurisdiction: parts of the area fall under unincorporated Harris County, while others sit in Houston’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and that split changes everything about permits, inspections, and setbacks. We know that from doing the work here, not from reading about it. Call (361) 326-2313 for a free estimate and we’ll walk you through exactly which rules apply to your parcel.
Why Lodgewick ADU Houston Is Aldine’s Preferred ADU Builders Company
Lodgewick ADU Houston is led by Russ Delmar, who has spent the last several years working ADU projects across the north side of Harris County. What sets our ADU Builders team apart in Aldine is that we don’t treat every lot the same. A parcel off Aldine Mail Route in Houston ETJ has a different permitting path than one near the Aldine area’s unincorporated sections, and we’ve navigated both enough times that the county and city reviewers know our paperwork. Homeowners here tell us the same thing: they’ve been burned by contractors who promise a price, then change it once the foundation gets staked. Our written price comes before any work starts. If the price changes, it’s because you changed the scope, not because we found a surprise we should have caught in planning.
Every Aldine project runs under The Kingswell Guarantee. A written price before work begins. A defined arrival window for our crew. A clean job site at the end of every day. And the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if something on your ADU isn’t right within a year of completion, we come back and make it right at no cost to you. That guarantee is in writing on every project, not spoken as a sales pitch. We’ve built in Aldine enough to know that the homeowner who gets everything in writing sleeps better at night.
ADU Plans in Aldine
ADU Plans in Aldine are the drawings, site analysis, and permit documentation that get your project through Harris County Engineering or the City of Houston, and they’re the step most homeowners get wrong. In Aldine, the first question we answer is which entity governs your lot: if you’re inside Houston ETJ, the city reviews your plans; if you’re in unincorporated Harris County, the county does; some parcels require both. A full plan set for a detached ADU in Aldine typically costs $6,000 – $14,000, including site survey, architectural drawings, structural engineering, and the jurisdictional coordination that eats up time if you try to do it piecemeal.
Site Survey and Jurisdiction Check
The plan set starts with a boundary survey and a written determination of which agency has authority over your parcel. We do this before any design work, because a floor plan drawn for Harris County may not pass Houston ETJ review without changes. Starting foundation work before confirming jurisdiction is how Aldine homeowners get stop-work orders.
Permit-Ready Drawing Sets
Once we know who’s reviewing, our team produces the full package: site plan with setbacks, floor plan, elevations, electrical, plumbing, and structural details. Harris County’s detention requirements for new impervious cover trip up a lot of plan drafters. We build that into the drawings from day one so you’re not redesigning mid-permitting.
ADU Contractor in Aldine
An ADU Contractor in Aldine is the licensed builder who takes those approved plans and turns them into a finished, livable structure, and this is where the real local knowledge shows up. Aldine’s soil and flood zones east of Hardy Toll Road mean the foundation choice isn’t a default slab; many lots need pier-and-beam or a raised slab, which changes both cost and timeline. We’ve built ADUs from prefab shells and from ground-up stick framing, and we’ll tell you which makes sense for your lot before you spend a dollar on plans. A typical ground-up 600-sq-ft ADU in Aldine runs $135,000 – $210,000, with foundation, utilities, and finishes included.
Foundation and Site Prep
Aldine’s flood-prone parcels east of Hardy Toll Road often require pier-and-beam or a raised slab, and that cost should be in your contract from the start, not added as a change order later. Many parcels need soil testing first; if a contractor skips the test and bids low, you’ll pay the difference after signing. We include the test in our written price.
Utilities, Finishes, and Closeout
Tying into an existing septic system or running utilities from the main house is straightforward on some Aldine lots and a real challenge on others. We give you a line-item breakdown for sewer or septic, electrical service, and water, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. When the work is done, we walk the property with you, confirm everything matches the plan set, and hand you the written guarantee before we leave.
Trusted Brands We Service in Aldine
We install and finish prefab ADU shells from Boxabl and Mighty Buildings, and we’ve framed custom ADUs with James Hardie siding products that hold up to Aldine’s humidity and termite pressure better than wood. When you’re choosing a shell, we’ll talk honestly about which brand makes sense for your lot: Boxabl units arrive compact and expand on site, which works on tight Aldine parcels where crane access is limited; Mighty Buildings prefab panels go up fast and handle moisture well. We keep fast turnaround on these because our crews know the assembly sequences and can coordinate with local inspectors without the learning curve a first-time installer would have.
Common ADU Builders Problems We See in Aldine Homes
- Stop-work orders from the wrong jurisdiction. Homeowners start foundation work assuming the county governs their lot, then learn the parcel is in Houston ETJ and the city wants its own review. We confirm jurisdiction before any dirt moves, and we’ve pulled permits for both paths.
