ADU rules in Butte County, CA — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Butte County Code §24-172 (and §24-172.2 for second units) regulates Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior ADUs in conformance with California Government Code §65852.2. Recent updates allow up to three housing units per residential parcel, 4-foot setbacks, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no impact fees for ADUs under 750 sq ft.
Section 24-172 of Chapter 24 (Zoning) establishes ADU standards. An ADU may be within, attached to, or detached from the primary dwelling and must have its own kitchen, bathroom, and separate entrance. ADUs are NOT permitted in the North Chico Specific Plan area, Timber Mountain (TM), Timber Production (TPZ), Resource Conservation (RC) zones, or on Williamson Act contracted property. Following state-law conformance updates, the ordinance allows up to three housing units per parcel (primary + ADU + JADU), reduces side and rear setbacks to 4 feet, removes the owner-occupancy requirement, eliminates impact fees for ADUs under 750 sq ft, and allows Junior ADUs (JADUs) up to 500 sq ft within an existing residence. The Butte County HCD review letter (October 2025) confirmed county compliance with state ADU law. The Building Division also runs a preapproved-plan program for detached ADUs to speed permitting.
Construction of an ADU without a permit results in a stop-work order, code enforcement abatement, and potential demolition. Unpermitted ADUs cannot be legalized until brought into compliance with current standards and inspected.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Butte County, CA
Butte County Code Chapter 4 (Animals) defines a barking dog as one that barks, bays, cries, howls, or makes noise for an extended period of time that disturb...
Butte County, CA
Butte County Code Chapter 41A (Noise Control) prohibits excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood in th...
Butte County, CA
In unincorporated Butte County, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and boats may be stored on a private residential parcel but cannot be occupied as a d...
Butte County, CA
Chickens and other livestock are broadly permitted in unincorporated Butte County under Chapter 24 (Zoning), with standards that vary sharply by zone. Agricu...
Butte County, CA
Butte County Code Chapter 4 (Animals) prohibits dogs from being off the owner's property unless on a leash or under the effective control of the owner or cus...
Butte County, CA
Most of unincorporated Butte County lies in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) classified by CAL FIRE as Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Z...
See how Butte County's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.