ADU Pass
San Diego
San Diego County portion
Also in: No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in San Diego, San Diego County, California navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 31 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Allowed by-right under state preemption with one of the most permissive city ordinances in California. Bonus ADU Program is a national-policy exemplar (Terner Center, Berkeley) — 1,909 ADU permits issued in the most recent reporting year, ~20% of all new homes approved. Coastal Zone (Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Point Loma, etc.) requires Coastal Development Permit overlay; otherwise process is largely ministerial.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $5,800 | $80,250 | $86,050 |
| 600 | 600 | $5,800 | $321,000 | $326,800 |
| midpoint | 675 | $5,800 | $361,125 | $366,925 |
| 1000 | 1,000 | $17,400 | $535,000 | $552,400 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $19,200 | $642,000 | $661,200 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Pre-application optional consultation (~7d)
Optional virtual or in-person appointment with DSD planner; recommended for Coastal Zone, Bonus ADU Program, or unusual lots - Create DSD account and submit via Accela portal (~3d)
DSD Application Portal (Accela): aca-prod.accela.com/SANDIEGO. Submit DS-3032 (General Application), DS-16 (Water Meter Data Card), DS-560 (Storm Water Applicability Checklist), site/floor/elevation/structural plans, Title 24 energy calcs - Bonus ADU Program SDHC review (if applicable) (~21d)
If applying for Bonus ADU Program, separately submit application + supplemental attachments + $600 application fee to San Diego Housing Commission for affordability/eligibility review - Coastal Development Permit (if applicable) (~30d)
For Coastal Overlay Zone parcels (Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, etc.); City-issued process available for ADUs meeting administrative findings - Multi-discipline plan check (1st cycle) (~60d)
Building, structural, MEP, energy, fire, utilities; tracked through Permitting Center Dashboard - Corrections and resubmittal (~30d)
Applicant addresses plan-review comments; subsequent cycles ~30 days each - Second plan check (~30d)
Usually final if corrections were comprehensive - Permit issuance (fees paid) (~5d)
Pay via Accela e-check/credit card or in-person; download permit - Construction inspections
Foundation, framing, MEP rough, insulation, final; scheduled through Accela
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes (CA Gov Code §65852.2(a)(7); SDMC §141.0302) Long-term rental (30+ days) explicitly permitted. AB 976 removed all owner-occupancy requirements; ADU and primary dwelling can both be rented. Subject to CA AB 1482 statewide rent cap (5% + CPI, max 10% annually).
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions (San Diego Municipal Code §510.0107 (STR ordinance)) Tier 4 STR license required for whole-home STR (which an ADU rented short-term qualifies as). Primary dwelling must be operator's residence for Tier 1 (limited STR). Citywide cap on Tier 4 licenses with active waitlist. Mission Beach has separate Tier 5 with its own cap. Coastal Zone STR rules differ — verify per neighborhood.
- Office rental: no (SDMC §141.0303 (ADU residential-use definition)) ADUs are defined as residential dwelling units; commercial office rental to outside tenants violates the use definition.
- Home office: with-restrictions (SDMC §141.0308 (home occupation)) Owner home occupation permitted with home-occupation rules: no employees on-site, no customer visits on residential lots, no exterior signage.
- Studio / workshop: with-restrictions (SDMC §141.0302) Studio / workshop incidental use acceptable while ADU remains primarily a dwelling unit.
- Agriculture: no City zoning does not permit agricultural ADUs in residential zones.
- Relative support: yes (CA Gov Code §65852.22 (JADU); SDMC §141.0303) JADU (≤500 sqft within primary residence, with 'Junior Unit Agreement' confirming units cannot be sold separately) is purpose-built for multigenerational housing. Full ADUs serve the same purpose without the JADU's no-sale restriction.
Incentives
- CalHFA ADU Grant Program — $40,000 one-time predevelopment (Moderate-income owner-occupants statewide)
- SDHC ADU Resources — Varies (Bonus ADU Program affordability participants)
- Prop 13 ADU Assessment Limit
- ADU Bonus Program (Affordable Homes Bonus) — One bonus market-rate ADU per deed-restricted affordable ADU (10 yr low/very-low; 15 yr moderate). No bonus cap inside Transit Priority Areas. Requires SDHC eligibility review and $600 fee.
- Pre-approved ADU plans (catalog) — City accepts Chula Vista, San Diego County, and Encinitas pre-approved plans; ADU providers may also apply to have plans pre-approved per Information Bulletin 114a. 30-day plan-review target for pre-approved plans.
