Architecture firm · Oakland, CA · reviewed since 2021
iHow the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%93+54.6Reliability 26%87+22.7Value 15%83+12.6Craft & service penalty97−0.3Experts Score= 90Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews.90SCORE
AGradeiLetter from the Experts Score: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39, F = under 20.
#3 of 12 architectsiPosition by Experts Score among all companies we track in this category. · better than 82%
5.0★★★★★14 Google reviews · 23 photos
100%five-star reviews
0%1–2★, last 14 reviewsiShare of 1–2★ reviews in the last 24 months — or the 20 newest reviews when the company had fewer than 20 in that time.
Google reviewers rate Inspired ADUs five stars based on fourteen reviews, noting that the firm designs efficient, high-end backyard living spaces and garage conversions. Clients frequently highlight the team's responsiveness, attention to detail, and ability to navigate complex zoning or permit issues while staying within budget. The firm offers pre-made floor plans and connects clients with contractors, facilitating a smooth process from initial design through construction. No common criticisms appear in the provided excerpts, as all reviews are positive.
Google rating: 5.0 out of 5 from 14 reviews (100% five-star).
Reviews on this page: 14 Google reviews (13 with written comments, 2 with photos).
Owner responses: the business replied to 21% of reviews.
Most recent review: March 8, 2024.
Service: Architect serving Oakland, California.
Data from Google, last updated November 11, 2026.
Score profile vs other architects
Score per factor (100 = best)iEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (star average, share of 1–2★ reviews, price verdicts…); standing within the category can only raise it, never lower it.. Strongest: craft & service and satisfaction; weakest: value.
Inspired ADUsArchitects median0 = centre, 100 = best
SatisfactioniSatisfaction · 54% of the scoreRecency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.Inspired ADUs: 93/100 on this factor. Category median: 85.A
93
ReliabilityiReliability · 24% of the scoreHow rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.Inspired ADUs: 87/100 on this factor. Category median: 85.A
87
Craft & serviceiCraft & service · penalty only, up to −10 pointsGoogle review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.Inspired ADUs: 97/100 on this factor. Category median: 97.A
97
ValueiValue · 14% of the scoreCustomers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Inspired ADUs: 83/100 on this factor. Category median: 99.A
83
MomentumiMomentum · penalty only, up to −10 pointsPenalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.Not enough reviews for this factor yet. Category median: 100.–
–
Replies to reviewsiReplies to reviews · 7% of the scoreHow often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Not enough reviews for this factor yet. Category median: 47.–
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Bar = this company · dark tick = category median.
Star ratings
14 Google reviews we collected
5.0of 5
5 stars14100%
4 stars00%
3 stars00%
2 stars00%
1 star00%
Praise vs complaints
Phrases our text analysis found in 13 written reviews
100%praise
Praise26100%
Complaints00%
Topic share
How often each topic comes up in the written reviews
7topics
Staff & attitude727%
Speed & response623%
Would recommend519%
Quality & results312%
Communication28%
Honesty & trust28%
Price & value14%
What customers talk about
We read 13 written reviews and marked every phrase about these topics. The same colors are highlighted in the reviews.
“We're very pleased with the output and the team was very professional and creative.”
“Carrie and Evren worked closely with the City of Piedmont and my contractor to facilitate timely approval and construction of the project.”
“I recommend Carrie so highly, that I will recommend Inspired ADUs to my son, if he decides to do the major remodel he's considering.”
“Their attention to detail and ability to understand the needs of the project make the process of building an ADU smooth and joyful.”
“They are creative and knowledgeable about the whole ADU process, really listened to my wishes, and kept me informed throughout.”
“She's a great listener, very respectful, and has endless integrity.”
“They had many completed floor plans to pick from, many examples of their completed projects and an upfront cost structure.”
People customers mention
Carrie6 reviews
Evren3 reviews
praise complaint · found by our text analysis, Google review wording unchanged.
Recent reviews
Dayna10 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 years ago★★★★★
Carrie was incredible!! We desperately wanted an ADU but have restrictions in our backyard. She made the plan work even with set backs and power lines. When I started to question the project and was grappling with not wanting to “force” the build, it was Carrie who helped me gain perspective and allowed me to…
+ Responsiveness+ Punctuality+ Quality
SJLocal Guide · 64 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 years ago★★★★★
Really like what these people are doing... Very much enjoy following the process.
David1 reviewiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 years ago★★★★★
Inspired ADUs designed a modern, high-end backyard living space for me with everything I needed to feel totally comfortable downsizing and moving out of the house I had lived in for 40 years. Carrie and Evren were a pleasure to work with. Their design featuring vaulted ceilings, sky lights and indoor/outdoor living…
Karim2 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 years ago★★★★★
Carrie and her team helped us convert our tiny garage into a beautiful and efficient ADU. We're very pleased with the output and the team was very professional and creative.
Gabrielle3 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 3 years ago★★★★★
We feel so fortunate to have heard Carrie speak at a housing conference and learn about Inspired ADU's. Carrie, Evren and the team are smart, efficient, welcoming of collaboration and so helpful with their library of tiny house resources. Carrie and Evren are a delight to work with as well. We highly recommend them.
