On August 31, 2018, Mayor London N. Breed issued an Executive Directive to accelerate the approval of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and to clear the backlog of pending applications. This directive comes along with the City's initiative to increase density to overcome the housing shortage in San Francisco.

How many ADUs can you have on a property?

Homeowners in San Francisco have full support from the city to add ADUs to their existing homes of four or fewer legal dwelling units. If your home is eligible for the Voluntary Seismic Retrofit Program, you may add even more than one ADU on your property.

Waiver ADU or No Waiver ADU?

The City of San Francisco leaves the back door open for exceptions to the current code. Those of you whom the existing building allows for an ADU under current code regulations are called "NO Waiver" ADU. Those of you whose property would require some exceptions from the code are called "Waiver" ADU.

Where can I have an ADU on my property?

ADUs are generally developed using underutilized spaces within a lot, whether a garage, storage, rear yard, or attic. These units are independent of the primary unit and have their entrances, kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas. An ADU cannot take away essential features unless there is a valid and approved reason to do so.

ADUs can be located:

• within the existing building;
• as an extension to the existing building;
• or as a separate structure on the same lot as the primary unit

Choose the type of ADU that works for you

There are four ADU types:

1. Conversion ADUs are new units that convert space in a residential building.
2. Attached ADUs which are new units that expand a residential building.
3. Detached ADUs are new free-standing buildings located on a residential property.
4. Junior ADUs (JADU) are a new type of ADU that convert up to 500 square feet of space in a single-family structure. JADU requires owner-occupancy in either the remaining portion of the single-family home or the newly created JADU.

Size restrictions for ADUs

• no larger than 50% of the primary residence
• up to 16 ft in height (on a sloped lot the height may be different)
• interior spaces have to follow the building department's guideline

ADUs can add value to your property. Find out how much.

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Will my ADU be rent-controlled?

ADUs added to existing single-family homes will not be subject to rent control, unless a “waiver” from a Planning Code requirement, such as the open space or exposure requirement, is granted.

Can I use my ADU for short-term rentals?

No. Accessory Dwelling Units are ineligible for the Short-Term Rental program.

Can I Sell my ADU?

In most cases, you cannot sell your ADU separately. However, there are exceptions. For example, if your ADU was added as part of a soft-story seismic retrofit project (either required by building codes or done voluntarily), it might qualify for future condo conversion programs if those programs become available.

What involves the permit process for ADU?

If the proposed ADU is within the existing built area of your single-family home, the review process will be straightforward and should take less than 120 days. The Planning Department will review and provide comments at the counter. If the proposed ADU includes an addition to the existing home for ADU, this will likely be reviewed by all City agencies within four months, and neighborhood notification is not required for ADUs 1,200 square feet or smaller. If the proposed ADU is proposed in conjunction with the construction of a new home plus ADU, neighbors within 150 feet of the subject property and relevant neighborhood groups must be notified for a 30-day public review period; the timing of this will vary. The Discretionary Review process will also apply, similar to all other expansion permits reviewed by the Planning Department.

Introducing the Permit Review Roundtable

To further streamline the process, the City has introduced the Permit Review Roundtable, a service designed to quickly and comprehensively evaluate ADU permit applications and plans submitted under the State or Hybrid Programs. This service ensures an efficient plan review by gathering City plan checkers, the project's design professional, and other stakeholders for a roundtable discussion. During this meeting, all relevant City departments provide consolidated feedback and address any questions.

After submitting your ADU permit application via the In-House Review portal and receiving an acceptance letter, the sponsor pays the permit fees and is invited by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) to participate in a virtual Permit Review Roundtable. During the meeting, a combined set of comments is shared as a PDF attachment, eliminating the need for special subscription software. There are no additional charges for this service.

The project’s design professional should participate in this meeting to ensure all revisions and clarifications are addressed promptly. After revisions are made, the updated plans are resubmitted for review. If necessary, a follow-up Permit Review Roundtable can be scheduled.

For further details or questions:

• Plan Submittal Support: [email protected]
• Technical Questions: [email protected]

STEPS to complete an ADU project

Step 1. Decide on your ADU size and location on your property. You can take the regulations and try to apply them to your property. If it's too complicated, you could hire an architect at $2,000 min. fee.

‍Step 2. Decide on how this ADU can serve you best. Is this unit helping you pay the mortgage by creating a rental apartment? Is it going to house multi-generational households or an older homeowner could move to the ADU while the children live in the main home? Depending on its primary use, you might realize that the size of the ADU may not satisfy your final goal.

Step 3. Meet with the Planner. Take your research documents to the Planning Department for a pre-application meeting and submit a screening form to DBI.

Step 4. Drawing set for Permits. Design your project and finalize construction drawings. This is your permit set, and you should expect to pay around 10% of the project's cost to the professionals helping you. Once the plans are ready, submit them through the In-House Review portal. If your application is accepted, you will be invited to participate in a Permit Review Roundtable meeting, where City plan checkers will provide consolidated comments on your plans. This step ensures all necessary revisions are addressed promptly before resubmission.

Step 5. Interview Contractors. Meet with the contractors we referred you to get cost estimates and a time frame for your project. As a rule of thumb, you should budget at least $150,000 for an ADU project.

Step 6. Get information about financing. If you'd like to see how long it'll take to make a profit by renting your ADU.

Step 7. The Planning Department and other city agencies review. If expansion is proposed this process will include Neighborhood Notification. For projects using the Permit Review Roundtable, revisions based on the consolidated comments from the meeting should already be submitted. If further review is required, an additional roundtable meeting can be scheduled to finalize approvals.

Step 8. Pay the permit fees. To get the building permits issued, you need to pay all the fees.

Step 9. Hire the construction team. You can decide to either go with a General Contractor to manage the construction or hire multiple contractors for each task. Best, if you have never gone through a construction project before and don't have a lot of time to dedicate during the day, it is to hire a General Contractor. This company will subcontract contractors for every job for your project and oversee the construction process. Start construction!

Step 10. Certificate of Occupancy. Once the construction is completed, schedule the final inspection with the city inspector. If no objections are made during the inspection, you should get the Certificate of occupancy.

Now you have the ADU ready for your family or your new tenant to move in. Open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!

Get your ADU Analysis to evaluate all options and find the best fit for you.

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