Moreno Valley, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee-exempt ADU size
- under 750 sq ft
- JADU impact fees
- never permitted
- Fee basis above 750 sf
- correlates to primary home size
- Utility/connection charges
- ADUs not treated as new use
- Pre-2020 unpermitted ADUs
- impact fees waived (subsec. M.5)
Summary
Moreno Valley cannot charge impact fees on a junior ADU or any ADU smaller than 750 square feet under Municipal Code Section 9.09.130(H). Once an ADU passes 750 square feet, the city must assess an impact fee scaled to the size of the primary residence, and ADUs never count toward water or sewer capacity charges.
H. Fees. ADUs shall be subject to all development fees specified by city ordinances or resolutions for ADUs. Impact fees may not be imposed on JADUs and ADUs smaller than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet. For ADUs greater than 750 square feet, local agencies must assess an impact fee that correlates to square footage of primary residence. ADUs shall not be considered new residential uses for purpose of calculating utility connection fees or capacity charges, including water or sewer service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4887234; v10 updated 2026-04-07).
Full Breakdown
130 sets a hard floor under ADU impact fees: no impact fee of any kind may be imposed on a JADU, regardless of size, or on a full ADU smaller than 750 square feet. Once a detached or attached ADU exceeds 750 square feet, Moreno Valley must charge an impact fee, but the fee has to correlate to the square footage of the ADU relative to the primary dwelling rather than be charged as a flat fee equal to a new single-family home. The subsection also bars the city from treating an ADU as a new residential use for utility connection fees or capacity charges, so ADUs do not trigger a new water or sewer meter charge or hookup fee the way a newly subdivided lot would.
Standard development fees still apply on top of the impact-fee floor: subsection H opens by stating ADUs remain subject to all development fees specified by city ordinance or resolution, meaning building permit fees, plan check fees and school impact fees under separate authority are unaffected by the 750-square-foot exemption. 3 substandard-building standards.
Violations & Fines
Charging an impact fee on a JADU or a sub-750-square-foot ADU conflicts directly with subsection H; an applicant charged in error can challenge the fee through the city's fee process, and a permit cannot lawfully be conditioned on payment the code prohibits. Owners legalizing a pre-2020 unpermitted ADU under subsection M who are billed impact or connection fees outside the Section 17920.3 exception have the same basis to dispute the charge before the community development department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay an impact fee for my ADU?
Will building an ADU raise my water or sewer bill through new connection fees?
I built an ADU years ago without a permit. Will I owe fees to legalize it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Moreno Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Moreno Valley to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Impact Fees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle adu impact fees.