Radical Hospitality Show

Maximizing ADU Investment with Tony Pasquale

Zeke Freeman

We’re on site with Tony to tour his newly built accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Wheat Ridge, Colorado—a project that began as a simple garage and evolved when the city legalized ADUs. We unpack the real-world timeline (design do-overs included), what changed structurally from “just a garage” to a conditioned dwelling, and the big calls that move the budget—radiant heat, insulated doors, and a sewer ejector pit—so you can scope your own ADU with eyes wide open. Tony also shares how he’s weighing rental strategies (medium-term vs. short-term vs. long-term), why finish quality matters when it’s in your backyard, and the features that make the space livable for residents and useful for his home-based business.

Highlights:

  • Why the shift from garage to ADU: Once Wheat Ridge approved ADUs, adding water/sewer/power anyway made a full unit make sense for rental income and property value.
  • Permitting & design timeline: ~4–5 months with a couple of stop-starts after redesign; smoother than horror stories but still iterative.
  • Structure & envelope upgrades: Deeper foundations, full insulation, and R-17 foam-packed garage doors with side-mount motors (about $12K total) to keep conditioned space tight and clearance high.
  • Budget reality: Low $300Ks possible on a lean spec; this build landed ~$450K with high-end choices (radiant, solid-core doors, finishes, ejector pit).
  • Rent strategy thinking: Leaning medium-term (traveling professionals, 30–90 days) for lower turnover than STRs and more flexibility than year-long leases.

Homeowners, small developers, and designers weighing a garage-to-ADU conversion; anyone curious about Wheat Ridge/Front Range ADU realities—costs, code, utilities, and rental strategy.

Connect with Zeke Freeman:
Instagram: @zekefreeman_rootarchitecture and @rootarchitecture
YouTube: @rootarchitecture
Facebook: @RootArchitectureandDevelopment
LinkedIn: Zeke Freeman
X/Twitter: @zfreemanroot

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