Ruth1 reviewiTotal number of Google reviews this person has written across all businesses on Google Maps (not just this one). More reviews usually means a more experienced, trustworthy reviewer. · 4 years ago★★★★★
Carrie and the full staff at Inspired ADUs were fantastic for the 18 months we worked with them from architectural design through the finishing details of our ADU. They were always responsive to our input and requests; they recommended a great construction group and landscape designer; and there was never a detail…
Carrie was incredible!! We desperately wanted an ADU but have restrictions in our backyard. She made the plan work even with set backs and power lines. When I started to question the project and was grappling with not wanting to “force” the build, it was Carrie who helped me gain perspective and allowed me to gracefully back out….for now.
She made me realize that ADUs are t going away. That if I choose to build in the future, I can come right back to her.
I would absolutely use Inspired ADU. It’s my only sadness of choosing not to build-not getting to do a project together.
Positive: Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Response from the owner · 3 years ago
Dayna, thank you so much for the review. Our goal is to make sure people find the right solution, even if it means you don't move forward with your ADU. I am glad our work together helped you and your family figure out your goals!
SJ RLocal Guide · 64 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews SJ has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Inspired ADUs designed a modern, high-end backyard living space for me with everything I needed to feel totally comfortable downsizing and moving out of the house I had lived in for 40 years. Carrie and Evren were a pleasure to work with. Their design featuring vaulted ceilings, sky lights and indoor/outdoor living makes it a pleasure to live in a smaller space. The exterior features complement the craftsman style of the main house built in 1918. Carrie and Evren worked closely with the City of Piedmont and my contractor to facilitate timely approval and construction of the project.
Response from the owner · 3 years ago
David thank you so much for your kind words! We are so proud of your ADU our first T shape!
Karim Wahba2 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Karim has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Carrie and her team helped us convert our tiny garage into a beautiful and efficient ADU. We're very pleased with the output and the team was very professional and creative.
Cyn Lubow9 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Cyn has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
I hired Carrie Shores Diller to design the ADU I planned to live in the rest of my life. The stakes were high. She impressed me so much that I really didn't even consider anyone else. To begin with, she's so joyful, funny, smart, warm, and kind, I knew I would enjoy a process that could be pretty miserable. In fact, she turned out to be not only a joy to work with, but a brilliant, incredibly talented and knowledgable architect and designer. I've live in the house for almost 6 months now, and it's designed to be virtually indestructible, functions exactly the way I wanted and looks absolutely gorgeous.
Carrie took the sketches I'd been drawing, dreaming of my own space for years and turned them into my dream house. Despite my complete lack of skill, she understood what I wanted and made it a reality. It was complicated--I had many asks, some of them unusual. She's a great listener, very respectful, and has endless integrity. She was encouraging when I got scared or despairing and she solved every problem, answered every frantic question and made it all work.
I recommend Carrie so highly, that I will recommend Inspired ADUs to my son, if he decides to do the major remodel he's considering.
Gabrielle Tierney3 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Gabrielle has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
We feel so fortunate to have heard Carrie speak at a housing conference and learn about Inspired ADU's. Carrie, Evren and the team are smart, efficient, welcoming of collaboration and so helpful with their library of tiny house resources. Carrie and Evren are a delight to work with as well. We highly recommend them.
Ruth Brousseau1 reviewiTotal number of Google reviews Ruth has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Carrie and the full staff at Inspired ADUs were fantastic for the 18 months we worked with them from architectural design through the finishing details of our ADU. They were always responsive to our input and requests; they recommended a great construction group and landscape designer; and there was never a detail too small for them to take seriously. We especially liked that when we had to made choices, from bathroom fixtures to curtains, they edited choices to be responsive to our aesthetic so we didn't need to sort through a huge number of possibilities. It also didn't hurt at all that our ADU won a local design contest
: - ). All in all, we couldn't recommend Inspired ADUs more highly!
Carmencita Valerio5 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Carmencita has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
I am so pleased that we used Inspired ADUs for the design of our beautiful 747 sf retirement bungalow.
We had interviewed several highly recommended builders and architects who said they could design our ADU for us but I wasn't convinced. What I liked about Inspired ADUs is that you could see what you were getting. They had many completed floor plans to pick from, many examples of their completed projects and an upfront cost structure.
The process was seamless. Email and phone communication was excellent. We had many decisions to make but Evren & Carrie made it easy by giving us detailed options at each stage of design: placement on the lot, roof type, floor plans, exterior and interior elevations and finishes,, etc. They listened carefully to our requests and concerns and made all the changes.
The plans were very thorough... the building department had approved it as submitted. No changes needed!
I highly recommend Evren, Carrie and the team at Inspired ADUs. We moved in a year ago, it is beautiful, perfect for us, and we couldn't be more pleased.
Sincerely,
Carmencita
PS: We had a lot of experience with plans & construction. Thirty years ago, as owner/builder, my husband built an 800+ sf addition to our main home and I did the construction take-offs (determining and ordering all materials). Also, we both had careers as Public Works inspectors.
Oriol Royo Obregon2 reviewsiTotal number of Google reviews Oriol has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
It has been a pleasure working with such highly qualified, competent, and friendly team. Their attention to detail and ability to understand the needs of the project make the process of building an ADU smooth and joyful.
Cesar Ponce1 reviewiTotal number of Google reviews Cesar has written across all businesses on Google Maps, not just this one.
Working with Carrie and her team has been a great experience. The attention to detail is amazing and I appreciated the patience they had with our questions:)
