Prefab ADU brands market the same promise: factory-built, faster, cheaper. But when you go looking for the actual price of an 800 sq ft unit, the industry splits in two. Two brands publish numbers you can check before a sales call. Three don’t.
This post holds the same program constant — 800 square feet, detached, Los Angeles County — and reports what each brand’s official website actually says. Nothing here is estimated, extrapolated, or quoted from a press interview. Where a brand doesn’t publish a price, we say so.
The short answer
| Brand | 800 sq ft model | Published price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Homes | H800 (2BR/2BA) | From $282,000 | Complete project pricing — design, permitting, construction, installation |
| Villa Homes | C800 (2BR/2BA) | From $278,000 | Complete project pricing |
| Villa Homes | 800 Comfort (2BR/1.5BA) | From $261,000 | Complete project pricing |
| Abodu | 800 (2BR/2BA) | From $424,800 all-in | Home ($328,800) + typical installation ($96,000) |
| Boxabl | Casita (studio, ~391 sq ft) | Not published | Official site shows financing “starting at $895/mo” only |
| Dvele | — | Not published | No pricing on official site |
| Mighty Buildings | — | Not published | No pricing on official site |
The gap between the two published numbers is the real story of this post: $282,000 vs $424,800 for 800 square feet — a $142,800 difference — both from companies that call their pricing “transparent.” They are not selling the same scope, and that is exactly what you need to see before comparing the numbers.
What each published price actually covers
Villa Homes — from $261,000 to $282,000 (800 sq ft)
Villa publishes a full product grid on villahomes.com with “complete project pricing” for every model. Three models hit 800 sq ft:
- H800: 800 sq ft, 2 bed / 2 bath — from $282,000
- C800: 800 sq ft, 2 bed / 2 bath — from $278,000
- 800 Comfort: 800 sq ft, 2 bed / 1.5 bath — from $261,000
That works out to roughly $326–$353 per square foot — the closest any published prefab number gets to our modeled modular all-in of $288,000.
Villa describes this as turnkey: design, permitting, construction, and installation. Their own pricing page carries a disclaimer that estimates are subject to change and final terms are set in the project services agreement — read it as a starting figure, not a quote.
Abodu — from $424,800 all-in (800 sq ft)
Abodu’s fixed-pricing page on abodu.com splits every model into two numbers: a home price and a typical installation price. For the 800 sq ft, 2BR/2BA model:
- Home: from $328,800 — factory construction, architectural and interior design, civil engineering, permits and plan check, fire sprinklers, delivery
- Typical installation: $96,000 — foundation, site work, utility trenching, crane, project management
- Expected all-in: from $424,800 — roughly $531 per square foot
That is $104,800 above our site-built series baseline of $320,000 for the same square footage. Abodu’s premium buys a fully managed process and architect-designed product — but it is not the discount path. Note what installation excludes per their page: boundary survey, longer trenching or crane distances, demolition, tree removal, unique site engineering, and sales tax are quoted separately.
The three brands that don’t publish
Boxabl. The boxabl.com homepage advertises financing “starting at $895/mo” for the Casita studio (~391 sq ft — half the program we compare). The company has stated unit prices in press interviews, but no purchase price is published on the official site. Without an official figure, we report nothing.
Dvele. The dvele.com site describes net-zero modular homes with solar and battery systems standard — but publishes no pricing. Their positioning is premium and self-powered, which tells you the direction of the price without giving you the number.
Mighty Buildings. The mightybuildings.com projects page shows 3D-printed designs including a 1-story ADU — but publishes no pricing. The company has claimed production costs “up to 45% less than comparable homes” in press materials, which is a cost claim about their factory, not a price you can pay.
This is not a criticism. All three are legitimate companies. But “transparent pricing” is a marketing phrase until there is a number on the website — and three of the five biggest names in prefab ADU don’t have one.
