Makara ADU

15800 Gaither Drive, 20877, Gaithersburg, MD
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http://www.makarabuilders.com/ Info@makarabuilders.com
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Makara Builders is Washington DC's leading ADU contractor, specializing in detached ADUs, garage conversions, and granny flats across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Build in 120 days from permit approval and start earning rental income fast.

Makara ADU, Gaithersburg, MD

About Makara ADU

Washington, DC's Leading ADU Builder

Makara Builders is a prominent accessory dwelling unit builder serving the Washington, DC metro area, including Maryland and Virginia. As a dedicated ADU contractor, they specialize in providing beautiful, affordable, and functional detached ADUs tailored to a wide range of homeowner needs. Whether the goal is generating rental income, accommodating aging parents, or creating a private home office, Makara Builders delivers solutions that fit seamlessly into existing properties.

Their detached ADU builder services cover both new construction and conversions from existing accessory structures, such as garages. As an experienced garage conversion contractor, Makara Builders can transform underutilized spaces into fully independent living units complete with their own living area, bathroom, and kitchen.

What Is an Accessory Dwelling Unit?

An accessory dwelling unit — also commonly referred to as a granny flat, in-law suite, or nanny suite — is a smaller, self-contained second dwelling located on a single-family residential lot. As a trusted granny flat builder and in-law suite builder, Makara Builders brings expertise and craftsmanship to every project, ensuring each ADU blends naturally into the surrounding neighborhood.

Common uses for a Makara ADU include:

  1. Generating rental income
  2. Housing aging parents
  3. Providing space for adult children
  4. Creating a dedicated home office

New zoning laws across DC, Maryland, and Virginia now actively promote and encourage homeowners to build ADUs, making the process more accessible, affordable, and faster than ever before. In as little as 120 days from permit approval, homeowners can begin earning rental income from their new ADU.

Why Choose Makara Builders as Your ADU Contractor?

As the leading backyard cottage builder in the DC metro region, Makara Builders offers a streamlined process from design to completion. Homeowners can choose from a selection of pre-designed plans or work with the team to create a fully customized ADU that meets their specific needs and property requirements.

Their approach balances three key priorities:

  1. Income: A Makara ADU can begin generating rental income quickly, offering a meaningful financial return for homeowners.
  2. Lifestyle: Their ADUs provide valuable additional living space for family members or personal use.
  3. Community: Nestled thoughtfully into backyard spaces, these structures address local housing needs without disrupting the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Makara Builders can quickly assess whether a property qualifies for an ADU, making it easy for homeowners to take the first step toward expanding their property's potential. With deep knowledge of local zoning regulations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, they guide clients through every stage of the process with confidence and clarity.

Services

Makara ADU performs the following services

  • Architecture & Design
  • Construction
  • Feasibility & Site Assessment

Makara ADU Reviews

Zach Borman

2025-02-21
"We have used Makara for a variety of projects including the installation of an ADU in Montgomery County, MD as well as a major porch repair and the installation of a brand new metal roof on our main house. Throughout the process Makara has been communicative, reliable, and most importantly there is no bait and switch. They deliver as promised and within the promised budget. For the ADU, we installed a 1 bedroom ADU and get constant compliments on it. This was not a pre-fab build, and instead allowed for customization including the installation of french doors, a murphy bed, and a variety of other choices regarding design. The ADU has an energy efficient heat pump as well. We get constant compliments on the ADU and after meeting with multiple companies it was obvious that Makara is the most skilled in the region at the permitting and installation of an ADU. Their price point also came in lower than most competitors. I would absolutely use them again for an ADU installation. Makara also helped us with a complete porch renovation including replacing rotten pillars, and painting. They also did a full roof installation subcontracted and supervised for us with metal roofing on our main house. When there was an issue with a roofing panel they replaced it at no cost to us. They stayed exactly at the budget they promised prior to starting the project. Makara has a great team, and it is always a pleasure working with them. Hope to work with them again in the future."

