Santa Cruz County, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee waiver threshold
- ADUs under 750 sq ft
- JADU impact fees
- Never charged
- ADUs 750 sq ft+
- Fee scaled to primary dwelling's sq ft
- Excluded from waiver
- Utility connection fees, capacity charges
- Fee definition source
- Gov. Code §§ 66000(b), 66477
Summary
Santa Cruz County cannot charge an impact fee on any JADU or on an ADU smaller than 750 square feet. SCCC § 13.10.681(H)(3) caps fees for larger ADUs proportionally to the primary dwelling's square footage, though planning fees and utility connection charges still apply separately.
The County of Santa Cruz and any other local agency, special district or water corporation shall not impose any impact fee upon the development of a JADU or an ADU less than 750 square feet. Impact fees charged for ADUs greater than or equal to 750 square feet shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling unit. For the purposes of this section, "impact fee" includes "fees" as defined in California Government Code Section 66000(b) and fees specified in California Government Code Section 66477. Impact fees do not include utility connection fees or capacity charges.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
681(H)(3) sets the county's ADU fee ceiling. Before a building permit issues, an applicant pays the Planning Department's standard fee schedule, but subsection (a) bars the County, and any other local agency, special district, or water corporation, from imposing an impact fee on a JADU or on an ADU under 750 square feet. For ADUs at or above that threshold, subsection (b) requires the impact fee to scale proportionately to the square footage of the primary dwelling unit rather than being charged at the full rate applied to a standalone home.
Subsection (c) defines the fees this waiver reaches: it incorporates the broad definition of "fees" in California Government Code § 66000(b) and the subdivision-related fees in § 66477, while expressly excluding utility connection fees and capacity charges, which remain payable regardless of unit size. 12. None of those provisions substitute for the fee cap itself; the 750-square-foot line in subsection (a) is what determines whether an impact fee applies at all.
Violations & Fines
The county code does not create a penalty scheme here because subsection (H)(3) restrains the County's own fee authority rather than regulating property owners. If a local agency, district, or water corporation improperly assesses an impact fee against a JADU or a sub-750-square-foot ADU, the applicant's remedy is to challenge the fee through the Planning Department or, for state-law fee categories under Government Code §§ 66000(b) and 66477, through the protest and appeal procedures those statutes provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Cruz County charge impact fees on a junior ADU?
My ADU is 600 square feet. Do I owe an impact fee?
Are utility hookup charges included in the ADU fee waiver?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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