Six-phase ledger: what the published prices map to
Mapping the two published brands onto our six-phase ledger (800 sq ft, LA County):
| Phase | Villa H800 ($282,000) | Abodu 800 ($424,800) |
|---|---|---|
| Soft costs (design, permits, plan check) | Included in complete price | Included in home price |
| Site work + foundation | Included in complete price | Included in installation ($96,000 covers foundation + site work) |
| Framing + structure | Included (factory) | Included (factory) |
| Building envelope | Included (factory) | Included (factory) |
| Systems + interior | Included (factory) | Included (factory) |
| Landscaping & hardscape | Confirm — scope varies | Confirm — scope varies |
| Crane, transport & staging | Included in complete price | Included in installation |
| Total | From $282,000 ($353/sq ft) | From $424,800 ($531/sq ft) |
Both brands wrap the factory phases (3–5) and logistics into one number. The $142,800 gap lives in design pedigree, project management depth, and brand positioning — not in square footage.
Neither published price includes a contingency (budget 10–15% yourself) or landscaping beyond basic scope. And Abodu’s installation exclusions — survey, extended trenching, demolition, tree removal — are exactly the site-specific items that turn a published price into a real one.
How to use this comparison
- Don’t compare unit prices to all-in prices. Villa’s $282,000 is a complete project figure. Abodu’s $328,800 home price is not — you need the $424,800 all-in for an apples-to-apples read.
- Treat unpublished prices as unknown, not as zero. Boxabl, Dvele, and Mighty Buildings may be cheaper or more expensive than both published brands. There is no way to know from their websites.
- Ask for the installation exclusions in writing. Abodu publishes theirs; ask Villa and the other three for the same list before you sign.
- Run any quote through the six-phase ledger. Our worksheet is free and takes any contractor or prefab number apart by phase.
Methodology and sources
Every price in this post was read from the brand’s official website on 9 October 2026. No third-party articles, press interviews, or aggregator sites were used for pricing.
| Brand | Source | What was found |
|---|---|---|
| Abodu | abodu.com/fixed-pricing | Full model grid with home price, typical installation, and expected all-in |
| Villa Homes | villahomes.com/products | Complete project pricing per model; pricing disclaimer noted |
| Boxabl | boxabl.com | Financing “starting at $895/mo” shown; no unit purchase price published |
| Dvele | dvele.com | No pricing published |
| Mighty Buildings | mightybuildings.com/projects-and-designs | Designs shown; no pricing published |
Per-square-foot figures are our arithmetic (price ÷ 800), rounded to the nearest dollar. The modular-vs-site-built modeled comparison is at modular vs site-built.
If a brand publishes pricing we missed, or a published figure changes, we want to know. See Corrections.
Our position
We don’t build ADUs. We don’t sell plans. We don’t sell your information to contractors. No figure on this site has been paid for or reviewed by anyone whose costs we publish. More on About.
Prices are as published on brand websites, 9 October 2026, before site-specific adjustments. “From” prices are starting figures, not quotes. This is construction cost information — not a quote, and not legal, engineering, or financial advice. Confirm requirements with your local building department and a licensed California contractor.
Frequently asked questions
Which prefab ADU brand is cheapest in California?
Of the brands that publish prices, Villa Homes is lowest: from $261,000 (800 Comfort) to $282,000 (H800) complete project pricing for 800 sq ft. Abodu’s 800 sq ft model starts at $424,800 all-in. Boxabl, Dvele, and Mighty Buildings don’t publish prices, so they can’t be ranked.
Why is Abodu so much more expensive than Villa?
They sell different scopes and positioning. Abodu’s all-in includes architect design, dedicated project management, and a premium factory product. Villa’s complete project pricing covers the same phases at a lower price point. The $142,800 gap is brand, design, and service depth — not square footage.
Does Boxabl publish ADU prices?
Not on boxabl.com. The official site shows financing starting at $895/mo for the Casita studio. The company has discussed unit prices in press interviews, but we only report what the official site publishes.
Are prefab ADUs cheaper than site-built?
Sometimes. Our modeled comparison puts modular at $288,000 vs $320,000 site-built for 800 sq ft — about 10% lower after crane and transport. Villa’s published $282,000 lands close to that model. Abodu’s $424,800 lands well above it.
Where should I read next?
For the full modular-vs-site-built breakdown, see modular vs site-built. For reading any contractor or prefab quote line by line, see how to read an ADU bid.