ADU Building, Zoning, and Design Regulations for Placer County, CA

Placer County is a great place to build an ADU and allows you to add significant value to your property.

Before you start building, make sure you understand accessory dwelling unit regulations in the Placer County area of the Tahoe Basin.

1

Parcel Requirements for ADUs in Placer County

  • There is no minimum parcel size for an Accessory Dwelling Unit.
  • One ADU and one Junior ADU are allowed per parcel in addition to the primary dwelling.
  • All Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA ) coverage and development rights requirements apply and adequate water and sewer must be demonstrated.
2

Maximum ADU Size in the Tahoe Basin

  • Detached ADUs: An ADU that is detached from the primary home may be up to 1,200 sq. ft. (does not include garage area), regardless of the size of the primary structure.
  • Attached ADUs: An ADU that is attached to a primary dwelling may be up to 50% of the existing unit but shall be allowed to be up to 800 sq. ft. in size.
  • Junior ADUs: A JADU may be up to 500 sq. ft.
3

ADU Occupancy and Ownership Restrictions in Placer County

  • ADUs and JADUs in California cannot be short-term rented for 30 days or less.
  • ADUs do not need to be deed-restricted to affordable, moderate, or achievable incomes, however in order to get a free bonus unit, a deed restriction is required consistent with TRPA Code Section 21.3.2.B.3.
  • All JADUs require that the owner occupy either the primary dwelling or the JADU, per Placer County Code 17.56.2.F.
  • A deed restriction on the JADU shall be recorded with Placer County that requires owner-occupancy of one of the units.
4

Parking Requirements for Placer County ADUs

There is a state requirement for one parking space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less. However, additional parking is not required for a proposed ADU that is:

  • Within one-half mile of a public transit stop
  • Within an architecturally and historically significant historic district
  • Within the existing single-family dwelling or residential accessory structure
  • Where on-street parking permits are required but not offered to ADU occupant(s)
  • Within one block of a car share vehicle pick-up location
  • A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit
  • Converted from or due to demolition of a garage, carport, or covered parking space in conjunction with the ADU construction

In all other scenarios, parking requirements for ADUs shall not exceed one parking space per ADU. These spaces may be provided as tandem parking on a driveway.

  • Offstreet parking shall be permitted in setback areas in locations determined by the local agency or through tandem parking, unless specific findings are made that parking in setback areas or tandem parking is not feasible based upon specific site or regional topographical or fire and life safety conditions.
  • When a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished in conjunction with the construction of an ADU or converted to an ADU, the local agency shall not require that those off-street parking spaces be replaced.
View All Placer County ADU Regulations

Custom ADU Builder in Placer County

Backyard Unlimited has helped our Placer County neighbors increase their liveable space and property values by adding accessory dwelling units to their properties.

Over the years, we have worked throughout the Placer County, including Rocklin, Roseville, Auburn, Lincoln, Loomis, Newcastle, Meadow Vista, Olympic Valley, and Colfax. In addition, our team has installed backyard structures throughout the Tahoe Basin, including Tahoe City, Carnelian Bay, Dollar Point, Sunnyside, Homewood, Tahoe Vista, and Tahoma
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