ADU construction in Ocala, The Villages, and Central Florida
Backyard cottages, garage conversions, and detached guest houses. Independent living space for family or rental income, built legal from day one.
What is an accessory dwelling unit?
An accessory dwelling unit is a second, smaller home on the same lot as your main house. Florida law describes it as an ancillary or secondary living unit with its own kitchen, its own bathroom, and its own sleeping area, either inside the primary structure or standing separately on the same property.
That definition is the whole test. If a space has a kitchen, a bathroom, and a place to sleep, and someone could live in it independently of the main house, it is a dwelling unit. It is not a shed, a bonus room, or a finished garage. It gets permitted, inspected, and issued a certificate of occupancy like any other home.
The unit is accessory to a primary residence, which means the main house has to stay the main house. You cannot build the second unit first, and on most lots the ADU has to be smaller than the primary dwelling.
Other names for the same thing
People search for these interchangeably. They all describe an accessory dwelling unit:
- Granny flat
- In-law suite or mother-in-law suite
- Backyard cottage or casita
- Guest house
- Auxiliary dwelling unit
- Second dwelling on the property
- Carriage house or garage apartment
An ADU done right is an asset. Done wrong, it is a liability.
Accessory dwelling units are one of the smartest ways to add value in Central Florida, whether it is a suite for aging parents, a guest house, or long-term rental income. But an ADU is a small home: foundation, utilities, kitchen, bath, and its own code requirements.
We build ADUs as a licensed building contractor with the permits, utility connections, and inspections handled properly, so your unit is legal to occupy, insurable, and adds documented value to the property instead of a problem you have to disclose at sale.
ADU projects we build
Detached backyard units
Stand-alone cottages and guest houses built new from the slab up.
Garage conversions
Turning existing garage space into legal living quarters with proper insulation and egress. See garage conversions.
In-law suites
Attached or detached suites designed for comfortable multigenerational living.
Utilities and connections
Water, sewer or septic, and electrical service planned and connected to code.
Zoning and permitting
We help you understand what your lot allows and handle the permit process.
Full kitchens and baths
Complete, functional living units, not glorified sheds.
Are ADUs allowed in Florida?
Yes, but permission comes from your city or county, not from the state. Florida has no law that gives every homeowner the right to build an accessory dwelling unit. What it has is Florida Statute 163.31771, which says a local government may adopt an ordinance allowing ADUs in areas zoned for single-family residential use.
That single word does a lot of work. Some Central Florida jurisdictions have adopted ADU-friendly rules. Others allow them only on larger parcels, only when attached, or only under a different name like guest cottage or secondary residence. The answer for your neighbor two miles away can be different from the answer for you, because you are in different jurisdictions.
One thing worth knowing before you plan around rental income: when a local government adopts its ordinance under that statute specifically, permit applications can carry an affidavit requiring the unit be rented at an affordable rate. Not every ADU is permitted under that path, but it is a real condition in some places and it catches people by surprise. We check which path applies to your address before you spend money on plans.
Marion County and Ocala
Unincorporated Marion County
Marion County permits a family or guest cottage or apartment as an accessory, noncommercial dwelling in applicable residential and agricultural zoning districts. The unit must be smaller than the primary home and is generally placed in the rear or side yard; A-1 agricultural parcels may allow it forward of the main house. Marion County does not set one universal square-foot cap, so the parcel's zoning, setbacks, lot coverage, utilities, and septic capacity control the practical size.
Inside the City of Ocala
The county rule does not apply. Ocala permits an accessory dwelling or guesthouse only on property governed by the Form-Based Code district. Under section 122-965 it is a conditional C1 use on Standard and Residential streets and is prohibited on Core and Thoroughfare streets. It is not a special-exception use: it may proceed through the normal development approval and site-plan process when the C1 conditions are met. The lot must contain an occupied single-family dwelling; only one accessory dwelling is allowed; it must sit in the rear yard; and it cannot be taller or have a larger footprint than the principal home. Outside the Form-Based Code district, Ocala's conventional use table does not provide a general ADU approval path.
Which one applies to you is worth checking first. A great many properties with an Ocala mailing address sit outside the city limits in unincorporated Marion County, where the more permissive county rule governs. Your address, not your zip code, decides it, and we will confirm which side of the line you are on before anyone draws anything.
Marion County Land Development Code, sec. 4.3.18; City of Ocala Form-Based Code, sec. 122-965, Tables 3.3 and 3.4. Current as of July 2026.Sumter County and The Villages
Unincorporated Sumter County allows one ADU in agricultural and residential zoning on a lot of at least one-half acre. The living area must be at least 400 square feet and no more than 40 percent of the principal home's gross floor area; both homes must be site-built, use the same driveway, meet setbacks, and remain under common ownership. Wildwood separately allows attached or detached family cottages in residential districts, generally from 400 to 1,200 square feet and no more than 40 percent of the main structure. In The Villages and Villages-area portions of Wildwood and Lady Lake, the recorded declaration and Architectural Review Committee requirements can be more restrictive than zoning, and many declarations allow only one home per lot.
