A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable ADU Builders Across Converse
Building an ADU in Converse means dealing with something most San Antonio suburbs don’t: older septic systems east of FM 1516 that quietly cap what you can actually build. We know this because we’re in these yards every week. Benson ADU San Antonio handles the whole process, from the first septic capacity check to the final inspection, with a written price before any work starts. If you’re weighing a backyard unit for family or rental income, call (430) 258-2928 and we’ll walk you through what your specific lot can support.
Why Benson ADU San Antonio Is Converse’s Preferred ADU Builders Company
Homeowners in Converse keep calling us back for one reason: we put the real number in writing before the first wall comes down. Most contractors give a verbal ballpark, then hand you a change order once they open a 1978 wall and find aluminum wiring. We don’t work that way. Our ADU Builders team writes allowances for code upgrades into the contract from day one, so a permit-triggered rewire or septic upgrade is approved and priced before we touch it.
Troy Eastman, who leads our team, set the standard early: background-checked crews in uniform, a live person answering the phone around the clock, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise stamped on every project. Converse clients get the same written guarantee and free second visit if anything covered fails within the year. Scheduling and dispatch run from our San Antonio office, but the crews working your Converse lot live and work in this part of Bexar County.
Backyard ADU in Converse
Backyard ADU in Converse typically runs between $140,000 and $220,000 for a detached one-bedroom unit with a kitchenette and bath, depending on whether your lot hits a septic snag. That’s the number nobody tells you about until after you’ve signed. On older Converse lots, the unit itself is straightforward; the wildcard is what’s underground and what’s inside your existing home’s walls.
When a Converse homeowner wants a backyard unit for an aging parent or a rental tenant, we start with the boring stuff: lot survey, setback check, and a septic capacity evaluation if you’re east of FM 1516. A 1970s system rated for a three-bedroom house often can’t absorb a fourth bedroom without an aerobic upgrade, which runs $8,000 to $15,000 on top of the build. We flag that in week one, not week twelve.
Detached units on larger lots
Converse still has plenty of half-acre and larger parcels from the 1970s and 1980s where a detached ADU fits naturally at the back of the yard. These projects usually clear setbacks without drama, but drainage matters here. Flash flooding after heavy summer storms means we elevate slabs and grade away from the unit on every single build.
Converting existing space
Some Converse homes already have a detached garage or workshop that can become a studio ADU for less than a ground-up build. Expect $90,000 to $150,000 for a garage conversion, with a big chunk going to insulation and HVAC. Converse summers punish under-insulated spaces, so we size cooling for reality, not a generic chart.
ADU Construction in Converse
ADU Construction in Converse means more than framing walls; it means opening up an older home and fixing what the last remodel hid. Our crews regularly find original aluminum wiring, undersized 2×4 studs, and rotted sill plates from decades of failed flashing in these 1970s brick veneer homes. The fix isn’t optional once a permit is pulled. The inspector will require it, so we price it before we start.
On a 1978 brick veneer off FM 1516, our crew opened a wall for an ADU addition and found all three: aluminum wiring, undersized framing, and rot where flashing had failed. We triggered the required permit, rewired to current code with ARC-fault breakers, sistered the damaged studs, and installed a new moisture barrier before closing up. Every change was priced, signed, and approved by the owner before we touched anything.
Site-built ADUs with code-triggered upgrades
A site-built unit gives you full control over layout and finish, but it also triggers the most code scrutiny. Any wall we tie into means that wall’s electrical, framing, and moisture protection have to meet current code. We budget for that explicitly, so the number you sign is the number you pay.
Attached additions and JADUs
Some Converse homes work better with an attached addition or a junior ADU carved out of existing square footage. These projects often move faster since you’re not running new utilities across the yard. But the same wall-opening rules apply. Old wiring doesn’t care whether it’s an addition or a detached unit.
Trusted Brands We Service in Converse
We build with brands Converse homeowners can research on their own: Boxabl for fast, factory-built units, Plant Prefab for custom panelized construction, and James Hardie siding that holds up to Texas sun and humidity without warping. Tuff Shed structures serve as starting points for some studio conversions. Because we stock common components and coordinate directly with these manufacturers, Converse projects don’t stall waiting on a panel or a trim piece that got lost in a San Antonio warehouse.
