Building an ADU in Citrus Heights

What you can build here

Citrus Heights' ADU rules are in Zoning Code Section 106.42.015, rewritten by Ordinance 2026-004 (June 10, 2026). An ADU is allowed on a lot with an existing or proposed house, duplex or apartment building. It can be built at the same time as the main home or after it.

The code gives you two paths, and "the two options may not be combined":

• City's local option: on a lot with a single-family home, one ADU (attached or detached) and one junior ADU (JADU). A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft.
• State option (Gov. Code 66323): on a lot with a single-family home, one ADU converted from space inside an existing building (with up to 150 sq ft added for getting in and out), one JADU, and one new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacks.

The city's staff report sums it up as two units under the local option and three under the state option. Neither the ADU nor the JADU counts toward the lot's density.

Apartment and duplex lots follow state law under both options: you can convert non-living space (storage rooms, attics, basements, garages) into at least one ADU and up to 25% of the existing units, and build one detached ADU per existing unit, up to eight. A proposed multifamily building can have up to two detached ADUs.

An existing house that meets the ADU standards can be redesignated as the ADU so you can build a new main house. The city's FAQ says a manufactured home can be an ADU, but a movable "tiny home" can't. See our California page for statewide rules and our SB 9 lot split guide for lot splits. [1][4][5]

Size, height and setbacks

• Minimum size: an efficiency unit of at least 150 sq ft is allowed.
• Detached ADU: up to 1,200 sq ft under the local option, "regardless of the size of the primary dwelling"; up to 800 sq ft under the state option.
• Attached ADU: up to 60% of the house's floor area, with a 1,200 sq ft cap. You are always allowed at least 850 sq ft (studio or one bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (two or more bedrooms).
• How size is measured: interior livable space, not counting exterior walls, garages, patios or unfinished space. The city's FAQ says there is no limit on the number of bedrooms within the size cap.
• Setbacks: your zone's setbacks apply, except that interior side and rear setbacks can be 4 ft. No setback is needed to convert existing space or rebuild a structure in the same place and size. Front setbacks can't block an ADU of up to 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacks; otherwise, ADUs can't go in the front yard.
• Height: a detached ADU can be 18 ft plus 2 ft to match the roof pitch of the house. An ADU above a detached accessory building, such as a garage, can be 25 ft. An attached ADU follows the zone's height limit.
• Lot coverage: one ADU of 800 sq ft or less is exempt. Larger ADUs must meet the zone's lot coverage, which the city says ranges from 30% to 50%.
• Privacy: an ADU within 10 ft of a neighbor's home can't have second-floor windows facing that home's windows. A detached ADU closer than 10 ft to a side line or 20 ft to the rear line can have only obscured or clerestory second-floor windows on that side, and upper balconies must be at least 10 ft from side and rear lines.
• Easements: an ADU can't be built in a utility or other easement without the easement holder's written permission.

Check the city's older web pages. The city's ADU Development Standards page and FAQs still list 5 ft side and 20 ft rear setbacks and a 30 ft height for attached ADUs, and a 15 ft window rule. The code adopted in June 2026 says otherwise. Confirm with the Planning Division at (916) 727-4740. [1][5][6]

Parking

The code says "additional off-street parking is not required for an ADU or JADU." If you demolish or convert a garage, carport or parking space to build an ADU or JADU, "no replacement parking shall be required." [1][6]

Fees

Building permit fees. New construction is charged on the project's valuation. The city adds a 6% General Plan Update Fee to valuation-based permit fees and a 4% Technology Fee. The plan review fee is due when you submit, and the permit fee and impact fees are due after plan review, before the permit is issued. For a quote, email building@citrusheights.net or call the Building Division at (916) 727-4760 with the square footage and estimated job cost.

City impact fees. The city's Development Impact Fees brochure (July 2026) lists:

• Multimodal (roads and transit): ADUs under 750 sq ft exempt; 750-1,200 sq ft, $1,467 per unit.
• Park: ADUs under 750 sq ft exempt; 750-1,200 sq ft, $3,045 per unit.
• Countywide transportation (Measure A): ADUs up to 749 sq ft exempt; larger ADUs pay a share based on the ADU's size compared with the house.
• Fire facilities (Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District): ADUs of 850 sq ft or less exempt, and 851-1,000 sq ft with more than one bedroom exempt; others pay a proportionate amount.
• Drainage: not charged for an ADU if the main home already paid it.

State law says an ADU of "750 square feet of interior livable space or less" is exempt from impact fees, and larger ADUs are charged "proportionately" to the size of the house. The city's cutoff is "less than 750" sq ft, and two of its fees are flat per-unit amounts. Ask the Building Division how this applies before you design at 750 sq ft or more.

School fees. These go to San Juan Unified School District, which charges $5.38 per sq ft for residential space. The city says the district exempts ADUs under 750 sq ft; you get a school fee form when you submit plans. Sewer and water connections are handled by those providers. [3][5][7][8][9]

How long it takes

ADUs and junior ADUs need a building permit, and zoning compliance is checked as part of it. The code says the city "shall process all ADU and JADU applications ministerially within the timelines mandated by" state law, and state law says a city must approve or deny a complete ADU application within 60 days when there is already a home on the lot.

