Santa Cruz / ADU construction
ADU Construction in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz issued 106 ADU permits in 2024, more than any year since at least 2018.
Santa Cruz has encouraged ADUs since its 2002 program, with pre-approved prototype designs and fee waivers for affordable units. We design and build ADUs here from the site check to the final inspection, with the right set of standards chosen first.
SANTA CRUZ AT A GLANCE
How Santa Cruz handles ADUs.
ADUs in the City of Santa Cruz need a building permit but no public hearing, and building permits for them cannot be appealed. The Coastal Zone, historic survey and utility connections are where the timeline is won or lost.
- 106
- ADU building permits issued in 2024, per the city's state housing report
- 68%
- of Santa Cruz homes built before 1980
- 52%
- of households rent
Planning
Planning counter
Zoning, ADU standards, Coastal Permits and the GIS layer that shows where coastal parking applies. Email planningcounter@santacruzca.gov.
(831) 420-5416City ADU rules ↗Permits
Building and Safety Division
Architectural drawings, energy and green building calculations go to the city as a building permit. Each ADU or JADU gets its own address, billed hourly with the permit.
(831) 420-5120Building inspections ↗Legalization
Existing unpermitted units
Units built before 2020 can be legalized under AB 2533. Bring the Residential Building Records from the County Assessor at 701 Ocean Street to the first meeting.
(831) 420-5112ADU legalization ↗Utilities
City water and sewer, PG&E power
A detached ADU almost always needs new water and sewer connections. Separate electric meters are allowed when the unit has its own kitchen and bath and no interior door to the main house.
(831) 420-5030
STATEWIDE EXEMPTION OR CITY STANDARDS
Small and simple, or bigger with more rules.
A one-story detached ADU under 800 square feet qualifies as a Statewide Exemption ADU, with 4 foot setbacks and a 16 foot height limit. A Non-Exempt ADU can be larger and up to 22 feet tall, but must meet all city standards. A single-unit lot can have one of each, plus a conversion and a junior ADU.
Statewide Exemption ADU
Detached, one story, up to 800 square feet and 16 feet, or 18 feet near major transit, plus 2 feet for roof pitch. 4 foot side and rear setbacks.
Non-Exempt detached ADU
The larger of 10% of net lot area up to 1,200 square feet, or 850 square feet for a studio or one bedroom and 1,000 for two or more. Up to 22 feet.
Attached ADU
The larger of 50% of the main home or the 850 and 1,000 square foot limits, with 4 foot side and rear setbacks.
Garage conversion
Any size within the existing structure, with up to 150 square feet of added footprint and 2 feet of added height.
Junior ADU
Up to 500 square feet inside the home. The owner must live in the JADU or the main house, and it cannot be sold separately.
Multi-unit lots
One detached ADU per existing unit, up to 8, plus conversions of up to 25% of existing units in non-livable space.
SANTA CRUZ MUNICIPAL CODE 24.16
Statewide Exemption or Non-Exempt.
Santa Cruz sorts new detached ADUs into two groups. The exempt path is limited but simple; the non-exempt path allows a bigger, taller unit under all city standards.
| Statewide Exemption | Non-Exempt | |
|---|---|---|
| Detached size | Up to 800 sq ft, one story | Larger of 10% of net lot area (max 1,200 sq ft) or 850 / 1,000 sq ft |
| Height | 16 ft, 18 ft near major transit, plus 2 ft for roof pitch | Up to 22 ft to the roof peak |
| Side and rear setbacks | 4 ft | 3 ft, or 4 ft for any part over 16 ft |
| Separation from other buildings | Not listed | At least 6 ft |
| On a single-unit lot | One | One, alongside a conversion and a junior ADU |
| Parking outside the Coastal Zone | Not required | Not required |
Source: City of Santa Cruz ADU page ↗
Planning the work
How a Santa Cruz ADU gets built.
