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 Schertz
Adding an ADU in Schertz means working with a builder who actually knows the city’s owner-occupancy rule, its 10,000-square-foot lot minimum, and the wind-load requirements inspectors enforce before drywall goes up. A detached ADU in Schertz typically runs $185,000 to $320,000 for a turnkey unit, while a Junior ADU conversion inside an existing home lands between $75,000 and $140,000. Those are real numbers based on what we see across Schertz Hills, Fairhaven, and the newer subdivisions east of I-35. Troy Eastman and our crews coordinate locally from the San Antonio office, serving Schertz homeowners directly. Call (430) 258-2928 for a free estimate and we’ll put the price in writing before anything gets built.
Why Benson ADU San Antonio Is Schertz’s Preferred ADU Builders Company
Homeowners across Schertz call us because we name prices out loud and put every promise in writing. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is stamped on every project we build in Schertz: if the work isn’t right within a full year, we make it right. No fine print, no phone tag. A live person answers every call around the clock, so when you call (430) 258-2928 at 8 p.m. with a question about your permit, you get a person, not a voicemail loop.
We also know exactly what trips up ADU permits in this city. The owner-occupancy check, the lot-size minimum, the septic capacity review in older neighborhoods like Fairhaven. These aren’t things you learn from a YouTube video. They’re things you learn by pulling permits in Schertz for years and standing next to city inspectors while they walk a foundation form before the pour. Our technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform, and because we’re part of the Relay Home Co. family founded in 2006, the systems behind our pricing and project tracking are built for transparency, not surprises.
Detached ADU in Schertz
A Detached ADU in Schertz is a standalone living unit built in the back or side yard of an existing single-family home, with its own entrance, kitchen, bath, and mechanical systems. In Schertz, the city’s 2021 ADU ordinance allows detached units up to 1,200 square feet, but only on lots of at least 10,000 square feet, and only when the homeowner lives on the property. That last part catches people off guard. We check the deed and homestead status during the first site visit, before we ever survey the lot.
Wind-Rated Framing and Tie-Downs
Schertz sits in a wind zone where detached structures must be engineered for uplift and lateral loads that a standard storage-shed build never considers. Our Detached ADU builds in Schertz use a continuous load path: Simpson Strong-Tie connectors at every roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connection, anchor bolts sized per the stamped engineering, and sheathing nailed to the shear schedule the city adopts through the International Residential Code with local amendments. We document every connection with photos before insulation covers them, because Schertz inspectors ask for proof before they sign off on the frame inspection.
Slab and Foundation Requirements
A detached unit in Schertz needs a foundation that won’t shift in the expansive clay soils common to the corridor between San Antonio and New Braunfels. We pour 4-inch minimum slabs on engineered fill with vapor barriers and rebar per the stamped plan. On the Schertz Hills project we completed, the owner replaced a failed 8×10 storage shed with a 749-square-foot detached ADU spec’d to 110 mph wind exposure C, sitting on a new slab tied into a continuous load path. The city passed the frame inspection the first time because the tie-downs and uplift straps were in place before drywall went on.
JADU in Schertz
A JADU in Schertz, or Junior ADU, converts existing space inside the main home into a compact independent unit, usually a bedroom with a small kitchenette and its own entrance. California popularized the term, but Schertz homeowners use the same idea when they want a rental unit or a place for aging parents without building a new structure. A JADU conversion in Schertz typically runs $75,000 to $140,000 depending on whether the space already has plumbing rough-ins and a separate exterior door.
Interior Conversions and Egress
Turning a spare bedroom or den into a JADU means adding a separate entrance, a small efficiency kitchen, and often an egress window if the room doesn’t already have one that meets code. In Schertz’s 1970s through 1990s housing stock, many existing bedrooms have windows too small for a legal egress under current code. We flag that early so the quote includes it, not after the permit reviewer rejects the first submittal.
Plumbing and Utility Connections
A JADU shares utility taps with the main house, but Schertz building officials still require separate shutoffs and a clear delineation between the primary dwelling unit and the JADU. If the main home is on septic, as many older Fairhaven properties are, the city may require a septic capacity review even for an interior conversion. We include that review in our written price so there are no change orders when the health department weighs in.