Norman Sandridge

2022-11-18
"We built a beautiful 400 sq.ft. ADU with Makara in a period of about four months the permitting took about 3-4 months before that. We enjoyed both the opportunity to design our ADU with an incredible degree of specificity, including arranging the bathroom, closet, kitchen, and WD exactly where we wanted it and the peace of mind of having Makara handle all of the details permitting, inspections, ordering supplies, and of course building. We had built-in bookshelves and a Murphy bed which has really helped us maximize the space. Everyone on the Makara team was easy to work with, responsive, and understanding. They were receptive to working with our "out-of-the-box" ideas like connecting the ADU to an existing deck via a stone path surrounded by a retaining wall. They worked hard to find exactly the fixtures and outlets we wanted including dimmer switches and timers on our lights. They put countless outlets and light switches exactly where we wanted. The crew who built our home was very friendly, considerate, and talented, with a fine attention to detail e.g., painting, grouting, sheet rock. Whenever something was not done precisely as we had requested, it was usually rectified the next day. They were especially tidy in cleaning up the site at the end of each day, so that we could enjoy the progress on the adu continually. We would highly recommend Makara and happily work with them again. Advice to clients: Think through the project as much as you can from the outset, from start to finish. Know exactly where you would like the ADU to go, the elevation if any you want it to be at, and any additional decking or pathways you believe you will need. Clarify with the builder as much as you can what costs are covered in your initial contract and what additional expenses you may need to cover if you want to upgrade something. Stay on top of the progress of the building in case your vision changes organically. The building can go up surprisingly fast, so you don't want to change your mind about things like fixtures, flooring, or paint colors after it's too late. Recognize that unexpected delays can occur with materials deliveries, permitting, and inspections. Manage your expectationsbe patient: all estimates are just that, estimates, and may well be outside of anyone's control."

Jeanene Lairo

2022-07-02
"We had a really great experience with Makara, who built our beautiful ADU. We could not have asked for a better builder. They worked with us closely through all phases of design, getting MC building permits - which was no small undertaking - and construction. Their team is wonderful, professional and and always approachable. They are open to new ideas, they are quick to communicate, and eager to meet deadlines. What really impressed me was that the quality of the work, the choice of material, which is consistently top notch, and their general pleasant and kind approach to the customer. Their foreman is amazing. The project stayed within the budget, unless I added last minute changes. They stayed within the timeline, as much as the building permit process permitted. If I could build an additional ADU in our backyard, I would only use them."

Abigail Rainie

2021-07-02
"My experience with Makara was absolutely wonderful and far better than other contractors Ive worked with. They responded immediately to my initial request and came out to my home the day after. They were prompt and fair with their quote and did not have any surprises with the cost later on. They built us a gorgeous ADU and customized it to our complete satisfaction. I have gotten dozens of compliments on it from neighbors, friends and family and it has been a complete game changer to have a separate work from home space. If you are looking for more space in your home but cannot handle the disruption that a traditional renovationhome addition would create, I highly recommend an ADU and I highly recommend Makara to be the ones who build it."

Chris C

2021-05-03
"I found out about this company via a referral. They had done work for a neighbor and they thought they may be able to do work on my home. Initially, I contacted them and it took about a week for them to get back to me. Then I followed up with another email and we scheduled a call. They finally came out for a quote a week later. The rep they sent out was an hour late and called after being 20 minutes late. He took no measurements, offered no real ideas or suggestions. He repeated that this is a "small" job by his standards. wait for the quote price below. We ended the meeting by agreeing to work on a quote. After more than two weeks and a check-in by me only to find out he was "out of office" yet had no out-of-office message on his email he sent a quote for 23k. I guess that's small for him but that is a significant amount for a regular person like myself. I bounced some ideas off of him and he was responsive for all of 48 hours. One idea I offered up he quoted me double what the initial quote was. I decided to go back to the original quote. Then the wait began. One week. Then two weeks. My check-in email was replied to with the impression that I was bothering him just by asking about permits needs. Then nothing. Never a reply. No final quote. Just ghosted me like a high schooler dumping their boyfriend. I am embarrassed for them. No engineer ever visited. No ideas or suggestions were ever offered. Just an overall terrible experience from start to finish. If they couldn't do the job or the job wasn't worth their time I could think of a half dozen more professional ways to handle it. Instead Brian at Makara Builders decided 23,000 was not worth even their reputation. I was sure to relay my experience to my neighbor who referred them and they do not plan on recommending them any further. Spend your hard earned money with a company that treats you like you are in a partnership and not a burden barely worth an email reply."
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Specifics

Opening hours

Monday 7:30AM - 6:30PM
Tuesday 7:30AM - 6:30PM
Wednesday 7:30AM - 6:30PM
Thursday 7:30AM - 6:30PM
Friday 7:30AM - 6:30PM
Saturday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Sunday 9:30AM - 4:00PM

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