About
Years on Seattle jobsites. Now it goes on the page instead.
I’m Bob Hall. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and started out swinging a hammer as a carpenter. I never really stopped — and never fell out of love with it.
Over the years I moved from framing to running my own projects, and eventually specialized in the two things I liked most: custom homes, and detached accessory dwelling units. I framed and finished backyard cottages on Seattle jobsites — on tight lots, sloped lots, tree-covered lots, and plenty of lots that turned out not to work at all.
That last group is why this site exists. I watched too many homeowners spend real money on architects, plans, and consultants before anyone checked the things that actually decide whether a backyard cottage is possible: setbacks, tree tiers, sewer capacity, drainage, access, and where the existing house already sits.
I’m retired. I’m not taking on new builds, not designing houses, and not looking for clients. These days I write — the free guides, the Pro Guide, and everything on this site — for one reason: to hand down what I learned so the next Seattle homeowner can make a clear-eyed decision before spending a dollar.
Away from the job site
I spend my time with my wife, Sarah. I hike as often as the weather allows — Snoqualmie Ridge is the one I keep going back to — ski through the winter, and see a lot of our three adult children.
Next step
Everything I learned, measured for your lot.
The customized feasibility report runs your exact address through the checks that decide a DADU — setbacks, tree tiers, critical areas, utilities, and a permit path — then a person reviews it. Prefer to study it yourself? The free guides and the Pro Guide cover the same ground in writing.