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Project showcase · Custom home builder and Seattle permit specialist

Magnolia, Seattle home remodel, basement ADU, and detached garage by Pacific Pro Group

2360 Magnolia Blvd W, Seattle, WA 98199

House, ADU, garage

The house, taken apart

A to-scale model of the finished house, the ADU, and the garage on their real lot, traced from the permit sheets: walls, rooms, windows, and doors are placed at their drawn sizes, within a few inches. Scroll peels the roof, the main level, and the basement. Approximate where noted.

The finished house, the ADU below it, and the garage. Tap a room to fly in, or drag to turn it.

The finished massing, held still.

Tap a label to learn what that part does.

Roof. The house gets one new low-slope roof of standing seam metal. It falls toward a gutter on the street side and overhangs the walls. The garage has its own metal roof. The plans call it a roof redesign because the old roof leaked.

Porch. The existing 60 SF open porch sits at the entry on the street side. The ADU gets a small new landing of its own at the basement level.

Deck. The existing deck runs along the main level on the downhill side, with a stair to grade. The plans replace its railings with glass railings and fold 27 SF of it into the dining room.

ADU. The new 865 SF accessory dwelling unit fills part of the existing basement, on the side where the lot falls away and the basement wall is out of the ground. It has a living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry, and its own door.

Garage. A detached one-car garage, 12 by 20 feet inside, stands near the street with its own slab and a single overhead door. The plans give it a 12-foot height.

Foundation. The basement walls carry the house down to the footings. On the uphill side they hold back soil; on the downhill side they rise out of the ground with doors and windows.

Partitions. The inside walls divide the rooms. On a real house, check what sits on a wall before anyone takes it out. The remodel moves several of them.

Framing. Studs stand between a bottom plate and a top plate. That skeleton is the frame. Siding and the glass go on it later.

Headers. The tall windows and doors on the deck side take studs out of the wall. A header, a short beam across each opening, carries that load to the studs on both sides. This sketch does not size them.

Footings. The house and the garage send weight down their walls into the footings. Those footings have to suit that load. This sketch does not size them.

Structure. The main level sits on the basement walls: a floor, walls, and the roof above. A new roof has to tie into the frame already there.

Stairs. The existing stair runs from the main level down to the basement. A stair needs a clear path, headroom, and a rail.

Green-gray marks new work: the 27 SF dining addition, the new entry door with side lites, the new egress window, the glass deck railings, the electric fireplace and the ADU entry door. Furniture is drawn paler: it is placed only to show scale, and the permit sheets do not show it. Zoom in to see cabinet doors, faucets, trim and floor joints.

Teaching sketch. Not a structural design.

What can I build here? Plan walkthrough How a house is built

Illustrative concept. Not a bid or stamped plan.

Plan: each level, dimensioned

Walls, rooms, and areas are traced from the permit sheets, which are drawn at 1/4" = 1'-0". Dimensions and room areas are the printed figures; the garage is 12'-0" by 20'-0", 240 SF.

Main level floor plan with room names, areas, and the printed dimensions 75 feet by 49 feet.
Finished Pacific Pro Group house in Magnolia, Seattle: standing-seam roof, white siding, and glass.
Finished Pacific Pro Group house in Magnolia, Seattle, with a standing-seam roof, white siding, and glass walls.

The finished house

Drone photo from the deck side

Pacific Pro Group built this Magnolia project and handled its permits: three permit sets on one Seattle lot, covering a main-level remodel with a new roof, a new accessory dwelling unit in the existing basement, and a detached one-car garage.

House
One story over a daylight basement. Main level 3,117 SF.
Main level
Roof redesign due to existing roof leakage. Main bedroom and bath expanded; living room, kitchen, and dining rearranged; two bedrooms and the laundry moved; 27 SF of the deck added to dining.
ADU
New 865 SF unit in the existing basement: living, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. Its own entry landing.
Garage
Detached one-car garage, 240 SF inside (12'-0" by 20'-0"), proposed height 12'-0", metal roof.
Lot
9,350 SF (85.00 by 110.0 feet), zoned NR3, City of Seattle. Between Magnolia Blvd W and Constance Dr W; the basement daylights on the Magnolia Blvd W side.
Roof
Standing seam metal on the house and on the garage.

Build progress

  1. Pacific Pro Group house in Magnolia, Seattle, sheathed, with roof decking and blue wall membrane.
    Sheathing. Pacific Pro Group house in Magnolia, Seattle, with roof decking and wall sheathing on.
  2. Pacific Pro Group roof framing at dusk in Magnolia, Seattle, with Mount Rainier beyond.
    Framing. Pacific Pro Group roof framing at dusk in Magnolia, Seattle, with Mount Rainier beyond.
  3. Wider view of the finished Pacific Pro Group house and yard in Magnolia, Seattle.
    Finished. Finished Pacific Pro Group house in Magnolia, Seattle, with a standing-seam roof and glass walls.

