One team from the first drawing to the final inspection

Why permitting is the part we do ourselves

Zoning and permits are the number one complaint homeowners raise about building an ADU, and the reason many projects stall before a shovel goes in. Joel's background is on the city side of that counter. He knows what plan reviewers look for, how to answer their comments, and how to sequence engineering and inspections so the project keeps moving. On the Gresham cottage cluster he handled every permitting step himself, on a project type the city had never approved before.

What GenTerra handles on every project

• Zoning and feasibility. What your lot allows, setbacks, height, lot coverage, and whether the unit you want fits.
• Architect and engineers. We bring in the architect, coordinate structural engineering, and keep the drawings consistent.
• The permit set. Joel assembles the submission, files it, and tracks it through the city's queue.
• Plan-review comments. When the city asks questions, Joel answers them and revises the set.
• Subcontractors and schedule. One schedule, trades we have worked with for years, and one person accountable for all of it.
• Inspections. Every stage, from footing to final, with the paperwork done.

How a project runs

What you do

You choose. Where the unit sits, what the plan looks like, the finishes, and the budget. Joel brings you the options with the cost of each, and you decide. Everything else, from the first form to the final signature, is his job.