LV Design & Build converts unused Austin attics into permitted accessory dwelling units with kitchenettes, full bathrooms, separate entrances, and independent utilities where code allows.
LV Design & Build is a family-owned Austin contractor with 15 years of experience converting attics into habitable space. The team builds attic ADUs for three outcomes that matter to Austin property owners: rental income, multi-generational housing, and long-term property value.
Austin’s HOME initiative, passed in 2023 and expanded in 2024, removed major restrictions on accessory dwelling units across the city. Most single-family lots now legally support a primary residence plus two ADUs. An attic conversion is the most cost-efficient path to that second dwelling, because the roof structure, foundation, and exterior envelope already exist. LV handles the structural reinforcement, separate entrance, kitchenette, full bath, and independent utilities that turn raw attic space into a legally classified dwelling unit.
Every LV attic ADU receives a certificate of occupancy from the City of Austin. The unit appears on your property’s official record as a second dwelling, with the appraisal treatment, rental rights, and resale value that legal classification provides.
An attic bedroom adds habitable square footage to your home. An attic ADU adds a second dwelling on your property. The legal distinction triggers different code requirements, a different permit path, and different financial implications. LV Design & Build builds five elements that legally separate an attic ADU from a standard attic conversion.
LV installs an exterior staircase to a dedicated entry door, or routes access through an interior partitioned entry where lot configuration requires it. Austin code requires the ADU entrance to function independently of the primary residence.
LV installs a permanent cooking facility with sink, range or cooktop, refrigerator, and base cabinetry. Full kitchens are built where space allows. Austin code requires permanent cooking facilities for the unit to qualify as a dwelling.
LV installs a toilet, sink, and shower or tub, with new plumbing tied into the existing drain stack and supply lines routed from the main service. Bath exhaust vents through the roof.
LV installs a mini-split HVAC system sized to the ADU square footage, with a separate thermostat controlled by the unit's occupant. ADUs cannot share a thermostat with the primary residence under current code.
LV installs egress windows in any sleeping area, hardwired interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and a permanent staircase meeting IRC R311 requirements. Every element is inspected before the certificate of occupancy issues.
Austin’s HOME initiative rewrote the rules for accessory dwelling units in ways that directly favor attic conversions. LV Design & Build builds within the current framework under Austin Chapter 25-2.
Two ADUs Per Lot
Most Austin single-family lots now legally support a primary residence plus two ADUs. An attic conversion can serve as one of the two, with a second built as a garage conversion or detached structure.
No Owner-Occupancy Requirement
Austin removed the rule that property owners must live on-site to operate an ADU. Investors and homeowners can now rent attic ADUs as full-time rentals without restriction.
Reduced Minimum Lot Size
The lot size requirement was relaxed under HOME, qualifying thousands of central Austin lots that previously could not support an ADU.
Short-Term Rental Eligibility
Attic ADUs can operate as short-term rentals with a separate STR license issued by the City of Austin. LV builds to STR-eligible specifications when requested.
Setback and FAR Rules Still Apply
Floor-to-area ratio and setback requirements vary by zoning district. The LV feasibility review confirms whether your lot supports an attic ADU before any design work begins.
Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander permit attic ADUs under their own frameworks, with stricter rules than current Austin code. LV pulls permits in all four jurisdictions.
LV Design & Build engineers seven systems into every Austin attic ADU. Each system meets both code compliance and long-term occupant livability.
Structural Reinforcement
LV reinforces original attic floor joists to handle 40 PSF live load minimum, either through sistered joists or a new joist system. Original joists are sized for storage loads only.
Dedicated Entrance and Circulation
LV builds an exterior staircase, dedicated entry door, weather protection at the threshold, and where applicable a small landing or porch meeting exterior egress code.
Kitchenette Plumbing and Electrical
LV runs hot and cold water supply, drain stack tie-in, dedicated circuits for refrigerator and range, GFCI outlets at all counter locations, and venting for range hood where required.
Full Bathroom Rough-In
LV installs drain and supply lines for toilet, sink, and shower or tub, with exhaust fan vented through the roof. Subfloor under the bath area is reinforced for tile and fixture load.