Sumter County Land Development Code, sec. 13-511; City of Wildwood Land Development Regulations, sec. 3.7(B)(2)(a). Current as of July 2026.Lake County
Unincorporated Lake County allows one attached, internal, or detached ADU in agricultural and residential zoning on a legal lot of record. The owner must occupy either the primary home or the ADU and record a restriction keeping both units under the same ownership. The ADU may be up to 1,200 square feet or 70 percent of the primary home's air-conditioned living area, whichever is greater. It must meet the principal-home setbacks; on lots under one acre it generally must match the home's architectural style, and impact fees apply. Properties inside Leesburg or another incorporated city follow that city's zoning code instead of the county rule, so the address must be checked first.
Lake County Land Development Regulations, sec. 10.01.03. Current as of July 2026.How many ADUs can you have on one property?
In nearly every Central Florida jurisdiction the answer is one per single-family lot. Ordinances are written around a primary dwelling plus one accessory unit. If you are looking at a larger agricultural or multi-family parcel, the math changes, and that is a conversation worth having before you buy the land rather than after.
Zoning ordinances change. This page reflects what we see in permitting as of July 2026. Before you commit to a design, send us your address and we will confirm the current rule for your specific parcel.
Can I build an ADU in my backyard?
Zoning is only the first gate. Even where ADUs are permitted, six things about your specific property decide whether one actually fits.
- Lot size and coverage. Most ordinances cap how much of your lot can be covered by structures. A big house on a small lot can use up that allowance before an ADU is drawn.
- Setbacks. The unit has to sit a set distance from your property lines and often a set distance from the main house. This is the single most common reason a backyard plan has to move or shrink.
- Septic capacity. If you are on septic, and much of rural Marion and Lake County is, adding a second kitchen and bath means the drainfield has to handle the added load. Sometimes that means a system upgrade, and that cost belongs in the budget from day one.
- Utility access. Water, sewer, and electrical have to reach the unit. Distance from the existing service is a real line item, and running service across a long backyard is not cheap.
- HOA and deed restrictions. A deed restriction can prohibit a second dwelling on a lot where the county would happily permit one. In The Villages, Lady Lake, and much of Wildwood, this is the deciding factor more often than zoning is.
- Site access. Concrete trucks, lumber deliveries, and equipment have to physically get to the build area. Narrow side yards and mature trees can change the method and the price.
What about a tiny home or shipping container?
People ask constantly whether they can just put a tiny home or a converted shipping container in the backyard and call it done. The honest answer is that the structure type does not change the permitting question. If it has a kitchen, a bath, and a bed, it is a dwelling unit, and it has to meet the Florida Building Code, including wind load requirements, foundation anchoring, egress, and energy code.
A tiny home on wheels is usually treated as an RV, which means it cannot be permanently occupied as a dwelling in most residential zoning. A container build can be done legally, but it needs engineering, insulation, and modification work that often lands it at a similar cost to conventional construction. If you want a permanent, insurable, financeable second unit, build it as a permanent structure.
How much does it cost to build an ADU in Florida?
An ADU is priced like a small house, not like a room addition, because it needs everything a house needs. Here is what the three paths typically run in our market.
The cheapest path, because the slab, walls, and roof already exist. You are paying for insulation, egress windows, HVAC, a full kitchen and bath, and bringing the space up to habitable code. Losing the garage affects resale, so weigh that. Without a kitchen it is not an ADU and it costs considerably less, so if you want a bedroom, office, or den rather than a second dwelling, see garage conversions.
New square footage tied into the existing house. Shares a wall and often shares utility runs, which saves money against a detached build, but it means foundation, framing, roof tie-in, and possible structural work on the existing wall. Suites in the 500 to 700 square foot range land toward the lower end of this range; 700 to 900 square foot wings approach or exceed the top.
A stand-alone cottage from the slab up. The most expensive per square foot and the most valuable at resale, because it is a true second residence with its own entrance, its own yard, and full privacy.
What actually moves the number
- Utility distance. An ADU thirty feet from the house costs less to connect than one at the back of a two-acre parcel.
- Septic versus sewer. A drainfield expansion or a new system can add $10,000 to $30,000 or more before a single wall goes up.
- Impact and connection fees. A new dwelling unit triggers county impact fees. These vary by jurisdiction and are paid at permit, not at closing.
- Finish level. The same 600 square foot floor plan can be built as a clean rental-grade unit or as a finished-to-match guest house, and the gap between those two is significant.
- Site conditions. Tree removal, fill dirt, grade changes, and limited access all add cost before construction starts.
We give you a real number for your lot, not a per-square-foot guess, after we look at the site. If the number does not work, we will tell you that too.
Paying for an ADU
Because an ADU is new construction rather than a remodel, it opens financing paths a kitchen project does not. Most of our clients use one of four:
Construction loan. Funds release in draws as the build progresses, then convert to a permanent mortgage. Best fit for a detached new build.
Home equity loan or HELOC. Straightforward if you have equity, and usually the fastest to close. Common for garage conversions.