- Impact Fee Waiver SB 13 (sub-750 sqft) — All impact fees waived for ADUs ≤750 sqft per CA SB 13 (2019).
- Legalization of unpermitted pre-2020 ADUs — City accepts AB 2533 streamlined legalization for ADUs constructed before 2020-01-01; see Information Bulletin 242.
Pre-approved plans Pre-approved plans
Contacts
Staff: ADU Program (ADU/JADU information and intake) ADUInfo@sandiego.gov, Public Utilities Customer Care (Water/sewer service setup), San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) (Bonus ADU Program eligibility) ADU@sdhc.org, SDG&E (gas/electric utility) (Electric meter installation; mixed-fuel rules)
Contractor directory (6)
Scope: city.
General Contractor (5)
- SnapADU (Snap ADU) 4.8★ (25 reviews) Architect ADU specialist Pre-approved plans Modular
website - Better Place Design & Build Architect ADU specialist
website - Casita ADU ADU specialist
website - Kaminskiy Home Remodeling (ADU division) ADU specialist
website - LADU (San Diego service area) ADU specialist
website
Permit Expediter (1)
- Maxable ADU specialist
website
Utilities
- Water: City of San Diego Public Utilities Department · 45d connect · $3,200
Water meter sizing driven by fixture count, irrigation, fire-sprinkler, static pressure; many ADU+primary combinations land at 1" or 1.5" meters. Set up new service via Customer Care Center, (619) 515-3500, or in-person at 525 B Street. - Sewer: City of San Diego Public Utilities Department (sewer / wastewater) · 30d connect · $2,800
Sewer-lateral connections may be installed by a licensed contractor; minimum lateral size 4 inches. - Electric: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) · 60d connect · $10,500 · separate meter required
ADU typically requires a separate electric meter (~$10,500 install). California PUC eliminated SDG&E line-extension subsidies for mixed-fuel new construction effective 2024-07-01, so ADU electric costs have risen. Set up at (800) 411-7343. - Gas: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) · 30d connect · $2,500
Gas service from SDG&E. All-electric ADUs avoid the gas-service connection and benefit from the post-2024 CPUC mixed-fuel framework.
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 9mo · typical 14mo · worst 22mo
Modular pathway inspectors are experienced with modular
Financing
State ADU loans:
- CalHFA ADU Grant Program up to $40,000
- HCD ADU Funding Index
- SDHC ADU Programs
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
City-wide HOA prevalence is moderate (~35%), concentrated in newer master-planned northern neighborhoods (Carmel Valley, Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa) and condo conversions. CA AB 670 (2019) and AB 3182 (2020) preempt HOA bans on ADUs and codify the preemption into Civil Code §§4740 / 4741 (Davis-Stirling). HOAs retain authority over reasonable design standards. Older neighborhoods (North Park, Hillcrest, City Heights, Golden Hill, Logan Heights) are largely HOA-free.
Regulatory overlays (6)
- coastal-commission
California Coastal Zone overlay covers approximately 14% of City parcels concentrated in Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, La Jolla, Point Loma, Sunset Cliffs, and parts of Mission Bay. Coastal Development Permit required; City processes most ADU CDPs administratively under its certified LCP segments. Beach Impact Area parking exception applies in narrow zones near beaches. - wui-fire-zone
Cal Fire Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones cover canyon-edge residential areas: parts of Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos, Carmel Valley, Del Cerro, College Area canyons, and University Heights canyon edges. Triggers Chapter 7A of the CRC: ignition-resistant construction, ember-resistant vents. - flood-zone
FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas along San Diego River, Otay River, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, and parts of Mission Bay margins. SFHA parcels require Elevation Certificates and flood-resistant construction at base flood elevation. - airport-noise-zone
San Diego International Airport (SAN) AICUZ overlay affects parcels in Loma Portal, Roseville, Bankers Hill, Middletown, Sherman Heights. MCAS Miramar AICUZ affects Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, Kearny Mesa edges. Sound attenuation required for habitable rooms in mapped 65+ CNEL zones. - historic-district
Multiple Historical Resources Board-designated districts: Sherman Heights, Mission Hills, North Park (Burlingame, Altadena), Hillcrest (West Park, University Heights), South Park, Bankers Hill, Old Town, Gaslamp Quarter. Mills Act tax-incentive program available for historic ADU work. Historic-district ADUs receive expanded Historical Resources Review. - other
Transit Priority Areas (TPA) and Sustainable Development Areas (SDA) overlay: ADUs in TPAs benefit from AB 2097 parking-minimum elimination and unlimited Bonus ADU stacking. Most of the urban core (Hillcrest, North Park, South Park, City Heights, Logan Heights, downtown) and trolley-line corridors qualify.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: San Diego Municipal Code §141.0302 (Accessory Dwelling Units) and §141.0303 (Junior Accessory Dwelling Units), Chapter 14 Article 1 Division 3, adopted 2017-09-12, last amended 2024-01-01
- 2017-09-12 — City of San Diego adopts initial Companion Unit / ADU ordinance (city-ordinance)
City Council adopted SDMC ADU regulations conforming to the 2016 California ADU framework (AB 2299, SB 1069), branded locally as the 'Companion Unit' program.