Mini-Split HVAC System
LV sizes a mini-split system to the ADU square footage with independent zone control, separate from the primary residence’s HVAC.
Sub-Metering Ready
LV installs separate electrical sub-metering during construction when requested, useful for landlords billing tenants for actual usage or families tracking shared utility costs.
Soundproofing Between the ADU and Primary Residence
LV installs acoustic insulation in the floor assembly separating the ADU from the rooms below, so neither occupant disturbs the other.
LV Design & Build sees three client scenarios driving most Austin attic ADU projects. The build differs significantly between them.
Property owners converting attic space to generate monthly rental income, typically targeting professionals, graduate students, or young couples. Priorities are a livable layout, durable finishes, separate utilities or sub-metering, and code compliance for landlord-tenant law.
Families housing aging parents, adult children returning home, or extended family on a long-term basis. Priorities are accessibility considerations where appropriate, soundproofing for shared privacy, full bathroom and kitchenette for independence, and a dedicated entrance.
Homeowners building an attic ADU now to use as a guest suite, home office, or hobby space, with the long-term plan of converting to a rental or housing a family member later. Priorities are code-compliant ADU build from day one, so the unit retains its full legal and appraised value.
The feasibility review identifies which scenario fits the client’s goals and lot configuration.
LV Design & Build runs every attic ADU project through a defined sequence built around the regulatory complexity of accessory dwelling unit conversions.
Feasibility Review
A project manager visits the property, confirms lot eligibility under current code, evaluates attic structure, and identifies the path for separate entrance, kitchenette plumbing, and HVAC. The review delivers a written go/no-go with conditions.
Design and Engineering
LV produces stamped construction drawings, mechanical and electrical plans, and plumbing risers. Significant structural changes require a licensed structural engineer’s review, which LV coordinates.
Permit Submission and Review
LV submits the full permit package to the City of Austin Development Services Department, or the equivalent department in Round Rock, Cedar Park, or Leander. ADU permits go through a more rigorous review than single-bedroom conversions.
Construction Phase
LV crews complete structural reinforcement, exterior entrance construction, kitchenette and bath rough-in, mini-split installation, electrical and plumbing rough-in, insulation, drywall, finishes, and exterior weatherproofing. Multiple inspections occur throughout, including framing, plumbing rough-in, electrical rough-in, mechanical, and final.
Certificate of Occupancy
LV closes the final inspection, which issues the certificate of occupancy and legally classifies the space as an accessory dwelling unit. The ADU appears on the property’s record as a second dwelling.
LV Design & Build builds attic ADUs throughout Austin and the immediate northern suburbs.
Most Austin single-family lots now qualify under the HOME initiative, including many that previously did not meet the minimum lot size requirement. The LV feasibility review confirms your specific lot’s eligibility against current Austin Chapter 25-2 zoning rules.
Yes. Austin removed the owner-occupancy requirement, allowing property owners to rent attic ADUs as long-term rentals without restriction. Short-term rentals require a separate STR license issued by the City of Austin.
Yes. A dedicated exterior entrance independent of the primary residence is required for ADU classification. LV typically installs an exterior staircase to a dedicated entry door, with interior partitioned entries available where lot configuration requires.
Austin code requires a permanent cooking facility, which can range from a kitchenette (sink, cooktop, refrigerator, base cabinetry) to a full kitchen. LV builds to client preference within code requirements.
Yes. County appraisal districts reassess property value when a legal ADU is added. The tax increase is proportional to the appraised value gain, which typically lands below the construction cost.
Yes. LV installs sub-metering for electrical and water during construction when requested, allowing landlords to bill tenants for actual usage or families to track shared utility costs.
Yes. LV installs a dedicated mini-split system sized to the ADU square footage, with independent thermostat control for the occupant.
Generally yes. Attic conversions use the existing roof structure, foundation, and exterior envelope, eliminating the largest cost components of a detached ADU build. The trade-off is that attic ADUs work within the existing roof structure, where detached ADUs offer full design flexibility.
LV Design & Build offers a no-cost on-site feasibility review for every Austin attic ADU inquiry. A project manager evaluates lot eligibility under current code, assesses attic structure, identifies the entrance and utility paths, and delivers a written go/no-go with conditions. The review is the first step before any design work begins.
