Riverside waives all local impact fees on ADUs under 750 sq ft per California Government Code §65852.2(f)(3). ADUs 750 sq ft or larger pay impact fees proportional to the primary dwelling square footage. Building permit and plan-check fees still apply through the Community & Economic Development Department fee schedule. School district fees follow SB 13 (2019) proportional rules.
Per California Government Code §65852.2(f)(3) — added by AB 881 and SB 13 in 2019 — ADUs under 750 square feet are exempt from all local impact fees, including water and sewer capacity charges, traffic impact fees, parks fees, and public facilities fees. The City of Riverside implements this through the CEDD fee schedule adopted alongside RMC Chapter 19.442. ADUs 750 sq ft or larger pay impact fees calculated proportionally based on the ADU's square footage relative to the principal dwelling, not the full single-family rate. School district fees (Riverside Unified School District and Alvord Unified School District) are also collected proportionally under Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(2). Riverside Public Utilities (the city's electric and water provider) generally permits ADUs that share existing service to avoid duplicate connection fees, though a sub-meter or upgraded service may be required for larger units. Building permit fees themselves are construction-valuation-based and are not waived. Inclusionary housing and affordable housing linkage fees are preempted on ADUs by state law.
Misrepresenting ADU square footage to claim the under-750 sq ft exemption is permit fraud, voids the Certificate of Occupancy, and can trigger code enforcement under RMC Title 1. Failure to pay required permit fees results in permit denial; Riverside Public Utilities can refuse new service connections without paid tap fees.
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