Trusted Brands We Service in Schertz
We build with brands Schertz homeowners can research independently: Boxabl for precision-fabricated panelized shells, Plant Prefab for architect-designed modules, and James Hardie fiber cement cladding that holds up through Schertz’s hot, humid summers and storm seasons. Tuff Shed structures sometimes serve as accessorized shells for a studio ADU on larger lots. Because we source from these names directly, Schertz customers get real lead times and real material pricing in the written estimate, not a vague allowance that shifts when framing starts. Our team stocks the connector hardware, sheathing clips, and tie-down assemblies Schertz inspectors expect to see on site, so we’re not waiting on a supply house in Universal City to restock before rough framing inspection.
Common ADU Builders Problems We See in Schertz Homes
- Quoting on lots under 10,000 square feet. Schertz’s 2021 ordinance requires a minimum 10,000-square-foot lot for a detached ADU. A builder who quotes a 1,200-square-foot unit on a 9,800-square-foot lot is handing you a permit rejection letter, not a buildable plan.
- Missing the wind-load mitigation letter. Schertz inspectors require engineered tie-downs and uplift straps on the frame before drywall closes it in. Cheap quotes leave these out and then “discover” the change order after framing starts.
- Assuming city sewer. Older Schertz neighborhoods like Fairhaven and parts of Schertz Hills are on septic. An ADU quote that skips the septic capacity review and possible saddle tap misses weeks of added time and real cost.
- Ignoring HOA covenants in newer subdivisions. Several newer communities east of I-35 have HOAs with restrictive covenants that either prohibit ADUs or require design review before the city even looks at the permit. We check CCRs during the first site visit so you’re not paying for plans an HOA will kill.
Pricing for ADU Builders in Schertz, TX
We Also Serve Cities Near Schertz
If your property sits just outside Schertz, our ADU Builders team covers Universal City, Converse, San Antonio, and Bulverde as part of our Schertz service area. The permit rules change at the city line, so we verify which jurisdiction governs your address before quoting anything. The same written pricing and 365-Day Done Right Promise apply everywhere we work.
Serving Schertz, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Schertz 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 Schertz
Yes. Schertz’s ADU ordinance requires owner-occupancy: the homeowner must live in either the main house or the ADU. We verify the deed and homestead status on the first site visit before surveying the lot, because a rental-only property cannot legally build an ADU in this city. Call (430) 258-2928 and we’ll check your property status for free.
Schertz falls under wind exposure C in most areas, which means a 110 mph basic wind speed design for the structure, including engineered tie-downs and a continuous load path from roof to foundation. The exact Exposure Category depends on your lot’s proximity to open terrain, and the city’s plan reviewer will require a stamped wind-load mitigation letter before issuing the permit. Our written quotes include the engineering and the documentation.
Yes, if your property is on septic rather than city sewer, which applies to many older homes in Fairhaven and parts of Schertz Hills. The county health authority reviews the existing system’s capacity and may require a saddle tap or system upgrade before the ADU can connect. We include that review in our written price, so the cost shows up in the estimate, not as a surprise change order after permitting starts.
It depends on the HOA’s covenants, not on the city alone. Several newer subdivisions east of I-35 carry restrictive covenants that prohibit ADUs or require architectural review before the city will process an application. We pull the CCRs during the first site visit and tell you plainly whether the HOA is a blocker before you spend money on plans. Call (430) 258-2928 to schedule a free site check.
A wind-rated ADU with documented tie-downs, uplift straps, and a continuous load path can strengthen your insurance position because the structure meets the adopted wind code for the area. When we build in Schertz, we photograph every connector before the walls close, and we provide that documentation to you for your insurer. It’s evidence that the unit was built to the wind standard, which can matter if a storm claim ever gets filed. For a written quote on a wind-compliant ADU, call (430) 258-2928 today.
Written by Troy Eastman, Owner at Benson ADU San Antonio, serving Schertz and surrounding communities.
