ADU Pass
Catano
Guaynabo Municipio portion
Also in: Cataño Municipio · No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Catano, Guaynabo Municipio, Puerto Rico navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: with-restrictions
Cataño second-dwelling work follows the standard PR two-tier (municipal Oficina de Permisos + OGPe central) routing. Bahia / Juana Matos / Cucharillas waterfront parcels face FEMA AE storm-surge constraints. Cucharillas Marsh natural area (one of Puerto Rico's largest urban wetlands) creates DRNA wetland-protection overlay for adjacent parcels.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 200 | $1,750 | $64,000 | $65,750 |
| 525 | 525 | $2,500 | $168,000 | $170,500 |
| midpoint | 550 | $2,500 | $176,000 | $178,500 |
| maximum | 900 | $3,400 | $288,000 | $291,400 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm Cataño parcel district under RC-2023 and any sector overlay (~4d)
Cataño's sectors: Cataño Pueblo, Bahia, Juana Matos, Cucharillas (with the Cucharillas Marsh natural area), Puente Blanco, Puntilla, Marina Bahia, Bay View, Vista al Morro, Palmas. Most are R-3 urban high-density. Cucharillas Marsh adjacent parcels have wetland-protection overlay. - FEMA flood-zone determination and Cucharillas wetland check (~10d)
Pull parcel from FEMA Map Service Center. Bahia, Juana Matos, Puntilla, and Marina Bahia waterfront sectors mostly in AE storm-surge zones. Parcels adjacent to Cucharillas Marsh additionally trigger DRNA wetland review (Reserva Natural status). - Engage CIAPR-licensed architect or engineer (~21d)
Reglamento de Construccion CIAPR-licensed seal required. Cataño designers familiar with elevated-foundation work for waterfront sectors and tight-lot urban infill in Cataño Pueblo. - Submit Permiso Unico via Single Business Portal (SBP) (~1d)
Filed at https://sbp.ogpe.pr.gov/. Cataño Oficina de Permisos receives Jerarquia I-III; OGPe central San Juan handles Jerarquia IV-V. Cataño is the smallest PR municipio and OGPe central is across the bay - very short administrative geography. - DRNA Coastal Zone (ZMT) consultation and Cucharillas wetland review (~35d)
Waterfront parcels (San Juan Bay frontage along Bahia, Marina Bahia, Bay View) trigger DRNA ZMT consultation. Cucharillas Marsh parcels add wetland review under DRNA Reserva Natural rules. Bacardi Distillery and AcuaExpreso ferry terminal occupy major waterfront acreage; private development parcels remaining are limited and reviewed carefully. - PRASA water/sewer endorsement (~14d)
PRASA San Juan Metro Region serves Cataño. Sanitary network feeds Bayamon Regional WWTP via shared metro trunk. Capacity confirmation generally easy in densely-served urban Cataño. - LUMA Energy interconnection request (~45d)
LUMA distribution from Cataño substations; service drop typical 30-60 days. Dense urban grid favorable for service connections. - Construction inspections including flood-elevation verification
Cataño Oficina de Permisos inspectors plus engineer-of-record. Elevation Certificate at foundation for SFHA parcels; finished-floor verification at framing. Hurricane-tie continuous load path inspection. CMU lift inspections. - Permiso de Uso (Certificate of Use) issuance (~14d)
Final inspection plus Elevation Certificate (where applicable) triggers Permiso de Uso through OGPe; required before utility energization and any rental.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes (Codigo Civil de Puerto Rico (Ley 55-2020) landlord-tenant articles) Strong long-term demand from San Juan metro commuters using AcuaExpreso ferry and PR-22 access. Workforce housing for Bacardi, ferry, port, and adjacent Bayamon hospital employment.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Companias de Turismo de Puerto Rico STR Registry; Cataño municipal patente) Cataño STR niche relies on $0.50 AcuaExpreso ferry to Old San Juan - travelers can stay in cheaper Cataño and access San Juan tourism. Bacardi Distillery (Casa Bacardi) is a major draw. Not a high-end resort market.
- STR registration with Companias de Turismo required
- Patente municipal required
- AcuaExpreso ferry access from Old San Juan supports cross-bay STR demand for budget-conscious Old San Juan visitors
- Bacardi Distillery tour visitors create steady but modest demand
- Office rental: with-restrictions Avenida Barbosa and Avenida Las Nereidas commercial corridors allow mixed use; pure residential parcels require variance.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with patente municipal.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal art/workshop use permitted accessory residential.
