BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Boise residents looking to add a backyard cottage or over-the-garage apartment now have a new, free option to help them get started.
The City of Boise is offering free, pre-approved blueprints for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, aimed at making it easier for property owners to add housing on their lots. Residents can choose from a catalog of eight plans, with options based on site conditions and preferences, including single-story and over-garage designs.
City officials say the pre-approved plans are meant to save time and money by simplifying the approval and permitting process. With the city’s designs, property owners can complete the process in a few simple steps and reduce design and permitting time to a matter of weeks. The city also notes that a custom ADU design can cost upwards of $10,000, and that the free plans include cost-saving measures intended to lower construction and operating expenses…