---
title: "Accessory Dwelling Units: Planning One in Florida"
url: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/adu-accessory-dwelling-unit/
date: 2026-10-11
modified: 2026-10-11
lang: en
author: "Blane Perun"
description: "Accessory dwelling units in Lee and Collier County: attached, garage conversion and detached ADU options, local zoning rules and what drives build cost."
image: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Mother-In-Law-Suite-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-2-1024x572.webp
word_count: 928
---

# Accessory Dwelling Units: Planning One in Florida

![Accessory Dwelling Units Planning One in Florida by Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Mother-In-Law-Suite-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-2-scaled.webp)Mother-in-Law Suites · Bonita Springs & Naples
# Accessory Dwelling UnitsPlanning One in Florida
Design VisitFreeLiDAR scan and photo-real 3D renderPricingFixedOne contract before work startsBuilt ByOur CrewsLicensed Florida GC, 500+ SWFL remodels
By **Blane Perun**, Owner · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath·20 years property management · 500+ SWFL remodels · Updated October 2026

The short answer
An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is a second, self-contained home on the same lot as a single-family house, with its own sleeping area, bathroom and kitchen. It can be attached to the main house, carved out of a garage or bonus room, or built as a separate detached cottage. In Lee and Collier counties, your right to build one, its maximum size and any rental limits depend on your zoning district, the local code and any HOA deed restrictions, so the first step is a zoning check on your parcel.

[Part of our Mother-in-Law Suite guide →](/mother-in-law-suite/)

![Attached accessory dwelling unit with private entry in a Bonita Springs home](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Mother-In-Law-Suite-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-3-scaled.webp)Mother-in-Law Suite · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## What Are the Main Types of ADU?
ADUs come in three basic forms. An attached ADU shares at least one wall with the house, often as a new wing with its own exterior door. A conversion ADU reuses space you already have, most often an attached garage, an oversized bonus room or a bedroom wing that can be closed off. A detached ADU is a separate small building in the back or side yard, sometimes called a guest cottage or casita. Conversions usually cost the least because the slab, roof and walls already exist, while detached units cost the most because they need their own foundation, roof and utility runs.

What makes a space a true ADU rather than a guest room is independence: a kitchen or kitchenette, a private bathroom, its own entrance and, in many jurisdictions, its own address for emergency services. That means new plumbing to the sewer or septic line, electrical capacity for cooking and air conditioning, and often a separate mini-split system. Cost moves with size, how far plumbing has to travel, whether the slab must be cut, and how much of the structure is new construction.

| | Attached addition | Garage or room conversion | Detached cottage |
| --- | ----------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Foundation | New slab tied to the house | Existing slab, sometimes raised or leveled | New independent slab |
| Roof | Tie-in to the existing roof | Existing roof | New roof system |
| Utilities | Extended from the house | Extended from the house, may need trenching | Separate runs trenched across the yard |
| Privacy | Good, with a separate entry | Moderate | Highest |
| Relative cost | Middle | Lowest | Highest |
| Common hurdles | Setbacks and lot coverage | Lost parking, floor elevation | Setbacks, lot size, second-structure rules |

Plan Your *Private Suite.*
See how our mother-in-law suites are built as conversions or additions, with a bedroom, accessible bath and kitchenette.

[See Suite Options →](/mother-in-law-suite/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## What Do Lee and Collier Rules Require?
Florida law allows counties and cities to permit ADUs, but each jurisdiction writes its own rules, and Lee County, the City of Bonita Springs, Collier County and the City of Naples do not handle them identically. Common conditions include a cap on the unit's size relative to the main house, a requirement that the owner live on the property, limits on short-term rental, parking requirements and the same setbacks that apply to the main home. Some zoning districts allow a guest house but prohibit a kitchen in it, which changes the design entirely. We verify the rules for your parcel before any drawings begin.

Then come the Florida-specific construction issues. A detached unit has to meet the same wind-load and impact-protection standards as a new home, and in a flood zone its finished floor must sit at the required elevation, which can mean a stem wall or raised slab. Converting a garage that sits below flood elevation raises the same question. In gated communities, deed restrictions and architectural review often limit second structures more strictly than the county does, so HOA approval is part of the plan from day one.

![ADU kitchenette and living area built by Cutting Edge in Southwest Florida](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Mother-In-Law-Suite-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-4-scaled.webp)Mother-in-Law Suite · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## ADU Questions

### Can I build a detached ADU in Lee or Collier County?
It depends on your zoning district, lot size and setbacks, and on your HOA if you have one. Many single-family lots can add one, often with a size cap and an owner-occupancy rule, but some districts restrict kitchens in secondary units. We confirm what your parcel allows before design starts.

### Who builds ADUs in Bonita Springs and Naples?
An ADU is new living space with structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, so it should be built by a licensed general contractor who pulls the permits. Cutting Edge designs, permits and builds attached, conversion and detached units under one contract with our own crews.

### Is a garage conversion the cheapest ADU?
Usually, because the slab, walls and roof are already there. The cost rises if the garage floor has to be raised for flood elevation, if sewer lines must be trenched through the slab, or if your HOA requires replacement covered parking.

Check Your *Lot First.*
We review zoning for your parcel, scan the space and render the ADU before you commit to one fixed price.

[Start Your ADU Plan →](/mother-in-law-suite/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## Why Owners Plan ADUs With Cutting Edge
An ADU is really a small house, and it needs a licensed general contractor who handles zoning, engineering, permits and every trade. Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath has completed more than 500 Southwest Florida remodels and holds nine Best of Houzz awards. Owner Blane Perun spent 20 years in property management, so we design suites around how people actually live in them, from step-free baths to separate entries. You start with a free LiDAR scan and photo-real 3D render at our Bonita Springs showroom on Old 41 Road, then sign one fixed-price contract built by our own crews.