What Finishes Can I Choose for My ADU?

By Buz Artiano, BuildX | November 2025

People assume that when you build an ADU the finishes are limited to builder-grade materials and common or limited choices. We hear this concern a lot over at our showroom in Hanover, Massachusetts. People always worry that they'll end up with something that feels cheap, dated, or doesn't flow with the rest of the home.

We have built dozens of ADUs and we can tell you that is not actually the case. The finish options we can show you for your ADU are vast, and what you pick is going to decide whether your 900-square-foot ADU feels cramped or luxurious and spacious.

At BuildX, we bring homeowners through a special meeting where they choose from flooring with 60 color options, cabinets in eight finishes, countertops with over 500 slab choices, plus lots of paint, hardware, and outside options. We have built a great deal of meaningful relationships with suppliers so that we can give you real choices, not limits.

What Does a Typical ADU Finish Package Include?

Every BuildX ADU includes a complete interior and exterior finish package. We'll never hand you bare walls and then basically tell you to figure it out yourself. We have great relationships with suppliers who have the best quality materials and easy pricing, which means we can give you a better idea of cost and what we are working with.

Our standard finish package includes all the flooring for the whole unit, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, countertops, interior doors and trim, paint, hardware, exterior siding, windows, entry doors, roofing, and decking if you have one. Then you have the ability to upgrade individual categories if you'd like as well.

Here's how it all works. We start with a standard spec for each category. If you want something different, we just calculate the price difference between what you want and the standard option and you pay the difference on materials only. Installation labor stays the same regardless of what kind of flooring you choose.

What Flooring Options Are Available?

Flooring is one of the first things you notice when you walk into any ADU. We recommend using the exact same flooring for the entire unit, including the bathroom and kitchen. It makes small spaces feel larger and eliminates any breaks in flooring between rooms.

The standard flooring we use is luxury vinyl tile (LVT) from Mohawk. It's American-made, fully waterproof, and comes with a built-in pad on the back that makes it quiet when you walk. We stock around 60 colors you can choose from, from light oak to deep walnuts. It even has texture to prevent slipping, it cleans easily with a Swiffer, and will last forever.

But if you prefer real wood, we offer prefinished engineered hardwood as an upgrade. It looks and feels like traditional hardwood but it's more stable, which matters when you're in a small space with radiant heating. Hardwood does require refinishing every once in a while and it's not waterproof, so what we usually do is pair it with heated tile in the bathroom.

We do not recommend carpet in ADUs. It's a huge accessibility issue for wheelchair users and it creates visual breaks that make small spaces feel chopped up and smaller. LVT or hardwood running continuously from room to room is the best choice for most people.

How Do Cabinet Selections Work?

Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are a big part of your finish budget. We use US Cabinet Depot as our supplier. Their cabinets are made from all-plywood construction, they have soft-close hinges and drawer slides. The cabinet boxes are actually made in Cambodia and then assembled here in the United States.

We usually keep eight cabinet colors in stock for usual selections. Most are the shaker-style doors, which is still the most popular choice. You can choose painted finishes or wood-grain panels depending on your preference.

If you want more color options, custom sizes, or special configurations, we can go through a company called Showplace Cabinetry. It's an employee-owned manufacturer in South Dakota that builds everything here in the U.S. The custom options are basically unlimited. But be aware that Showplace cabinets will cost roughly five times what our standard cabinets cost. The difference in quality is real, but so is the price difference.

We will let you supply your own cabinets in some situations. It works best when you're buying them from a reputable manufacturer with reliable delivery timelines. Big-box store cabinets or imports with erratic shipping schedules cause major issues with coordination, which will delay the entire project.

What Countertop Materials Can I Choose?

Countertops are the finish category with the most options to choose from. We offer both natural stone (granite) and engineered quartz, with around 30 options available at our standard price. But if you want to see more options, we can take you to Boston Granite Exchange in West Bridgewater, where they have over 500 options.

Quartz countertops are made by crushing natural stone and binding it with resin. That means it's always a consistent pattern without any of the natural variation you see in granite. Quartz requires no sealing, it resists staining, and it's really tough. Most of our clients choose quartz when they want a nice clean look.

Natural granite offers more character and movement in the pattern. Every piece is unique, which is why we require our clients to visit the stone yard in person to pick the granite out themselves. Small sample pieces can look very different from a full countertop. Natural stone does need sealing once in a while, but if you maintain it the right way, it will last forever.

We recommend against marble for kitchen countertops. Marble is soft, it scratches easily, and it stains easily. It works great as a bathroom vanity for decoration, but it's not practical for regular kitchen use. Travertine is the same way.

The thickness of your countertop depends on the material. Quartz slabs tend to be a bit thinner than granite. But they both work great for standard uses, and our fabricators handle all of the templating, cutting, and the installation.

What Are My Interior Paint and Millwork Options?

Interior paint is included with every BuildX ADU. We use either Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore, and you can choose any color from their list. Walls are done with an eggshell sheen to make them easy to clean. Trim and doors are painted semi-gloss white, and ceilings are flat white.

Our standard spec includes two wall colors for free. If you want more than two colors, we charge $250 per additional color, which just covers the painter's time switching materials and cleaning equipment. For a smaller ADU, it's best to keep the color palette simple. Multiple colors in a small space can feel too busy and divided.

Interior millwork includes 3.5-inch Stafford casing around windows and doors, plus 5.25-inch baseboards. It's all paint-grade millwork with a semi-gloss white finish. If you prefer stain-grade trim we can help you with that, but be aware that wood variations mean your trim and doors won't match. Remember that different trees produce slightly different tones, even if you use the exact same stain.

