ADU Pass
Springfield
Lane County portion
Also in: No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 2 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Springfield uniquely pairs the statewide preemption with a local SDC waiver running through 2027 - reducing total fees substantially below comparable Lane Co. cities. Permits ministerial via Springfield Development Center.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 400 | $3,200 | $124,000 | $127,200 |
| 600 | 600 | $5,400 | $222,000 | $227,400 |
| midpoint | 700 | $6,600 | $266,000 | $272,600 |
| 800 | 800 | $7,800 | $312,000 | $319,800 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Pre-application research (~5d)
Pull RLID parcel report; confirm zone (R-1/R-2/R-3); check for Washburne Historic District (Type 2 trigger), McKenzie River SFHA, Glenwood Refinement Plan, or Q-Street alley access; choose Type 1 vs Type 2 application path. - Submit ADU application (Type 1 or Type 2) plus building permit (~1d)
Submit through the Springfield Development Center: ADU Type 1 or Type 2 land-use form plus building permit application. Site plan, floor plan, elevations, ORSC energy worksheet, structural plans required. - Land-use review (~14d)
Type 1 reviewed by Planner on Duty against objective standards; Type 2 routed to Director's hearing or Historic Commission as applicable. - Building plan review (~28d)
Building Code, MEP, structural review concurrent with land-use; SUB review for water/electric service. - Corrections cycle (~12d)
Resubmit corrections; typical Springfield cycle is 1-2 rounds. - Permit issuance (~5d)
Pay residual permit/SUB/Willamalane fees (city SDC bundle waived through 2027). Permit issued within ~5 business days after payment. - Construction & inspections
Inspections scheduled through Springfield Development Center; foundation, framing, MEP, insulation, drywall, final. - Certificate of occupancy (~4d)
Final inspection sign-off; ADU eligible for occupancy and rental.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes (SDC 3.2-240 silent on tenancy form; ORS 90 governs) 30+day rental allowed; ADU is a full rental dwelling unit.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Springfield Municipal Code Chapter 7 - Business License + Transient Lodging Tax) ADU may serve as STR but Springfield's market is much smaller than Eugene's; STR economics weaker.
- Business license required
- Transient lodging tax registration required
- No standalone Springfield STR ordinance; default residential use rules apply
- Office rental: no SDC 3.2-240 limits ADU to dwelling-unit use.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted in any dwelling including the ADU; foot-traffic and signage limits apply.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist/maker studio is an allowed accessory residential use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions (SDC 3.2-200 series (residential districts allow limited urban agriculture)) Backyard agriculture and limited livestock allowed; ADU itself remains residential.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy is the originally-anticipated use case; multigenerational arrangement explicit.
Incentives
- City of Springfield ADU SDC Waiver (through June 30, 2027) — Transportation, stormwater, and city wastewater SDCs waived for newly permitted ADUs. Saves approximately $5,000-$8,000 versus pre-waiver schedule. Annually reviewed by Council.
- SUB ADU SDC Reduction (since 2018) — Springfield Utility Board cut its water and electric ADU SDCs ~50% in August 2018; reduction remains in force.
- Springfield Ready-Build ADU Plans — City offers a Ready-Build pre-approved ADU plan; reduces plan-review fee for participants.
Pre-approved plans Springfield Ready-Build ADU Plan · 1 free designs · 35% plan-review fee waiver · saves ~3 weeks
Contacts
Staff: Planner on Duty (Current Planning - ADU intake & Type 1 review), Building Permit Counter (Building Code plan review and inspections), SUB - Springfield Utility Board (Water & electric service connection), Willamalane Park & Recreation District (Parks SDC (still applies; not part of city SDC waiver))
Utilities
- Water: Springfield Utility Board (SUB) - Water · 25d connect · $1,900
- Sewer: City of Springfield Wastewater (treatment via MWMC regional plant) · 18d connect
City wastewater SDC waived for ADUs through 2027; physical connection labor still owner cost. - Electric: Springfield Utility Board (SUB) - Electric · 30d connect · $1,650
- Gas: NW Natural · 30d connect · $1,450
Property values & taxes
Market rent by ADU size
| Sq ft | Rent |
|---|---|
| 400 | $1,100/mo |
| 600 | $1,450/mo |
| 800 | $1,750/mo |
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 16mo
PNW wet season (Nov-Mar) extends framing/dry-in. Springfield contractor pool overlaps Eugene; ADU specialists serve both cities.
Modular pathway Oregon BCD Manufactured Structures Program · inspectors are occasional with modular · 7 modular permits (last 24mo)
I-5 access excellent (Beltline interchange); flatter topography than Eugene South Hills makes Springfield friendlier to module delivery.
