Gardena, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee-free ADU size
- Under 750 sq ft pays $0 impact fee
- Larger ADU fee basis
- Proportional to primary dwelling square footage
- Fee timing
- Paid before occupancy, Gov't Code §§66000, 66012
- Impact fee definition
- Borrowed from Government Code §66324
- Utility connection charge
- Waived unless built with new single-family home
- Administering department
- Gardena Community Development Department
Summary
In the City of Gardena, accessory dwelling units under seven hundred fifty square feet pay zero impact fee under Gardena Municipal Code Section 18.13.040(E)(1). Larger ADUs pay impact fees scaled to the primary dwelling's square footage, and utility connection or capacity charges are generally waived unless the ADU is built alongside a brand-new single-family home. The Community Development Department administers ADU permits and calculates any applicable fee at building-permit issuance.
E. Fees.
1. Impact Fees.
a. No impact fee shall be imposed on any accessory dwelling unit less than seven hundred fifty square feet in size.
b. For accessory dwelling units seven hundred fifty square feet or greater, impact fees shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling.
c. All applicable public service and applicable recreation impact fees shall be paid prior to occupancy in accordance with Government Code Sections 66000 et seq. and 66012 et seq.
d. For purposes of this section, "impact fee" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Government Code Section 66324. ... 2. Connection Fees/Capacity Charges.
a. An accessory dwelling unit shall not be considered to be a new residential use for purposes of calculating connection fees or capacity charges for utilities, including for water and sewer service, unless the accessory dwelling unit is being constructed with a new single-family dwelling.
Full Breakdown
Gardena's accessory dwelling unit chapter sets a hard size threshold for development impact fees. Section 18.13.040(E)(1)(a) bars the city from imposing any impact fee on an ADU smaller than seven hundred fifty square feet, full stop, no matter how large the primary house is. Cross the seven-hundred-fifty-square-foot line and subsection (b) switches to a proportional formula: the fee is charged in relation to the ADU's square footage measured against the primary dwelling on the same lot, rather than a flat citywide rate. Subsection (c) ties timing to occupancy, requiring that all applicable public service and recreation impact fees under Government Code Sections 66000 et seq. and 66012 et seq. be paid before the unit is occupied, and subsection (d) borrows the state's own definition of 'impact fee' from Government Code Section 66324 rather than writing a local one.
The same subsection extends the exemption to utilities: under Section 18.13.040(E)(2)(a), an ADU is not treated as creating a new residential use for water or sewer connection fee and capacity charge purposes, so those charges are not triggered, unless the accessory unit is being built together with a brand-new single-family dwelling on a previously vacant lot. In practice this means most Gardena homeowners adding a small backyard unit to an existing house owe no impact fee and no new utility connection charge at all.
Violations & Fines
Section 18.13.040(E)(1)(c) makes payment of any applicable public service and recreation impact fee a precondition of occupancy, so a homeowner whose ADU exceeds the seven-hundred-fifty-square-foot exemption cannot legally occupy the unit until the proportional fee required by subsection (b) is paid to the city. There is no separate fine specified in this section; the consequence is a withheld certificate of occupancy rather than a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gardena charge an impact fee for a small ADU?
How are impact fees calculated for larger Gardena ADUs?
Will I owe a water or sewer connection fee for a Gardena ADU?
When must Gardena ADU impact fees be paid?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gardena
California rules heatmap·Compare Gardena to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Impact Fees in Nearby Cities
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