Working with Abodu was a deeply disappointing experience. They are extremely dishonest. Like others, we found it more expensive, time-consuming, and stressful than hiring a custom ADU contractor. Despite promises of limiting onsite work to only 5-weeks and weekly updates, communication was poor, with messages often ignored for weeks. They dug up our yard in October and didn't fix it until April, making it unusable for 7+months. Abodu outsources to the lowest bidders who deliver subpar work. We came home to find our irrigation and drainage systems destroyed. They were recently installed and the workers came and dug up the yard with no notice. They also use underage workers. I had to notify Abodu multiple times that this is illegal and want the kids to be removed from our property. Despite repeated complaints, Abodu was dismissive. We had to constantly monitor our home cameras every day to ensure that they don't bring kids to the worksite. They also use bait-and-switch tactics. We were asked to pay for December delivery on two days' notice, only for the unit to arrive in April. Their contract has clauses to charge clients a penalty if there is delay in payment or we do not receive the unit on time but holds Abodu to no standard. After delivery, they promised to finish work in two weeks but never did--ultimately they got back to us saying they don't want to come back and instead to keep the1500 deposit. This was very unprofessional. We've since had to hire our own contractors to complete and repair their unfinished work. Due to Abodu not doing their job, we had to hire contractors to fix our patio, fix the electrical work, remove the deck and build a new one, repair flooring, repair unfinished wall, add vent in the bathroom and a long tail of other things. At the end of the day, we had to do substantial project management so it ended up costing us more time and money. The main appeal of hiring Abodu was they would handle things end to end but they did not even do the bare minimum. read more

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I have lived in my Abodu Dwell home 3 1/2 years now. When we ordered it there were some problems along the way. Sometimes communication wasn't great but I must say it was all worth it. I love our small home. The space is beautiful. It is everything I want. Today I give Abodu 5 stars. It's a wonderful home. read more

Our experience with Abodu started out well. However, we went through a few project managers which should have been a red flag. Then PG&E took their time which was no one's fault (1 extra year). Fortunately, my project finished but it took 2 years. However, currently Abodu is having issues now. Their phone number is out of service and their website app for contacting the company is out of service. We know this because we have an A/C leak and the warranty department is not responding. We had to call our own A/C company. It now turns out that the A/C was installed incorrectly and the water isn't draining out properly. The water tray is leaking profusely. Now I have to pay an A/C tech to find out if the entire line is vented properly which will be thousands of dollars. I hope Abodu didn't cut corners and purchase a fake knockoff of Carrier because there is no label on the unit. read more

Do NOT choose this company for your ADU. Yes, the 500sf unit design is beautiful, but you have options with other companies. I have referred several ADU customers to other companies after my horrible experience with Abodu. Specifically, the company will lose you money with the delays and lack of organization. I was one year past the contract due date. Errors on Abodu's part include: not completing or following up on communication with PGE (lying to me about this timing via email on several occasions) , not completing the yard drain (thank you to city inspector), sales team lying about cost and timing with project manager refuting the information of the sales team, etc., etc.. Christian (a GM) telling me "we don't need you as a customer". My fault for not stopping then. You have options and given Abodu's lack of care for their customer's experience and adherence to your binding contract you will be legally bound to lose your deposit(s) if you want to exit the contract due to the above. Good luck to you as ADU's are wonderful. You have options and it is worth paying more with another company for your ADU. read more

I found my contract and cancellation contract that I had with them. Which stated that they will hold the money until I make a new one. Not the best situation since the units are still crazily over priced. read more

Abodu - Contract and cancellation agreement for 27k reserved - General Contractors Near Me - Redwood City, California

My husband and I are obsessed with this company and product. We have been living in our Abodu for several months now and absolutely love the design and function of it. Ever since we walked into the Redwood City showroom we were impressed with the customer service and mission of the company. Christian was our go to person and went above and beyond during the process even when things got difficult with the city permitting etc. A few typical construction things came up but Abodu was quick to problem solve and we always felt that we could trust them to make it right. You can't find a better design or service out there for an ADU!! Still working on landscaping but a few photos to see the vibe. read more

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Very excited on my delivery day. My project coordinator Sophie Gauthier has been helpful in any questions or concerns that I had on my journey. The level of professionalism is higher than I would have ever thought, and I am glad my experience has been nothing but great. I love my new house. Thank you. read more