Financing
State ADU loans:
- Oregon ADU Loan (when funded by NOFA) (Oregon HCSD) up to $50,000
Insurance impact
Lower base property values keep premiums modest; McKenzie River flood-zone parcels face elevated NFIP premiums.
HOA prevalence & preemption
Springfield HOA prevalence is low; older neighborhoods predominate. State law voids ADU bans in covenants.
Regulatory overlays (5)
- historic-district — Washburne Historic District (Q Street area, original Springfield townsite) · +21d · +8% cost
Type 2 ADU application required for parcels within Washburne; Springfield Historic Commission reviews exterior visible from public ROW. (map) - flood-zone — FEMA SFHA Zone AE along McKenzie River (north Springfield), Willamette River (Glenwood), and Cedar Creek · +14d · +8% cost
Finished-floor elevation 1 ft above BFE; flood vents required; ADUs in Glenwood riverfront area face the most acute floodplain constraint. (map) - wui-fire-zone — South Springfield slopes (Mt. Pisgah edge, Thurston east hills) · +10d · +6% cost
Defensible space and ignition-resistant assemblies required on wildland-urban interface parcels. (map) - seismic-retrofit-zone — Cascadia Subduction Zone (regional) · +7d · +3% cost
Seismic Design Category D1; ORSC 2023 hold-down standards apply. (map) - other — Glenwood Refinement Plan area (mixed-use redevelopment district straddling Willamette River between Eugene and Springfield cores) · +14d · +5% cost
ADUs in Glenwood subject to refinement-plan design standards; transit-corridor design rules differ from R-1/R-2 baseline. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Springfield Building Safety Local Amendments — Limited local amendments addressing seismic anchoring, McKenzie/Willamette flood-zone freeboard, and stormwater best management practices.
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Springfield Development Code (SDC) Section 3.2-240 - Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2021-06-21, last amended 2024-06-25
- 2018-08-06 — Springfield Utility Board (SUB) ADU SDC Reduction (city-ordinance)
SUB reduced its water/electric ADU system development charges to encourage ADU construction.
Effect: Cut SUB-imposed water and electric SDCs by approximately 50% for ADUs, the first major Springfield ADU incentive. - 2019-08-08 — Oregon HB 2001 effective date (state-law)
Statewide middle-housing law preempting local ADU restrictions in cities >2,500 inside UGB.
Effect: Forced removal of Springfield's prior owner-occupancy and parking conditions. - 2021-06-21 — Springfield Residential Housing Code Update (city-ordinance)
City adopted middle-housing implementation amendments aligning SDC 3.2-200 with HB 2001.
Effect: Codified the Type 1 / Type 2 ADU application split, set the 5-ft rear setback, and aligned objective design standards with state guidance. - 2022-07-01 — City SDC Waiver for ADUs (transportation, stormwater, wastewater) (city-ordinance)
Springfield Council waived city-imposed SDCs for newly permitted ADUs through 2025, later extended.
Effect: Reduced the typical Springfield ADU permit-and-fee burden by approximately $5,000-$8,000 versus pre-waiver schedule. Willamalane parks SDC remained in effect. - 2024-06-25 — ADU SDC Waiver Extension to June 30, 2027 (city-ordinance)
City Council extended the ADU SDC waiver, now sunset June 30, 2027 subject to annual review.
Effect: Locks in fee discount for permits issued through mid-2027; staff brief Council annually to reassess revenue impact. - 2025-07-01 — FY26 Master Fees & Charges Schedule (Revised) (other)
Annual fee schedule updated; SDC line items remain waived for ADUs through June 30, 2027.
Effect: Building permit valuation tables refreshed (ICC-based); plan-check rates indexed to staff salary rates.
Known issues (1)
- fee-sunset (since 2024-06) — City SDC waiver sunsets June 30, 2027; permits issued after that date will pay full SDC schedule unless extended again. (source)
Lane County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
Lane County, OR (383,000 residents including Eugene) administers a county zoning code for unincorporated territory. Major cities include Eugene (county seat), Springfield, Cottage Grove, Florence, Junction City, Veneta, Creswell.
State-floor overlay: Oregon HB 2001 / SB 1051 preemption.
County regulatory overlays
Lane County administers flood-hazard, and (where mapped) coastal, wildland-fire, historic, and airport overlays that shape ADU project feasibility. The most consistent overlay across the county is FEMA NFIP floodplain regulation; other overlays apply to specific geographies inside the county.
- FEMA NFIP Special Flood Hazard Areas in Lane County — A new ADU in a mapped SFHA must be elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation; cost impact on the project is often material.