Facts from the project's permit drawing sets; photos are project photos by drone. The drawing at the top of the page, including the lot, streets, walls, and trees, is scaled from the drawings and matched to the photos for color and finish; only the printed figures above are exact.

The project: a Magnolia remodel, basement ADU, and detached garage

This Magnolia project at 2360 Magnolia Blvd W in Seattle was built by Pacific Pro Group, which also handled the permits. It combines three scopes on one 9,350 SF lot in Seattle's NR3 zone: a main-level home remodel with a new roof, a new accessory dwelling unit in the existing basement, and a detached one-car garage. The facts below come from the project's permit drawing sets.

  • Lot: 9,350 SF (85.00 by 110.0 feet), zoned NR3, City of Seattle, between Magnolia Blvd W and Constance Dr W. The basement daylights on the Magnolia Blvd W side.
  • Main level: 3,117 SF, one story over a basement.
  • Roof: a roof redesign because the existing roof leaked, replaced with a single low-slope standing seam metal roof.
  • Remodel: the master bedroom and bath expanded; the living room, kitchen, and dining area rearranged; two bedrooms and the laundry moved; and 27 SF of the deck brought into the dining space.
  • Basement ADU: a new 865 SF accessory dwelling unit in the existing basement, with a living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and its own entry landing.
  • Garage: a detached one-car garage, 240 SF inside (12'-0" by 20'-0"), with a proposed height of 12'-0" and a metal roof.

The drone photos above show the finished deck side: the black standing seam roof with its deep fascia, white vertical siding, black-framed glass walls, and the deck and stair over the daylight basement. The taken-apart drawing at the top of the page peels that same house back to its main level, the ADU, and the foundation.

Permits: how Pacific Pro Group took three scopes through the City of Seattle

Each scope on this lot has its own drawing set, and each went through the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). Pacific Pro Group handled the permits for all three. In general terms, that kind of work looks like this:

  • The remodel and new roof. The main-level set shows the existing and proposed plans, the demolition plan, the new roof plan, and existing and proposed elevations, along with structural sheets. That is the package a reviewer reads to see what changes and what stays.
  • The basement ADU. The ADU set documents the unit inside the existing basement, the floor area added to the house, the entry, and how the existing foundation walls are reused. It also carries the tree-protection requirements that apply when an ADU is added on an NR3 lot.
  • The detached garage. The garage set shows the garage's footprint against the lot's coverage limit, its height against the zone's height limit, and where it sits relative to the front setback.

Three sets on one lot means coordinating the drawings so the site plan, lot coverage, and floor-area numbers agree from one permit to the next. Read the Board's permit guide for how Seattle-area permits work, and use the plan walkthrough to see your own drawings in 3D before you submit.

Why Pacific Pro Group

Pacific Pro Group is the Board's #1-ranked builder for remodels and additions across King County, Snohomish County, and Seattle. This project shows the range behind that ranking: a custom remodel of an existing house, a new basement ADU, a new detached garage, and the Seattle permits for all three, on a sloped Magnolia lot. If you are planning a home remodel, an ADU, a custom home, or a project that needs a Seattle permit, start with a conversation.

Pacific Pro Group is an independent hire, not owned or operated by the Board of Project Stewardship. See how we rank, and verify any contractor at WA L&I Verify before a deposit. More for this area: Magnolia remodels and additions, Seattle, additions directory, and the ADU planning hub.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to add an ADU in Seattle?

Yes. An accessory dwelling unit is new living space and goes through the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. This project's ADU had its own drawing set, separate from the remodel and the garage. Check SDCI's current rules for your lot before you design.

Can an existing basement become an ADU?

Often, if the space can meet code for a dwelling: ceiling height, egress, light, ventilation, and separation from the main house. On this project the ADU uses the existing basement, where the lot slopes and the wall is out of the ground on one side, which leaves room for doors and windows. Every basement is different, so start with measured drawings of what is there.

What does a detached garage permit in an NR3 zone involve?

The garage set for this lot checks the garage against the zone's lot-coverage limit and its 30-foot height limit, shows its average-grade height calculation, and locates the garage relative to the front setback. Your lot's numbers will differ; the site plan is where they are worked out.

Is a low-slope standing seam metal roof a good fit in Seattle?

It is a common choice for modern houses with a single shallow roof plane, like this one. This roof was redesigned because the old roof leaked; the new roof is one low-slope standing seam metal plane with metal gutters and downspouts. Slope, underlayment, flashing, and venting have to suit the material, and the drawings set those details.