Site check
Free visit. Lot size, slope, Coastal Zone, historic status, alley access and the water and sewer route.
Standards and design
Statewide Exemption or Non-Exempt chosen, then architectural drawings, energy and green building calculations.
Permit
Building permit emailed to the city, an address assigned for the new unit, and a Coastal Permit where required.
Build and final
Foundation, framing, rough-in inspections, new water and sewer connections, and the final inspection.
WHAT SLOWS ADUS IN SANTA CRUZ
Problems Santa Cruz owners run into, and how we plan around them.
From local reporting, the state's review of the city's ADU rules and the city's own ADU pages.
New water and sewer connections add fees and street work.
Utility routes and meter size are checked at the site visit, since even a conversion can need a larger meter.
A coastal lot needs parking or a Coastal Permit with public notice.
The ADU Parking Required map is checked before design, and coastal review is built into the schedule.
ADU rules keep changing.
The state found the city's 2022 ordinance out of step with ADU law in 2024 and the council updated it, so every project is checked against the current code.
Legalizing an existing unit takes about a year.
We pre-inspect the unit, fix health and safety items first, and keep up with the yearly inspections.
Sloped lots and alleys add engineering and paving.
Slope and alley access are assessed at the first visit, since the city notes alley paving may fall to the owner.
Financing got harder: ADU permits in unincorporated Santa Cruz County fell by more than half in 2025, and the city's fell from 106 to 79.
Design choices that keep the unit under 750 square feet and avoid a new structure are priced first.
Sources: santacruzca.gov ADU and legalization pages; HCD review letter, February 2024; Lookout Santa Cruz, including July 2026.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
What Santa Cruz asks for.
Documents to gather
- Architectural drawings with a site plan
- Energy and green building calculations
- Addressing request for the new unit
- JADU land use agreement, if a junior ADU is included
A Statewide Exemption ADU fits when
- The unit is detached, one story and under 800 sq ft
- 4 foot side and rear setbacks are available
- 16 feet of height is enough, or 18 near major transit
- Or it converts space inside an existing building
Expect a longer path when
- The lot is in the Coastal Zone
- The home is on the Historic Building Survey
- The ADU is submitted with a new main home
- The site is sloped or reached by an unpaved alley
How big can an ADU be in Santa Cruz?
Up to 800 square feet for a one-story Statewide Exemption ADU, and up to 1,200 square feet for a Non-Exempt detached ADU on a lot where 10% of the net area allows it. Otherwise a Non-Exempt ADU can reach 850 square feet as a studio or one bedroom and 1,000 square feet with two or more. A junior ADU is limited to 500 square feet.
Do ADUs need parking in Santa Cruz?
No, outside the Coastal Zone, and parking removed to build an ADU does not need to be replaced there. Inside the Coastal Zone one off-street space may be required for ADUs near the coast, as shown on the city's GIS layer called ADU Parking Required.
Can I use my Santa Cruz ADU as a vacation rental?
No, not on a single-family property. ADUs and junior ADUs on single-family properties are not eligible for the city's Short-Term Rental Program, because the units are meant for long-term housing. Multifamily properties with an owner on site may qualify in limited cases.
Can I sell an ADU separately in Santa Cruz?
Yes, since 2025. A Santa Cruz ADU can be mapped as a condominium and sold separately; four or fewer units need a Parcel Map through Public Works, and lienholders must consent in writing. Junior ADUs cannot be sold separately.
Can I legalize an unpermitted ADU in Santa Cruz?
Yes, if it was built before January 1, 2020. Under state law AB 2533 the city can deny legalization only if the unit is substandard under Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3. The process typically takes about one year with a yearly safety inspection; the city's legalization contact is (831) 420-5112.
Are there school impact fees for an ADU in Santa Cruz?
No, not for an ADU under 750 square feet. Above that the school impact fee is around $3.15 per square foot, according to the city. A detached new ADU almost always needs new water and sewer connections, which carry their own fees.
