A backyard home
A separate cottage can give a parent their own kitchen, entrance and quiet space, with family just a short walk away. We consider the route between homes, parking, outdoor privacy and utility connections.
Space for family · Manatee County, Florida
ADU builder in
Manatee County.
A backyard cottage for a parent. An addition for an adult child. A home within your home that gives everyone room to live. Eric and David DeForest help families explore an ADU around the property they already have.
Brothers & co-owners · Florida contractor CRC1331136
Bradenton · Parrish · Lakewood RanchStart with your address.
Start with your address.
Then your possibilities.
A Bradenton mailing address does not always mean a property is inside the City of Bradenton. Before choosing a floor plan, we establish which local government reviews your property and which zoning rules apply.
Manatee County’s Land Development Code governs unincorporated areas. Properties inside a city follow that city’s requirements. In Lakewood Ranch, we also confirm the county and any neighborhood restrictions that affect the project.
We’ll start with the parcel, existing home, access and utilities, then talk through the space your family needs. Read our local ADU zoning guide for the wider picture, or see Manatee County’s land development resources.
Three ways to make room.
An addition with independence
An attached ADU can bring the households close while providing separate daily routines. The connection to the existing home, private entrance and usable yard shape the design.
Rethink existing space
An interior or garage conversion may offer a starting point. We review the structure, ceiling heights, kitchen and bathroom needs, daylight and safe access before treating it as a second home.
A practical first conversation
What we’ll look at together.
- Your family: who will live there now, and how their needs may change.
- Your lot: the available building area, setbacks, drainage, flood conditions and existing trees.
- Your utilities: water, sewer or septic capacity and the route for new connections.
- Your budget: site work, design, permitting, construction and finishes as one complete project.
Bring your address, a survey if you have one, and a rough idea of your priorities. We’ll confirm what’s allowed on your property before drawing plans.
The reason behind the workMore room for family.
More room for family.
More of your own space.
Imagine an adult child saving toward a first home while enjoying a place of their own, or a grandparent joining dinner without giving up the comfort of their own front door. That balance is why Eric and David believe in multigenerational living.
Our Bradenton loft conversion story, an Elevra Construction project, shows how rethinking existing space helped a father make room for his son to move home. It was a bedroom conversion, rather than a separate ADU, and reflects the same family-first thinking.
Planning farther south? Explore our Sarasota County ADU services.
Start with your property
Let’s make room for what matters.
Tell Eric and David who the home is for, where you’d like to build, and what matters most. Early ideas are welcome—you don’t need finished plans.
941-241-7660
Text us your project idea
eric@deforestcustomhomes.com
What happens after you send this?
We’ll review your ideas and follow up using the contact details you provide. Our first conversation is about your family, your property, and whether the project is a good fit.
Before any paid planning or design work begins, we’ll discuss its scope and fee with you.
See the steps from idea to construction ↗Prefer to talk? Call or text. Please do not send sensitive financial or identity documents.