General Contractor in Cupertino

Much of Cupertino's stock is 1950s–70s single-family on flat, regular lots. Those are good candidates for additions and detached ADUs, and the flat sites keep site work from becoming the surprise line item.

Before you plan a second storey in Cupertino, find out which R1 sub-zone you are in. Every R1 parcel is built or remodelled under the R1 Ordinance, and going up is not a by-right move: a new second-storey addition, a new two-storey house, or an addition to an existing second storey all require a Two-Story Permit, which is a discretionary approval ahead of the building permit. It carries a two-week public comment period, and the City requires a rendering of the proposal to be posted on the site — which the City approves before it goes up. The review tier turns on floor area ratio: under 35% total FAR is the lighter track, above 35% is the heavier one.

Three overlays can change the answer entirely, and they are neighbourhood by neighbourhood. An R1-xi Single-Story Overlay is an area where residents voted to cap development at one storey and 18 feet — inside one of those, a second storey is simply not available, however good the design. R1-e is the Eichler district, which carries its own Eichler Building Design Requirements and a City-published Eichler Design Handbook; an Eichler remodel done without reading them will not survive review, and frankly should not. R1-a is the semi-rural district, with its own standards and design review committee track.

The practical order of operations is: confirm the sub-zone, then decide up or out. On a flat Cupertino lot with a usable rear yard, a detached ADU frequently gets a family the space they wanted without entering the two-storey process at all. That is a real trade-off worth pricing both ways before anyone draws anything.

We work throughout Cupertino — whether you're in Monta Vista, Rancho Rinconada, the Stevens Creek corridor, or the area near Apple Park, the build is the same standard.

Permits. Work in Cupertino is permitted through the City of Cupertino Building Division. We carry the submittal and the plan-check corrections — that is our job, not yours.

Cupertino publishes an ADU information sheet and a "Steps to a Completed ADU" handout, and the Planning Department will look at preliminary plans by email before you submit.

Pre-approved ADU plans. Cupertino publishes a gallery of pre-approved ADU plans that homeowners can build from. Since AB 1332 took effect on January 1, 2025, California cities have had to run a pre-approved ADU plan program and post the approved plans publicly. Where a usable plan exists it can take real time and design cost out of a project, because the design has already been reviewed and only the site-specific work is left.