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Orlando, FL Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified October 2026

Key Facts

Fee basis
Conditioned square footage the ADU adds to the existing home
No additional fee
If the new total stays within the next tiered single-family rate
Downtown rates (Area 1A)
$3,422 to $6,529 per unit across four size tiers
Rest of city (Areas 1B, 2, 3)
$3,898 to $7,397 per unit across four size tiers
Transportation fee due
At issuance of the development permit (§ 56.18)
First appeal deadline
30 days from the decision, to the Impact Fee Coordinator
Parks impact fee
Same added-square-footage test applies (§ 56.32(b))

Summary

Orlando prices the transportation impact fee on an accessory dwelling unit by the conditioned square footage the ADU adds to the existing single-family home, not as a brand-new house. If the new conditioned total does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate, no additional transportation impact fee is due. The fee is payable when the development permit issues, and the parks impact fee applies the same added-square-footage test.

In the case of an applicant for a development permit for an ADU, the transportation impact fee will be based on the additional (conditioned space) square footage that the ADU adds to the existing single-family (conditioned space) square footage. If the new square footage total of the conditioned space does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate, there shall be no additional impact fee due. ... Exhibit-A Rate Schedule—Effective January 15, 2023 RATES REFLECT 15% POLICY DISCOUNT 2022 Rates Area 1A Area 1B, 2 & 3 Downtown City other Fee Basis 15% Policy Disc 15% Policy Disc Residential Single Family (detached) 1,200 SF or less / Unit $3,422 $3,898 Single Family (detached) 1,201 SF to 2,000 SF / Unit $4,973 $5,645 Single Family (detached) 2,001 SF to 3,500 SF / Unit $6,238 $7,069 Single Family (detached) Greater than 3,500 SF / Unit $6,529 $7,397

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).

Full Breakdown

Orlando City Code § 56.06(K) gives ADUs their own measuring rule. When an applicant seeks a development permit for a garage apartment, cottage or mother-in-law suite on a single-family lot, the Transportation Impact Fee is based on the additional conditioned square footage the ADU adds to the existing single-family conditioned square footage. If the new total of conditioned space does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate, no additional impact fee is due.

The tiers come from the Exhibit A rate schedule that § 56.07 points to. Detached single-family homes are priced in four bands: 1,200 SF or less, 1,201 to 2,000 SF, 2,001 to 3,500 SF, and greater than 3,500 SF. The schedule effective January 15, 2023 prints $3,422, $4,973, $6,238 and $6,529 per unit in Area 1A (Downtown), and $3,898, $5,645, $7,069 and $7,397 per unit in Areas 1B, 2 and 3 (the rest of the city). All of those rates reflect a 15% policy discount. Section 56.07(C) indexes the rates each January 1 by the Consumer Price Index or 3%, whichever is less, but only after City Council adopts the new rates. If Council does not adopt them, the previous year's rate stays in effect.

The Transportation Impact Fee Coordinator collects the fee, and § 56.18 makes it due and payable when the development permit is issued. Section 56.15(B) exempts accessory structures that add no trip generation, and its example is a detached garage "without a living unit". An applicant who believes the schedule overstates the impact can file an Alternative Transportation Impact Fee Calculation with the Transportation Planning Division Manager under § 56.08, after first meeting with the Coordinator.

A separate parks impact fee follows the same logic. Section 56.32(b) evaluates an ADU on the additional conditioned square footage it adds, with no additional parks fee if the new total does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate. The zoning side of the ADU rules, § 58.501(G), simply says "Impact fees. See Chapter 56."

Violations & Fines

Section 56.22 provides that violations by a developer or applicant are prosecuted as provided by City Code, or through an injunction or other legal or equitable relief in circuit court. Section 56.18 makes the transportation fee due and payable at issuance of the development permit, so the amount has to be settled before the ADU permit is in hand. Fee disputes go through the § 56.23 appeal ladder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a backyard cottage in Orlando pay a full single-family impact fee?
Not by default. Section 56.06(K) bases the transportation impact fee on the additional conditioned square footage the ADU adds to the existing single-family conditioned square footage. If the new conditioned total does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate, the code says no additional impact fee is due. The Exhibit A tier boundaries are 1,200, 2,000 and 3,500 square feet.
What are Orlando's single-family transportation impact fee rates?
The Exhibit A schedule effective January 15, 2023 prints, for homes of 1,200 SF or less, $3,422 per unit in Downtown Area 1A and $3,898 elsewhere. The 1,201 to 2,000 SF tier is $4,973 and $5,645, the 2,001 to 3,500 SF tier is $6,238 and $7,069, and homes over 3,500 SF are $6,529 and $7,397. All reflect a 15% policy discount.
How do I appeal an impact fee determination on my ADU?
File a written Notice of Appeal with the Transportation Impact Fee Coordinator within 30 days of the decision, with the required processing fee. The Transportation Planning Division Manager responds in writing. You then have 15 days to appeal to the Chief Administrative Officer, and a further 15 days to reach City Council, where you and staff each get five minutes of oral argument (§ 56.23).
Does Orlando also charge a parks impact fee on ADUs?
Yes, the parks impact fee in Part II of Chapter 56 uses the same test. Section 56.32(b) evaluates an ADU on the additional conditioned square footage it adds, with no additional fee if the new total does not exceed the next tiered single-family rate. The parks tiers run from $1,633 for 1,200 SF or less to $3,649 for 3,500 SF or greater, paid before the building permit issues.
Is a detached garage exempt from the transportation impact fee?
Section 56.15(B) exempts accessory buildings and structures to the extent they add no trip generation relative to the existing principal use. Its example is a detached garage without a living unit on a single-family lot. A structure that contains a dwelling unit is an ADU and is measured under § 56.06(K) instead.

Sources & Official References

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