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There is nothing good to say about this experience. It takes more time and money than building a custom ADU. The unit arrives damaged, and then Abodu and the manufacturer (not the same company, red flag) take months to decide who is responsible for fixing the damage. I was told I would get a credit if I had my plumber run the utility lines to the ADU; this was a lie. I ended up paying for 50 feet of water and sewer lines twice. read more

I wish I was writing a five star review - and sadly I'm not. I signed my contract in January of 2022, and 18 months later - they have not finished necessary repairs. I'll start with the pros - I think everyone can agree - the unit is beautifully designed. I felt their pricing was straight forward, and I appreciate how they built in allowances to the contract so I did not have unexpected out of pocket costs (although all allowances have been spent). I found the sales office and project managers pleasant in all of my interactions. Unfortunately - that's where it ends. With such a beautiful unit, I would have expected a qualified team to do the prep, installation, and finishing. I have been disappointed every step of the way. First, we were told that the majority of our yard would be untouched - hah! The workers had absolutely no regard for our garden or belongings. They destroyed plants unnecessarily, used our tools (which we covered in a storage tub and had under our deck) - then broke and mistreated these tools. Landscaping debris that should have been cleared, were pushed in a far corner of our property - when they started pouring the foundation, we asked why they hadn't removed this pile when it was accessible by their tractors - they told us it would be wheelbarrowed out later (to this date, it hasn't been touched). Plus, a big pet peeve - they left garbage and litter every time they were on site. I have gone through multiple home remodels and have never had workers treat my property with such disregard. Secondly, not only did the workers treat my property this way - they all seemed under-qualified. The quality was subpar/sloppy throughout. They often showed up on site without a clear idea of what they had to fix (example, the city inspector said we had to add a gravel path from driveway - the guy who showed wanted to build it from the opposite side of home until we ran out and asked him what he was doing).  Electrician came and left ALL of the lights on (before we had keys to enter the property). One breaker goes out frequently. Plumber would come and turn off the main water valve - leaving us to hunt around the unit trying to find how to turn it on. Dishwasher was never tested with installation (water supply to dishwasher was not turned on, we had to figure out it was a switch under the sink) and after first use had a screw pop out.  Washer/Dryer vibrates the whole unit.  Shower water pressure is a joke (see video). The deck that is included is made out of wood not  suitable for decking (we had 2 other professionals tell us this, yes it's cedar, but not decking grade cedar) - it was warped from rain before we even got our keys. Instead of replacing the wood, they added a few more nails - I do not expect it to last more than a couple of years.  And there really is no one on site over seeing this shoddy work. As the homeowner, I felt like I had to be the one overseeing the project - as your project manager is never really onsite. In normal construction projects I have dealt with - there is usually someone I can point out all of these things to in person. With Abodu, you are constantly emailing a project manager, who is never onsite to see what you see. It is obvious throughout the process that a lot gets lost in communication Last - one of the main selling points is the quick timeline. For me and other reviewers, that hasn't been the case. Initially, it was all blamed on permitting, which ok I understand. But after my house was craned in early December, things were still slow. Sometimes workers showed up, sometimes they didn't. I have had weeks with no activity, or maybe 1-2 guys showing up here and there. Also, the workers would spend crazy amounts of time in their car/truck - like hours. And then only work for a couple of hours. We finally passed final inspection mid April. I held off on the final invoice payment because there were things not complete. They got 1 major thing off the list, and I agreed to pay my balance , minus a $1,500 retainer for remaining punch list items. What a mistake! Here we are 2 months later, and they have not come to fix anything. I am trying to rent out a unit that has sad shower water pressure (see video), the breaker for the bedroom/bath goes out all the time (and the breaker box is outside so not conveniently switched back on), and there is a dented roof (from delivery). And no response. All in all, I have been very disappointed. Starting out on this journey, I was hopeful that I would repeat it with another property. Sadly, I would not feel comfortable working with this company again, nor recommending it. It is really a beautifully designed unit, but Abodu cannot then count on shoddy labor with minimal oversight to result in a positive outcome. I hope they make changes. read more

