Pasadena, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- ADU traffic fee threshold
- Exempt if 900 sq ft or less
- Oversized ADU fee
- Proportional to main dwelling size
- Single-family traffic fee
- $5,202 to $5,722 per unit
- Multi-family traffic fee
- $2,158 to $2,352 per unit
- Park impact fee ADU exemption
- 900 sq ft or less, incl. JADUs
- Fee due date
- At certificate of occupancy/final inspection
- Escalation
- Annual, tied to Construction Cost Index
Summary
Pasadena exempts accessory dwelling units of 900 square feet or less from both its traffic reduction and transportation improvement fee and its residential impact (park) fee. Larger ADUs pay a fee proportional to their size relative to the main dwelling under Municipal Code Section 4.19.040, while standard single-family projects otherwise owe $5,202 to $5,722 per new unit.
4.New single family residential use: $5,202 to $5,722 per new unit.i.No fees shall be paid for new accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that are 900 square feet or less. ADUs over 900 square feet shall pay a fee proportional to the size of the main dwelling structure.5.New multi-family residential use: $2,158 to $2,352 per new unit.i.No fees shall be paid for new ADUs that are 900 square feet or less. ADUs over 900 square feet shall pay a fee proportional to the size of the main dwelling structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
040(A) requires all new development to pay into the traffic reduction and transportation improvement fund, with new single-family residential use assessed $5,202 to $5,722 per unit and new multi-family residential use assessed $2,158 to $2,352 per unit. i, added by Ordinance No. 7458 in November 2025, carves out ADUs: "No fees shall be paid for new accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that are 900 square feet or less. i. 050(C) restates the carve-out among the chapter's general exceptions, listing "ADUs 900 square feet or less" alongside fire-rebuild and parking-structure exemptions.
040(C). 050(F)(6): ADUs of 900 square feet or fewer, including Junior ADUs, or any ADU covered by an affordability covenant or landlord agreement under the city's inclusionary housing rules, are exempt from that fee as well. Because the base residential impact fee rate is set by council resolution rather than fixed in the code text, a full-size single-family unit's park fee varies by year, but the 900-square-foot ADU threshold controlling exemption is fixed directly in the ordinance.
Violations & Fines
New development, including an ADU over 900 square feet, cannot obtain a certificate of occupancy or pass final inspection under Section 4.19.040(B) until the proportional traffic reduction fee is paid. The code does not set a separate fine; the enforcement mechanism is withholding final sign-off on the building permit. Fee disputes or requests for a return of unspent fees after five years are handled by the director of finance under Section 4.19.070.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasadena charge an impact fee on a new ADU?
What happens if my ADU is bigger than 900 square feet?
When must the ADU impact fee be paid?
Can an affordable ADU get additional fee relief?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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