Escondido exempts ADUs under 750 square feet from all impact fees per California Government Code §65852.2(f)(3). ADUs 750 sq ft or larger pay impact fees proportionate to the principal dwelling's square footage. School district fees follow SB 13 (2019). Standard permit, plan-check, and connection fees still apply through the Escondido Planning and Building Department. Typical total fees for 750+ sq ft ADUs range $9,000-$12,000.
Under California Government Code §65852.2(f)(3) — added by AB 881 / SB 13 in 2019 — ADUs under 750 sq ft are exempt from local impact fees including water and sewer capacity fees, public facilities fees, park fees, and traffic impact fees. Escondido implements this exemption through its Planning and Building Department fee schedule. ADUs 750 sq ft or larger pay impact fees proportional to the principal dwelling's gross floor area, not the full single-family rate. School fees collected for the Escondido Union School District, Escondido Union High School District, and San Pasqual Union follow the proportional formula under Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(2); units under 500 sq ft receive a complete school-fee waiver under Education Code §17620. Water and sewer connection fees from the City of Escondido Utilities Department may be waived for ADUs sharing existing service. Building permit fees themselves are based on construction valuation and are not waived. AB 1033 (2023) permits cities to allow ADU condo-ization with separate utility connections; Escondido has not opted in as of this writing.
Misrepresenting ADU square footage to claim the under-750 exemption is permit fraud and can void the Certificate of Occupancy. Failure to pay required permit fees results in permit denial. Escondido Utilities can refuse service connections without paid tap fees.
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