Common ADU Builders Problems We See in Converse Homes
- Septic capacity overlooked until inspection day. Builders skip the septic check on older lots east of FM 1516, then the ADU gets red-tagged when the permit triggers an inspection and the system can’t handle another bedroom. An aerobic upgrade is $8,000 to $15,000 and can take weeks; nobody wants that news at the end of a build.
- No allowance for code upgrades. Contractors quote the job assuming the walls are fine. They aren’t. Opening a 1970s Converse wall means outdated wiring, undersized framing, or rotted plates, and a five-figure change order if it wasn’t written in from the start.
- Undersized HVAC for Converse summers. Standard sizing charts don’t account for our cooling loads. An under-conditioned ADU means a miserable tenant and $300-plus electric bills in July and August.
- Drainage ignored on flat, flood-prone lots. Converse flash floods are real. A slab poured without proper elevation and grading turns an ADU into a wading pool after one heavy storm.
Pricing for ADU Builders in Converse, TX
Here are honest numbers for Converse. A garage conversion into a studio ADU: $90,000 to $150,000. A detached one-bedroom backyard ADU: $140,000 to $220,000. A two-bedroom site-built unit: $180,000 to $280,000. Septic upgrades east of FM 1516 add $8,000 to $15,000 when required. These ranges include materials, labor, permits, and the code upgrades we already know your home will need. Every project gets a written price before any work starts, with allowances spelled out, not buried. Call (430) 258-2928 for a free estimate on your specific Converse lot.
We Also Serve Cities Near Converse
Our crews work throughout the northeast San Antonio metro, including ADU Builders in Converse and nearby Universal City, Schertz, San Antonio, and Bulverde. If you’re anywhere in the area and weighing an ADU, call (430) 258-2928. We’ll tell you straight what your lot can handle.
Serving Converse, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Converse area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About ADU Builders in Converse
You get a septic capacity evaluation before we write the contract, not after. On older Converse lots east of FM 1516, original 1970s systems often cap out at the existing bedroom count. We bring in a licensed septic evaluator early, get the gallon-per-day rating in writing, and only then price the ADU. If you need an aerobic upgrade, you’ll know the cost before signing anything. Call (430) 258-2928 to get your lot checked.
Expect electrical, framing, and moisture protection to be brought to current code on any wall we tie into. Original aluminum wiring gets replaced with copper and ARC-fault breakers. Undersized studs get sistered. Rotted sill plates from failed flashing get replaced with a new moisture barrier behind them. We write these allowances into the contract so they’re priced before we open anything.
Because Converse’s older housing stock hides surprises that newer suburban homes don’t have. Septic capacity limits east of FM 1516, outdated wiring from the 1970s, and undersized framing all surface once a permit triggers inspections. Most contractors don’t price these upfront, so their quotes look lower and then move. Our quotes include allowances for exactly these known Converse issues, so the price you sign is the price you pay.
Yes, and a competent builder plans for it from the start. Converse sits in a flood-prone part of Bexar County where heavy summer storms can dump inches of rain in hours. We elevate ADU slabs above grade, grade the yard away from the unit, and design drainage so water moves around the structure, not through it. It’s standard practice on every Converse build, not an upgrade.
Sometimes, but only if your existing septic system has enough rated capacity for the additional bedroom. A 1970s system designed for a three-bedroom house may have headroom for a studio ADU, but it usually doesn’t. If the capacity isn’t there, an aerobic upgrade is required before the ADU gets final approval. We find out early so there are no surprises. Call (430) 258-2928 and we’ll schedule the evaluation.
If you’re ready to know what your Converse lot can actually support, call Benson ADU San Antonio at (430) 258-2928 today. You’ll get a straight answer, a written price, and a plan we stand behind for 365 days.
Written by Troy Eastman, Owner at Benson ADU San Antonio, serving Converse and the surrounding area.