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This is part three of my ongoing saga with the worst company I've ever worked with. If you want to see my original post, where it all began, scroll down (I think. Not sure how the Yelp app lays things out). This is just a brief, two-part update. First, to "Sydney F" from Abodu in my replies. You "take pride" in your concierge service? I just posted a dozen paragraphs of repeated failures on the part of Abodu, calling out how it's the worst communication I've ever had with any company ever, and your only response is to say you "take pride" in that? What a nonsense, empty, PR response. And then, to tell me to email YOU?! What a perfect encapsulation of the Abodu experience: "If something goes wrong, you need to try to track us down and see if we'll do something about it." Sydney, if you have anything real to offer (I doubt it), you should be emailing me. I'm already in touch with like, five people at Abodu. You know exactly what the problem is. (Also, let's be real. Sydney is never going to email me. This is all about appearances and damage control.) Second, the project has been massively delayed again. In my last update, we were quoted "end of July" for a key handoff. But it turns out one of our previous project managers made a day one error, and long story short, it's going to be another two months while they chase down permits and do additional construction. The details don't really matter. The important part is, the contractors doing the actual work TOLD Abodu about this issue back in February, and Abodu did nothing. And only now are they addressing something they could have been working on months ago. So once again, what we're dealing with is not a normal construction delay. It's an error, caused by Abodu cutting corners or not knowing what they're doing (I truly don't know which), and now the house we were supposed to have in November of 2022 won't be ready until September 2023 at the earliest. I will say our new project manager (our fifth) is good, and Abodu is trying to be more responsive. But "trying to be more responsive" in month fifteen of a quoted six month project is such a small win, it's barely worth mentioning. I just want to be done. read more

Excellent tour with Amaan Haidary - showed us two units, I can imagine this turnkey solution with benefit many homeowners become investors! Excellent solution for our Bay Area housing market. Abodu has stylist Scandinavian design with dual panes windows, according door options and butterfly roofline for a spacious feeling inside. read more

Updated review: I do think the company makes the whole ADU process simple. However there was a lack of communication between them and their subcontractors (poor clean up; didn't follow up with some corrections). Looking back I would have pushed back on paying the punch out list before things were done which took months and multiple visits. And who doesn't put coolant in the AC? They were responsive but you couldn't call anyone just email them. read more

I get asked if I would hire Abodu again if I had the chance, and I always say yes. They were a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I appreciate the upfront pricing, great communication, and transparency along the way. My ADU is a beautiful extension of my home and I'm really glad I chose this company. read more

Abodu - General Contractors Near Me - Redwood City, California

Very frustrated! The design of Abodu/Dwell home is wonderful. The workmanship of the siding on the outside is not good. The communication is not good! We had our house installed beginning of October and we still have not been given a key to our home. We can lock it from the inside when we are there but otherwise it is unlocked Our kitchen faucet sprays water everywhere when turned on so our kitchen sink is essentially not useable. The light hanging in the living area is inoperable. ..... This is Abodu note to us on January 26, 2023 1. Faucet ordered, still no update, need to follow up with shipper 2. We found the pendant light was actually defective since there is no issue with the power. The new light has been ordered. 3. The damaged siding is on order and will be replaced as soon as we receive the material. 4. We have ordered replacement hardware to realign the back doors. It is now March 9,2023 and we are still waiting to get items fixed. Our home is not yet livable after 5 months! read more

Horrible company to work with. Very poor communication with the project manager (communication is KEY with project management), deadlines and deliverables aren't met, and their contractors leave garbage and the area around the house a complete mess with trash and garbage. I don't understand how horrible it could get when they make it seem so perfect with their planning, and then when it's time to execute they're mediocre at best. read more

The whole team at Abodu went above and beyond to deliver on our ADU project. When we had the unexpected thrown at us by our city, Abodu was right there to develop a plan. Their experience and professionalism really shows throughout the project. In the end, we were left with a unit we absolutely love. It's been such a blessing for our family. Abodu team, we appreciate you! read more

High level: We really love our Abodu Two - it has been exactly what we needed. The process was a bit challenging at parts, as PG&E took months to conduct the electrical service upgrade that our property needed. But we were happy that Abodu managed that for us and are thrilled with the finished ADU. Why we picked Abodu: The ADU itself is beautiful. And we wanted to work with a company that's done it before. We remodeled our Kitchen about 5 years ago, and know construction is a total pain - permits, inspections, delays, mess, etc. While the Abodu project was very much still construction, it at least seemed like Abodu knew what they were doing, and was very much on top of the various things that come up. Are we eager to take on another construction project in our current home? No. But would we build another ADU with Abodu on our next home? Yes! read more

We contacted Abodu after seeing their designs and reviewing the website which evidenced Abodu's attention to detail and "upscale" prefab buildings. Andrew and Brent of ABODU came to my wife's and my home to inspect the premises and determine if one of the designs might be a good fit for us. They spent a good amount of time, measuring, visualizing, and discussing with us our expectations and desires for our prospective ADU. When it became clear that "it just would not work" - they did not try to "shoehorn" a design on the property, they did not try to "sell" us on Abodu's services. While we really wanted to have an Abodu designed pre-fab - they gave us their honest, clear opinions and we gratefully appreciated that. While Abodu did not build or deliver a prefab ADU for us, these are people who, we believe, one can trust. That is saying a lot these days. read more

