diff --git a/android/paths.go b/android/paths.go
index 024432e..c841372 100644
--- a/android/paths.go
+++ b/android/paths.go
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@
 type WritablePath interface {
 	Path
 
+	// return the path to the build directory.
+	buildDir() string
+
 	// the writablePath method doesn't directly do anything,
 	// but it allows a struct to distinguish between whether or not it implements the WritablePath interface
 	writablePath()
@@ -848,7 +851,12 @@
 	return p
 }
 
+func (p OutputPath) buildDir() string {
+	return p.config.buildDir
+}
+
 var _ Path = OutputPath{}
+var _ WritablePath = OutputPath{}
 
 // PathForOutput joins the provided paths and returns an OutputPath that is
 // validated to not escape the build dir.
@@ -1151,6 +1159,13 @@
 	baseDir string // "../" for Make paths to convert "out/soong" to "out", "" for Soong paths
 }
 
+func (p InstallPath) buildDir() string {
+	return p.config.buildDir
+}
+
+var _ Path = InstallPath{}
+var _ WritablePath = InstallPath{}
+
 func (p InstallPath) writablePath() {}
 
 func (p InstallPath) String() string {
@@ -1302,6 +1317,10 @@
 
 func (p PhonyPath) writablePath() {}
 
+func (p PhonyPath) buildDir() string {
+	return p.config.buildDir
+}
+
 var _ Path = PhonyPath{}
 var _ WritablePath = PhonyPath{}