ADU Pass
White Pine County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in White Pine County, Nevada navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. We cover 4 cities and 6 ZIP codes in this county.
Map
County ADU details
County ADU ordinance
White Pine County is a large (~8,876 sq mi), sparsely populated (~9,100 residents) eastern Nevada county whose seat is the City of Ely. Land use in the unincorporated portions of the county is governed by Title 17 (Zoning) of the White Pine County Code, codified through American Legal Publishing (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/whitepinecountynv/), with policy oversight by the White Pine County Board of Commissioners (775-289-7777, Commission Office). The base zoning scheme uses agricultural and rural-estate districts (R-A Ranch Agricultural, R-1 Single-Family, M-H-1/2/3 Mobile Home, plus commercial and industrial classifications). Title 17 permits a single-family dwelling per qualifying parcel; accessory dwelling units in the contemporary California-style sense are not addressed by a dedicated standalone ordinance. Detached secondary dwellings, guest houses, and attached additions are evaluated under the base-zone density and accessory-use rules of Title 17 and may require a special-use permit from the Planning Commission for placement on smaller lots. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 278 (planning and zoning) is the enabling authority. There is no published 2024-2026 ADU-expansion ordinance under active consideration at the county level.
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
White Pine County contains a single incorporated city — Ely (the county seat) — plus the unincorporated towns of Baker (gateway to Great Basin National Park), Lund (LDS agricultural community in Steptoe Valley), McGill (former smelter town), Ruth, and Cherry Creek. The White Pine County Building Department, located at 501 Mill Street, Ely, NV 89301 (Building Official Patrick Christopher Flannery, 775-289-6500, building@whitepinecounty.net), is the permitting authority for residential and commercial construction in the unincorporated areas of the county. Within the City of Ely, building permits are issued by the City; outside Ely, the County Building Department is the sole authority. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Building Department review applies the 2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IECC, 2018 IFC (with Appendices B, C, F, H), 2018 IMC, 2018 IPC, the 2011 NEC, and the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings — notably an older code cycle than most Nevada counties. Design criteria include 1500 psf soil bearing, Exposure C, 36-inch frost depth, Seismic Zone D or C (varies by location), and a 115 mph 3-second gust speed. The county does not maintain a separate Planning Department; planning policy is administered by the Building Department and the County Commission. Fire District review (775-296-0418) is required where applicable.
County assessor
The White Pine County Assessor's office (775-293-6542) is located in the County Courthouse complex in Ely. Property assessment in Nevada is governed by NRS Chapter 361 (general property tax) and Chapter 360 (Nevada Tax Commission); assessed value is 35% of taxable value. ADU additions are reassessed at the value of the new improvement only; the existing primary-dwelling assessment is unaffected. Nevada's general 3% (owner-occupied primary residence) / 8% (other) annual cap on tax-bill increases under NRS 361.4722-361.4724 applies to the existing improvement; the new ADU starts at full assessed value the year following completion. The Assessor's office maintains an online parcel-lookup service via the White Pine County DEVNET wedge portal at https://whitepinenv.devnetwedge.com/, which exposes parcel boundaries, ownership, valuation history, and tax-bill detail. There is no White-Pine-County-specific ADU exemption or assessment-cap program; ADUs receive standard Nevada property-tax treatment.
County overlays (3)
Known county issues (2)
- other — Designers and contractors used to 2021/2024 IRC must verify White Pine County still accepts the 2018 cycle for ADU plans; energy-code paths in 2018 IECC are less stringent than 2024, which can simplify envelope design for rural cabin-style ADUs but may surprise reviewers expecting current standards.
- other — Utility extensions and access easements for ADUs on rural parcels frequently require BLM or USFS right-of-way grants, which add 6-18 months to project timelines and may be denied on Wilderness Study Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, or sage-grouse priority habitat.
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.