Effect: Established San Diego's by-right Companion Unit / ADU permitting framework, predating most California cities of comparable size. Foundation for the later Bonus ADU expansion. - 2020-01-01 — AB 68 / AB 881 / SB 13 statewide ADU preemption framework (state-law)
Foundational state preemption: ministerial 60-day approval, fee waivers under 750 sqft, prohibition on most owner-occupancy requirements.
Effect: Required San Diego to conform SDMC §141.0302 to the new state framework; impact fees waived for sub-750-sqft ADUs. - 2020-07-01 — ADU Bonus Program (Affordable Homes Bonus Program) launch (city-ordinance)
City Council expanded SDMC §141.0302 to allow one bonus market-rate ADU for every additional deed-restricted affordable ADU, with no cap on bonus units in Transit Priority Areas.
Effect: Created the national-precedent ADU Bonus Program — the policy that distinguishes San Diego from peer California cities. Drove 158 Bonus ADU permits in 2023 alone (79 moderate-income), 239 total Bonus ADUs from 2021-2023. - 2022-08-09 — General Plan Maintenance Fee effective for ADUs (city-ordinance)
Council added a General Plan Maintenance Fee to the ADU/JADU fee schedule.
Effect: Modest per-project fee added to the development-impact fee bundle. - 2023-01-01 — SB 897 / AB 2221 height and size standardization (state-law)
Standardized detached-ADU heights and increased size caps to 850 sqft (studio/1-BR) and 1,000 sqft (2+ BR).
Effect: City conformed to new height and size standards across SDMC §141.0302. - 2024-01-01 — AB 976 — permanent owner-occupancy ban (state-law)
Permanently prohibits local governments from requiring owner-occupancy for ADU permitting.
Effect: Removed City's residual owner-occupancy framing; San Diego ADUs operate as conventional rental investments without owner-occupancy condition. - 2024-07-01 — CPUC line-extension subsidy elimination (state-law)
California Public Utilities Commission eliminated SDG&E line-extension subsidies for mixed-fuel new construction.
Effect: ADU electric service connection costs increased (typical separate-meter installation cited at ~$10,500 for new ADU service). - 2025-05-01 — Draft ADU code amendments — 2025 regulatory update (city-ordinance)
City circulated draft amendments to SDMC ADU sections covering Bonus Program calibration and procedural clarifications.
Effect: Active rulemaking; check IB 400 for current adoption status before relying on draft language.
Known issues (2)
- policy-review (since 2025-05) — City circulated draft SDMC ADU code amendments in May 2025 covering Bonus Program calibration. Adoption status not confirmed at file date — verify against IB 400 before relying on draft language. (source)
- policy-review (since 2024-07) — Per CPUC ruling effective 2024-07-01, SDG&E line-extension subsidies eliminated for mixed-fuel new construction. ADU electric service install costs (~$10,500 separate meter) now fully borne by owner. All-electric ADUs avoid the issue. (source)
San Diego County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
San Diego County regulates ADUs on parcels in the unincorporated county under Title 6 of the County Code (Zoning Ordinance), Sections 6156.x. The county's ADU framework layers on top of California Government Code sections 65852.2 (ADU) and 65852.22 (JADU), which preempt many local standards statewide; the county ordinance fills in the locally-controlled parameters (setbacks, design standards, parking in non-transit unincorporated areas, fire-safe design in VHFHSZ) that state law leaves to local choice. The current ordinance reflects amendments adopted 2020 (Ord. No. 10693) and 2023 (Ord. No. 10749) to conform with AB 68 / AB 881 (2019), AB 976 (2019 owner-occupancy elimination through 2024), SB 13 (2019 fee reductions), AB 2221 / SB 897 (2022 design/permit clarifications), and AB 1033 (2023 condo-ADU optional program; San Diego County has not opted into AB 1033 condo separation as of 2026-04-20). The county permits up to one ADU plus one JADU per single-family parcel by right, and the state-mandated two ADUs per multifamily lot; parking is not required on ADUs within 1/2 mile of transit. The county's distinct contributions on top of state law are the fire-hardening / defensible-space design standards for ADUs sited in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the airport-noise compatibility review for ADUs within Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) zones, and the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) requirement for ADUs in the county's certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) jurisdiction.
