California ADU Rules - September 2020 Update
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
- Update from September 2020 about granny flat laws in California - new guidance from the HCD. California state code about building Accessory Dwelling Units is complicated so the government clarified many ADU rules and regulations last month.
This provides a much clearer picture of what local cities and counties are supposed to allow according to the state laws that went into effect in January 2020 (about time!) And what they should not allow too!
This video covers a lot of ADU Rules and Regulations:
0:00 Intro
1:44 3000 sq ft ADU conversion
3:34 Statewide exemption ADUs
7:12 How big can a detached ADU be in California?
8:46 What does "proportionately" mean in ADU law?
11:17 What does "objective" mean in ADU law?
14:23 School impact fees
16:00 Historic Districts and Coastal Zones
17:05 Can you convert a garage into a JADU?
18:21 Can you add 150 sq ft for a JADU entrance/exit?
20:30 What is considered a multifamily dwelling?
22:00 Enforcement of granny flat laws
23:15 This video and article do not constitute legal advice
24:18 How to stay up to date
MORE RESOURCES:
🏠 Subscribe to this channel: th-cam.com/users/HowToADU?su...
🏠 Introduction to 2020 California ADU Laws: • New ADU Law - Californ...
🏠 ADU Laws playlist: • ADU Laws and Regulatio...
🏠 Download the HCD Handbook: bit.ly/hcd-handbook
🏠 Read My Article with More Information: how-to-adu.com/adu-articles-bl...
GET STARTED WITH YOUR OWN ADU PROJECT:
Share your project with me and get help: bit.ly/youtube-adu
Meet more people in the How To ADUniverse:
🏠 Our Facebook Group: / howtoadu
🏠 HCD Website: www.hcd.ca.gov/policy-researc...
🏠 My website: bit.ly/youtube-adu
🏠 My Twitter - @howtoadu
Hey Ryan. Thanks so much for this informative video. And the link to the new handbook. I’m going to read through that and reach out to you again to discuss my project. Really appreciate you and your channel.
Thanks so much for sharing your project and for building more housing.
I hope that you build a great unit and inspire a lot of people to build their own ADUs!
Hello Ryan, Thanks for the great video! I want to build a new home from scratch and an attached ADU on the second floor (does it mean it is within the space of a proposed single family home?). The entrance to it would be an exterior staircase on the side of the lot.
I was wondering if that square footage of staircase is considered a part of ADU (in 800 sf exemption for lot coverage and FAR) because it serves the ADU?
Also we know "(i) The accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit is within the proposed space of a single-family dwelling or existing space of a single-family dwelling or accessory structure and may include an expansion of not more than 150 square feet beyond the same physical dimensions as the existing accessory structure. An expansion beyond the physical dimensions of the existing accessory structure shall be limited to accommodating ingress and egress.“
you mentioned it is only for existing structures, but I read it as it applies to proposed ADUs as well. Can you please shed some light on it?
Higher volume version of this same video: th-cam.com/video/JcgbfVZkuYE/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for all the comments flagging the volume issue yesterday. I will try to fix this in the future!
👍 good video, thanks..
Thank you for watching - let me know if you have any questions.
Owner do not require to occupy on primary residents and ADU can be rent out. Is this allow for certain time period or permanent?
I think that the state rules currently prevent cities from putting owner occupancy requirements in place for ADUs permitted before 2025.
Hey Ryan. One question can you and if yes what’s the process look like to convert a existing rec room with a bathroom and kitchen to a adu unit?
Thanks for the question, Jairo. To get an answer specific to your property, you really need to speak to a licensed contractor or architect, and somebody in your planning department -- but I can give you general information (not specific to your case).
Generally speaking, homeowners can convert existing structures (like rec rooms) into an ADU. If it's less than 500 sq ft, some jurisdictions will allow that to be a JADU conversion. If it's over 500 sq ft, or if you're in a jurisdiction that doesn't like detached JADUs, then you can convert it with the conventional ADU code (not JADU).
When you've already got a bathroom and kitchen, and you're built on a good foundation with weathertight shell, then you're probably looking at a very light process. That said, I've heard that sometimes the city/county will ask people to tear up sections of walls to show how the electrical/plumbing were run and things like that. So it sort of depends on your local jurisdiction.
The best information comes directly from the planning/building department in your jurisdiction. If you have a permitted rec room, this is an easy conversation. Just email or call them. If your rec room was built without a permit, then that's a different story. Talk to a lawyer. If you want more general information on this topic, email me at ryan@how-to-adu.com
Good luck with your project!
Hello Ryan, currently I have a barn located on my property line, left side and back. The back side of the barn adjoins an alleyway. The left side abuts my Neighbors yard. The barn is over 100 years old. I want to turn it into an ADU. Who do you recommend I speak to on this subject. I’m in San Jose. I would also like your comments on the situation.
Thanks for the question - the architecture firm I work at can definitely help you with this.
You can schedule a call with us inspiredadus.com/contact-us
See our ADUs here: th-cam.com/users/inspiredadus
You've got a lot of potential with that existing barn. And we've got multiple projects in the pipe in San Jose.
You didn't go into detail what the cool things that can be done on multifamily home lots vs single houses. Will you explain? Thanks
Sure, that's probably worth a whole other video.
But if you have a multi-family dwelling (that's one structure with multiple units in it, then you can actually build two detached ADUs on the property and/or convert existing space (eg garage, laundry room, boiler room) in the MFD to small units at a certain ratio (I think 1 new unit per 4 dwellings, rounding up to 1). Check the HCD handout link in the video description for the section on Multi-Family and bring that to your local planning department to see what they'll let you do!
