Add an ADU to your Sacramento home

LotUpside is a one-stop ADU company for homes in the City of Sacramento: we check your lot free against the city's rules, then match you with licensed designers and builders and coordinate the project with them.

Check your lot · free

What the Sacramento rules allow on your lot: setbacks, the biggest unit that fits, fees.

Design your ADU · free

Shape it in live 3D: size, rooms, roof and finishes, with an estimate priced for Sacramento.

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ADU rules at a glance

Largest detached ADU (City path)Local rule: 1,200 sq ftSacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(2)(b)(iii)
State law allows at leastState law: 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacksCal. Gov. Code 66321(b)(3)
Detached ADU heightLocal rule: The zone's limit on the City path (35 ft in R-1); 18 ft on the state pathCity ADU Resource Center, Step 1 (City Code 17.228.105(B)(2)(c)(ii) and (C)(1)(b))
Side and rear setbacks (City path)Local rule: 3 ft (none for a one-story ADU more than 60 ft from the front line)Sacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(2)(c)(iii)
Front setbackLocal rule: The zone's front setback, for any ADU within 60 ft of the front property lineSacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(2)(c)(iii)(1)
ADUs per single-family lotLocal rule: 2 on the City path (ADUs or junior ADUs); 2 ADUs + 1 junior ADU on the state pathSacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(1)(a) and (C)(1)
No impact fees up toState law: 750 sq ft by state law (the City's fee sheet uses 749)Cal. Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(1)
School feesState law: None under 500 sq ftCal. Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(3) and Ed. Code 17620(a)(1)(C)
School fee ratesLocal rule: About $5.17-$7.23 per sq ft in total, by school district (the Robla area pays two districts that add up to $5.38)City of Sacramento form CDD-0226, School District Impact Fees (revised Sept. 9, 2026)
Parking for the ADULocal rule: None required, and none to replace a converted garageCity of Sacramento Parking Revisions (2040 General Plan); City Code 17.608.020
Owner must live on siteState law: Not for an ADU; for a junior ADU only if it shares the house's bathroomCal. Gov. Code 66315 and 66333(b), as amended by AB 1154 (2025)
Permit decision deadlineLocal rule: 60 days from a complete applicationSacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(4)(b)
City Shelf Ready ADU plansLocal rule: 3 free detached plans: 367, 559 and 747 sq ftCity of Sacramento ADU Resource Center, Shelf Ready ADU Plans
City ADU contactsLocal rule: planning@cityofsacramento.org (zoning), ezpermit@cityofsacramento.org (permits)City of Sacramento ADU Resource Center, Step 5 (Meet with the City)
Near Sacramento Executive AirportLocal rule: 1 ADU or junior ADU per lot in zones EA-2 and EA-3; none in EA-1Sacramento City Code 17.312.060 (Executive Airport overlay zones)
Sewer and water hookupsLocal rule: Usually tied into the house's lines, without a separate water meterCity of Sacramento ADU Fee Estimate, form CDD-0419 (fee notes)

Last verified 2026-10-15. Rules change; the City of Sacramento building desk has the final word.

What's different in Sacramento

The City's own ADU rules go past the state minimum

Sacramento reviews an ADU under its own rules (City Code 17.228.105(B)) or under the state standards (17.228.105(C)), one set per lot with no mixing. The City's set allows more: detached ADUs up to 1,200 sq ft in total, the zone's height limit (35 ft in R-1) and 3 ft side and rear setbacks, but at most 2 units on the lot, junior ADUs included. The state set caps a new detached ADU at 800 sq ft and 18 ft (20 ft to match the house's roof pitch) with 4 ft setbacks, and allows a converted ADU, a junior ADU and a detached ADU together.

City ADU Resource Center, Step 1; Sacramento City Code 17.228.105(B) and (C)

The 60 ft line from the front property line

Under the City's rules, the front property line sets the setbacks. If any part of the ADU is within 60 ft of it, the ADU keeps the zone's front setback and 3 ft from the side and rear lot lines; an ADU entirely more than 60 ft back needs no side or rear setback for a single story, and upper floors keep 3 ft. Corner lots still keep the zone's street side setback, and one ADU of up to 800 sq ft may sit in the front setback when the back and side yards can't fit an 800 sq ft two-story detached or attached ADU.

Sacramento City Code 17.228.105(B)(2)(c)(iii)

Fees: the 750 sq ft line and the City's fee sheet

State law bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft or less, but the City's ADU fee estimate (form CDD-0419, revised July 2026) still waives them only up to 749 sq ft: it puts City fees at about $5,272 for a 749 sq ft ADU, $10,624 at 750 sq ft and $14,843 at 1,200 sq ft. School fees come on top from 500 sq ft, paid to the school district at about $5.17 to $7.23 per sq ft in total (form CDD-0226; the Robla area pays two districts that add up to $5.38), and the sheet leaves sewer fees to the County.