- San Diego County Code of Regulatory Ordinances Title 6 (Zoning) — Accessory Dwelling Unit provisions
- PDS ADU Technical Bulletin and applicant handouts
- Ordinance No. 10693 — 2020 ADU ordinance conforming to AB 68 / AB 881 / SB 13
- Ordinance No. 10749 (approximate) — 2023 ADU ordinance update for AB 2221 / SB 897 / AB 1033
State-floor overlay: California state law (Gov. Code 65852.2, 65852.22) preempts most local ADU regulation. The state sets ministerial-approval requirements, caps fees, mandates 60-day permit review, forbids local owner-occupancy requirements through 2024 (extended effectively through AB 976 / subsequent amendments), sets minimum allowed sizes (850 sqft one-bedroom, 1000 sqft two-bedroom), forbids parking requirements within 1/2 mile of transit or on replacement-covered-parking ADUs, and caps impact fees at zero for ADUs under 750 sqft. San Diego County's ordinance reiterates and applies these floors, adding only the locally-controlled fire, airport, and coastal overlays. Where a project is in a VHFHSZ or coastal-commission jurisdiction, state ADU preemption still applies to the ADU allowance itself but does not preempt the county's separate fire and coastal authority over site-design standards.
County regulatory overlays
San Diego County administers or co-administers several overlay regimes that materially affect ADU siting on unincorporated parcels: (1) the California Coastal Commission's jurisdiction along the coastal zone (a narrow band up to 5 miles inland in some places), implemented through the county's certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) covering unincorporated coastal segments; (2) Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) designated by CAL FIRE and reviewed by the State Board of Forestry, which cover very large portions of the unincorporated back-country and drive defensible-space, ignition-resistant-construction, and access requirements; (3) FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) along the San Diego River, San Dieguito River, San Luis Rey River, Otay River, Sweetwater River, Tijuana River, and associated coastal zones; and (4) Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans (ALUCP) administered by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority's Airport Land Use Commission around MCAS Miramar (federal military), NAS North Island / Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach (federal military), Gillespie Field (Santee, county-owned), McClellan-Palomar (Carlsbad, county-owned), Brown Field (Otay Mesa, City of San Diego), Montgomery-Gibbs Executive (Kearny Mesa, City of San Diego), Ramona Airport (county-owned), Fallbrook Community Airpark (county-owned), Oceanside Municipal, and Jacumba Airport. Seismic-retrofit overlays are not a county-administered regime in San Diego (unlike parts of Los Angeles / San Francisco); California seismic building-code compliance applies statewide through the California Building Code adopted by the county.
- California Coastal Commission / County Local Coastal Program (LCP) — The county's LCP covers the unincorporated coastal segments near Del Mar Mesa, Torrey Pines extensions, Crest / Harmony Grove (tributary areas), and the Camp Pendleton / Oceanside boundary. An ADU within the coastal zone requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) unless categorically excluded; most single detached ADUs qualify for an Administrative CDP (noticed but ministerial-like) while those in sensitive-biological or visually-sensitive settings may require a heard CDP. The Coastal Commission retains appeal jurisdiction over county CDPs within the defined appeals area. State law (Gov. Code 65852.2(j)) preserves the CDP requirement for ADUs in the coastal zone notwithstanding the otherwise-ministerial state ADU framework.
