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HomeCat Launches Tool for Designing Backyard Offices

Developers Ilya and Nikita have launched HomeCat, a web tool that turns an address and target size into code-compliant backyard office concepts.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-08 06:59

The tool, available at myhomecat.com, was originally created to design sheds. The developers, Ilya and Nikita, said in the post that they quickly realized many shed customers actually wanted a backyard office, and that there was no easy way to design one. “We thought we’d take on the challenge,” they wrote.

HomeCat works by having a user enter their address and the size of the proposed structure, such as an 8x8 backyard office. The program then generates several concept designs, which the user can adjust through a chat interface. The developers said the tool handles about 90% of the code-compliance work, though local zoning, homeowners association rules and other edge cases can still require manual attention.

As an example, the team shared a link to a design that is compliant in San Francisco: https://myhomecat.com/scene/classic-cottage-137134ef. In the Hacker News thread, they also offered a free professional design for any community member who comments with what they are looking to build. The post appeared on Labor Day.