SwagerBuilds LLC · 4510 E 168 N, Rigby, ID 83442 · (208) 520-0636

Custom ADU Builds in Teton Valley + Jackson Hole — Fixed-Price ADUs, Guest Houses, Garage Conversions

If you have a lot in Driggs, Victor, Alta, or Jackson and you’re pricing out an ADU, a guest house, or a garage conversion, this is the page. SwagerBuilds LLC is a 4th-generation Rigby GC running fixed-price contracts, no allowances, and a JobTread client portal so you can see the budget and schedule in real time. Twenty years of general contracting in this valley. I build detached ADUs, attached ADUs, garage conversions, guest houses for the Jackson rental market, and mother-in-law suites for multigenerational households. If you’re figuring out whether to add on, convert existing space, or build detached, start here.

Start Your ADU Price

Types of ADUs We Build

Detached ADU

Standalone building on its own footprint. Common footprint is 400-1,200 sf, one or two bedrooms, full kitchen and bath. Used for long-term rental income, short-term rental where zoning allows, family housing, or a caretaker unit. Independent utilities or sub-metered off the main house. Teton County ID and Teton County WY have different max-size rules. We work to your specific parcel.

Attached ADU

Bump-out addition or over-garage build that shares a wall with the main house but has its own entry, kitchen, and bath. Cheaper than detached because you share utilities and one wall, but permit path and setbacks still need attention. Good option if your lot is tight or your HOA/CC&Rs restrict detached structures.

Garage Conversion

Existing garage converted to full ADU. On paper it looks cheap. In reality, you’re adding insulation, egress windows, a heating system, plumbing rough-in, a proper vapor barrier, and usually a code-compliant slab that the original garage doesn’t have. I’ve done a lot of these. The honest number is usually higher than clients expect but still lower than detached new construction.

Guest House

Seasonal-use guest cottage, often used for Jackson rental market or family that visits three months a year. Slightly different from an ADU in some jurisdictions (guest houses can’t have a full kitchen in some Teton WY zoning districts). I walk you through what your zoning allows before we design.

Mother-in-Law Suite

Multigenerational living, usually attached or over-garage, designed with aging-in-place features: single-level living, wider doorways, curbless shower, main-floor bedroom. Can be built with a lockoff door so it functions as a family suite now and a private ADU rental later.

What This Costs

Straight answer: real range depends on site work, finish level, utility runs, and permit path. A detached ADU on a Driggs lot with existing power at the road is a different number than an over-garage ADU in Jackson that needs a truss retrofit and a new stair. On your /start/ intake, you get a fixed-price quote in 5-10 days. No allowances. No “TBD” line items. No calls in month three about “the plumbing came in higher than we thought.”

If you want a rough gut-check before intake, we’ve seen recent TV+Jackson ADUs land in a wide per-square-foot range depending on whether it’s a garage conversion or a fully-finished detached new build. [VERIFY WITH BRYCE — specific $/sf range to publish]

Garage conversions and attached ADUs are usually lower total dollars than detached, but the per-square-foot number can actually run higher because you’re still buying a full kitchen, a full bath, HVAC, and code upgrades in a smaller footprint. The contract you sign is the price you pay.

Why a 20-Year GC

Twenty years of building in Teton Valley and across the pass in Jackson means I know the two counties’ ADU code inside out, and I know when it’s about to change. Teton County ID has been rewriting its ADU rules on a rolling basis. Teton County WY handles ADUs differently by zoning district. Get the parcel research wrong and you spend three months in design on something the county won’t stamp. I do that research before the contract, not after.

Cold-weather concrete matters here. So does snow load on an ADU roof, which is often steeper-pitched than the main house and needs its own truss engineering. Utility runs to a detached ADU can be the biggest single line item on the whole job, especially on mountain lots. Twenty years means I’ve priced those runs enough times to know when to bring the trencher and when to ask the power co-op for their side of it first.

The Fixed-Price Process

Every SwagerBuilds ADU follows the same path. You start on /start/ with a short intake, lot photos, and rough scope. I do a site walk, usually within a week if you’re in TV or Jackson, and I pull the parcel-specific zoning notes before we meet. From there I write a fixed-price contract with the full scope line-itemed. No allowances hidden in the fine print. Once you sign, you get JobTread portal access, budget, schedule, weekly updates, photo logs, and every change order visible in one place. Weekly video walks if you’re remote. Final walk, punch, done.

