Garland restricts accessory dwelling units in single-family residential districts. Under the Garland Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 (Comprehensive Zoning) and the Garland Development Code, single-family districts (SF-7, SF-10, etc.) permit one dwelling unit per lot. An accessory 'servant's quarters' or guest house is permitted as an incidental use but cannot be rented as a separate household. A true detached rental ADU typically requires a Specific Use Permit (SUP) under Texas Local Government Code Ch. 211 zoning authority.
Garland regulates accessory dwelling units through the Comprehensive Zoning provisions of the Garland Development Code, administered by the Planning Department and enforced by Building Inspection. Garland's single-family residential districts traditionally permit one dwelling unit per lot. A 'servant's quarters,' 'guest house,' or accessory living quarters may be permitted as a use incidental to the principal single-family dwelling - typically without a kitchen, or limited to family members and household staff, not rented as a separate unit. Establishing a true ADU as a separate rental household generally requires a Specific Use Permit (SUP) - a discretionary land-use approval with Plan Commission recommendation and City Council approval, requiring public hearings and 200-foot neighborhood notification under Texas Local Government Code Sec. 211.007. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 211 grants Garland (a home-rule city) zoning authority and Texas has not preempted local ADU rules in the way that Arizona HB 2720 or California Gov. Code Sec. 65852.2 have done. Garland enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with Texas amendments through Building Inspection. North Texas wind-loading (ASCE 7 Risk Category II) and tornado considerations apply to detached structures over standard size thresholds.
Building an unpermitted second dwelling unit: stop-work order from Building Inspection, daily fines up to $2,000 per day for building code violations and $500 per day for zoning violations under Texas Local Government Code Sec. 54.001, and Code Compliance citations. Operating an unpermitted second unit as a rental violates Garland single-family district zoning and may trigger injunctive enforcement.
Garland, TX
Amplified sound in Garland is regulated under Chapter 32; sound 'plainly audible' more than 50 feet from the source after 10 PM is a violation.
Garland, TX
Garland restricts construction noise to daytime hours, with most loud work prohibited overnight and limited on Sundays under Chapter 32 of the Code of Ordina...
Garland, TX
Garland permits leaf blower use under its general noise ordinance, restricting operation to daytime hours with no specific gas-powered ban.
Garland, TX
Garland regulates noise from industrial uses along the I-30 and IH-635 corridors through zoning performance standards and the Code of Ordinances Chapter 32 n...
Garland, TX
Garland generally allows overnight on-street parking in residential areas, but restricts vehicles parked continuously in the same spot for more than 48-72 ho...
Garland, TX
Garland follows Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683, defining vehicles as junked or abandoned if inoperable, unregistered, wrecked, or left on public prope...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Dallas County.
See how other cities in Dallas County handle adu permits.
See how Garland's adu permits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.