Can I Build an ADU in My Daughter's Backyard? (How One Plympton Family Did It)

By Buz Artiano, BuildX | March 2026

Watch: How She Built Her Dream Home in 84 Days | Massachusetts Design-Build Story

If you're reading this, your family is probably having a discussion about the future that is a lot more than just a home improvement or construction project. Maybe you have a parent or parents who are aging and their health is declining and assisted living is outrageously expensive. Maybe you just want your mom or dad to be closer to you, but nobody wants to give up their independence. You've been researching and talking about options, but none of them seem to fit your needs perfectly. Moving in together feels like it would create more problems than it solves, but a nursing home feels like an absolute last resort. So now you're wondering if there could be a third option that actually works.

My name is Buz Artiano, and I am the founder of BuildX. We've built dozens of ADU projects across Massachusetts, mostly around the South Shore and Plymouth County areas. We are the only team you need, we handle design, permitting, and construction. So we see every phase of a project from the first site visit up until you move in. We deal with septic constraints, zoning issues, and the state's new ADU laws. But we are used to having these uncomfortable conversations about what happens years down the road.

Sherie and Michael Bartlet are BuildX clients. We built their ADU in their daughter's backyard in Plympton, Massachusetts. The Bartlets had been exploring options for where to live as they got older. They did a bunch of research, they talked to other builders, and they discussed all the different routes they could take. They found us, and we were breaking ground on their basement on May 19th, and they were able to move into their finished home on August 11th. That's only eighty-four days!

Of course we want to share stories from families who had a great experience with us, but we are sharing the Bartlets' story specifically because they explored many options, talked to other builders, and then they chose us. Sherie's story and perspective on the whole thing and what the process was actually like is going to be a lot more useful than listening to us brag about ourselves.

Can You Actually Build an ADU in a Family Member's Backyard in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts law now allows homeowners to build one accessory dwelling unit by right on any single-family residential lot. You can review the full requirements at mass.gov. That means a homeowner, like the Bartlets' daughter, can permit and build an ADU on her property without getting a special permit from the town. The ADU has to meet building code, health code, and size requirements from the town, but the right to build it is protected under state law.

So that's what they did. Their daughter owned the property in Plympton, and Sherie and Michael moved into the ADU after it was finished. It's a fully independent home with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom, and living space. It's not a converted garage or a room above the main house. It is a completely separate home in the backyard.

If your family is considering a similar arrangement, the legal path exists. The question is whether your specific lot, septic capacity, and setback requirements allow it. That's where we have to evaluate everything for the project to move forward.

Why Did the Bartlets Choose to Build in Their Daughter's Backyard?

Sherie told us plainly that they had been exploring any options they could think of to solve the problem of where and how they would live as they got older. Most of them were options that are familiar to most families in this position. You can either downsize, check out assisted living communities, or move in with your kids. But none of those options are affordable or give you any independence.

What the Bartlets decided to do was make a plan that let them stay independent, stay close to family, and live in a home that was custom built for them. The ADU in their daughter's backyard gave them their own front door, their own kitchen, and their own daily routine and privacy. But their daughter and their grandkids are right there. The reason most families decide to build an ADU is because of that closeness, while maintaining privacy and independence.

If you are in a similar situation and you're trying to decide whether to move a parent into assisted living or keep them close, the Bartlets wondered the same thing. Their answer was to build an ADU, which gave them a home they loved and wanted and they didn't have to compromise.

What Does an ADU in Someone's Backyard Actually Look Like?

The Bartlets' ADU isn't a tiny house or a prefab shed. It's a custom-built home with a full basement, nine-foot ceilings, and oversized windows that fill the whole inside with natural sunlight. All the mechanical stuff like heating, electrical panels, and water systems, are neatly tucked away in the basement, which keeps the rest of the house clean and open.

Sherie said there were two design decisions that really changed how the home feels. First, the nine-foot ceilings, which were Buz's suggestion. In a smaller home, standard eight-foot ceilings can make the space feel more cramped. The extra vertical space makes the whole place feel more spacious without adding a single square foot to the foundation. The oversized windows were the second thing Sherie said really made a difference. She said she loves the amount of light they let in, which changes the entire feel of the living space.

