This article and website is very helpful in understanding California’s new ADU laws and what has changed in the last two years. As housing gets more and more expensive, it might be time to think about how to utilize your existing investment to create income or to help out the kids.
Constructing an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in California just became easier with recent updates to statewide ADU laws. New California legislation went into effect on January 1st, 2023 that allows 2-story ADUs in some instances, provides more flexibility in where ADUs can be located on a property, and makes obtaining an ADU permit a more transparent and streamlined process. Learn more about these new laws, below. To understand and visualize how these updated regulations impact your California property, visit Symbium’s Citizen’s Dashboard.
Symbium’s Vision of Government Relationship Management enables any member of the public to understand and visualize property potential with instant regulatory analysis against statewide planning and building regulations, starting with ADUs and other types of home improvement and electrification projects. Homeowners and contractors have been using Symbium to perform initial ADU feasibility assessments on California properties. More recently, a growing number of California real estate agents are using screenshots of Symbium in their listings and on iPads in their open houses to help buyers better understand property potential.
Before the newest ADU law updates, local governments could limit the height of ADUs to 16 ft. Now, ADUs taller than 16 ft are allowed in certain circumstance, including the following:
Learn more about what height restrictions apply to your property with Symbium.
Local jurisdictions can no longer deny your ADU application if you encroach into a front setback because there is not enough space elsewhere on the property to build an 800 sq ft ADU. This allows homeowners with very little backyard space to still be able to construct an ADU.
If your permit for an ADU is denied, your local jurisdiction is now required to provide a detailed list of reasons why. This includes specifying which items in the application are “defective or deficient”, as well as a description of what the applicant can do to remedy these comments. Homeowners and contractors will now be able to directly address and avoid future problems with their ADU permit application, making it easier to obtain a building permit for an ADU.
Learn whether or not an ADU is possible on your property by entering your address with Symbium and navigating to the “Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)” tool under the “Projects'' tab. Symbium supports you through your ADU decision-making process by allowing you to explore different ADU designs and visualizing how they would look on your property. You can also generate a report on specific ADU types with additional considerations, such as cost estimates and the permitting process. Symbium’s ADU tool will provide instant regulatory analysis against current State and (in some jurisdictions) local regulations, allowing anyone to visualize whether an ADU is allowed along with the applicable development standards. Connect with ADU builders and design professionals on Symbium’s ADU marketplace once you feel ready to take the next steps in getting an ADU built!
Symbium just released the following short, 2-minute videos on some of our most popular and newest features. Watch them below and learn how to obtain better property insights, apply for permits and rebates, and understand whether an ADU is allowed on any California property.
Compass
16268 Los Gatos Blvd.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
CA DRE# 01955771
Susan Ward