Santa Clara County, CA ADU Regulations -

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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) City Regulations for

Santa Clara County, CA

Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is California’s 6th most populous county. If visiting the area be sure to spend a day at California Great America amusement park or attend an event at Levis Stadium.

Zoning:

Allowable Urban Districts: R1/R1E/RHS/R1S/R3S/A1 Allowable Rural Zones: A/AR/HS/RR

Lot Size:

Urban Districts: On lots less than 10,000 sq. ft. only attached ADUs allowed. On lots larger than 10,000 sq. ft. either attached or detached permitted.

Rural Districts: On lots .5 to less than one acre, only attached ADUs allowed. The min. lot size for detached is one acre.

Maximum ADU Floor Area:

Urban Attached:

Lots <20,000 sq.ft., 800 sq.ft. max;

Lots >20,000 sq.ft., 1,000 sq.ft. max

Urban Detached: 1,000 sq.ft. max

Rural Attached:

Lots <1 acre, 800 sq.ft. max

Lots 1-2.5 acres, 1,000 sq.ft.

Lots >2.5 acres, 1,200 sq.ft.

Rural Detached:

Lots <1 acre, 800 sq.ft. max.

Lots 1-2.5 acres, 1,000 sq.ft.

Lots >2.5 acres, 1,200 sq.ft.

Number of Bedrooms:

Max. 2 bedrooms

Storage/Closet:

No min/max

Kitchen/Bath:

Require separate kitchen facilities (permanent range, counters, refrigerator, sink) and bathroom. Junior may include separate bathroom or may share bathroom with existing structure.

Parking:

One off-street parking space per unit required for secondary dwelling. One additional space required for a secondary dwelling with more than one bedroom. For applicable parking exemptions, see Section 4.10.340(FX3).

Setbacks:

Must follow guidelines of underlying zoning district. Setback of no more than five feet from side and rear property lines required for above existing garage units.

Height:

21′ max

Location:

Urban ADUs may be no nearer than 6′ to primary dwelling.

Rear Yard Coverage:

Must follow requirements established by zoning district in which lot is located.

Materials/Design:

Unless noted on Priority Lists No. 1 and 2, design standards are advisory. Certain features, materials or forms may be required by means of design review or ASA approval.

Entryways:

N/A