Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) resources for bay area homeowners

Arnold Acres Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in a more rural setting

In addition to our videos on planning your Accessory Dwelling Unit and on 2020 California ADU legislation, here are additional resources with links to help guide your Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) planning process. Click on the items to see the resources.

CALIFORNIA

1. Six Major Changes in California’s ADU rules, Effective 1/1/2020, ADU Task Force

2. Summary of Key Provisions of SB 14/ AB 68 / AB670 / AB 881, Californians for Home Ownership

3. California Department of Housing and Community Development, Accessory Dwelling Units (note: not updated yet with 2020 legislation as of writing of this post)

YOUR SPECIFIC CITY OR COUNTY

These are links to local ADU ordinances. We will be continuing to add to this list. Some local municipalities have not yet updated their ADU ordinances to reflect the recent 2020 California legislation. So refer to both sets of resources - California and Local - on this page. Municipalities must follow California legislation unless there are very specific mitigating circumstances.

1. City of Alameda Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Frequently Asked Questions

2. City of Albany, Accessory Dwelling UnitsCity of Alameda Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Frequently Asked Questions

3. City of Berkeley, Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Summary, Effective January 1, 2020

4. El Cerrito Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Workshop, June 4, 2020, 6:30pm

5. Marin County, Make Room for Marin

6. City of Oakland, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)/Secondary Units

7. City of Palo Alto Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

8. City of San Anselmo Accessory Dwelling Units

9. South San Francisco Accessory Dwelling Units: General Information

10. San Mateo Second Unit Ordinance

11. City of San Rafael ADU Ordinance

ADDITIONAL ADU RELATED RESOURCES

These are resources that you may find of interest related to building an ADU:

Oakland ADU Initiative

We will update this blog post as more information becomes available.

With over 30 years of experience, our approach integrates budget considerations with sustainable methods, strategies, materials and systems to eliminate the need to choose between designing/building sustainably - and beautiful, affordable design. We know California ADU law and work closely with your local planning and building department. And we know construction, ensuring efficient use of your design and construction budget. Our services include submitting for and responding to any comments from your local planning and building department until you receive your building permit and connecting you with a contractor appropriate for your project.

When you’re ready to design, give us a call or email us for a free initial consultation.