ADU Pass
Johnston
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Johnston, Providence County, Rhode Island navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 3 ZIP codes.
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Johnston permits ADUs by-right under Chapter 340 conformed to RIGL §45-24-37(j). Town runs its own OpenGov portal at johnstonri.portal.opengov.com (separate from the statewide permits.ri.gov).
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,600 | $44,250 | $46,850 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,600 | $177,000 | $179,600 |
| midpoint | 675 | $2,600 | $199,125 | $201,725 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $2,600 | $354,000 | $356,600 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Verify Chapter 340 base district + Article V supplementary (~5d)
Verify Johnston Town Code Chapter 340 (Zoning) base district and Article V Supplementary Regulations for ADU; confirm RIGL §45-24-37(j) 20,000 sqft minimum lot for by-right ADU. Chapter 340 defines ADU as for the sole use of family members of the principal-residence occupants — ensure intended occupancy aligns. - Check landfill/state-park overlay buffers (~7d)
If parcel lies near 3 Shun Pike (Central Landfill, operated by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation / RIRRC) or Snake Den State Park, check Chapter 340 overlay buffers and DEM groundwater classifications. The landfill's GA aquifer area applies setback and groundwater-protection standards to nearby new construction. - Pre-application contact with Building Division (~5d)
Contact Johnston Building Division at the DPW office, 100 Irons Avenue / (401) 231-4000 / dpwoffice@johnstonri.gov. Town hours are atypical: M-Th 7:00 AM-3:30 PM and F 7:00 AM-2:30 PM in winter; M-Th 7:00 AM-3:00 PM and F 7:00 AM-2:30 PM in summer. The integrated DPW location means Building, Code Enforcement, Engineering, Planning, Public Works, and Zoning all share counter space. - Submit application via Johnston OpenGov portal (~1d)
Submit application through Johnston's own OpenGov permit portal at johnstonri.portal.opengov.com — note this is NOT the RI statewide permits.ri.gov. Johnston runs its own OpenGov instance for plan upload, fee payment, and inspection scheduling. - Administrative ADU review (no ZBR hearing) (~14d)
Administrative ADU review by Johnston Zoning Division under Chapter 340; by-right ADUs avoid Zoning Board of Review hearing. The ZBR hears only variance/special-use applications under the Variances and Special Use Permits provisions. - Plan review per Chapter 118 (~21d)
Plan review by Johnston Building Division per Town Code Chapter 118 (Building Construction). The integrated DPW model means MEP and engineering corrections route through one office rather than crossing departments. - Pay statewide permit fee + Chapter 149 impact fee (~1d)
Pay statewide-formula building permit fee per 510-RICR-00-00-21 (~$19-23 per $1,000 of valuation; example assumes ~$160,000 build) plus Johnston Chapter 149 development impact fee at issuance. Johnston is one of the few Providence-County jurisdictions with a residential development impact fee. - Sewer connection coordination (~14d)
Coordinate sanitary sewer connection through DPW (Ext 4207 for sewer issues) where in the served area; OWTS (RIDEM) elsewhere. Trade inspections per Town Code Chapter 118 — Building Inspector enforces SBC. - Construction inspections
Footing, foundation, frame, rough MEP, insulation, and final — request through the OpenGov portal. - Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
Issued by Johnston Building Inspector after final inspection passes.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted under RIGL §45-24-37(j); RI HOA preemption (§45-24-73) voids conflicting covenants. Note that Chapter 340's family-occupancy preference may constrain non-family rental in some districts.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions Johnston regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check town STR ordinance and any HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home-occupation permit.
- 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 residential agriculture permitted; landfill-buffer parcels have additional constraints.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupied ADU explicitly permitted; statewide §45-24-37(j) by-right treatment matches Chapter 340's family-occupancy framing.
Contacts
Staff: Johnston DPW office (Department of Development & Public Service main intake) dpwoffice@johnstonri.gov, Johnston Sewer Division (Sewer connection coordination)
Utilities
- Water: Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB) — Johnston service area · 21d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Town of Johnston Sewer Division (DPW); OWTS (RIDEM) in unserved areas · 28d connect · $6,500
- Electric: Rhode Island Energy · 14d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Rhode Island Energy (gas) · 21d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo
Modular pathway inspectors are occasional with modular
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
RIGL §45-24-73 voids conflicting HOA covenants. HOA prevalence in Johnston is concentrated in newer subdivisions on the western edge.