- Foundation surprises on flood-prone parcels. Aldine lots east of Hardy Toll Road often sit in flood zones that require pier-and-beam or raised slabs. Contractors who bid a standard slab and then hit water during excavation will pass that cost to you mid-project; our soil test catches it before the contract is signed.
- Plan sets missing detention requirements. Harris County requires stormwater detention for new impervious cover, and a plan drafter who omits it sends you back into redesign during permitting. We build detention into the drawings from the first submittal.
- Prefab shells that can’t handle Southeast Texas humidity. A cheap panel system that works in a dry climate will sweat and swell in Aldine. We match the shell to the climate, and we’ve fixed enough botched installs to know which products last here and which don’t.
Pricing for ADU Builders in Aldine, TX
A detached ADU in Aldine runs $180 – $380 per square foot all-in. A studio ADU of 400 – 500 sq-ft typically lands between $110,000 and $145,000. A one-bedroom 500 – 700 sq-ft unit runs $130,000 – $190,000. A two-bedroom ADU with a full kitchen and bath starts around $180,000 and can reach $260,000 or more depending on finishes. The big cost drivers here are foundation type (raised slab or pier-and-beam adds $8,000 – $18,000 over a standard slab), jurisdiction (dual Houston ETJ and Harris County review adds time and $3,000 – $7,000 in permit fees and coordination), and utility work (running new electrical service or tying into septic). We give you a written line-item price before any work starts. If the scope changes, the price change is written and signed by you before we proceed. Call (361) 326-2313 for a free estimate on your Aldine lot.
We Also Serve Cities Near Aldine
Our crews handle ADU projects throughout the north Houston metro. We serve Houston, Spring, Katy, and Sugar Land, plus the unincorporated pockets of Harris County in between. If you’re just outside Aldine, give us a call and we’ll confirm coverage for your address.
Serving Aldine, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Aldine area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Builders in Aldine
The fastest way is to pull your property’s jurisdiction map from the Harris County Appraisal District or call our office and we’ll check it for you. Properties in Houston’s extraterritorial jurisdiction are reviewed by the City of Houston; unincorporated parcels go through Harris County Engineering; some lots trigger review by both. We confirm this before we draw plans, so you’re never paying for redesign work caused by a jurisdiction mix-up. Call (361) 326-2313 and we’ll check your parcel at no charge.
Most Aldine parcels east of Hardy Toll Road fall in flood-prone zones where a raised slab or pier-and-beam foundation is the realistic option. A raised slab or pier-and-beam foundation adds $8,000 – $18,000 over a standard ground slab, but skipping it can put your ADU below the base flood elevation and create long-term problems. We include a soil test in our written estimate so the foundation cost is locked before you sign. Call (361) 326-2313 for an exact foundation figure on your lot.
Yes, in most cases. If you have an existing detached garage, we can convert it into an ADU provided the structure meets current code for foundation, insulation, and egress, which typically costs 20 – 30% less than ground-up construction. If your property has a mobile home, the ADU is treated as a new detached structure and must meet the same setbacks and permits as any new build. We’ll look at what’s on your lot and give you a straight answer about what can and can’t be saved. Call (361) 326-2313 for a site walk.
We install Boxabl, Mighty Buildings, and Plant Prefab shells, and we side with James Hardie fiber cement where the design calls for it. All three shell types handle Aldine’s humidity well when installed with proper flashing and ventilation, and James Hardie siding resists termites far better than wood. The installation details matter more than the brand name; our crews know which sealants and flashing details hold up in Southeast Texas weather. Call (361) 326-2313 to talk through which shell fits your budget and lot.
In Aldine, the realistic delays are jurisdictional review times (Houston ETJ and Harris County both take a few weeks for plan review), weather windows for foundation pours, and utility connection scheduling with the local provider. We build those into the project calendar up front, so a two-month permitting window isn’t a surprise on week six. You’ll get a written schedule with your contract, and we update it as each milestone passes. Call (361) 326-2313 for a realistic timeline on your specific project.
Get a Written Price for Your Aldine ADU
You don’t need to guess what your ADU will cost. Call (361) 326-2313 and we’ll schedule a free site walk on your Aldine lot, confirm your jurisdiction, test the soil if needed, and hand you a written line-item price before any work starts. If you decide to move forward, you get The Kingswell Guarantee in writing: defined arrival windows, a clean job site, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise, meaning we come back and make it right if something’s wrong within a year. That’s the deal, in writing, every time.
Written by Russ Delmar, Owner of Lodgewick ADU Houston, serving Aldine and the north Harris County area.
