Homeowners · ADU

Can you build an ADU here?

Check your lot against California ADU law: size, setbacks, fees and the 60-day review clock. Get the permit narrative and checklist; bring your drawings.

Free to read
No sign-up until the draft
Every fact cites its source

ePlan fills in

City or county
Lot type
Size the city must allow
Side and rear setbacks
Impact fees

How it works

ADU permit narrative, from one answer

Enter the addressOne answer starts the project. ePlan names it and looks up the place.
Pick the ADU type and size3 more questions, each with a "not sure yet" way out.
Read the narrative free; download it for $49The draft marks what to check (amber), what to pick (blue) and what to fill in (violet).

What you get

ADU permit narrative and 3 more documents

The first draft is free to read. Each document after it is drafted from the same confirmed facts.

The first draft

ADU permit narrative

Property and owner
ADU type and size
How it meets state standards: size, height, setbacks, parking
Utilities
Fee estimate and exemptions
Approvals requested and the 60-day clock

Next · 2

Submittal checklist

Application form
Site plan
Floor plan and elevations (from your designer)
Utility details
Fees

Next · 3

Fee estimate

Plan check and permit
Impact fees: none at 750 sq ft or less; proportional above
School fees
Utility connection

Next · 4

Owner notes

What the city must allow
What the city can still require
Questions for the planner

From public data

What ePlan fills in, and from where

State size, setback, fee and timing rulesCalifornia HCD ADU Handbook (March 2026)
City or countyU.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line
Flood zoneFEMA Flood Map Service Center

60 days

for a California city or county to approve or deny a complete ADU application.
Source: HCD ADU Handbook (Gov. Code 66317)

Questions

ADU permit: what people ask

How fast must the city decide?

Within 60 days of a complete application. The city must tell you within 15 business days whether the application is complete.

Source: hcd.ca.gov

Do I pay impact fees?

Not for an ADU of 750 square feet or less of interior livable space. Above that, impact fees must be proportional to the square footage of the main home (Gov. Code 66311.5).

Source: hcd.ca.gov

How big can it be?

A local maximum must allow at least 850 square feet, or 1,000 for more than one bedroom, and cities can't block an 800-square-foot ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks. Without a compliant local ordinance, a detached ADU can be up to 1,200 square feet.

Source: hcd.ca.gov

Do I have to live on the property?

Not for an ADU. California law bars owner-occupancy requirements for ADUs (Gov. Code 66315). Junior ADUs have separate rules.

Source: hcd.ca.gov