Is it allowed here?
The first check is legal, not design: whether your city allows an ADU at your address, and through which approval path. In Dallas that can mean an overlay or a special exception; other DFW cities have their own paths.
ADUs in Dallas–Fort Worth
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
TrueForm builds accessory dwelling units (ADUs): detached backyard units, garage apartments, and guest suites. Whether an ADU is allowed at your address, and whether it can be rented, depends on city rules that differ from one city to the next. Rules vary by city; we confirm your city's rules before design. Heating and cooling for the new space is designed and installed by a licensed air-conditioning contractor.
Written scope
What the written scope for an ADU covers
ADUs are offered in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro. The signed proposal controls the actual project; this list is what the proposal is built to answer.
- A feasibility check of your city's ADU rules, zoning, lot size, setbacks, access, parking, privacy, and utilities for your address
- Plans drawn with a residential designer or architecture firm TrueForm works with, or coordination with your own designer or architect
- Structural design by a licensed structural engineer where the foundation, framing, or a garage conversion needs it
- Foundation, framing, roof, insulation, windows, doors, and exterior finishes
- Kitchen or kitchenette, bathroom, electrical, and plumbing scope, with the utility connection path identified
- Required permits pulled and closed before final payment, weekly progress photos, and a signed change order before any added work
City rules
Rules vary by city; we confirm your city's rules before design.
Rules differ from one DFW city to the next. The City of Dallas rule is shown below; Fort Worth and each suburb set their own, and HOA or deed restrictions can add limits on top of city rules.
Planning checks
The questions that come before the floor plan
Utilities and access
Water, sewer, and electrical service, and how crews, materials, and later residents reach the unit, can shape the layout and the price as much as the floor plan does.
Privacy and use
Windows, entries, parking, noise, and fire separation from the main house are planned around how the unit will be used: family, guests, or a tenant where rental is allowed.
Dependencies to resolve
- Your city's approval path confirmed for the address
- Approved design drawings, and structural engineering where needed
- The utility connection path
- Your selections for the kitchen, bath, and finishes
Open conditions stay visible
- That an ADU is allowed at your address before your city's rules are checked
- That the unit can be rented; city rules, HOA or deed restrictions, and insurance decide that
- A zoning change, overlay request, or special-exception application; if your city requires one, it is settled before design
- Heating and cooling work, which TrueForm does not do
- New utility meters, a larger electrical service, or new water or sewer lines, unless listed
- HOA or deed-restriction approval, which the property owner provides
- A final price before the site, the utility path, and the permit path are known
Direct answers
Questions homeowners ask before the walkthrough
Can I build an ADU in Dallas?
In most cases, not by right. The City of Dallas lists two paths: an Accessory Dwelling Unit Overlay approved through City Plan Commission and City Council hearings, or a Board of Adjustment special exception. We check which path, if either, fits your address before design.
Are ADU rules the same in every DFW city?
No. Dallas does not allow ADUs by right in most cases, while Fort Worth and each suburb set their own rules, and HOA or deed restrictions can add limits. Rules vary by city; we confirm your city's rules before design.
Can an ADU be rented out?
Sometimes. City rules, HOA or deed restrictions, parking, utilities, and insurance decide it. In Dallas, a Board of Adjustment special exception can allow an additional dwelling unit to be built and/or rented. Rental use is confirmed before the design is final, so finishes can be chosen for the way the unit will be used.
What should be decided before pricing an ADU?
The size, the utility connection path, the foundation type, the kitchen and bath level, exterior matching, access, drainage, and the permit path all move the price. TrueForm does not publish a price range for ADUs; your fixed price comes in writing after a walkthrough and those decisions.
Who designs an ADU?
A designer or architect draws the plans, and a licensed structural engineer designs the structure. TrueForm works with interior designers, and with residential designers in Dallas–Fort Worth and an architecture firm. If you already have a designer or architect, TrueForm coordinates with them and builds from their drawings.
Who handles heating and cooling for an ADU?
Heating and cooling for the new space is designed and installed by a licensed air-conditioning contractor. TrueForm does not do heating or cooling work. Your written scope covers the rest of the unit: the structure, the exterior, electrical, plumbing, and finishes.
Next practical step
Request a free estimate
Start with the address and what you want the new space to do.
Send the address, photos of the lot and the house, and how you plan to use the space. TrueForm will screen the fit before scheduling an in-home walkthrough.