Sophie Gauthier has been such a pleasure to work with at Abodu. We have had some delays with permitting etc. and it really made a difference to have her as our project manager. She started with us a few months into the project. She was responsive, efficient, and made sure the details were all in order. The housing unit itself is well- built, beautiful and modern. Installation process went very smoothly. The contractors who have done the foundation, work, trenching, etc. are very competent and knowledgeable. Overall, I would recommend this company, especially if you can work with someone like Sophie. read more

I choose Abodu to build and install my ADU after an extensive search of other home builders in my area. They were professional, punctual, and responsive. They delivered a quality home on time and within budget. And their after-sales support was amazing. I highly recommend them read more

Abodu - My ADU! - General Contractors Near Me - Redwood City, California

Delay, after delay after delay. Project manager not responsive. They would give a date then not show up.

The units are beautiful. Very thoughtful design and quality. Did a showroom with Hope, she was extremely knowledgeable and helped me through the process. Definitely ask for her if you're coming in read more

Signed my contract with Abodu right before shelter in place in 2019 and what a great decision that was! I was moved in by August 2020 and have happily been living in my family's backyard ever since. Between inviting friends and family over for outdoor hangs and working from home in an amazing space, I can't imagine living in any other ADU! read more

Abodu - My Abodu One ADU - General Contractors Near Me - Redwood City, California

Great company with very professional staff!! I recently installed Abodu One (there 1 bedroom design), and was very happy with the final product. My project manager was Mike - he was phenomenal! The beauty of working with Abodu is they take care of everything A-to-Z. You don't have to worry about dealing with the city or subcontractors; they manage the entire project seamlessly. Prior to initiating my project with Abodu , I had done extensive research and visited a number of different vendors. Abodu stood out as the top ADU provider in the Bay Area. It boils down to excellent higher-quality product, fast delivery, a transparent pricing model, and excellent project management with open and frequent communication. If you're planning on adding an ADU, definitely check them out! read more

Happy with our Abodu! It has been a godsend to have in our backyard for family. The experience was pretty smooth, all things considering.

Their arrogance and lack of professionalism is off the the charts. Once they close a sale using their dishonest tactics, you become an inconvenience for them. Notice the similarities across the poor reviews. Very similar to my experience. Abodu is a big Abo-don't! Run the other way!!! read more