Full flow: /process/.

Remote-Owner Friendly

Most ADUs I build are for owners who don’t live here full time. Salt Lake, Denver, the Bay Area, Seattle. Often the ADU is going up as a rental cash-flow play or as the family’s short-term crash pad while the main house is in design. The JobTread portal was built for this. You see the budget line items, the current schedule, the photo log from Tuesday’s inspection, and every change order in one dashboard, from your phone. Weekly video walks so you’re not guessing. Selections, subs, inspections, all managed from here.

More on how this works: /build-from-anywhere/

Where We Build

  • Driggs, ID — home base for most Teton Valley ADU and shop work
  • Victor, ID — south valley, common for rental-income ADU builds
  • Alta, WY — the Wyoming side of the valley, Teton County WY permit path
  • Tetonia, ID — north valley, larger parcels, often detached ADU room to spare
  • Jackson, WY — over Teton Pass, heavier ADU permit review, plan for a longer runway
  • Wilson, WY — west of Jackson, guest-house market is strong here
  • Teton Village, WY — resort-adjacent, HOA and design review usually in play
  • Rigby, ID — hometown work is allowed, four generations of my family have built here
  • Rexburg, ID — same, hometown work welcome, most jobs still bridge to a TV or Jackson build

FAQ

How long does it take to build a detached ADU in Teton Valley?

From signed contract to keys, plan on 5-8 months for a standard 800-1,000 sf detached ADU with slab, full kitchen, one bath, and one bedroom. That assumes permits move at normal tempo (Teton County ID is currently 4-8 weeks depending on scope) and we start dirt in a workable weather window. Jackson-side builds usually add 4-8 weeks for permit review and design approval. Garage conversions can move faster, 3-5 months, if the existing envelope is in decent shape.

What’s the max size ADU I can build in Teton County ID?

Depends on your zoning district and lot size, and Teton County ID has been actively revising ADU rules. I don’t quote code numbers on a marketing page because they move. On the site walk I pull your specific parcel’s zoning and give you the current max, plus setbacks, height limits, and parking requirements. If you’re already talking to a designer, bring their plans and I’ll flag anything that won’t stamp.

Can I do a short-term rental in my ADU?

Depends entirely on the jurisdiction. Teton County ID, Teton County WY (Jackson side), Town of Jackson, and each incorporated town in the valley have different STR rules, and they change. Some allow it on primary residences only, some require a permit, some prohibit it in certain zones. I don’t give legal advice on STR licensing, but I do tell you what I’m seeing other clients navigate right now on your side of the valley.

Is a garage conversion cheaper than a new detached ADU?

Usually yes on total dollars, sometimes no on per-square-foot. Garage conversions save you the foundation, the roof, and the shell. But you’re still buying a full kitchen, a full bath, HVAC, insulation upgrades, egress windows, and often a new slab because the original garage slab isn’t code for living space. If your garage is uninsulated, unheated, and on a marginal slab, the “conversion savings” shrink fast. I give you the honest number in the fixed-price contract.

Can I build an ADU while my main house is being built?

Yes, and this is common for out-of-state owners. Build the ADU first, live in it (or rent it) while the main house is under construction, then keep it as a rental or guest house afterward. Sequencing matters, utilities, driveway, permit timing, and I lay out the two-phase schedule in the initial contract so lender draws line up.

Do you handle the site utilities to a detached ADU?

Included in the fixed-price contract. Water, sewer or septic tie-in, power trench, gas if applicable, all scoped in the contract with actual footage from your parcel, not a guess. I don’t do the “here’s the shell, hire your own excavator for utilities” split. That’s how you end up with two contractors pointing at each other in month four.

Do you build ADUs across the state line in Jackson?

Yes. Roughly a third of my current backlog is in Teton County WY. Jackson-side ADU permits move slower than Idaho and design review is usually in play, so I build that into the schedule from day one. The fixed-price contract, the JobTread portal, the process, all the same on both sides of the pass.

Related Resources

Ready to price your ADU? Start on /start/. You get a fixed-price quote in 5-10 days. No allowances. No surprises.

Start Your ADU Price