CityPaks Buyer's Guide
Custom builder, prefab, or CityPaks? They can all create more room in your backyard. The big difference is how they get there - and what that means for you.
Start with a design and construct the home at your property.
Much of the home is built away from your property and then delivered for installation.
Start with a designed building system, bring the components to the property, and assemble the Pak on site.
Same destination.
Very different ways of getting there.
Maximum freedom.
Design the ADU around your property, your preferences and your vision.
The tradeoff
More design decisions and more of the building process happens at your property.
“I want something designed specifically for me.”
Build more of it somewhere else.
Choose from available home designs and have much of the structure built away from your property.
The tradeoff
The completed or substantially completed structure still needs to reach and be installed on your property.
“I like the model and my property works for the delivery and installation approach.”
Choose the space. Configure what matters.
Start with Pak 0, Pak 1 or Pak 2, then make meaningful choices about how the space works for you.
The tradeoff
CityPaks is intentionally a system - not unlimited custom architecture.
“I want the right space without starting everything from scratch.”
Choose what you care about and see how the three approaches differ.
How does the home get into my backyard?
Materials and workers reach the site and the structure is constructed there.
A completed or substantially completed structure must be transported to and positioned on the property.
Building components are brought to the property and assembled into the Pak on site.
Tight backyard? How the ADU gets there matters.
Every Bay Area property has fences, power lines, narrow side gates, and neighbors. See how each building approach interacts with the exact same lot.
Precision-engineered building components navigate normal Bay Area gates and property setbacks without cranes or street closures, assembling into a permanent Pak.
Precision-engineered building components navigate normal Bay Area gates and property setbacks without cranes or street closures, assembling into a permanent Pak.
Compact components pass standard 4ft (minimum) residential gates
Gate Clearance
Gate Clearance 4ft (minimum)
Crane Requirement
No overhead crane required
On-Site Assembly
Precision component envelope
Architecture
True rectangular high-spec living
Building System
Precision Pak envelope & components
4ft Gate Access
Components carried down 4ft (minimum) side path
System Assembly
Precision assembly directly on site
Finished CityPak
Sophisticated modern living space
The finished home may look simple.
How it gets there isn't.
The better question is which approach fits what you value.
“I want exactly what I want.”
You may value
You accept
Custom may make sense when design freedom comes first.
“I'd rather have more of it built somewhere else.”
You may value
You accept
Prefab may make sense when off-site construction comes first.
“I want to make this simpler.”
You may value
You accept
CityPaks may make sense when you want flexibility without starting from zero.
The CityPaks Difference
CityPaks starts with a thoughtfully designed building system, then lets you make the choices that change how the space works for you.
Pak 0. Pak 1. Pak 2. Start with the amount of space that solves the problem.
Make the choices that change how you live. Not hundreds of construction decisions.
Bring the building system to the property rather than requiring a completed CityPak to arrive as one finished structure.
Each project doesn't have to begin with a blank page.
Less: “Where do I even start?”
More: “This is the one.”
No approach gives you everything. Here's what changes depending on how you build.
The goal isn't to crown a winner - it's to help you see which tradeoffs fit your priorities.
Every property has conditions that need to be evaluated.
An ADU still has to meet applicable permitting and building requirements.
CityPaks changes the building approach. It doesn't pretend a home appears overnight.
That's why we start with your property.
Your backyard is different.
You've seen the differences. The next step isn't choosing a construction category - it's understanding what your property can support and which Pak fits the way you want to use the space.
No endless forms or automated sales pressure. Just a direct, thoughtful conversation with Lori about your yard, your goals, and which CityPaks ADU actually works.
Or prefer an online review? Use the Property Fit Tool
