I build ADUs in Western Colorado. Most of the inquiries we get are not bad leads. They are early leads, and they stall for the same reason.
Why most ADU inquiries stall
The homeowner doesn't know if their lot works. They don't know their setbacks, where their sewer runs or whether the city allows a detached unit. So they fill out a contact form, wait, and when the reply is "let's schedule a site visit," a lot of them go quiet. They weren't ready to commit to a meeting. They wanted to know if the idea was even possible.
What a useful first answer looks like
- Their lot lines and roughly where an ADU could sit.
- The local rules that apply, with a link to the city's code or the state's guidance, such as California HCD or Washington Commerce.
- The open questions: utilities, slope, easements.
- A clear next step with you.
Intake questions that qualify
Keep the form short. Ask what changes the job:
- Property address
- What the ADU is for (family, rental, office)
- Detached, attached or conversion
- Sewer or septic
- Rough budget range and timeline
- Do they own the property
Read the answers before you call
Pull up the parcel before the first call. You'll know which questions matter and they'll know you did your homework.
The Investor’s ADU Guide
Underwrite the deal honestly, then build a unit tenants choose and stay in — for no more than an ordinary one costs.
Speed of follow-up
Answer the same day when you can. In our experience, homeowners looking at ADUs often talk to more than one builder, and the one who answers the real question first is the one who gets invited out. A short, honest reply beats a polished one two weeks later.
Keep it honest: conceptual vs engineered
Anything you show before a survey and plan review is conceptual. Say so plainly. The engineered site plan, the utility design and the city's review come later, and they can change the answer. Homeowners trust a builder who draws that line.
Where a lot-check widget fits
A lot-check widget on your own site gives visitors that first answer at the moment they're curious, and sends you the lead with the address and their answers attached. ADU Insights builds one, made by a builder for a builder's site. It is a front door, not a permit: you still walk the lot and the city still decides.