Flexible Financing for ADU in Fontana
Building an ADU in Fontana is one of the larger investments you’ll make in your property, and we don’t think the payment side should feel harder than the construction side. Call us at (909) 637-3715 and we’ll walk through what your project actually costs, then how to make the numbers work. At Ellery ADU Studio Fontana, we’ve helped homeowners from Southridge to Hunter’s Ridge spread their ADU investment across manageable terms without the runaround you get from typical construction financing.
Payment Options We Offer
Financing Plans
We work with lending partners who understand ADU construction specifically, not just generic home improvement loans. These aren’t retail credit cards with teaser rates; they’re installment structures designed for projects that take 4 to 8 months from permit to final inspection. Most Fontana clients who finance fall somewhere in the middle of the credit spectrum, and we see approvals for projects ranging from garage conversions near Merrill Avenue to full detached units in the northern pockets of the city. The key is that your written price from Haven Standard Clause 1 becomes your loan amount, so there’s no gap between what you borrowed and what you actually owe the builder.
Major Credit Cards
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover for deposits and progress payments. Some clients use cards for the initial design retainer to earn points or manage cash flow during the permitting phase, which in Fontana typically runs 3 to 5 months through the city’s Planning and Building & Safety departments. There’s no surcharge for card payments, and we document each charge in your photo record so your statements match our invoices line for line.
Cash or Check
Paying by cash or check earns a prompt-pay consideration on most projects, applied as a line-item credit in your written quote. We’ve had clients in the Sierra Lakes area fund entirely from a HELOC draw, then pay us by check to capture the simplicity of a single obligation. However you structure it, we require no payment until you’ve signed a scope with a fixed price under Clause 1, and we never ask for final payment until your 365-Day Done Right Promise documentation is in hand.
Up-Front Written Pricing
This isn’t a payment method, but it’s the foundation of every payment method we offer. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, your price is written, itemized, and locked before any work starts. That means your lender sees the real number, not an estimate that balloons later. We’ve seen too many Fontana homeowners get approved for one amount, then hit with a change order that their financing doesn’t cover. Our photo record backs up every line item, so if there’s a foundation surprise in a Shady Hills garage conversion, we document it, price it, and get your written approval before the cost moves.
Simple Application Process
Step 1: Talk to us about your project. Call (909) 637-3715 or schedule a site visit. We’ll look at your property, check Fontana’s zoning for your specific parcel, and give you a realistic construction range. No credit pull, no paperwork, just the actual numbers based on 900+ ADUs we’ve designed, permitted, and built since 2015.
Step 2: Quick pre-qualify conversation. If financing makes sense for your timeline, we’ll connect you with a lending specialist who handles ADU construction regularly. This is a soft inquiry in most cases, and you’ll know within a day or two what structures you qualify for. We don’t shop your information to multiple lenders; one conversation, clear options.
Step 3: Choose your plan and lock your price. Once you select a payment approach, we finalize your written quote under Haven Standard Clause 1, pull permits, and schedule your pre-construction meeting. Your payment schedule aligns with construction milestones, not arbitrary calendar dates, so you fund as we deliver.
Before
AfterFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, we offer installment financing through lending partners who specialize in ADU construction loans, not generic personal credit. Most clients use these plans for projects between $80,000 and $250,000, though your specific terms depend on credit history and project scope. Call (909) 637-3715 to discuss what your monthly payment might look like, estimates are free.
You’ll need proof of income, a recent credit report, and your property’s preliminary title report, which we help you obtain during the design phase. Our lending partners also require our written quote under Haven Standard Clause 1, since they want to fund a fixed scope, not a moving target. The whole package typically comes together in under a week for clients who have their financial documents organized. Call (909) 637-3715 and we’ll send you the exact checklist so nothing gets chased twice.
No, our estimates are free, and they include a site visit, a zoning check against Fontana’s current ADU ordinance, and a written line-item quote under Haven Standard Clause 1. We also offer a Free Second Opinion if you already have another contractor’s estimate in hand, we’ll review it against current city fees and typical construction costs in your Fontana neighborhood and tell you where the gaps are. Call (909) 637-3715 to schedule either service.
Our prompt-pay consideration for cash or check payments is built into your written quote and cannot be stacked with financed installment terms, since the lender sets the payback structure. However, we do structure draws so that clients using HELOC funds or similar self-directed financing can still capture timing advantages if their cash is available before loan disbursement. We’ll map the specific math in your pre-construction meeting so you don’t leave money on the table. Call (909) 637-3715 to walk through your scenario, estimates are free.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Fontana, serving Fontana since 2015.