EKN Construction and Remodeling LLC
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Interior Remodeling

ADU Contractor — Basement Apartments & Internal ADUs in Northern Utah

A second home under one roof.

An accessory dwelling unit turns part of your home — usually the basement — into a complete, separate apartment for a parent, a grown child or a long-term renter. EKN builds them in Salt Lake City and across Northern Utah: kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms with legal egress and a way in of their own, with the city’s ADU approval and building permit handled. Licensed, insured, free estimates.

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  • Insured
  • Free estimates
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Finished basement with a staircase, window well, built-in desk and wood-look flooring
01 About this service

What the work involves.

An internal ADU is more than a finished basement with a microwave. It is a dwelling unit: a full kitchen, a bathroom, sleeping rooms that meet egress, its own way in and out, and the smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, address and safe exit path the city inspects before anyone can live there. We plan the unit around what the house already has — the bathroom rough-in, the mechanical room, where a window well or a side or rear entrance can go — and build it in order: framing, plumbing and electrical rough-ins, inspection, insulation, drywall, finishes and the final inspection.

Most of the ADUs we build start as unfinished or dated basements, which is why this work sits beside our basement finishing. Some homeowners want rental income to help with the mortgage; many want a parent or an adult child close by with a door of their own. Either way the paperwork comes first: in most Utah cities an ADU that will be rented needs a zoning approval or registration before the building permit, and a basement finished without permits can be hard to approve later.

Typical adus & basement apartments projects

  • Basement apartments in owner-occupied homes
  • Kitchens and kitchenettes for an internal ADU
  • ADU bathrooms on an existing rough-in or a new one
  • Bedrooms with code egress windows and wells
  • Separate side or rear entrances and basement walkouts
  • Smoke and CO alarms, unit addressing and the items the final inspection checks
  • Converting an already-finished basement into a permitted ADU

ADU rules in Utah

Since 2021, Utah law has required cities to allow internal accessory dwelling units in owner-occupied single-family homes in most residential zones. Cities can still set conditions, and most do: the owner must live in the home, rentals must run 30 days or longer, one extra off-street parking space is common, and some cities exclude smaller lots — Herriman, for example, requires at least 6,000 square feet. Many cities also record a notice or affidavit on the property and ask for a registration or business license before the unit is rented.

Detached ADUs — a separate building in the backyard — are set largely by each city’s own ordinance, and the rules are newer and vary more: Herriman approved detached ADUs on eligible lots in May 2026, while in South Jordan’s Daybreak an ADU is allowed only above a detached or semi-detached garage. HOA covenants can add limits of their own. We check your city’s current code and your HOA before designing anything.

Helpful to mention when you call or text

  • Your city, and whether you own and live in the home
  • Who the unit is for — family or a long-term renter
  • Basement size, any bathroom rough-in and existing egress windows
  • Where a separate entrance might go, and any HOA rules
02 Questions

ADUs & Basement Apartments questions.

Is an ADU the same as a finished basement?

No. A finished basement adds rooms to your home; an ADU is a separate dwelling with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. That changes the permits — most cities require an ADU approval before the building permit — and what the final inspection checks.

Can I rent out my basement apartment?

Usually, if you live in the home and the unit is approved. Utah cities require rentals of 30 days or longer, and most require owner occupancy, a parking space and a registration or business license. We confirm your city’s rules before we design.

Does an ADU need a separate entrance?

It depends on the city. Some allow the unit to share the home’s entrance; others want one on the side or rear. Either way, bedrooms need egress and the unit needs a safe path out, and we build the entrance your city accepts.

Can you convert a basement that’s already finished?

Often, yes — adding a kitchen, an entrance or egress where needed. If the basement was finished without a permit, the city may require opening walls for inspection; we tell you upfront what that involves.

What affects the cost of an ADU?

Whether the basement is unfinished or already finished, the kitchen and bathroom plumbing, egress windows, a new entrance or walkout, and the finishes you choose. Estimates are free.

03 Service area

ADUs & Basement Apartments across Northern Utah.

EKN Construction and Remodeling LLC is based in Salt Lake City and works throughout Northern Utah, including the communities below. If your project is nearby but not listed, just ask — tell us your city or ZIP code when you call or text.

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