Why Did This Plymouth Family Build an ADU Instead of Buying a House?

Watch: Behind the Build: ADU Construction Walkthrough

What Was the Design and Build Process Like for George?

George came into this with absolutely no construction experience. He told us his family knew nothing about construction, and they didn't know how to go about building on the property. That's very common with people who want to build an ADU, and it's one of the reasons the process matters as much as the finished home.

From the first Zoom call, George and our team spent about three months going back and forth on design, budgets, and bylaws. That period included the big Massachusetts ADU law change that happened in February, which made his project even more possible on the lot. We all worked together on the design. George had his priority list, our team had the site constraints and code requirements, and the plan evolved through honest conversation.

George's advice to anyone starting this process was "Really sit down and think about what you want. Put together that laundry list of things that you can live with and that you can't live without." For George, the non-negotiables were the oversized shower and the two-car garage. Everything else he could be flexible on.

The secret to keeping a build on track, as we tell everybody, is to have all your design selections chosen at the very beginning. Pick your finishes, lock your plan, resolve the details before the first shovel hits the ground. You don't fly a plane while you're still building it. You build the plane first and then fly it. When selections are complete before construction starts, the project stays on schedule and the client stays confident in what they are getting.

Did George's Property Need Septic Work?

Yes. The existing septic system at 16U Jessica Way was the original system for the house, which had been in place for more than 30 years. When you add an ADU to a property in Massachusetts, the septic system has to meet current Title V compliance. In George's case, that meant we had to do a full replacement: a brand-new tank servicing both the main house and the ADU, plus a brand-new leaching field.

The good news for George was that the soil was accommodating for the new septic. Plymouth has sandy soil in a lot of areas, and 16U Jessica Way was no exception. Sand is some of the absolute best soil conditions for a septic system. It drains well, it percolates well, and it means we can design a system that is simpler and less expensive than it would be on a lot with clay, ledge, or high groundwater.

We always do a septic evaluation before we quote anything because that one thing can determine whether a detached ADU is financially possible on your property. On a lot with a failed perc test, the septic solution can add a lot to the total project cost. On a lot like George's, where the soil cooperates, the septic work is obviously still a major cost, but it's manageable. All of this happens before anyone signs a contract.

What Was It Like Working with BuildX?

George described the experience in one word: exciting. When we asked him to describe BuildX in three words after the build was finished, he said "Dependable, reliable, and most of all, exciting." Before we started building he actually said his 3 words were "Honest, trustworthy, and exciting." You'll notice that exciting made both lists.

What George kept coming back to in his testimonial was feeling like he was included in the whole process. He said "The good thing about BuildX is they make you feel like you're a part of BuildX. Even though you're just a customer, they make you feel more than just that." He said the team explained everything in terms he could understand, they stayed in communication always, and they deal with any issues within a day when they came up.

George specifically named members of our team like Justin, who answered his questions throughout the process, and Harry, our pre-construction specialist, who made sure the cabinets and finishes were installed right. That level of access to the team is intentional and it's how we run every project.

If you are in a similar position, a young adult looking at an inflated and unaffordable housing market, George's story is worth listening to. He started with no construction knowledge, no idea of what to do next, and a vague idea about building onto his parents' house. He ended up with a fully customized, independent home on the same property. The process was transparent and collaborative, and, in George's words, a lot of fun.

Is Building an ADU the Right Move for Every Young Adult?

No. Building an ADU requires land, and it requires a family willing to share that land. Not every family can support that, and not every lot in Massachusetts can accommodate a detached structure with a garage underneath. Setback requirements, lot coverage limits, septic capacity, and permitting all play a role in what's actually even possible on a given property.

If you are looking for the fastest, cheapest path to independent housing, an ADU may not be it. The design process takes time and so does the permitting and the construction. It's true that an ADU is more affordable than buying a house at current Massachusetts prices, but it's still a real investment that requires planning, financing, and commitment from the entire family.

What an ADU does is give you a path that didn't exist for most families even a few years ago. The Massachusetts by-right ADU law changed the landscape, and for families with the land and the motivation, it is a path worth exploring.

Your Family Might Have the Same Option George Found

George Barber was 28 years old, couldn't afford a house in the Massachusetts housing market, and had never even imagined building a house. Today he lives in a two-bedroom, 900-square-foot home that he designed himself, on land his family has owned for decades, with a two-car garage for his purple Dodges and a shower head that's customized to be tall enough for him. The housing crisis didn't go away. George just found a way around it.