HDR Remodeling, a full-service residential Design + Build contractor serving Berkeley and the greater East Bay Area, has hosted numerous educational lunch & learn seminars over the past several years. With over 30 years under its belt, HDR Remodeling’s goal is to educate and inform homeowners about what to expect when approaching a home remodel. 

Last month, they invited the community to visit a current home remodeling job site, a first for the company. Kevin Mond, Head of Business Development at HDR Remodeling hosted the lunch & learn. The on-site project was a new construction for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), commonly known as an in-law unit, backyard cottage, or guest house. 

The Challenges

Proud to be at the forefront of promoting ADU buildings, HDR Remodeling wanted to highlight the process and the challenges of designing and building an ADU in general and specifically for the host site. During Mond’s presentation, he discussed the nuances of the planning process and emphasized the importance of a very thorough design process that includes fixtures and finishes to mitigate any unexpected changes in scope of work or budget. He also highlighted HDR Remodeling’s preferred method of construction. 

For this specific 250 square feet ADU, Mond explained the numerous challenges HDR Remodeling faced. First with heights: how the grade is defined by the planning department on a sloped lot, second with redwood trees, a delicate and protected species, and third with access to the site. Working on-site with a local arborist, HDR Remodeling dug and built footings around the trees with ingenuity and quick adjustments. Given the slope of the project and the ADU being built at the top of the hill, access to the site and the transportation of materials to and from the site was also a challenging manual endeavor. 

After fielding a wide variety of questions from a capacity crowd, the audience received a tour of the ADU and were able to take a look at what lies between the walls of this project. Attendees were able to evaluate the terraces and site conditions, see the ADU’s foundation, and examine the exposed shear walls, framing, and roofing materials used in the ADU build before the construction crew drywalls the unit in. 

Onsite Lunch & Learn A Crowd Pleaser

The event was a sold out success and with so many already expressing an interest in the next on-site visit, HDR Remodeling is working with its clients to schedule another project visit to allow the community to access a home remodel in action. For more information on events, visit HDR Remodeling’s site at hdrremodeling.com/events.

To pre-register for the next event, call (510) 845-6100 or contact the company via its website. If you can’t wait until the next Lunch & Learn, contact our office today to discuss your home remodeling project and schedule your free in-home consultation today.

HDR Remodeling is proud to be at the forefront of educating the community on building an Accessory Dwelling Unit and home remodeling and will continue to offer seminars to homeowners on what they need to know to make their remodeling project a success.