Accessory Dwelling Strategies

Name

Accessory Dwelling Strategies

Legal name

Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC

Website

https://buildinganadu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Education and Consulting

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAPAMAG

ADU Permitting, Zoning & Code Compliance

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Garage Conversion & ADU Construction

SECONDARYHSAPAMAF

ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Garage Conversion & ADU Construction

SECONDARYHSAPAMAO

ADU Project Management & General Contracting

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Garage Conversion & ADU Construction

Keywords

• ADU consulting services
• Real estate education
• Housing policy consulting
• Homeowner education courses
• ADU development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Courses: In-person and online courses teaching homeowners about ADU design, permitting, financing, and building process. Live course in Portland priced at $165 in-person and $95 online.
2. ADU Consulting Services: Consulting services for homeowners about ADUs on their property, including on-site consultations.
3. Book Sales: Sales of 'Backdoor Revolution - The Definitive Guide to ADU Development' book.
4. Resource Packets: Free ADU Resources Packet containing line item breakdown of building costs, construction contracts, sample site plans and floor plans, and appraisal considerations.
5. Design Principles E-Book: Free e-Book on ADU design principles covering 10 design principles for small living spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC provides ADU-focused education, consulting, and policy research for homeowners and real estate professionals. Core offerings include in-person and online courses teaching homeowners the ADU design, permitting, financing, and building process, plus on-site consultations and ADU Specialist training for real estate agents. The company also publishes a definitive ADU guidebook, resource packets, and a podcast on ADU trends.

Product overview

Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC is an ADU-focused education, consulting, and advocacy company operated by Kol Peterson. The company offers a portfolio of educational products and services centered on accessory dwelling unit development, including the primary website BuildinganADU.com featuring photo galleries and blog content, the ADU Resource Packet, the ADU Hour podcast series, and Kol's book 'Backdoor Revolution.' Educational offerings include in-person and online courses for Portland homeowners and national web courses, with additional offerings like ADU Design Principles eBooks. The company also provides on-site consultations, teaches ADU classes for real estate professionals in multiple states, and operates affiliated businesses including Caravan Tiny House Hotel and Tiny Hookups LLC. All offerings are focused on ADU education, advocacy, policy work, and consulting services rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Backdoor Revolution: ADU book authored by Kol Peterson - The Definitive Guide to ADU Development
• ADU Hour
• Caravan - The Tiny House Hotel
• Tiny Hookups LLC

Products and services

• Building an ADU Live Course for Portland Homeowners Full-day in-person class in Portland, Oregon (also offered online) covering ADU design, permitting, building process, financing, and resources, priced at $165 in-person and $95 online.
• Building an ADU Web Course Online web-based course for homeowners nationally covering the ADU building process, delivered through a Teachable-hosted platform.
• Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development Book authored by Kol Peterson covering all aspects of ADU development, marketed as the definitive guide for homeowners and professionals interested in ADU projects.
• ADU Resource Packet Free downloadable resource packet containing a line item breakdown of building costs, explanation of construction contracts, sample site plans and floor plans, and appraisal considerations for ADU development.
• ADU Design Principles Packet (eBook) Free eBook covering ten ADU design principles to help homeowners pack comfort and functionality into compressed small living spaces.
• ADU On-Site Consultations Professional consulting services in which Kol Peterson visits a homeowner's property to advise on ADU feasibility, design, permitting, and development considerations.
• ADU Classes for Real Estate Professionals ADU educational classes taught to real estate agents in Oregon, Washington, and California, including the All About ADUs Primer Course for Brokers and ADU Specialist Designation courses delivered through the Earth Advantage partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ homeowners trained through live courses, with ~67% going on to build ADUs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Earth AdvantagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKol co-runs ADU Academy and the ADU Specialist designation for real estate professionals with Earth Advantage. Also teaches All About ADUs - A Primer Course for Brokers and ADU Specialist Designation courses for realtors in Oregon, Washington, and California.
• Thousand Friends of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortland for Everyone campaign is a program of Thousand Friends of Oregon. Kol served as content person for Portland for Everyone campaign, an anti-sprawl environmental organization.
• Sightline InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast guest appearances and content collaboration around housing policy and sustainability in the Pacific Northwest.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cover: Tech-enabled ADU design and construction company operating in California; targets the same homeowner ADU buyer with a broader end-to-end service offering (design + build), making it an adjacent incumbent to a pure education/consulting firm.
• MAXable: ADU-focused design-build firm in California serving homeowners from feasibility through construction; comparable because it operates in the same homeowner ADU journey and partially substitutes for the firm's consulting and design-principle content.
• SnapADU: Prefab ADU manufacturer and builder in California with national expansion ambitions; comparable as a downstream player that benefits from the same ADU policy tailwinds and competes for the same educated homeowner customer.

Direct peers

• Sightline Institute: Pacific Northwest think tank focused on housing policy, sustainability, and ADU advocacy; collaborates on content and podcast appearances with the firm and targets the same policy-curious homeowner and professional audience.
• Thousand Friends of Oregon: Oregon land-use and anti-sprawl advocacy organization; partners with Kol Peterson on the Portland for Everyone campaign and shares overlap in ADU/zoning policy education for the same regional audience.
• Earth Advantage: Sustainability nonprofit that co-runs the ADU Academy and ADU Specialist designation with Accessory Dwelling Strategies; offers related sustainability and green building education across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, overlapping directly in ADU professional training.

Emerging players

• Cottage (by Cohesion): Software platform that streamlines ADU feasibility, design, and project management for homeowners and contractors; intersects with the firm's consulting scope but substitutes technology for human advisors, representing an emerging digital competitor.
• Villa: ADU marketplace and project management platform connecting homeowners with designers, contractors, and financing; adjacent to the firm's consulting offering and competes for the same educated homeowner at the project-execution stage.
• United Dwelling: ADU development and property management company providing design-build and rental management services; overlaps with the firm's downstream consulting on rental income use cases for ADU homeowners.

Others

• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Resource Center (city/municipal programs): Free municipal ADU education, permitting guidance, and pre-approved plans programs (e.g., City of Palo Alto, Portland, Los Angeles); comparable because they directly substitute for portions of the firm's paid education and consulting content for homeowners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accessory-dwelling-strategies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accessory Dwelling Strategies