- CAL FIRE / State Board of Forestry Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) and County Fire Code — Very large portions of unincorporated San Diego County — most of the East County back-country including Julian, Warner Springs, Descanso, Pine Valley, Jacumba, Campo, Boulevard, Dulzura, Potrero, Palomar Mountain, Cuyamaca, and the San Diego / Cleveland National Forest interface — are designated VHFHSZ in either the State Responsibility Area (SRA) or the county's Local Responsibility Area (LRA). An ADU in a VHFHSZ must comply with California Building Code Chapter 7A (WUI-rated exterior materials: ignition-resistant siding, dual-pane windows, 1/8-inch-max vent screens, Class A roofing, non-combustible eaves / soffits / decks), minimum 100-foot defensible-space per Pub. Res. Code 4291, minimum driveway width and turnaround per fire-district standards, and minimum fire-flow water supply (2,500 gpm residential standard, reduced for sprinklered ADUs per Sec. R313). CAL FIRE or the local FPD (Alpine, Bonita-Sunnyside, Deer Springs, Julian-Cuyamaca, Lakeside, North County, Pine Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, Rural FPD of San Diego County, Valley Center, etc.) reviews the ADU permit. The 2025 wildfire season reinforced these requirements; no county-wide moratorium has been imposed, but permit backlogs lengthen post-fire when affected areas surge rebuild applications.
- FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) — National Flood Insurance Program — The county administers FEMA NFIP floodplain regulations for unincorporated parcels. Principal SFHA extents are along the San Luis Rey River (Bonsall, Pala, Pauma), San Dieguito River (Lakeside, Ramona uplands), San Diego River (Lakeside, Santee extensions), Sweetwater River (Spring Valley extensions), Otay River (Jamul, Dulzura, Otay Mesa extensions), and Tijuana River estuary (Tijuana / Imperial Beach extensions). ADUs in an SFHA require lowest-floor elevation to or above Base Flood Elevation plus 1 ft county freeboard, flood vents on enclosures below BFE, anchoring, and a post-construction Elevation Certificate. 2024-2025 saw several FEMA FIRM revision studies for Otay, San Luis Rey, and Sweetwater watersheds; owners should confirm current effective panel before design.
- Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans (ALUCP) — San Diego Regional Airport Authority ALUC — The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority serves as the ALUC for all airports in the county. ALUCP airport influence areas (AIAs) extend roughly 2-5 miles beyond each airport depending on runway configuration and establish safety zones (Zones 1-6) and noise contours (60/65/70 dB CNEL). Principal ALUCP overlays affecting unincorporated parcels are MCAS Miramar (extensive AIA covering Scripps Ranch fringes, Miramar Ranch North, Tierrasanta approaches, into unincorporated Rancho Santa Fe / Poway fringes), Gillespie Field (AIA extending into unincorporated Lakeside, El Cajon fringes, Bostonia), McClellan-Palomar (Carlsbad-adjacent unincorporated areas), Ramona Airport (large rural AIA), and Fallbrook Community Airpark (Bonsall / Fallbrook). An ADU in a safety zone may face density restrictions, CC&R / avigation-easement recording requirements, and noise-attenuation construction standards (STC-rated windows, forced-air HVAC with acoustic treatment). The ALUC reviews county-referred projects; in a safety-zone conflict the county may override only by a super-majority Board vote per PUC 21676.
- San Diego County Biological Mitigation Ordinance / Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) — The county's MSCP covers south county unincorporated areas and establishes Pre-Approved Mitigation Areas and a Biological Mitigation Ordinance that triggers biological review for grading and construction in designated preserve-land overlays. An ADU outside the existing dwelling footprint that requires grading in a designated MSCP preserve or Biological Resource Core / Linkage area will trigger a biological review / mitigation obligation on top of the ministerial ADU permit. Inside a parcel's previously-disturbed building envelope the MSCP typically does not add requirements. The East County MSCP Subarea Plan remains pending final approval as of 2026-04-20.
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
The County of San Diego Planning & Development Services (PDS) department is the single-point-of-contact for ADU permits on parcels in the unincorporated county. Unincorporated San Diego County covers approximately 3,570 square miles (about 79% of the county's 4,526 sqmi land area) and includes densely developed fringe areas (Ramona, Alpine, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Fallbrook, Valley Center), rural back-country (Julian, Warner Springs, Jacumba, Boulevard, Campo), and tribal lands (which are not county-permitted). The 18 incorporated cities (San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, Encinitas, National City, Poway, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Del Mar, Solana Beach) permit their own ADUs independently. PDS combines planning / zoning review, building plan review, grading / drainage review, fire-district referral (most unincorporated areas are served by CAL FIRE / County Fire Authority or a local Fire Protection District rather than a city fire department), and environmental review (CEQA applicability is normally exempt for ministerial ADUs per Gov. Code 65852.2(f) and Pub. Res. Code 21080(b)(8)).
