Hawthorne, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Application review fee
- Non-refundable, set by council resolution
- Fee refunded if rejected?
- No, stated non-refundable
- Utility connection fee
- Waived for qualifying ADUs
- Exemption limit
- Void if a new utility connection is built
- Appeal of fee decision
- None; director's decision is final
Summary
Hawthorne charges a non-refundable application review fee for every ADU or JADU permit under § 17.21.040(A), set by city council resolution rather than printed in the code. For ADUs covered by Government Code § 65852.2(1)(A), the city exempts the unit from any new utility connection fee or capacity charge under § 17.21.070(G), unless a whole new connection is actually built.
§ 17.21.040.A: "...a non-refundable application review fee in the amount established by the city council, amended from time to time, has been paid. Applications deemed incomplete or not in full conformance with the requirements of this code will be rejected." § 17.21.070.G: "For accessory dwelling units described in Government Code Section 65852.2(1)(A), the accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be required to install a new or separate utility connection directly between the accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit and the utility, and the accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be subject to a related connection fee or capacity charge, unless the accessory dwelling unit is constructed."
Full Breakdown
21; instead its local ADU fee rules cover permit review costs and utility hookups. ' The dollar figure lives in a separate council-adopted fee resolution, not in the zoning code itself, and applications judged incomplete or noncompliant are rejected outright rather than corrected for free. 070(G) addresses the fee question ADU applicants ask about most: new utility connections. shall not be subject to a related connection fee or capacity charge, unless the accessory dwelling unit is constructed' in a way that genuinely requires a new hookup.
In practice that means a garage or spare-room conversion reusing existing water, sewer, and power service pays no capacity charge, while a detached new-build ADU needing its own utility tap falls outside the exemption.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 17.21 sets no separate fine for a fee dispute. Under § 17.21.040(B), the director's written decision approving or denying an ADU application, including whether it qualifies for the § 17.21.070(G) utility fee exemption, 'shall be final,' with no further administrative appeal built into this chapter. An application judged incomplete or non-conforming is simply rejected under § 17.21.040(A), forfeiting the paid review fee since that fee is stated to be non-refundable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hawthorne charge a special impact fee for building an ADU?
Will I be charged a new utility connection fee for my ADU?
What happens to my review fee if the city rejects my ADU application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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