Category · Permits
Permits guides.
California ADU law, city-by-city permit timelines, and what blocks an ADU build.
45 guides
Permits
Building an ADU in the Monterey County Coastal Zone
What changes when your Monterey County property sits in the Coastal Zone: the Coastal Administrative Permit requirement, septic considerations, and how it layers on top of (not instead of) your state ADU rights.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
Monterey County ADU Fees: What You Actually Pay (2026)
A breakdown of Monterey County ADU fees for 2026: which units qualify for the state impact fee waiver, when connection and permit fees apply, and how Framework First builds a permitting budget into every price.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
Monterey County ADU Permit Timeline: How Long It Actually Takes
The real Monterey County ADU permit timeline for 2026: the state's 60-day decision clock, how pre-designed plans can speed review, and how factory building overlaps permitting to shorten total delivery.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
ADU Rules for Unincorporated Monterey County
How ADU rules work if your property is in unincorporated Monterey County rather than inside a city like Salinas or Marina, including the county's own 4-foot setback standard and free pre-designed plans.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
San Benito County ADU Fees: What State Law Guarantees You
San Benito County follows California's state ADU law closely with few local overlays. Here's the fee protection that applies, and how we confirm the rest for your specific parcel.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
Santa Clara County ADU Rules: Why It Depends on Your City
Santa Clara County doesn't set one countywide ADU rulebook. Here's why the real rules live at the city level, with verified specifics for San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
Building an ADU in the Santa Cruz County Coastal Zone
What changes when your unincorporated Santa Cruz County property sits in the Coastal Zone, and why your state ADU rights still apply underneath the coastal review layer.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
Santa Cruz County ADU Fees: The Waivers That Actually Apply
Santa Cruz County ADU fees for 2026: which fees are waived for conversions, JADUs, and small units, and how Framework First's all-inclusive pricing already budgets for the rest, confirmed per parcel in your feasibility study.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
Santa Cruz County ADU Permit Timeline: The 60-Day ePlan Process
How long an ADU permit actually takes in unincorporated Santa Cruz County: the 60-day state clock, the county's ePlan system, and what really slows submittals down.
August 1, 2026 · 4 min
Permits
ADU Rules for Unincorporated Santa Cruz County
How ADU rules work outside the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville: lot-tiered sizing, Urban Services Line height limits, and what makes unincorporated county lots different.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
ADU Ceiling Height Requirements
California's building code generally requires at least 7 ft of ceiling height in habitable ADU space, with bedrooms sometimes needing 7 ft 6 in. Here's how it works.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
ADU Impact Fees Explained
How California's ADU impact fee rules actually work: waived entirely under 750 square feet, proportional to your primary home at 750 sq ft and up, and why that's a separate question from your local building permit fees.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
What Are ADU Lot Coverage Rules in California?
Lot coverage limits the percentage of a lot that structures can cover. In California, if a city's lot coverage rule would block an 800 sq ft ADU, it must yield.
August 1, 2026 · 7 min
Permits
ADU Septic System Requirements: What You Need to Know
If your property runs on septic instead of sewer, your ADU's wastewater load usually needs to be evaluated first. Here's what that means and how to check.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
ADU Title 24 Energy Requirements
California's Title 24 sets efficiency standards for insulation, windows, and HVAC on new ADUs, and is related to (but separate from) the solar mandate. Here is what it means for your build.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can an ADU Be Bigger Than the Main House?
In most California cities, no. ADUs are generally required to stay subordinate in size to the primary residence, on top of the state's flat 1,200 sq ft cap. Here's how that rule works.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can an ADU Be Two Stories?
Yes, California ADU law leaves enough height for two stories in many cases. Here's what the state guarantees, what local zoning still controls, and why Framework First builds single story.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Airbnb My ADU in California?
Short-term rental rules for ADUs vary by city and county in California. Here's how to find out what applies to your property before you plan an Airbnb strategy.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Build an ADU in a Coastal Zone?
Yes, you can generally build an ADU in California's Coastal Zone, but expect an added coastal development review on top of the standard ADU permit. Here's how it works.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Build an ADU on a Flag Lot?
Yes, ADUs are often possible on flag lots. Here's how the narrow access driveway affects factory-built delivery and what a feasibility study checks first.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Build an ADU on a Sloped Lot?
Yes, a sloped lot usually still works for an ADU in California. Here's what changes: foundation engineering, possible retaining walls, and why a feasibility study is what confirms the real cost and plan.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Build Two ADUs on My Lot?
On a single-family lot, California law generally allows one ADU plus one JADU, not two full ADUs. Here's how the state's unit-count rules actually work, and what changes on a multifamily lot.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Live in My ADU and Rent Out My Main House?
Yes, in most cases. California does not require owner-occupancy for a standard ADU, so you're free to live in the backyard unit and rent out the primary home. Here's the one exception.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Can I Sell My ADU as a Condo?
Yes, in some California cities. Here's the practical, step-by-step answer to whether you can sell your ADU separately as a condo, and how to find out if your city allows it.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
Can My HOA Block an ADU?
