Services / Basement finishes, internal ADUs and secondary suites
Basement finish and ADU plans
Floor plan, egress, electrical, smoke and CO, and mechanical layout for a basement finish, internal accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or secondary suite. Beams, new openings in bearing walls and other structural work go to a partner engineer, quoted separately.
For: Basement finishing companies, remodelers, ADU builders, investors. US, Canada, Australia and UK.
What you get
- Cover sheet with scope, code edition, occupancy and area table
- Existing and proposed floor plan at 1/4" = 1'-0" with room names, sizes and ceiling heights
- Egress window / door details and sizes
- Electrical, smoke alarm and CO alarm plan
- Mechanical and plumbing fixture layout (and gas line diagram when needed)
- Wall, insulation and fire-separation sections (separation between units for ADUs)
- Door, window and finish schedule
Usually within 5 business days of getting everything we need. Rush is available. One round of changes from the permit office or utility is included.
Price
| Basement finish / ADU plan set | NEEDS BRIAN'S PRICE |
|---|---|
| Rush, add-on | NEEDS BRIAN'S PRICE |
Permit, utility and engineer fees are not included. If your job needs an engineer's stamp, we confirm the cost and timing before we start.
What we'll ask for
- Project type
- Area being finished (sq ft or m², say which)
- Ceiling height under joists and under ducts/beams
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms (full / half)
- Kitchen
- Egress windows or doors
- Furnace and water heater type and location
The order form only asks the questions that apply to your job.
What to upload
- Hand sketch or scan of the space with measurements
- Photos of each wall / area
- Existing windows (with a tape measure)
- Furnace / water heater / mechanical room
Helpful if you have them:
- Main panel label
- Original house plans (if you have them)
Drawn to your local rules
We draw to the code edition your permit office uses and look up its local requirements first.
United States
IRC ceiling heights (R305), emergency escape openings (R310), dwelling-unit separation (R302.3), smoke and CO alarms, plus state ADU law and city ADU checklists.
Canada
NBC 9.9.10 bedroom egress windows, secondary suite fire separation and alarms, Ontario's three-units-per-lot rules, BC and Alberta suite rules.
Australia
Secondary dwellings and granny flats under your state's rules (NSW Housing SEPP, Victoria small second dwellings), NCC ceiling heights and separation.
United Kingdom
Approved Document B escape windows and alarms, damp-proofing (BS 8102), sound, ventilation and insulation, plus planning for a separate dwelling.
Questions
Do you check that the unit is allowed?
We check the building code. Whether your city allows the extra unit (zoning, parking, owner occupancy) is something we flag, and you confirm with the city.
Structural changes?
Removing posts or bearing walls, or cutting new foundation openings past the code limits, needs an engineer. We tell you before we start.