The city doesn't publish a typical review time; its FAQ says to ask the Building Division. The city says its pre-approved permit-ready plans mean "a stream-lined permit process." See our ADU permit process guide. [1][2][5][9]

Free permit-ready ADU plans

Through its Permit-Ready ADU Program, the city offers detached ADU plans "Free of charge," paid for by a state grant:

• one bedroom, one bath, 496 sq ft
• one bedroom, one bath, 599 sq ft
• two bedrooms, one bath, 749 sq ft

Each comes with roofline and exterior finish choices and can be flipped to fit your lot. The plans are pre-approved by the Building Division. You still submit a site plan, any utility or solar plans, and a signed hold harmless agreement, and you name the plan (standard or reversed) in your permit application. The city's catalog shows each design.

The city also takes plans from architects and designers for pre-approval, but says no vendors have submitted plans yet. [2][3][10]

Garage conversions and junior ADUs

You can turn a legally built garage or other existing space into an ADU with no added setback and no replacement parking. The code says creating an ADU or JADU inside an existing building is not a change of occupancy under the building code unless the building official decides one is needed for safety; the city's older FAQ calls it "a change in use." Ask the Building Division what your conversion must meet. See our garage conversion guide.

A junior ADU must be within the walls of a single-family home (attached garages count), up to 500 sq ft of interior livable space, with its own outside entrance and at least an efficiency kitchen. It can share the house's bathroom or have its own. Before the permit is issued, you record a deed restriction that bars selling the JADU separately.

Owner occupancy. The code requires the owner to live in the house or the JADU only when the JADU shares a bathroom with the house, which matches state law. The city's older FAQ still says the owner must always live there; confirm with the Planning Division. See our junior ADU guide.

Fire safety. The code says sprinklers aren't required in an ADU or JADU if the house doesn't need them, which matches state law. The city's July 2025 planning guide, written before the 2026 code, also says sprinklers are needed if the ADU is more than 400 ft from a fire hydrant, so ask how that applies today. The guide says Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District reviews sprinkler plans, and a fire access road may be required if fire trucks can't get within 150 ft of all sides of the ADU. Call Metro Fire's Community Risk Reduction Division at (916) 859-4330. [1][3][5][9]

Renting out your ADU

You can rent your ADU, but the code says ADUs and JADUs "shall not be rented for periods of 30 consecutive days or less." That rule doesn't apply to ADUs lawfully built before January 1, 2020. The city has you sign an ADU Rental Restriction Acknowledgment Form when you apply, and rentals must be registered with the city's Rental Housing Inspection Program.

Unpermitted ADUs. For units built without permits before January 1, 2020, the code says the city "shall ministerially approve" a permit to legalize the unit unless the building official finds in writing that it is a substandard building, and it won't start enforcement while your application is processed in good faith. This path runs until January 1, 2030. See the city's ADU Amnesty Program or call the Building Division at (916) 727-4760.

An ADU may raise your property taxes; see our ADU property tax guide. [1][6][9][11]

Permit steps in Citrus Heights

1. Check your zoning

   Find your zone with a zoning information request and ask the Planning Division at (916) 727-4740 or planning@citrusheights.net which option (local or state) fits your lot. [2][6]

2. Choose a plan

   Pick a free permit-ready plan or have your own plans drawn. Prepare a to-scale plot plan showing the lot, existing buildings, the new structure, setbacks, easements, drainage and any oak trees. [2][12]

3. Get a fee quote

   Email building@citrusheights.net or call (916) 727-4760 with the square footage, estimated job cost and project type. [7]

4. Apply online

   Register on the Citizen Access Portal, then submit the application with PDF plans and pay the plan review fee. For a permit-ready plan, name the plan and attach the signed hold harmless agreement. [2][8][12]

5. Plan review and fees

   Answer review comments. After plan review, pay the permit and impact fees and show proof of payment of outside agency fees, such as school fees, before the permit is issued. [8]

6. Build and get inspections

   Request inspections through the portal or the inspection line at (916) 727-4750. A HERS rater's Title 24 certificate is needed for final inspection. To get a separate address, email the approved site plan to planning@citrusheights.net. [3][12]

Pre-approved and sample plans

• Permit-Ready ADU Program

  Three free, pre-approved detached ADU plans from the city: 496 and 599 sq ft one-bedrooms and a 749 sq ft two-bedroom, each with finish options and a reversed layout. [2][3]

Who to call

• Planning Division

  Zoning, ADU options, setbacks and permit-ready plans; email planning@citrusheights.net

  916-727-4740

  6360 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

  [2][13]

• Building and Safety Division

  Building permits, fee quotes and inspections; email building@citrusheights.net

  916-727-4760

  6360 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

  [7][12]

Questions people ask