There are dozens of reasons for building a home and a guest home in your backyard is no exception to that statement. Whether you have a family who needs a place to stay or you want the space for frequent visitors, having a backyard guest home can be a great way to expand your home’s living space without adding on to your existing home. Gerard Construction has a few tips to consider before you break ground.

Checking regulations

Every neighborhood, city, and county will have different rules about building on your property, even areas that are more rural. You will need to check ordinances and regulations that govern how many people can live on a piece of property, easement laws, and other architectural rules. These rules will be more strict inside a city or in certain neighborhoods. If this is too prohibitive, you may want to visit with us about an addition, which will be subject to other regulations, or finding a different home that meets your needs. Something to think about is that size of the guest home will factor into your ability to get approval, consider downsizing as an option.

Picking a location

If you are able to go forward with your guest home plans, you will want to finalize the location on your property. This will be subject to some regulations mentioned above because building cannot happen too close to someone else’s property or in certain areas that need to be accessible for utilities. The overall layout of the guest home will need to be considered as well because you will want to think about how guests will get to and from the house, their access to certain parts of the property, and the direction of windows and doors in relation to your main home and parts of your land. Every family has different needs from mobility for elderly parents to privacy for guests renting a place.

Overall cost

According to HomeGuide.com, the cost to build in Texas right now is $140-$300 per square foot, depending on your level of customization. Most guest houses average. Most guest houses are between 600 and 1000 square feet which will fluctuate your overall cost largely. Consider your budget, how much you can spend, what types of fixtures and features you want to include, and any special features that are important to this space.

Designing with our team

Designing with our Gerard Construction team will be a similar process to designing and building a main home. We will help you finalize your decisions with guiding questions about every aspect of your build. We will work with an architect and our building contractors to implement your plan. We will communicate with you each step of the way to make sure this backyard guest home is the space of your dreams. The scope of the build may have a smaller footprint, but our commitment to building it doesn’t change.

To begin work with Gerard Construction, on a guest house or main house, contact us today. We have a full team with knowledge of building laws and regulations, financial tips and tricks, and the know how to create your dream home.