ADU Pass
Virginia City
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: unclear
Nevada leaves ADU regulation to local municipalities under home-rule or Dillon-rule authority. Virginia City permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,200 | $57,750 | $59,950 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,200 | $231,000 | $233,200 |
| midpoint | 525 | $2,200 | $202,125 | $204,325 |
| maximum | 900 | $2,200 | $346,500 | $348,700 |
Fee breakdown
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Virginia City regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Utilities
- Water: Virginia City Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Virginia City Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Virginia City Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Virginia City Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Nevada has no HOA-ADU preemption; HOA covenants restricting ADUs are enforceable.
Regulatory overlays (1)
- historic-district
Virginia City historic districts trigger Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review for ADUs in historic boundaries.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Virginia City Municipal Code — Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2020-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 2024-01-01 — City of Virginia City ADU code refresh (city-ordinance)
Conforming local-code amendments aligning with current Nevada accessory-dwelling framework.
Effect: Codified permissive ADU standards consistent with state law and local zoning.
Storey County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
Storey County is the smallest Nevada county by population (~4,200 residents in the 2020 Census) and operates as one of two Nevada counties — along with Carson City — without an incorporated city; the county seat is the unincorporated historic town of Virginia City. The county is governed under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 244 (general county powers) and Chapter 278 (planning and zoning). Land use is regulated through Title 17 (Zoning) and Title 16 (Subdivisions) of the Storey County Code, administered by the Storey County Planning Department (26 S. B Street, Virginia City, 775-847-1144) and the Storey County Community Development Department / Building Department (110 Toll Road, Virginia City, 775-847-0966). The Storey County Planning Commission held a noticed public meeting on 2025-08-21 (6:00 PM, Virginia City Senior Center) specifically to discuss expanding Accessory Dwelling Unit allowances in residential zones — indicating ADU policy is in active legislative motion at the county level. As of 2026-04-26, the underlying zoning ordinance permits one accessory dwelling per qualifying single-family parcel in lower-density residential / rural-estate / agricultural zones (E, RR, A and similar), subject to setback and lot-coverage limits and special-use review for guest houses and detached secondary dwellings; the August 2025 commission discussion contemplated broadening permitted-by-right ADU allowances and increasing the size envelope. No standalone ADU ordinance preempts those base-zone provisions; ADUs are governed through the existing Title 17 framework and case-by-case planning review.
County regulatory overlays
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
Storey County contains no incorporated cities — every parcel in the county is unincorporated and permitted directly by Storey County. The Community Development / Building Department at 110 Toll Road, Virginia City (P.O. Box 526, Virginia City, NV 89440), 775-847-0966, building@storeycounty.org, is the sole permitting authority for residential construction including ADUs. Storey County operates a 'New Permitting & Plans Process' described on the Building Department web page (https://www.storeycounty.org/429/Building-Codes); intake combines online application submittal with in-person plan review at the Virginia City office. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Planning Department (26 S. B Street, Virginia City, 775-847-1144, separate from Building) handles zoning verification, special-use permits for guest houses / detached secondary dwellings, and appeals to the Planning Commission. Building permits are reviewed under the 2024 IBC / 2024 IRC / 2024 IECC / 2024 IWUI (with Section 602 residential fire sprinkler requirement excepted) plus the 2023 NEC and 2024 NNICC Northern Nevada amendments. Wildland Urban Interface review applies across most of the county outside the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center and downtown Virginia City core. Fire department review is required.
Nevada state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Nevada Housing Division (NHD), under the Department of Business and Industry, does not operate an ADU-specific loan or grant product as of 2026-04-26. NHD's primary homeowner-facing program is Home Is Possible, providing first-time and qualifying homebuyers in Clark and Washoe counties up to 4% of the loan amount as a non-repayable grant for down payment and closing costs, paired with a 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage. The Home Is Possible For Heroes overlay serves teachers, military, first responders, and healthcare workers. NHD also issued $283.3 million of 2024 tax-exempt bonding authority for affordable-housing development (multi-family); separately, the Nevada Affordable Housing Assistance Corporation (NAHAC) administers federal Hardest Hit Fund and Homeowner Assistance Fund programs for delinquency relief. None of these is ADU-specific; ADU construction can be financed only as part of a qualifying primary-residence purchase or refinance.
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 Code
- 89440
Post Office
- 132 S C St, 89440