Detached ADU · Lakemoor, Meridian, ID
A 695 sq ft Kestrel — Boise's only pre-approved two-bedroom — built on a deep newer-subdivision lot in Meridian's Lakemoor for the owners' parents: a single-level, step-free home with an HOA-matched exterior, designed so it converts cleanly to a rental once it's no longer needed for family.
Sited a detached Kestrel at the rear of a deep Lakemoor lot, set back from the main house for privacy
Cleared the exterior package — siding, roof, and color — through the subdivision HOA's ARC before permitting
Single-level, step-free design: no-threshold entry, wide doorways, and a curbless walk-in shower
Two private bedrooms plus an open kitchen-dining-living so a parent and caregiver each have their own space
Separate electrical meter and a full kitchen finished to rental spec for a clean conversion later
Premium finish tier — quartz counters, tile shower surround, and upgraded LVP throughout
The challenge
The owners wanted to move aging parents onto the property without anyone giving up independence, which ruled out a studio or one-bedroom — they needed two real bedrooms for a parent plus a caregiver. The lot could take it: Lakemoor is a newer Meridian subdivision with deep backyards, so the largest pre-approved plan fit without crowding the house. The harder parts were the HOA, whose architectural review board signs off on siding, roofline, and color before anything gets permitted, and the long view — the family didn't want a single-purpose granny flat they couldn't repurpose once it was no longer needed.
Our approach
The 695 sq ft Kestrel is the only pre-approved two-bedroom in the City of Boise set, and it permits as fast as the smaller plans — so the family got a full second household without a custom design cycle. We built it single-level and step-free from the slab up: no-threshold entry, wider doorways, and a curbless shower, so the parents can age in place rather than into a remodel. The exterior package went to Lakemoor's ARC before permitting so siding, roof, and color matched the neighborhood and cleared review the first time. Underneath the accessibility, it's a standard two-bedroom dwelling — separately metered, full kitchen, real bath — so nothing about the family layout boxes it in.
The outcome
The build ran about seven months contract-to-keys. The parents have their own two-bedroom home a few steps from the main house, on one level with no stairs or thresholds to manage. Because it was metered and plumbed as a true dwelling — not a converted bonus room — converting it to a long-term rental down the road is a tenant search, not a renovation. Two-bedroom rentals in this part of the valley draw the widest tenant pool and the lowest turnover of any plan, so the same building that keeps family close now becomes durable income later.
"We needed two bedrooms so Mom and her caregiver each had their own room, and we needed it on one level with no steps. The HOA approval went through clean, and we like that if things change, it's already set up to rent."
Greg & Anita S.
Lakemoor, Meridian
City
Zoning, plans, and local fit for Meridian ADU builds.
Cost
Real 2026 pricing by plan and finish for this market.
Plan
The largest pre-approved Boise plan — a 695 sq ft two-bedroom that lives like a small house.
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