- Agriculture: no Cataño is the smallest and most-densely-urbanized PR municipio. No agricultural districts of consequence.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy second dwellings (la casita) common in Cataño's tight-lot context where multigenerational housing is the dominant pattern.
Incentives
- R3 - Programa de Reparacion, Reconstruccion o Reubicacion (CDBG-DR) — Up to $150,000 reconstruction (when funded) (Cataño owner-occupants damaged by Maria 2017 (Bahia / Juana Matos / Puntilla flooding precedent))
Contacts
Staff: OGPe central review (San Juan) (OGPe central for Jerarquia IV-V escalations), OGPe Customer Service (servicioalclientepermisos@ddec.pr.gov) (Single Business Portal support), DRNA Reserva Natural Cucharillas (Wetland-protection consultation for Cucharillas-adjacent parcels)
Utilities
- Water: PRASA San Juan Metro Region; entire Cataño urbanized area on network · 30d connect · $575
- Sewer: PRASA San Juan Metro sanitary network feeding Bayamon Regional WWTP · 30d connect · $4,900
- Electric: LUMA Energy (T&D since 2021-06-01); served from Cataño metropolitan distribution · 45d connect · $875
- Gas: Propane only (LP cylinder/tank); no piped natural-gas distribution; some commercial properties (Bacardi) have specialized industrial gas arrangements · 7d connect · $600
Property values & taxes
Market rent by ADU size
| Sq ft | Rent |
|---|---|
| 300 | $900/mo |
| 500 | $1,250/mo |
| 700 | $1,500/mo |
| 900 | $1,750/mo |
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 9mo · typical 13mo · worst 22mo
Tight urban lot logistics (small Cataño Pueblo lots) add material-staging complexity; access via narrow streets in Bahia / Juana Matos. Waterfront elevated foundation adds 4-6 weeks. CMU/concrete construction with hurricane and seismic detailing.
Modular pathway No PR-specific factory-built housing program · inspectors are rare with modular
San Juan port entry then PR-22 / PR-165 access. Tight Cataño Pueblo streets may limit module width on inland delivery; waterfront delivery feasible.
Financing
State ADU loans:
- R3 - Home Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation Program (CDBG-DR) (Puerto Rico Department of Housing) up to $150,000
- Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda (AFV) (AFV Puerto Rico)
Insurance impact
Cataño waterfront sectors carry NFIP plus JUA hurricane plus seismic premiums. Cucharillas-adjacent parcels add wetland/flood considerations. Inland sectors materially lower.
HOA prevalence & preemption
Cataño has notable condominium concentration in Bay View / Marina Bahia waterfront developments. Master-deed (escritura matriz) review required before any second-dwelling work in condominium parcels. Tight-lot fee-simple Cataño Pueblo parcels mostly free of HOA encumbrance.
Regulatory overlays (5)
- flood-zone — FEMA AE storm-surge zones along Cataño waterfront - Bahia, Juana Matos, Puntilla, Marina Bahia, Bay View - and Cucharillas Marsh inland edge · +28d · +16% cost
San Juan Bay storm-surge plus Cucharillas Marsh hydrology drive elevation requirements. NFIP coverage mandatory in SFHA. (map) - wind-zone — Entire Cataño - ASCE 7-22 wind exposure D, design wind 200+ mph · +14d · +18% cost
Coastal exposure D; same as adjacent San Juan / Bayamon. (map) - seismic-zone — Northern PR seismic zone; Seismic Design Category D2 per ASCE 7 · +7d · +8% cost
D2 detailing required. (map) - coastal-zone — Zona Maritimo Terrestre (ZMT) along entire Cataño San Juan Bay frontage; AcuaExpreso ferry terminal and Bacardi waterfront within ZMT considerations · +35d · +6% cost
Almost any waterfront parcel in Cataño abuts ZMT. DRNA consultation routine. (map) - other — Reserva Natural Cucharillas wetland - one of Puerto Rico's largest urban wetlands (Cucharillas barrio); buffer rules under DRNA · +30d · +5% cost
DRNA wetland-protection buffer applies to parcels adjacent to or hydrologically connected with Cucharillas Marsh. Stormwater management requirements stringent. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Reglamento de Construccion 2018 - Wind amendment (ASCE 7-22 wind exposure D) — PR-specific wind amendment; design wind 200+ mph in coastal zones.
