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From your first ADU idea to a useful partner proposal

A written project brief helps a partner understand what you want and makes competing proposals easier to compare.

Prepare a one-page brief

  • Include your address, intended occupant, preferred unit type, approximate area, budget range, timing and the decisions you have not made.
  • Attach the planning summary from this site and identify which numbers are assumptions. Include any available plans and known site restrictions.
  • Ask who is responsible for design, engineering, permit applications, city comments, utility coordination and construction supervision.

Read the commercial details

  • Ask for fixed-price work, allowances and exclusions to be listed separately. Require the same scope when comparing proposals.
  • Illustrative allowance example: if a $3,000 finish allowance becomes a $4,200 selection, the difference is $1,200 before any agreed tax or markup. Ask how the contract handles this.
  • Clarify when payments are due, what milestone each payment represents and how unresolved work is documented.

Understand changes before they happen

  • Ask for a written change process showing scope, price and schedule effects before additional work proceeds.
  • Keep a decision log with the date, person responsible and agreed action. Share revisions with everyone who needs to price or build from them.
  • Confirm how hidden site conditions and municipal review requests are handled. Do not assume every change is included in the original price.

Choose the next commitment deliberately

  • Ask for evidence supporting the partner’s relevant qualifications and references. Confirm who you would contract with and what they actually provide.
  • Utah ADU Builder makes introductions; the partner sets its scope and fees. Partners may pay for leads or referrals.
  • You can request clarification, compare another scope or pause while you resolve a question. The free review does not obligate you to hire.

Turn the checklist into a project plan

Record each open question, the person responsible, evidence needed and target date. Confirm requirements with the city and your licensed design/build professionals.

Find your city guide · Prepare a budget · Discuss this checklist at my free review

Planning guidance. Requirements depend on the property, design and adopted local codes; this guide does not certify compliance. How our guidance is prepared