We recommend nine-foot ceilings on nearly every ADU we build, especially in the smaller ones. The cost difference between eight-foot and nine-foot walls is really not much, typically a few thousand dollars in additional framing material and drywall. But it makes a huge difference in the overall feel of the house. When we add the wider windows, the inside is bright and open and feels comfortable. On the Bartlets' lot in Plympton, we faced the main windows to get the most natural light possible, which also provided some privacy from the main house. We evaluate that combination of ceiling height and window placement on every project. Making these decisions correctly comes from building enough ADUs to see where people actually spend their time and what makes a smaller home feel like a real home.

How Long Does It Take to Build an ADU Like This?

The Bartlets' project moved fast. Patrick, our excavator, started digging the driveway on May 15th and the basement was started on May 19th. Sherie and Michael moved in on August 11th, which is only 84 days from groundbreaking to move-in.

Sherie said she was surprised at how fast the walls went up, the roof went on, and suddenly the home was coming together more than she expected. That reaction is pretty common with our clients. When design, permitting, and construction are managed by the same team, there's no gaps between phases where the project stalls waiting for the next vendor to pick up.

Every project is different. Site conditions, septic requirements, weather, and scope all affect the timeline. The Bartlets' 84-day experience is just the result of one of our projects, it's not a guarantee for every build. But it shows what's possible when the process is managed well from start to finish.

What Made the Bartlets Choose BuildX Over Other Builders?

Sherie said that Buz and Bill Dex were the first ones who didn't drop the ball. Her wording is kind of a clue to what happened before they found us. They'd been reaching out to other builders and getting the runaround. Nobody would return their calls or schedule meetings, and nobody ever followed up.

When the Bartlets connected with BuildX, the experience was different. Sherie said we were able to meet with them right away, and the process moved forward without stalling. That responsiveness didn't end after we made the sale either. After the build was complete and the Bartlets had moved in, Sherie said she could still text Buz or Stevie and get an answer right away for any small thing that came up.

If you've been talking to builders and none of them feel right, the Bartlets were in the same spot. The difference was finding a team that showed up, followed through, and stayed in touch after the project was finished.

What Does the Relationship with Your Builder Look Like After Move-In?

Sherie described the post-move-in relationship in a way that surprised her. She said the BuildX team feels like part of her family now. She said that after seeing them every day during construction, it felt strange when they weren't there on site anymore. Even with the project complete, she still had one or two small items to address, and she could text Buz or Stevie and get an immediate response.

Normally a construction company is not available to you after they have finished the project. Most builders move right to the next job and your questions and concerns get pushed to the bottom of the priority stack. The Bartlets' experience shows what we think about the builder-client relationship. We don't believe that the project ends at move-in. The relationship continues because the homeowner's experience continues.

Sherie summed up the team with four words. She said they were dependable, knowledgeable, friendly, and kind. She named individual team members, including Justin, Aaron, Jeff, Kevin, Stevie, and Patrick, each of whom she remembered and spoke about warmly. That's not a review of our company, it's a review of the people who built her home.

Is Building in a Family Member's Backyard the Right Move for Every Family?

No. And we'd never tell you otherwise. Building an ADU on a family member's property is complex and involved. The property owner is the one who allows the project and is responsible for insurance and property taxes. We will have to talk about property boundaries, shared utility costs, and what happens if circumstances change. Not every family is ready to have those talks, and not every lot can physically support a second structure.

If your family is not all on the same page when it comes to the ADU, or if the lot's septic capacity, setback requirements, or access constraints make a second structure impractical, then building an ADU probably isn't your best option. We evaluate all of those factors before we quote a project, because the worst outcome is a family that commits emotionally and financially to an ADU that then can't be built on their specific lot.

The Bartlets' story worked because the family was all on the same page, the lot supported it, and our team got things done. That combination is what makes any ADU project succeed. When any one of those elements is missing, we say so.

Your Family Has Options. This Is One That Works.

The Bartlets spent time weighing their options before they found a path that gave them independence, proximity to family, and a home built to their standards. Eighty-four days after breaking ground, they were living in it. If your family is exploring the same decision, the next step is finding out whether your lot, your budget, and your timeline support it.