ADU Before & After in Houston, TX
Before and after photos are the fastest way to see what an ADU actually does for a Houston lot. We can talk about square footage and permits all day, but a side-by-side of a cluttered side yard turned into a rent-ready one-bedroom tells the story in two seconds. Here are real transformations from jobs we’ve done across Houston, from garage conversions in the Heights to backyard units in Meyerland. Each one started with a specific problem and ended with a finished space that earns its keep.
Recent Transformations
Detached Garage Conversion to Two-Bedroom ADU in Garden Oaks
The problem was a detached two-car garage that hadn’t held a car in ten years. It had a sagging roofline, one electrical outlet, and a slab with enough cracks that rainwater pooled in the middle. We reinforced the slab, reframed the walls for insulation and windows, and built out a two-bedroom unit with a full kitchen and stacked laundry. The result is a 720-square-foot rental that brings in steady income for the homeowner, and the garage door opening is now a proper wall with French doors facing the back garden.
Side-Yard ADU Build on a Narrow Lot in Montrose
Montrose lots run narrow, and this one had a 14-foot-wide strip of side yard that did nothing but grow weeds and collect Houston humidity. The owner wanted a space for an aging parent but assumed the lot couldn’t support it. We worked with the setback requirements, designed a one-bedroom with a galley kitchen and a curbless shower, and used a prefab shell from Cover to keep the construction window short. The parent moved in six months after the first site visit, and the side yard now produces housing instead of water bills.
Backyard Office ADU with James Hardie Siding in Katy
The problem here was a work-from-home situation that had outgrown a spare bedroom. Two adults on video calls in one house, plus kids home after school, and nobody could focus. We built a 400-square-foot office ADU at the back of the lot, wrapped it in James Hardie plank siding so it matches the main house, and added a mini-split for year-round cooling against the Katy heat. The owner now walks forty feet to work and the main house got its quiet back.
Oversized Shed Tear-Down and ADU Replacement in Pearland
A rotted Tuff Shed had been sitting on this Pearland property for years, leaning enough that the doors wouldn’t close. The owners wanted a guest space for their adult kids when they visited from out of state. We tore down the old shed, poured a proper foundation, and built a one-bedroom ADU with a small porch and a full bath. The new structure sits on the same footprint, so permitting with the city went smoother than a from-scratch build, and the family now has a comfortable place for visitors that isn’t an air mattress in the living room.
Garage Conversion to JADU for Rental Income in the Heights
A JADU, or junior accessory dwelling unit, is a smaller version of an ADU, capped at 500 square feet and allowed to share some systems with the main house, which makes it a fast way to create rental income. This Heights homeowner had an attached garage used only for storage. We converted it into a JADU with its own entrance off the side porch, a kitchenette, and a three-quarter bath. The owner rents it to a single tenant, and the garage door track is the only thing that stayed from the original space.
Backyard ADU with Abodu Shell for Speed in Cypress
This Cypress family needed a guest house before a wedding that was eight months out, and a traditional site-built ADU wasn’t going to make that deadline. We used an Abodu prefab shell, which arrives as a largely complete unit, and handled the site work, foundation, utility connections, and interior finishes on our end. The unit was livable in under five months. The family hosted the bride’s parents in it the weekend of the wedding, and it’s since become a short-term rental when it isn’t housing relatives.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started the same way: a homeowner looked at unused space and wondered what it could become. The answer is usually more achievable than people think, and the first step is a free estimate with a written price before anything gets built. Call Russ at (361) 326-2313 to talk through your lot, your budget, and what’s actually possible. No pressure, just straight answers.
Written by Russ Delmar, Owner at Lodgewick ADU Houston, serving Houston since 2010.