Cash-out refinance. Worth running the numbers on if your current rate is close to market.
VA options. Eligible veterans have paths worth understanding in a market as veteran-dense as ours.
See our construction loans page for how draw schedules work on a new build, all your financing options compared side by side, and our VA loan options for veterans. One note that matters: lenders and appraisers treat a permitted unit and an unpermitted one completely differently. An illegal conversion does not appraise, does not insure, and does not finance.
Hire licensed. It matters on this job.
An ADU is a dwelling, with everything that word implies in the Florida Building Code. Verify license CBC1268994 on MyFloridaLicense.com before hiring anyone, including us.
How to choose an ADU contractor
An ADU is one of the easiest projects to get wrong with the wrong contractor, because it looks like a small job and is legally a whole house. Five questions separate the builders who can do this from the ones who will leave you with an unpermitted structure.
- Check the license class, not just that they have one. A dwelling unit requires a certified or registered building contractor, general contractor, or residential contractor. A handyman, a carpenter, or a specialty trade license does not cover building a home. Look the number up on MyFloridaLicense before the first payment.
- Ask who pulls the permit. If a contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit, walk away. That shifts every code violation, every inspection failure, and every liability onto you, and it is usually a sign they cannot pull it themselves.
- Confirm utilities and impact fees are in the bid. This is where lowball ADU quotes hide. If the proposal does not name water, sewer or septic, electrical service, and county impact fees, those costs are coming later as change orders.
- Ask to see a finished unit with a certificate of occupancy. Photos of a nice-looking cottage prove nothing. A CO proves the unit passed final inspection and is legal to live in.
- Get the whole scope in writing before deposit. Plans, engineering, permit fees, allowances, draw schedule, and timeline. Vague contracts on this type of project end badly for the homeowner every time.
We put all of that in writing before you pay anything. More on how we work is on our process page, and our full take on the licensing question is at why licensing matters.
ADU construction in Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties
We are a Central Florida builder, not a statewide one. That matters on an ADU, because the value we add is knowing which building department you are dealing with and what they will approve.
Marion County
Larger lots and widespread septic make Marion a strong ADU county, with drainfield capacity usually the first thing to check. Rural acreage often has room for a true detached cottage with real separation from the main house.
Sumter County
In and around The Villages, deed restrictions and community covenants decide more ADU projects than county zoning does. We check the covenant before the ordinance here, because that is the gate people hit.
Lake County
A mix of established neighborhoods and unincorporated parcels, which means the rule that applies depends heavily on whether your address falls inside a city limit or outside it. We confirm that first.
Leesburg and surrounding Lake County
Not sure which jurisdiction you are in? Send us the address. That answer is free and it takes us a few minutes. Related work: home additions, garage conversions, custom homes, and aging-in-place remodeling for families building a suite for a parent.
Common questions
Can I build an ADU on my property?
It depends on your zoning, lot size, septic capacity, and any deed restrictions, and the rules vary between Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties. Send us your address and we will tell you what is allowed before you spend anything on design.
Are ADUs allowed in Florida?
Florida law permits local governments to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, but it does not require them to. Whether you can build one depends entirely on your city or county ordinance and on any HOA or deed restrictions on your parcel.
How many ADUs can you have on one property?
In almost all Central Florida jurisdictions, one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot. Ordinances are written around a primary residence plus one accessory unit. Agricultural and multi-family parcels can be different.
How much does an ADU cost in Florida?
In Central Florida, garage conversions typically run $85,000 to $150,000, attached in-law suites $125,000 to $300,000, and detached new builds $180,000 to $325,000. Utility distance, septic capacity, county impact fees, and finish level drive most of the variation. We price the specific lot rather than quoting a per-square-foot average.
Can I rent out my ADU in Florida?
Generally yes, if the unit is permitted and has a certificate of occupancy, though some jurisdictions restrict short-term rental and some ADU ordinances carry affordability conditions. An unpermitted unit cannot be safely rented or insured, which is what makes the rental income real or not.
How much rental income can an ADU generate?
That depends on your market and unit size. What we can tell you is that only a legal, permitted unit can be safely rented and insured, so building it right is what makes the income real.
Do I need a separate septic system for an ADU?
Not always a separate system, but your existing system has to have capacity for the added bedrooms and fixtures. In parts of Marion and Lake County that means a drainfield expansion or a new system, and it needs to be in the budget from the start.
Is an ADU the same as a tiny home?
No. A tiny home on wheels is usually classified as an RV and cannot be permanently occupied as a dwelling in most residential zoning. A permanently founded small home that meets the Florida Building Code can be an ADU. The foundation and the code compliance are what separate them.
How long does an ADU take to build?
Detached new builds typically run three to five months after permits. Garage conversions are usually faster. Design and permitting add time up front.
Is a garage conversion cheaper than building new?
Usually yes, since the shell exists, but conversions still require insulation, egress, and utility work to be legal living space. We will give you honest numbers on both paths. Full scope and costs for a conversion that is not a second dwelling are on our garage conversion page.
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