Hello Ryan,
Thank you for your information you provide in this Chanel. I have an issue converting my garage to an ADU, maybe you can help! I’m in the middle of Pasadena and Los Angeles, the house is in the LA county but the garage is in the Pasadena county the issue is that Pasadena doesn’t want to give me the permits because I must have a house in the county of Pasadena in order to get the permits for the ADU. Do you have any idea who has the power to make Pasadena give me the permit ??
Thank you
So can’t you just build a 3000 sqft barn as an accessory structure and then convert it to an adu afterwards? Or does existing structure conversions only apply to structures built before 2020?
I haven’t seen anything in the current code about buildings needing to exist before 2020
This strategy is being explored as we speak with smaller garage conversions in LA. I suspect that different jurisdictions will react differently to this maneuver, and if too many people do it the laws will get more specific and more restrictive. Time will tell.
Are you thinking about building one?
@@HowToADU Yeah we already have planning approval. We’re also doing a similar strategy of expanding our main house and then converting the expansion into a JADU in the future.
It feels like when a promotion says limit one per transaction and then you just ask the cashier if you can do two separate transitions hahah.
I actually have a couple of videos on ADUs on my channel if you want to check it out.
Hah, that's a great analogy.
I will definitely check those videos out, Jeffrey. Let me know if you want to collaborate on a video one day - I can do a zoom interview on any ADU topic that will help people understand how they can use ADUs as an investment, or to save money on a family member's rent.
@@HowToADU Yes! I would like to collaborate one day. I'll take a look at the rest of your videos so I can get a better understanding of your channel. Is there an email I can contact you on?
Ryan@how-to-adu.com
builders first word is what's your budget? me"how much per sf last one you built ? builder " how much do you want to spend ?'they do this every day. say they just finished one last week they know what it cost start to finish. in the city of x permits fees sewer tie-in etc. I just asked one this week I dont care of the name phone # e mail location what you Made as profit . just any idea so I can see if I can budget a adu
I work at an architecture firm in Oakland and most of our clients using our 414 sq ft plans have about $270k-$300k in construction costs. For more ways to calculate cost, check this out: th-cam.com/users/HowToADUsearch?query=cost
Hello Ryan... I am new to secondary units and Adu’s being built on the same lot. Do you have any tips on who I can reach out to for information on how I can build a bigger adu or secondary dwelling on my lot then my county allows?
I am looking to convert my existing primary home (1800sq ft) and build a new primary home at 2000-2300 sq ft but my county only allows for a max 1500sq ft secondary dwelling for my lot size. Restricting my new primary home size to only 1500 sq ft. Any tips on where this newbie can start would be appreciated. Thanks!!!
Good luck with the ambitious project!
It sounds like you've got a good grasp of the situation, but be very careful with your choice of words. Don't try to "build a bigger adu...than the county allows" - try to "build the largest structure the county will allow". ;-)
For example, if you're in the jurisdiction of an unincorporated county, you may have the ability to build other structures than ADUs. One subscriber I spoke to was under a Williamson Act agreement which, in their county, meant no ADU allowed. But farm worker housing was allowed. And actually could be much larger.
If your lot is big enough and the zoning conditions are right, splitting the lot may be a way to build a new large structure that can serve as a residence.
If you have any existing structures on the land like a large barn, you may be able to convert that into an ADU without size restrictions.
I've also got one sort of fringe idea. You could ask the planning department if they'd allow you to build a 2,000 sq ft structure that combines a 1500 sq ft ADU with a 500 sq ft JADU. Email ryan@how-to-adu.com for details about this one. No guarantees that it will work, but it's a possibility depending on how the planning department wants to look at it.
Lastly, you haven't asked about this, but the most common pitfalls for unincorporated county lots include septic tanks/sewer costs and fire safety costs. Make sure to look into both of these before investing too much money or time into the project since they can be surprisingly large hurdles for a lot of homeowners.
How do I get the new hand book?
I couldn't find it on the HCD website so I'm hosting it on my site: bit.ly/hcd-handbook
Enjoy!
Can you go higher then 16 ft ?? For a Detached ADU
The state law says 16 foot maximum for new construction detached ADUs. That said, there are lots of exceptions. The local planning department can be more lenient if they want to be or you can get a discretionary permit, for example. Also most people don’t realize that the way the height is measured isn’t always from the peak of the roof so the permitted building might exceed 16 feet in height from ground to peak of roof, but be below 16 feet for purposes of the permit. Hope that helps. It’s a bit complicated so be sure to consult a licensed professional and work with your local planning department.
Well done.
Thank you - please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to cover
Can you record the video with higher volume? I could barely hear you.
Thank you for the feedback - I have a louder audio track and can try to fix it in the morning.
@@HowToADU Thank you. I enjoy watching your videos.
Thanks again for flagging this - I've uploaded a version where the sound is mixed better and louder - please let me know if it's easier to hear this one: th-cam.com/video/JcgbfVZkuYE/w-d-xo.html
Can u also talk about powerline requirements. Been reading in LA, ADUs has to be 5 feet from a powerline
Sorry, but I don't know much about this topic in LA. This website has some information about it and offers professional consulting services: yimbyla.com/2020/04/02/navigating-los-angeles-department-of-water-power-ladwp-permitting-standards-for-adus/#:~:text=In%20most%20instances%2C%2012%20feet,even%20that%20has%20a%20fix.
707 you from Fairfield ?
Close! Napa.
@@HowToADU that's what's up sub to support some of from the 707
Hi please fix the volume. I can't hear you.
Thanks for flagging! I've uploaded a version where the sound is mixed better and louder - please let me know if it's easier to hear this one: th-cam.com/video/JcgbfVZkuYE/w-d-xo.html
Great! I also upload similar vids.
Thanks - let me know if you ever want to do a video about how homeowners can make money with an ADU or JADU