California Civil Code 4751 stops HOAs from unreasonably restricting an ADU on single-family lots, though condos and shared-ownership properties are a more complex, evolving area.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Do ADUs Need Fire Sprinklers in California?
Most ADUs in California do not need fire sprinklers. Here is the exact rule: an ADU only needs them if the primary home on the same lot is also required to have them.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
Do ADUs Pay School Fees in California?
Whether your California ADU owes school impact fees comes down to one number: 750 square feet. Here's how the size threshold and proportional-fee rule actually work.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
Do ADUs Require Solar Panels in California?
Most newly built detached ADUs in California must include solar panels under Title 24, but attached ADUs, conversions, and some small units are exempt. Here's how to know which applies to you.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
How Close Can an ADU Be to the Main House?
California ADU law sets no required distance between an ADU and the primary home, only setbacks from property lines. Fire and building code decide the rest.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
What Happens If I Build an ADU Without a Permit?
Building an ADU without a permit can block a future sale or refinance, trigger forced removal or costly retroactive permitting, complicate insurance, and leave uninspected work in place. Here is why the fast, ministerial permit path is worth using.
August 1, 2026 · 7 min
Permits
What Is AB 1033, California's ADU Condo Law?
AB 1033 is a 2023 California law that lets cities allow ADUs to be sold separately from the main home as condominiums. Here's what it actually does.
August 1, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
What Is Ministerial Approval for an ADU?
Ministerial approval means your city must approve a compliant ADU application by checklist, not a public vote, within California's 60-day clock. Here's how it works.
August 1, 2026 · 5 min
Permits
Can You Sell an ADU Separately in California? (AB-1033, 2026)
Thanks to AB-1033, California cities can now let you sell an ADU separately from the main house as a condo. Here is how it works, the conditions, and how to know if your city allows it.
June 19, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
ADU Owner-Occupancy Rules in California (2026)
Owner-occupancy is NOT required to build or rent out an ADU in California. Here's exactly what the 2026 rules say, how JADUs differ, and what it means for you.
June 18, 2026 · 6 min
Permits
ADU Parking Requirements in California (2026)
ADU parking requirements in California explained: when one space applies, every transit and garage-replacement exemption, and how most lots owe zero parking.
June 18, 2026 · 7 min
Permits
ADU Setback Requirements in California (2026)
California ADU setback requirements in 2026: 4 ft max side and rear, zero for conversions, front matches your home. See how setbacks shape your build.
June 18, 2026 · 8 min
Permits
California ADU Laws and Regulations: The 2026 Guide
A plain-English guide to California ADU laws in 2026: size, setbacks, 60-day approval, parking, owner-occupancy, JADUs, impact fees, and how many you can build.
June 18, 2026 · 9 min
Permits
Do You Need a Permit to Build an ADU in California?
Yes, you need a permit for an ADU in California, but approval is ministerial with a 60-day decision. Here is exactly what the permit set includes and who handles it.
June 18, 2026 · 8 min
Permits
How Big Can an ADU Be in California? (2026 Size Limits)
How big can an ADU be in California? Up to 1,200 sq ft detached, with cities required to allow at least 800 sq ft. Full 2026 size rules, explained simply.
June 18, 2026 · 7 min
Permits
Monterey County ADU Regulations (2026)
Monterey County ADU regulations explained for 2026: state law baseline, setbacks, parking, size limits, and what varies by city, so you can build with confidence.
June 18, 2026 · 8 min
Permits
San Benito County ADU Regulations (2026)
San Benito County ADU regulations for 2026: state law lets you build up to 1,200 sq ft in Hollister and San Juan Bautista, with bigger lots making it easier.
June 18, 2026 · 8 min
Permits
Santa Clara County ADU Regulations (2026)
Santa Clara County ADU regulations explained: state law baselines plus local rules for San Jose, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale and Cupertino, so you can build with confidence.
June 18, 2026 · 10 min
Permits
Santa Cruz County ADU Regulations (2026)
Santa Cruz County ADU regulations explained: state law baselines, local rules for Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos and Capitola, plus coastal and slope notes.
June 18, 2026 · 8 min
Permits
SB 9 Lot Splits in California: How They Work + How They Pair With ADUs
California Senate Bill 9 (2022) lets owners of single-family lots split into two parcels and build up to two units on each. How the process works, which lots qualify, and how it pairs with ADUs.
May 29, 2026 · 7 min
Permits
ADU Permit Timeline in California: What to Expect in 2026
How long ADU permits take in California, the state rules that protect your timeline, and how factory building runs the permit process in parallel to save months.
May 26, 2026 · 4 min
Other Categories
Pricing
What an ADU actually costs, how the price is built up, and where the money goes.
Financing
HELOC, construction loans, cash-out refi, and how to fund an ADU without a $300K bank account.
Process
Build quality, factory vs site-built, eligibility, and what to expect at each step.
Buying Guide
Comparisons, decision frameworks, and the practical math of building an ADU.
Local Guides
City-by-city permit processes, timelines, and rules across our service area, cited to official sources.
Comparisons
Model-by-model and option-by-option comparisons to help you choose with confidence.
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