- Coastal / hurricane wind exposure — Confirm design wind speed and exposure category at the building department.
- Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) hazard areas
- Historic districts and individually-listed historic resources
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
Lane County issues building permits for parcels in unincorporated territory through its development services / planning department, with separate review tracks for zoning conformance, building-code compliance, on-site sewage where applicable, floodplain compliance, and addressing. Inside incorporated municipalities, city departments handle their own permits; the county's authority is geographically limited to unincorporated territory. An ADU permit application is typically processed as a residential building permit with a zoning verification step against the county's ordinance for the parcel's zoning district.
Oregon state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Oregon has the most comprehensive statewide ADU preemption framework in the country after California. House Bill 2001 (2019), codified principally at ORS 197.312(5), requires every Oregon city of more than 2,500 residents inside an urban growth boundary, and every Oregon county with population over 15,000, to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit (interior, attached, or detached) by right for each existing or newly-constructed single-family detached dwelling on residentially-zoned lots. Local jurisdictions may impose 'reasonable regulations' on siting and design but may NOT require owner-occupancy of either the primary or accessory unit and may NOT require additional off-street parking. Senate Bill 458 (2021), codified at ORS 92.031, authorizes 'middle housing land divisions' that allow each unit of a duplex / triplex / quadplex / townhouse / cottage cluster to be partitioned onto its own lot for fee-simple sale via an expedited land-division process; SB 458 does not directly add an ADU mandate but interacts with HB 2001 because an existing ADU can be split off onto its own lot under SB 458's expedited process (although a new ADU cannot be created after a SB 458 division). HB 2001 also separately preempts single-family-only zoning in cities over 25,000 by mandating duplexes statewide (and triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses, and cottage clusters in larger cities), which is the 'middle housing' provision discussed alongside ADUs in DLCD guidance.
- ORS 197.312(5) — Limitation on city and county prohibitions on accessory dwelling units — The codified ADU preemption provision originating in HB 2001 (2019). Requires cities >2,500 within an urban growth boundary and counties >15,000 to allow at least one ADU by right per single-family detached dwelling on residentially-zoned lots. Bars owner-occupancy mandates and additional off-street parking requirements; allows reasonable siting and design regulations.
- ORS 197.758 — Middle housing in lower density residential zones (HB 2001 'middle housing' codification) — Companion to the ADU provision. Mandates that cities >25,000 allow duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses, and cottage clusters in residential zones; cities 10,000-25,000 must allow duplexes. Operative January 1, 2020 with municipal compliance deadline July 1, 2021 (cities <25k) or July 1, 2022 (cities >25k).
- ORS 92.031 — Middle housing land divisions (SB 458 (2021)) — Authorizes expedited land divisions that put each middle housing unit on its own lot for fee-simple sale. Applies to middle housing land divisions submitted on or after June 30, 2022. Existing ADUs may be split off via SB 458; new ADUs may not be created after a SB 458 division.
- House Bill 2001 (2019) Enrolled — 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly — Session law text amending ORS 197.312 and creating the middle housing mandate. Effective August 8, 2019; ADU and middle housing provisions operative January 1, 2020 with municipal compliance windows running through 2022.
- Senate Bill 458 (2021) A-Engrossed — 81st Oregon Legislative Assembly — Session law text adding the middle housing land division to ORS Chapter 92. Effective June 23, 2021; operative for applications on or after June 30, 2022.
State housing programs
Oregon's state-level ADU policy infrastructure is concentrated in the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), which publishes guidance documents for cities and counties implementing ORS 197.312(5) and ORS 197.758, runs the Housing Choice and Middle Housing technical-assistance programs, and audits municipal compliance with HB 2001. Oregon does not currently maintain a statewide pre-approved ADU plan catalog (those exist at the city level, e.g. Portland's pre-approved ADU plans), and there is no statewide impact-fee waiver, no statewide streamlined-review timeline floor beyond the reasonable-regulation requirement of ORS 197.312(5), and no state ADU rebate program.
- DLCD ADU implementation guidance — Statewide guidance to local governments on what 'reasonable regulations' on ADU siting and design under ORS 197.312(5) means in practice. Updated September 2019 to coincide with HB 2001 enactment.
- DLCD Housing Choice / Middle Housing technical assistance — Ongoing TA program that supports cities and counties in updating development regulations to comply with HB 2001 (ADUs and middle housing) and SB 458 (middle housing land divisions).
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
- 97477
- 97478
Post Office
- 4949 Main St, 97478
- 760 A St, 97477
Locale Names
- Springfield Dcu