Housing units are in high demand across California, including the Sierra Nevada region. To expedite the permitting process and reduce building costs, Nevada County, the Town of Truckee, the City of Grass Valley, the City of Nevada City, Placer County, and Sierra County are offering new affordable Housing Master Plans for single-family homes or granny unit (also known as an ADU, granny flat, an in-law unit, or a backyard cottage).
Three designs options are available to choose from:
- One-bedroom 661sf unit with a garage,
- Two-bedroom 746sf unit with or without a garage
- Three-bedroom 1,194sf unit with or without a garage
“These resources were created through a collaboration with our regional partners,” said Nicholas McBurney, Nevada County Building Department’s Plans Examiner. “We recognize the need for more efficient, affordable housing, making this a unique project to address the high demand and increasing costs to build.”
The plans are designed to be used by first-time owner-builders or experienced contractors. They allow the owner to select the heating, roofing, and siding with several floor plans, elevations, foundations, snow load engineering, and orientation, providing a total of 96 different possible combinations of options.
The plans are pre-approved, reducing or eliminating plan check fees and review delays. Each plan set is available to purchase from the architect for $1,200 per plan, customized for each lot at a low cost compared to typical plans that run around $15,000 or more. Residents can review the plans online before purchasing.
“We are excited to be able to move forward quickly to build and own our first family home,” said future homeowner Braidy Clyma. “We have waited a long time for the right opportunity and gaining access to the affordable master plans has made our dreams of being able to afford to build a beautiful home in Nevada County possible.”
In the Fall of 2020, Nevada County championed this cross-jurisdictional effort in collaboration with Sierra County, Placer County, the Town of Truckee, the City of Grass Valley, and the City of Nevada City. Each jurisdiction partnered with Jackson & Sands Engineering, Inc. and Russell Davidson Architect to develop, review, and approve the plan sets.
Find information about each jurisdictions building process at:
