An owner planned to demolish a detached garage and construct a new detached accessory dwelling unit on the existing slab. The primary residence was outside the described scope of work.
The insurance application offered a choice between new construction and remodeling. Reusing the slab made the answer feel less obvious.
The analysis began with the structure being insured. The project involved removing the garage and creating a new dwelling, rather than improving a retained garage building. On that description, the working recommendation was to submit the project as new construction while expressly disclosing the reused slab and seeking the underwriter’s acceptance.
That was a submission recommendation, not evidence that a particular insurer had approved the classification.
US Assure’s guidance distinguishes new construction from remodeling and emphasizes the presence of an existing structure in renovation projects. It provides a useful starting point, but it does not independently settle this project’s particular foundation-reuse question. US Assure project classification guidance.
A useful project description would explain that the detached garage is being demolished, a new detached ADU is being built, the existing slab is intended to remain, and the primary residence is outside the construction scope. If walls, framing, or other components will also be retained, the description must say so.
Several practical questions remain beyond the application checkbox. Has the slab been approved for the proposed use? What demolition work precedes construction? When does insurance attach? How does the proposed policy treat retained components, and what property is actually included?
Those questions prevent a classification label from concealing important facts. They also help distinguish the new project from the primary residence, which should not be assumed covered merely because it shares the site.
The discussion ended with a proposed classification and disclosure approach. It did not document engineering approval, carrier acceptance, or placement.
The transferable lesson is to describe the work first. The insurer can then evaluate the classification against the actual demolition, retained components, and new construction.
Anonymized field note. Final classification and coverage require carrier review of the specific project.