Providing Pre-Approved ADU Plans

1. Discuss program goals. Convene a working group of staff from planning, building, public works/utilities, sustainability, and other relevant departments to review and evaluate program design options and determine draft program goals. Example goals can include:
   • Save homeowners time and money
   • Promote ADU designs that reflect local context and priorities
   • Reduce staff time impacts from ADU plan reviews
   • Grow the local ADU marketplace
   • Help homeowners connect with qualified ADU designers
   • Limit liability exposure for the jurisdiction
   • Ensure longevity for approved plans through future code cycles
2. Design the review process and related workflows for pre-approved plan submittals and site-specific building permit applications. Consider departments and outside agencies (fire, utilities, etc.) that will need to be involved and the typical timelines for their involvement. Determine exactly what parts of review will happen during pre-approval and during site-specific building permit application. 
3. Meet with local ADU designers and architects to review draft program goals and proposed program design. This can help ensure the program is supported by the local design community rather than be seen as something that might undercut their business.
4. Develop and issue a call for proposals. Based on refined program goals and approach, develop a call for proposals to ADU architects and designers, explaining how they can participate in the program and/or submit their qualifications for consideration.
   • Plan for staff capacity to review submitted designs in a timely manner and to develop a metric for evaluating proposals. 
   • Plan for a variety of design sizes, styles, and layouts to make sure your list includes options for homeowners. Consider what type of ADUs and their features are most common in your jurisdiction, particularly in terms of bedroom count. 
   • Consider how to offer pre-approved design options that are accessible and/or visitable for seniors and people with disabilities. 
   • Clearly state submittal requirements based on what aspects of the plan sets are not site-specific and can be pre-reviewed versus items that will need to be reviewed on a site-specific basis. 
5. Train staff team and develop internal references for staff. Make sure the process is documented in onboarding/training materials and that rules and reference materials are easily available at the permit counter and other places staff field questions. It is very important that staff understand the difference between a homeowner using a pre-approved plan and one using a typical custom design plan. 
6. If continuing to seek designer-submitted plans, conduct outreach efforts. Reach out to local American Institute of Architects (AIA) chapters and other architect or designer groups and let them know about opportunities to submit designs for pre-approval. Provide clear information on your website about how designers can submit pre-approval applications and how to work with homeowners using pre-approved designs. 
7. Launch marketing efforts for homeowners. Develop educational materials and a public information strategy to inform homeowners about the benefits of pre-approved plans, what designs are available, how to utilize them, and any available incentives. Include attractive images and descriptive details about the design that homeowners will want to know. Be specific about the extent a base design may be customized or altered and still considered pre-approved.

Utilizing only jurisdiction-owned plans may provide limited options for homeowners and prove to be very expensive. 

• Open the pre-approval process to multiple designers, who can each set a price for homeowners to use their designs (you can set a limit or guidelines on pricing to keep plans affordable for a variety of homeowners). You can also allow continued submissions of designs for pre-approval so your list of designs grows over time. 

Utilizing designer-owned plans will not allow the same level of jurisdiction control as hiring a designer to create custom plans. 

• Recognize that designer-owned plans may not match ideal jurisdiction specifics but will provide more options for homeowners and lead to more ADU development. 

Homeowners may not like limitations on customization when using pre-approved plans. 

• Ensure a variety of plan sizes, styles, and layouts are offered, to make it more likely for a homeowner to find a plan that works for them.
• Offer a number of fully accessible and visitable designs for homeowners seeking accessible units for aging tenants or tenants with disabilities.

Jurisdiction-owned plans place liability and responsibility with the jurisdiction instead of the designers, who are typically responsible.

• Building a program where plan ownership stays with the architect/designer keeps them responsible for their plans and any required updates. 
• If hiring a designer to provide jurisdiction-owned plans, talk with them about what it will look like to update the plans for new building code cycles. 

Professional designers/architects may not be available to support a project using their pre-approved design. 

• Be clear in education materials that plans may be taken to another professional to go through the site planning and building permit application process. 

• Denver: West Denver Renaissance Collaborative: See the West Denver case study for more details.
  
  Denver's Westside ADU project (WDSF+) offers pre-approved ADU plans, allowing homeowners to select from seven pre-designed floor plans for detached units, ranging from studios to 3-bedroom options. These designs were created by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, and Radix Architecture.
  
  Key features include: 
  • Solar-ready roofs and highly energy-efficient construction
  • Six single-story units adaptable to ANSI Type B accessibility standards
  • Included stainless steel kitchen appliances and high-efficiency stacking washer/dryer
  • Homeowners can select exterior siding and paint color
  • To keep costs down, interior customization is not available
• Summit County: See the Summit County case study for more details.
  
  The County partnered with Design Path Studios of Encinitas, California, to develop stock ADU plans, which are available to Summit County homeowners at no cost. This saves homeowners the time and expense of hiring an architect to design an ADU for their property. These plans are available to all homeowners, whether or not they participate in the ADU Assistance Program.
• Outside of Colorado: Louisville, Kentucky - The Pre-Approved ADU Building Plans began when the Office of Planning was awarded a $13,000 AARP Community Challenge Grant to hold a design competition for ADUs. Three sets of winning plans from local designers were purchased by the city and are now available for the community to use free-of-charge. Plans are marked “pre-approved”, which indicates they have been reviewed and comply generally with local zoning and building code requirements.

• Auditing Application Review Process: Conducting a thorough review of your ADU review processes can help you understand how a pre-approved plans review process will differ from the custom design route and identify which staff members and agencies will need to be a part of creating or giving input on the pre-approved plans program.
• Assigning a Dedicated ADU Reviewer(s) and/or ADU Key Contact: It is paramount that staff understand what your pre-approved plans are and how the application process works; designating specific staff for reviewing ADU applications can make this transition easier and ensure the right staff members hold the appropriate knowledge. 
• Waiving or Reducing ADU-related fees for Low- and Moderate-Income Households
  Waiving or Reducing ADU-Related Fees for All Applicants: See these strategies for details on fee waiver/reduction mechanisms that could also be used as incentives for pre-approved plans.
• ADU Technical Assistance for Homeowners: Homeowner outreach materials can effectively point people to your pre-approved plans options and help them understand the benefits and downsides to using a pre-approved design. This can reduce questions at the permit counter and snags in the review process, and encourage use of your pre-approved designs. 
• Providing a Catalog of Existing ADU Designs: Homeowners looking for more options or higher levels of customization may still benefit from starting with an existing base plan, saving money and time in the design process. 
• Providing a Vendor Registry or other Connections to Local ADU Professionals: Providing pre-approved designs by local designers helps boost the ADU marketplace in your community and may be a part of a program supplying lists of local ADU professionals that homeowners can hire.
• Incentivizing Accessible ADUs
  Incentivizing Climate-Resilient ADUs: Providing a pre-approved design(s) with accessibility and/or climate-resiliency features can help you meet multiple goals at once and make it easier for homeowners to take advantage of incentives programs for accessible/climate-resilient ADUs. 
  
  Wherever you provide information about your pre-approved designs, designate those that provide accessibility and/or climate-resilient features and clearly describe any incentives available for homeowners using those designs. 
  
  If conducting a call for submittals, specifically note a desire or preference for submissions with accessibility/climate-resiliency features.