We use blue board with skim-coat plaster for wall surfaces rather than using the standard drywall. Plaster is harder, tougher, and has a much better finish. For ceilings, you can choose textured or smooth. Smooth ceilings cost more because of the additional labor but they are easier to clean and have a more refined look to them.

Interior doors are semi-solid construction and you get to choose how you want the paneling. We don't recommend using the full solid-core doors on the inside. They're really heavy and can cause injuries to fingers and hands if they close unexpectedly.

What Hardware Finishes Are Available?

All of the door handles we use in our ADUs are lever-style because they are very easy to use. It's actually an accessibility feature as well as just a practical choice. Lever handles are easier to operate with full hands or if you don't have good grip strength.

You can choose from several finishes including brushed nickel, polished chrome, black, and bronze. The same options apply to cabinet pulls, bathroom accessories, and plumbing fixtures. We recommend picking the same finishes for the whole unit so it has a more uniform look that flows.

You will pick out your hardware during your showroom visit, where you can see the actual products and compare side by side. It's not a decision you want to make from photos. The difference between brushed nickel and polished chrome seems very subtle, but it is noticeable once it's installed.

What Exterior Finish Options Do I Have?

Exterior finishes are what decide how your ADU looks from the street and how much maintenance it's going to need over time. Our standard siding is CertainTeed vinyl in the Monogram line, which is their top of the line product, and we have about 28 colors to pick from. Monogram is the thickest vinyl siding CertainTeed makes, it comes with a great warranty, and doesn't warp or fade over years and years in the New England weather.

For people who just prefer a different look, we offer James Hardie fiber cement siding (you might have heard it called Hardy plank). It's got a heavier duty look and feel than vinyl. It comes in a few standard colors, or you can paint it any color you want. It will need re-painting every 15 to 20 years though, whereas vinyl never needs repainting.

The windows we use are Harvey brand with foam-filled sashes for better insulation. It only costs about $16 per window above the standard windows with the hollow sash, and it eliminates condensation on the inside and brings your energy bill down. Entry doors are Thermo-Tru fiberglass with PVC jambs. The fiberglass door and PVC trim never rots, warps, or needs painting. They have at least a 50-year-plus lifespan.

Decks are made with pressure-treated lumber for framing and composite decking boards for the surface. We have seven colors to choose from. The boards are screwed and plugged rather than using weaker clip systems. This makes it easy to replace individual boards if they ever get damaged.

The roofing we install is CertainTeed asphalt shingles, they come with a lifetime warranty and we have 16 color options. We install ice and water shield over the entire roof deck, not just at edges and problem areas. We put it everywhere, which goes beyond code requirements and makes your deck last so much longer.

How Much Do ADU Finishes Actually Cost?

Finish costs for a typical ADU start at $15,000 for the basic options and go up to $50,000 or more for fully custom options. There are three main categories of pricing for finish packages.

Standard packages ($15,000 to $20,000) include LVT flooring for the whole unit, US Cabinet Depot cabinets in stock colors, low range granite or quartz countertops, paint-grade millwork, standard fixtures, and vinyl siding. Our standard package looks great and performs very well.

Upgraded packages ($25,000 to $35,000) add shaker cabinets with crown molding, mid-range quartz countertops, engineered hardwood in main living areas, designer light fixtures and hardware, and sometimes even Hardy plank siding. All these upgrades give off a much more refined look.

Custom packages ($35,000 to $50,000) include custom cabinetry from Showplace or equivalent, premium natural stone or high-end quartz with distinctive veining, true hardwood flooring, smart home features, and custom outside details. This package provides finishes like a model home.

Most people end up in that mid range. They choose standard finishes for categories that matter less to them and upgrade the things they like better. Kitchen countertops, cabinet finish, and flooring get upgraded a lot. Hardware and outside trim usually just stay at standard.

How Do We Handle the Selections Process?

At BuildX, we don't make you sit and choose finishes from a book or a screen. We bring you to our showroom in Hanover, Massachusetts for a special meeting with our designer. You can see and touch all the materials in person, see full-size flooring planks, cabinet door samples, countertop pieces, hardware, siding panels, roofing samples, and everything else that goes into your ADU.

This process usually takes two to three hours. We walk through every finish category individually, give you your options, show you what each one looks like when it's installed, and make note of all your choices. By the end of the meeting, every finish decision is made and saved.

We don't provide appliances or shower doors however. They have such a huge price variation that any allowance we give only creates arguments. So instead we will connect you with our best vendors, and help coordinate delivery and installation. You get exactly what you want at whatever price you work out with them.

Is Upgrading Finishes Worth the Investment?

That depends on your goals for the ADU. If you are building a rental unit then standard finishes are usually better. Tenants appreciate quality but you can't usually charge higher rent for having things like high-end countertops.

If you are building for a family or just for yourself, you might want to invest in upgrade finishes. You will be living with and seeing your choices every day, and small upgrades that cost a few thousand dollars can make a big difference in the overall feel of the place.

If you plan to sell the property eventually, upgraded finishes can help your listing stand out. ADUs are still relatively new and rare in Massachusetts, and a unit with upgraded finishes makes for better pictures and tours.

We recommend that you spend the extra money on the finishes you use the most. Quality flooring, countertops in the kitchen, and cabinet hardware you have to use every day. This helps make a bigger impact than upgraded trim that most people won't even notice.

Ready to Choose Your ADU Finishes?

Every BuildX ADU project includes a special selections meeting where you choose from dozens of finish options in every category. We guide you through the process with real samples, real-world examples, and clear pricing on any upgrades.

Your ADU should feel like an intentional space, not an afterthought. The finishes you pick will decide whether that happens or not.