City of Sacramento ADU Fee Estimate, form CDD-0419 (revised July 12, 2026)

Free City Shelf Ready plans, and what they skip

The City offers three free Shelf Ready plan sets for a detached ADU: a 367 sq ft studio, a 559 sq ft 1 bedroom and a 747 sq ft 2 bedroom, all-electric, drawn to the 2022 Residential Building Code and all under the 750 sq ft impact-fee line. They skip paying to design the unit, not the permit: you still submit a site plan (a homeowner can draw it), the building permit forms, solar plans for the 2 bedroom, and permit fees. The plans can't be changed, only mirrored, and they need 5 ft from the lot lines except the left side, which can sit 1 ft away; LotUpside's report includes all three as City plan options.

City ADU Resource Center, Shelf Ready ADU Plans and Shelf Ready ADU Plan Submittal Guide

Estimated costs and rents in Sacramento

Type	Est. all-in cost	Est. rent
Garage conversion	$196-$319 per sq ft of garage (about $78,000-$127,000 for a 400 sq ft garage)	$1,300-$1,750/mo
Junior ADU (inside the house)	$45,000-$80,000	$1,175-$1,425/mo
Detached studio	$163,000-$218,000	$1,350-$1,650/mo
Detached 1 bedroom	$208,000-$278,000	$1,625-$1,975/mo
Detached 2 bedroom	$193,000-$326,000	$1,925-$2,475/mo
Detached 3 bedroom	$224,000-$341,000	$2,425-$2,975/mo

Estimates for a first conversation, not bids or appraisals. Source: LotUpside price book sac-2026-10.

How we work in Sacramento

1
Free lot check
A 12-check property screening from public records: what fits on your lot and what it adds.
2
Get matched with a licensed designer
Ask for a free consult and we look for a licensed designer for your plans and permit.
3
Get matched with a licensed builder
The builder holds the construction contract; we coordinate the project with them.

Licensed partners design and build, and the builder holds the construction contract. Partners are signed in some areas so far. All figures are estimates, not bids.

What our check reads in Sacramento

Rules from City of Sacramento ADU program; zoning from the City of Sacramento zoning map, CA Gov. Code 66314. Plus county parcel and assessor maps, CAL FIRE fire zones, FEMA flood maps, the California Geological Survey, the USDA soil survey, USGS elevation and Microsoft building outlines.

Sacramento ADU questions answered

Floor plans to start from

Measured ADU layouts you can edit and download as CAD files, then check against the Sacramento rules above.

Ready to build in Sacramento?

We'll match you with a licensed designer and builder in your area and coordinate the project. Free consult, no obligation.

Want to build it?

We'll match you with a licensed designer and builder in your area and coordinate the project. Free consult, no obligation.

Licensed partner designers and builders do the design and construction, and the builder holds the construction contract. Partners are signed in some areas so far; elsewhere we'll tell you plainly what we can do.

Sacramento ADU questions

Is my home in the City of Sacramento?

Only lots inside City limits follow the City's ADU rules, and many homes with a Sacramento mailing address, such as in Arden-Arcade, are in unincorporated Sacramento County under the County's rules. The City's Land Information Lookup App shows a lot's City zoning, and LotUpside's free lot check reads the jurisdiction from the County's parcel records.

Should I build under the City's ADU rules or the state's?

It depends on the project: the City's own rules allow a detached ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft at the zone's height limit but cap the lot at 2 units, junior ADUs included, while the state standards allow a converted ADU, a junior ADU and an 800 sq ft, 18 ft detached ADU together. City Code 17.228.105 and the City's ADU zoning review form (CDD-0009) say you pick one set for the lot and can't mix them.

Does a 750 sq ft ADU pay impact fees in Sacramento?

State law bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft or less (Gov. Code 66311.5, in effect since January 2026), but the City's ADU fee estimate (form CDD-0419, revised July 2026) still waives the park, flood-control and transportation impact fees only up to 749 sq ft and lists about $5,350 of them at 750 sq ft. Ask the City before you design to exactly 750 sq ft.

Can I build an ADU in a Sacramento historic district?

Yes: the City's ADU Resource Center says ADUs are allowed in its 31 historic districts and on landmark properties. The City's ADU zoning review form (CDD-0009) applies the City's ADU Design Standards for Historic Properties to ADUs built under the City's own rules there, for example at least 30 ft from a contributing building on a lot deeper than 100 ft.

Can I rent out my Sacramento ADU for short stays?

Under the City's own rules, City Code 17.228.105 lets an ADU be rented for less than 30 days under the City's short-term rental rules (section 17.228.104). An ADU built under the state standards can't be rented for less than 30 days, and a junior ADU must be rented for more than 30 days under state law (Gov. Code 66333) and the City's ADU zoning review form.

What's free, and what's in the $49 full report?

The free check gives the verdict from a 12-check property screening, your best move with the value it adds, the monthly rent and the cash you put in. The full report adds every option ranked, cost vs value ranges, concept floor layouts and site plan drafts, and every check with its sources. It is a one-time payment per property.

Is this a permit, or a plan I can build from?

Neither. It is a screening from public records, not professional advice, and not a survey, soils report, appraisal, loan offer or permit; every number is an estimate. A licensed designer confirms the final plan, and your city or county gives final approval.