ADU Laws · 2026
San Benito County ADU Fees: What State Law Guarantees You
San Benito County, which includes Hollister and the surrounding unincorporated area, follows California’s state ADU law closely, without the layer of extra local ordinances some other counties have added on top. That’s actually good news for the fee question: the strongest fee protection available to you is the same one every California homeowner gets under state law, and it applies here without much local variation to track.
The short version: San Benito County has few local overlays beyond state ADU law, which caps detached ADUs at 1,200 sq ft with 4 ft setbacks. The state’s under-750 sq ft impact fee waiver is your biggest fee lever here. We don’t have a published local fee schedule to quote, so we confirm your exact fee picture for your specific parcel directly with the county during the feasibility study.
The one fee rule worth knowing
California law waives ADU impact fees outright for any unit under 750 sq ft, statewide, with no county-by-county exception. For units 750 sq ft and up, fees must be charged proportionally to the size of the primary home rather than as a flat new-construction rate. San Benito County follows this state rule directly:
| Unit size | Impact fee treatment |
|---|---|
| Under 750 sq ft | Waived by state law |
| 750 sq ft and up | Charged proportionally to the primary residence |
If keeping impact fees off the table matters to your budget, a model in the 405 to 660 sq ft range keeps you under that line.
Why we don’t quote a local fee schedule here
Some counties publish detailed, itemized ADU fee schedules with specific dollar figures for plan check, permit issuance, and connection fees. San Benito County doesn’t have the kind of published local overlay that would let us quote those figures with confidence, and we’d rather tell you that plainly than guess at a number. What we can tell you with confidence is the state-law baseline above, which applies regardless of local fee-schedule specifics.
For your specific parcel’s building permit, plan-check, and utility connection costs, we confirm directly with San Benito County as part of your feasibility study, the same way we would for any jurisdiction where a published schedule isn’t the whole picture.
What we do know about San Benito County’s ADU standard
The county’s detached-ADU standard follows the state baseline: up to 1,200 sq ft, with 4 ft side and rear setbacks. That matches the largest models in our lineup, so size isn’t typically the limiting factor here.
Septic is a real consideration in San Benito County
Much of unincorporated San Benito County relies on septic systems rather than municipal sewer. As with any septic lot, a parcel under roughly 1.25 acres usually needs an upgraded, alternative system to add an ADU. This is a genuine cost that exists separately from permit fees, and it’s one of the first things we check on a septic lot during the feasibility study.
How Framework First’s pricing handles this
Every Framework First ADU is priced all-inclusive: a permitting budget, plans, foundation, the factory build, delivery, hookups, appliances, and final inspection are rolled into one number, running $180,000 to $557,000 across 14 models from 405 to 1,200 sq ft, delivered in 4 to 9 months. We’re family-owned, based in Salinas since January 2021 (CSLB #1047146, MFG #1595931).
Whatever fees genuinely apply to your San Benito County parcel are confirmed during the feasibility study and built into your quoted price, not added afterward.
Compare models and transparent pricing, or see the full 7-step process.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t this guide list exact San Benito County permit fees?
San Benito County doesn’t have a published, itemized local ADU fee schedule the way some jurisdictions do. Rather than estimate a figure we can’t verify, we confirm your exact fees directly with the county for your specific parcel during the feasibility study.
Does the under-750 sq ft impact fee waiver apply in San Benito County?
Yes. It’s a state-law protection that applies statewide, including in San Benito County, regardless of local fee-schedule specifics.
How big can my ADU be in San Benito County?
Up to 1,200 sq ft detached, with 4 ft side and rear setbacks, following the state baseline. All 14 of our models fit within that limit.
Do I pay San Benito County fees separately from Framework First’s price?
No. Once your feasibility study confirms your parcel’s specific fees with the county, they’re built into your all-inclusive contract price rather than billed to you separately.
Want your exact San Benito County fee picture instead of a general range? Start a feasibility study and we’ll confirm directly with the county what applies to your specific parcel.