Regulatory overlays (3)
- landfill-buffer
Parcels near 3 Shun Pike (Central Landfill, operated by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation / RIRRC) trigger Chapter 340 buffer setbacks and DEM groundwater-classification review. - state-park
Snake Den State Park abutters trigger RIDEM coordination and Chapter 340 buffer setbacks. - flood-zone
FEMA SFHAs along Pocasset River and Simmons Brook drainages; elevation certificates required where mapped.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Johnston Town Code Chapter 118 (Building Construction); Chapter 340 (Zoning); Chapter 340 Article V (Supplementary Regulations); Multifamily Dwelling Requirements (ecode360 9724213); Chapter 149 (Development Impact Fees), adopted 1994-12-14, last amended 2024-06-25
- 1994-12-14 — Johnston Chapter 340 (Zoning) adopted (city-ordinance)
Town Council adopted Chapter 340 Zoning ordinance; amended numerous times since.
Effect: Established the Chapter 340 framework into which the 2024 ADU statute is conformed. - 2024-06-25 — RI H 7062 / S 2998 — statewide ADU preemption (state-law)
Amended RIGL §45-24-37(j) to require by-right ADUs on every single-family lot statewide; §45-24-73 voids conflicting HOA restrictions.
Effect: Johnston Chapter 340 Article V Supplementary Regulations was conformed to the statewide minimums; family-occupied ADUs are by-right with no Zoning Board of Review hearing.
Known issues (5)
- issue —
- issue —
- issue —
- issue —
- issue —
Rhode Island state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Rhode Island enacted statewide ADU preemption in 2024 through H 7062 (chief sponsor Rep. June Speakman and colleagues; co-sponsored in the Senate as S 2710), which amended the Zoning Enabling Act (Title 45, Chapter 24). Municipalities must permit ADUs by-right on any lot containing a single-family dwelling, subject only to uniform minimum standards set by the statute. One of the most ADU-friendly state statutes in the country as of 2025.
- R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 — Design standards required for accessory dwelling units; Consistent statewide treatment of accessory dwelling units required — Core ADU standards added by H 7062 (2024). Requires municipalities to permit ADUs by-right. Caps 1-bedroom and studio ADUs at 900 sqft or 60% of the principal dwelling's floor area, whichever is less. Caps 2-bedroom ADUs at 1,200 sqft or 60%, whichever is less. Prohibits owner-occupancy requirements. Caps additional parking at 1 off-street space per bedroom. Prohibits ADU-specific impact fees. Voids HOA, condominium, and similar private-covenant restrictions that conflict with the statute as against public policy.
- H 7062 (2024 RI General Assembly) — An Act Relating to Housing — Accessory Dwelling Units — The enacting bill. Also cited by municipalities adopting conforming ordinances (Providence 2024 Chapter 3584, East Providence 2024 ADU Ordinance, South Kingstown 2024-07-12 regulations).
State HOA preemption
R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 explicitly voids homeowners' association, condominium association, or similar private-covenant restrictions on ADUs when those restrictions conflict with the statute's ADU minimums. The preemption is framed as a public-policy void, meaning the offending covenant is unenforceable rather than simply regulated. Pre-existing ADU-friendly covenants remain valid (the statute only void conflicting restrictions). Applies to all common-interest communities governed by the Rhode Island Condominium Act (R.I.G.L. Title 34, Chapter 36) and Rhode Island Condominium Ownership Act (Title 34, Chapter 36.1), as well as HOAs in planned-community subdivisions.
- R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 (HOA preemption clause added by H 7062 (2024)) — Provides that private covenant restrictions imposed by condominium associations, homeowners' associations, or similar residential property governing bodies that conflict with the ADU provisions are void as against public policy. Drafted broadly — covers declarations, bylaws, rules and regulations, and recorded covenants.
State financing programs
RIHousing, the state's housing finance agency, operates an ADU financing program built around the FHA 203(k) loan product. Covers attached and interior ADUs for both purchase and refinance. Detached ADUs are NOT eligible. Requires mandatory homebuyer education, use of an FHA-approved 203(k) consultant, and a RI licensed and insured contractor. No state-specific grant program for ADUs is in effect as of 2026-04-21; the federal 203(k) rails are the production vehicle.
State housing programs
Rhode Island does not currently operate a single statewide pre-approved-ADU-plan catalog (as California's CalHFA and Washington's Commerce plan libraries). Implementation of the 2024 ADU law is happening municipality-by-municipality, with the Executive Office of Housing (EOH) coordinating technical assistance. Providence published a citywide ADU Guide (February 2025) as the leading model; East Providence adopted a conforming ordinance in 2024; South Kingstown published regulations in 2024. RIHousing runs the ADU financing side (see stateFinancing).
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
- 02911
- 02919
- 02921
Post Office
- 1530 Atwood Ave, 02919