Our first visit to the Abodu store was Sep 11, 2021, with a site visit a week later, and a contract (under pressure from sales) by November 30, 2021, promising completion Jan 22. It's now end of Oct 2022, and we have a locked and unfinished/unstained Abodu, with possible damage, and we have no idea when it will be done. What we bought: An already built Abodu one, basically a return from another customer. We were promised by sales that we'd be done by Jan 22. By the time we had a project mgr in Jan 22, we were forced to sign an amendment with a target completion of Mar 22. Price: We were pressured to sign the contract (before the prices go up!), with no contract changes permitted, with a promised tiny discount ( sales removed discount at last second). The unit wasn't exactly what we wanted, but it was done/faster, and cheaper. Permitting: Instead of the few days/weeks promised, this took ~6 months. At one point we were asked to pay a large portion of the project (unit + 1st part of install), but since there were outstanding questions tied to the permit, we asked to wait for the permit. Suddenly the sales rep informed us the permits were completed! So we paid. After the payment cleared, they said "Whoops, that was a mistake, it was someone else's permit that was completed, not yours." Our actual permit didn't come in until May '22. Note: permit fees were expensive/incremental. Upsides: They were able to work with us to install a generator at the same time, in one trench. We had to coordinate a lot of this, but it is a good engineering outcome. Also, the GC/working team were lovely, helpful, and nice to work with on foundation/craning days. BIG PROBLEMS: --The plumbing subcontractor seemed underqualified. We were told that the water would be off for 2 hours (on a graduation day). It was off for the whole day, and right after they turned it on and left for the day (within minutes of each other), the pipes exploded. Literal explosion. To save our main house crawl space from flooding, we (personally) had to turn the water completely off at the street. Bits of pipe, concrete, glue blown everywhere. --Painting subcontractor seemed underqualified. Paint-level stain was applied instead of stain, so it looked nothing like the plan (at cost of $12K). Abodu agreed to fix this. To remove this paint (after +1 month's wait)- 2 people came to use pressure washing to strip it -which destroyed much of the wood siding, damaged exterior metalwork, weatherstripping, etc. They also pressure washed an open window -water-damaging inside walls. We're not sure on damage to underlayment/roof. Halfway through this pressure wash, a manager ran onto the scene, yelled at the two pressure washers, and then blatantly lied to me- telling me "It will be much easier for them to hand-sand the rest of the unit." The next day a crew of 8! people showed up with hand-sanders, some wearing masks, some not, and created a storm cloud of paint strips and saw dust everywhere. -- We then waited +2months for new siding, with many, "It's almost here" updates. When the siding crew finally came, they started pulling off the damaged siding, only to realize that all the new siding was the wrong size- both in height and width. They had to stop working, and it's been +2 wks with no news. -- Despite this work outstanding, we are pressured to pay off the Abodu. We disputed the last $$ because the work is not complete, so were told that we cannot get inside the unit. We are now +1 yr into our "30 day process," with zero access to a locked and unfinished unit. -- Damage: The contract isn't clear that they bear no responsibility for damage to your property. The allowance you pay for landscape/hardscape of $3000 is to pay for any repairs for damage that they do to garden/hardscape, either for the project or incidental. Any repairs or damage above that - it is all additional cost to you- and can be a lot! -- The pre-warned us about cutting/capping irrigation lines, but we weren't prepared for the damage. In two cases uncapped irrigation created spewing fountains of water underneath foundations; in one case, they cut/capped/buried a major irrigation line after promising me they had fixed it, leaving several mature trees and half our yard dry for +2 months, and we had to pay someone else to repair it. They also cut our hose in half, damaged one of our gates, ripped out some of our landscape lighting- they did not fix these. Bottom line: Caveat Emptor. The contract has little/no protections for the buyer in terms of deadlines, damage, or disputes. You will not be able to negotiate this contract, and you are at the mercy of Abodu's care. I do believe many of the people involved in Abodu care/are trying to do a good job, and I write in hopes that Abodu will fix our unit/yard. But that cannot fix the year of stress or moments missed. read more

I've had a great experience with Abodu! The team is extremely knowledgeable, up front with pricing and transparent with next steps. They did a site visit and were easy to schedule with and had answers to all of my questions. Their units are beautiful but I was blown away by the service that they provide. I am still deciding if an ADU is right for my family but if I move forward it will definitely be with Abodu! read more

We really enjoy our Abodu. After putting it in, we use it almost daily as added home space. We also use it for visiting relatives which they absolutely love. The design and look of the unit is better than other ADUs I have seen in the wild. The functionality of cantina doors is so awesome as we can open up the space to the outside so our living space flows so much better. read more

Abodu did an excellent job on our family's ADU project. Now that we're all moved in we couldn't be happier with the end result. The design is fantastic, quality is top notch. Our process was pretty smooth as far as construction goes (the entire project took about 8 months), and they were on top of everything along the way. We'd happily work with them again given the chance! read more

We chose Abodu after researching all of the ADU vendors who are preapproved by the City of San Jose. I found their prices to be better than the other "full service" ADU companies and their responsiveness and willingness to answer my (many) questions to be great. It took a while to figure out how to crane our Abodu into place but once that problem was solved, it was 6 weeks from the day we broke ground to the day we got our keys. I have friends who went a more traditional route and are still waiting on their permits! Our Abodu is gorgeous and everyone who sees it is amazed. We have had a few small items that needed to be fixed, and the warranty team has been very efficient and helpful. I highly recommend this company! read more

Buyers in the Pacific Northwest beware! I began my journey with Abodu about a year ago. I made an initial payment in Feb of this year, another in April, then Nov, and again this Dec. I was told initially that my Abodu could be ready as early as July. That soon changed to September, then November. It finally arrived Dec 5. As of today, it has no water, sewer, or electricity connected. The yard has been a muddy mess since they began site work before Thanksgiving. I don't fault the rep working with us, but Abodu has a serious problem with honest communication. Don't be fooled by their impressive online advertising. Be prepared for disappoinment! read more

My overall experience is good! We did have some hiccups due the delays and some other problems but they were very fast in responding and fixing the problems. So far, I love my ADU and thank you again. I have recommended it to some of my friends. read more

Abodu is doing what they can to make sure our issues are addressed. They seem committed to keeping their word and doing right by their customers. Hope this continues... read more