- Reglamento de Construccion 2018 - Seismic amendment — Post-2019/2020 earthquake update; SDC D2 territory-wide.
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Cataño Municipal Ordenanzas (consolidated under Ley 107-2020) plus Reglamento Conjunto 2023, adopted 2023-06-16, last amended 2025-01-30
- 2009-12-01 — Ley 161-2009 - Ley para la Reforma del Proceso de Permisos de Puerto Rico (state-law)
Created OGPe and Permiso Unico framework with Jerarquia I-V routing.
Effect: Cataño Oficina de Permisos handles Jerarquia I-III local intake; Jerarquia IV-V routes to OGPe central in San Juan. - 2017-09-20 — Hurricane Maria - Cataño waterfront and Juana Matos flooding (other)
Storm surge and flooding affected Bahia, Juana Matos, and Puntilla waterfront sectors.
Effect: Triggered FEMA flood-map updates expanding AE coverage along Cataño's San Juan Bay waterfront. R3 / CDBG-DR reconstruction applied to many Cataño residences. - 2020-08-14 — Ley 107-2020 - Codigo Municipal de Puerto Rico (state-law)
Consolidated municipal-government framework for all 78 PR municipios.
Effect: Cataño retains autonomous-municipality status under prior Ley 81-1991. - 2023-06-16 — Reglamento Conjunto 2023 (RC-2023) effective date (state-law)
Reglamento Conjunto consolidating 2020 and 2019 versions.
Effect: Cataño parcels evaluated against RC-2023 district minimums; R-3 high-density rules apply to most of Cataño's urban core given small municipio area. - 2024-11-05 — Mayor Julio Alicea Vasallo (PNP) re-elected (other)
Cataño voters returned Alicea Vasallo to office; current term ends 2029-01-08.
Effect: Continuity of municipal administration; Alicea Vasallo's prior priorities (rum-capital branding, public-works modernization following 2022 Obras Publicas corruption arrests) carry forward. - 2025-01-30 — Cataño Municipal Ordinance OM-29-2024-2025 (Series 2024-2025) (city-ordinance)
Approved by Municipal Legislature 2025-01-30. Together with OM-23-2024-2025 these are the most recent municipal land-use / permitting ordinances of record.
Effect: Updates to Cataño municipal procedures; companion OM-23-2024-2025 likely zoning/permitting refinement consistent with RC-2023.
Known issues (2)
- infrastructure (since 2017-09-20) — Hurricane Maria 2017 caused storm-surge damage along Cataño waterfront. NFIP flood insurance and BFE elevation construction practical mandates in SFHA. Future SLR projections raise long-horizon concern given small municipio area. (source)
- policy-review (since 2022) — Federal arrest of former Cataño Public Works manager (2022) and ongoing public-administration housekeeping under Mayor Alicea Vasallo's reform agenda. Permit-process integrity has been an explicit municipal focus 2022-2025; OGPe SBP filing helps standardize the process. (source)
Puerto Rico state — ADU law and programs
State HOA preemption
Puerto Rico's condominium regime is more sophisticated than most US territories — Law 129-2020 modernized the framework, mandated separate operating and reserve accounts, and added a short-term-rental floor — but it does not preempt CC&R restrictions on accessory dwellings. Conventional planned-unit-development HOAs outside the condominium framework are governed by general civil-code contract principles. Practical impact: in Puerto Rico's many condominium and gated-community contexts, ADU rights depend on the master deed.
State financing programs
Puerto Rico's primary public housing financing vehicle is the Puerto Rico Department of Housing (Departamento de la Vivienda, PRDOH), which administers HUD CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT recovery funds tied to Hurricanes Irma and María (2017) and the 2019–2020 earthquake sequence. The flagship homeowner-side program is R3 — the Home Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation Program — funded with $2.2B+ of the $10B in CDBG-DR funds HUD has allocated to Puerto Rico for hurricane recovery. R3 funds repair, reconstruction, or relocation for single-family homes damaged by qualifying disasters; ADU-equivalent accessory structures could be built as part of a qualifying reconstruction but the program is not ADU-targeted. The Puerto Rico Housing Finance Authority (Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda, AFV) issues mortgage-revenue-bond first-mortgage financing for first-time homebuyers. Outside the disaster-recovery channels, there is no commonwealth-wide ADU-specific consumer loan or grant.
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
- 00965
Post Office
- 131 Ave Barbosa, 00962