ADU Pass
Vancouver
Clark County portion
Also in: No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 11 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Washington preempts most local ADU restrictions. Vancouver permits ADUs by right in single-family zones per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,900 | $64,650 | $67,550 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,900 | $258,600 | $261,500 |
| midpoint | 675 | $2,900 | $290,925 | $293,825 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $2,900 | $517,200 | $520,100 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm site eligibility under VMC 20.810 (~3d)
Verify the parcel is within Vancouver UGA, single-family or middle-housing zoned (R-2/R-4/R-6/R-9/R-18/R-22), and check overlay constraints (Columbia River shoreline, FEMA SFHA along Vancouver Lake / Burnt Bridge Creek, airport overlay near Pearson Field). - Pre-submittal email intake (~5d)
Email completed Residential New Construction (or Residential All-Other for attached/conversion) plus the ADU Supplemental Form to ePlans@cityofvancouver.us. Vancouver triages before assigning a project number; do not send plans yet. - Plan upload via MyRelayView portal (~1d)
Once Permit Center issues project number, upload PDF plan set (site, foundation, floor, elevations, energy code compliance per WSEC 2021, structural calcs) to cityofvancouver.myrelayview.com/Permits. - Concurrent plan review (~35d)
Building, planning (zoning/setback), fire marshal, civil/stormwater, and Clark Public Utilities electrical capacity review run in parallel. First-cycle response targets 4-6 weeks; revisions typical. - Address corrections and resubmit (~21d)
Applicant addresses comments (typically 2 cycles for a custom ADU; 1 cycle for pre-engineered/modular). Resubmittal triggers ~2-week re-review. - Issue permit and pay fees (~3d)
On approval, pay building permit, plan review, traffic impact, school impact (Vancouver Public Schools / Evergreen SD - often waived under 1000 sqft), park impact, and SDC water/sewer through MyRelayView. - Construction inspections
Inspections requested via MyRelayView: setback verification, footing, foundation, underfloor, framing, shear, rough-in (electrical/plumbing/mechanical), insulation, drywall, gas pressure test, and final. - Final inspection and address assignment (~7d)
Final inspection clears Certificate of Occupancy. Vancouver assigns separate address for the ADU through the Addressing Coordinator; Clark County Assessor parcel records updated for property tax reassessment.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted; Washington owner-occupancy preemption (where applicable) makes ADU eligible for full landlord-tenant treatment.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Vancouver 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.
Contacts
Staff: CDD Planning (zoning, setback, ADU eligibility) (Current Planning) cddplanning@cityofvancouver.us, Plan Review (building code, structural, energy) (Building Plan Review) planreview@cityofvancouver.us, Clark Public Utilities - Electrical service (Utility coordination)
Utilities
- Water: Vancouver Water Utility · 21d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Vancouver Sewer / Wastewater · 21d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Vancouver Electric Utility · 14d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Vancouver Gas Utility · 21d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Washington enacted HOA preemption of ADU bans in Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), which amended the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act and the Washington Horizontal Property Regimes Act to prohibit common-interest communities from banning ADUs on lots in GMA-planning jurisdictions. A homeowners' association may impose reasonable aesthetic or architectural standards, but may not categorically prohibit ADUs.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Vancouver Municipal Code Title 20, Chapter 20.810 - Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 1995-06-01, last amended 2025-04-21
- 1995-06-01 — Vancouver Title 20 (Land Use and Development Code) - original ADU provisions (city-ordinance)
Vancouver's first codified ADU regulations under VMC 20.810, permitting one accessory dwelling per single-family lot subject to owner-occupancy and parking requirements.
Effect: Established Vancouver's baseline ADU framework with size cap, owner-occupancy condition, and one ADU per lot maximum. - 2023-05-08 — Washington EHB 1337 (Accessory Dwelling Units), codified at RCW 36.70A.681 (state-law)
Washington statewide ADU enabling act compelling cities planning under GMA to permit two ADUs per lot in single-family zones, eliminate owner-occupancy, cap parking and impact fees, and process ministerial.