California state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
California has the most aggressive statewide ADU preemption regime in the US, built from ~15 bills passed 2019-2025 and enforced by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The 2026 HCD ADU Handbook addendum (in effect with the 2025 Title 24 code cycle) is the operative state-level reference. The regime does four things at once: (1) preempts local zoning that would ban or unreasonably restrict ADUs; (2) imposes by-right ministerial approval with short statutory deadlines; (3) caps fees and utility-connection charges; and (4) empowers HCD to void non-compliant local ordinances.
State HOA preemption
California has the strongest statewide HOA-preemption regime in the US for accessory dwelling units, built from two bills: AB 670 (2019) voided ADU-prohibiting covenants on single-family residential lots, and AB 3182 (2020) extended and codified the preemption into the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Civil Code §§ 4740 / 4741). The combination prohibits common-interest communities from banning ADUs, restricting rentals below 25% of separate interests, or treating ADUs as separate HOA interests. Limits remain: HOAs retain authority over reasonable design standards and statutory height limits, and the 2026 Carlsbad case (CalMatters coverage) established that an HOA's documented design-standards regime can effectively delay or constrain ADU approval short of outright prohibition.
State financing programs
California's flagship state-level ADU financing program — the CalHFA ADU Grant Program — is paused and has not been refunded since the original $100 million allocation was fully deployed 2023-12-28. The program provided up to $40,000 per qualifying homeowner for pre-construction and non-recurring closing costs and financed approximately 2,500 ADUs in two rounds. As of 2026-04, no new funding round has been announced in the state budget. CalHFA continues to publish anti-scam warnings because bad actors actively solicit homeowners claiming access to grant funds that no longer exist. State-level financing activity has shifted to local pilot programs (San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego) and private financing products (Fannie Mae ADU mortgage, HELOC, construction-to-permanent).
State housing programs
California's state-level ADU programs are concentrated at HCD (technical guidance, ordinance review, enforcement) and the paused CalHFA grant pipeline (covered under stateFinancing). The state does not operate a central pre-approved ADU plan library — instead, AB 1332 (2024) created a preemption framework for local pre-approved plans with a 30-day ministerial-approval deadline, and major cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, Berkeley) have rolled out their own plan catalogs. The California YIMBY coalition and other housing-policy organizations play an influential role in bill drafting; they are not state agencies but effectively drive much of the ADU legislative agenda. The Title 24 code cycle (now 2025, in effect for 2026 permits) is the authoritative building-code baseline.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Codes
- 92037
- 92101
- 92102
- 92103
- 92104
- 92105
- 92106
- 92107
- 92108
- 92109
- 92110
- 92111
- 92113
- 92114
- 92115
- 92116
- 92117
- 92119
- 92120
- 92121
- 92122
- 92123
- 92124
- 92126
- 92127
- 92128
- 92129
- 92130
- 92131
- 92139
- 92154
Post Office
- 10060 Willow Creek Rd, 92131
- 16960 Bernardo Center Dr, 92128
- 2150 Comstock St, 92111
- 2356 Reo Dr, 92139
- 2600 Camino Del Rio N, 92108
- 2701 Midway Dr, 92110
- 2777 Logan Ave, 92113
- 2960 Fern Ave, 92154
- 3223 Greyling Dr, 92123
- 3911 Cleveland Ave, 92103
- 4193 University Ave, 92105
- 4640 Cass St, 92109
- 4740 Mission Gorge Pl, 92120
- 4833 Santa Monica Ave, 92107
- 5045 Shoreham Pl, 92122
- 5047 Shoreham Pl, 92122
- 5052 Clairemont Dr, 92117
- 5505 Stevens Way, 92114
- 6401 El Cajon Blvd, 92115
- 6519 Bisby Lake Ave, 92119
- 815 E St, 92101
- 9051 Mira Mesa Blvd Ste 1, 92126
- 9051 Mira Mesa Blvd, 92126
- 9245 Twin Trails Dr Ste 1, 92129
- 9245 Twin Trails Dr, 92129
Locale Names
- Andrew Jackson
- Carmel Valley 21 Carriers
- Carmel Valley 30 Carriers
- City Heights
- Downtown San Diego
- Encanto
- Grantville
- Hillcrest San Diego
- La Jolla Annex Uc
- Linda Vista
- Midway
- Mira Mesa
- Navajo
- Ocean Beach
- Otay Mesa Annex
- Pacific Beach
- Paradise Hills
- Rancho Bernardo Annex
- Rancho Penasquitos
- Riverfront Carrier Annex
- Scripps Ranch Annex
- Serra Mesa
- Southeastern
- University City Annex
- William Taft