Effect: Required Vancouver to amend VMC 20.810 to allow two ADUs per lot, remove owner-occupancy, and remove off-street parking requirement within urban growth area. - 2024-06-17 — Vancouver Ordinance M-4465 - Title 20 ADU code amendments (city-ordinance)
Council adopted M-4465 amending VMC 20.810 to conform with EHB 1337: increased to two ADUs per lot, removed owner-occupancy condition, eliminated parking minimums, increased detached ADU max to 1000 sqft.
Effect: Brought Vancouver code into compliance with state mandate ahead of the June 2025 deadline; activated the dual-ADU pathway. - 2025-04-21 — Vancouver Ordinance M-4517 - HB 1110 Middle Housing conforming amendments (city-ordinance)
Conforming amendments aligning ADU rules with the city's HB 1110 middle-housing rollout; clarified treatment of ADUs on lots with duplexes/triplexes.
Effect: Allowed ADUs on middle-housing lots and clarified setback measurement at zero-lot-line interfaces.
Clark County (WA) — county ADU rules and overlays
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
Clark County (WA) handles unincorporated permitting under its planning/development department.
Washington state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Washington preempts local ADU regulation in urban growth areas of cities and counties subject to the Growth Management Act through Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), codified principally at RCW 36.70A.680-.681. Cities and counties planning under the GMA must allow at least two ADUs per lot in urban growth areas, must not require owner-occupancy, must not impose minimum-lot-size or setback rules stricter than those for the primary residence, and must allow ADUs to be sold separately as condominiums. Related House Bill 1110 (2023), codified at RCW 36.70A.635, requires 'middle housing' (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes) in most residential zones of large cities.
- RCW 36.70A.680 — Accessory dwelling units — Requirements for cities and counties planning under this chapter — Sets the minimum entitlement floor for ADUs in GMA-planning jurisdictions: at least two ADUs per lot in urban growth areas, no owner-occupancy requirement, no stricter setback or lot-coverage rules than for the primary residence, no parking requirements within a half-mile of major transit stops, and no prohibition on selling an ADU separately as a condominium.
- RCW 36.70A.681 — Accessory dwelling units — Design, size, and aesthetic standards — Caps what local governments may require in ADU design and size standards. Maximum ADU size must be at least 1,000 square feet in most zones. Street-facing facades and aesthetic review may not be used to categorically prohibit ADUs.
- RCW 36.70A.696 — Accessory dwelling units — Definitions — Statutory definitions of 'accessory dwelling unit,' 'attached accessory dwelling unit,' 'detached accessory dwelling unit,' 'owner,' and 'urban growth area' used by RCW 36.70A.680-.681.
- RCW 36.70A.635 — Middle housing — Cities planning under this chapter — HB 1110 (2023). Requires cities over specified population thresholds to allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, cottage housing, and stacked flats in most residential zones. Interacts with ADU law because ADUs and middle housing both contribute to the state's response to the GMA's housing element.
State HOA preemption
Washington enacted HOA preemption of ADU bans in Substitute House Bill 1337 (2023), which amended the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act and the Washington Horizontal Property Regimes Act to prohibit common-interest communities from banning ADUs on lots in GMA-planning jurisdictions. A homeowners' association may impose reasonable aesthetic or architectural standards, but may not categorically prohibit ADUs.
- RCW 64.38.057 — Homeowners' associations — Accessory dwelling units — Prohibits a homeowners' association governing a plat within a GMA-planning city or county from recording or enforcing a provision that prohibits the construction, use, or rental of an accessory dwelling unit on a lot. Reasonable design guidelines consistent with RCW 36.70A.681 remain enforceable.
State financing programs
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) administers state-level housing finance programs. Washington does not currently operate an ADU-specific statewide grant or forgivable-loan program comparable to California's CalHFA ADU Grant, but several state programs can be used for ADU construction when program criteria are met.
State housing programs
Washington supports ADU implementation through Department of Commerce technical assistance and grant programs rather than through a single statewide pre-approved-plan catalog. The state provides model ADU code under the GMA, distributes GMA update grants to help jurisdictions comply with RCW 36.70A.680-.681, and has produced ADU guidance documents for local governments.
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
- 98660
- 98661
- 98662
- 98663
- 98664
- 98665
- 98682
- 98683
- 98684
- 98685
- 98686
Post Office
- 11909 NE 65th St, 98682
- 2700 Caples Ave, 98661
- 401 NE 136th Ave, 98684
- 7604 NE 5th Ave Ste 104, 98665