Irving, TX Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Irving, TX, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Approval required
- S-P-1 site plan rezoning
- Rezoning authority
- Irving City Council
- Recommending body
- Planning and Zoning Commission
- Front setback (varies)
- 50 to 80 feet by district
- Street right-of-way setback
- 20 feet minimum
- Violation fine
- up to $2,000, per day
Summary
Irving will not let a homeowner add a guest apartment or accessory dwelling by right. Under Unified Development Code § 2.4.7(b)(2), guest and servant's quarters are a lawful accessory use in a single-family district only after the property is rezoned into an S-P-1 detailed site plan district by City Council under § 2.7.3, following Planning and Zoning Commission review and a public hearing.
Guest and servant's quarters may be permitted as an accessory use to a residential dwelling upon such accessory use being approved as an S-P-1 site plan district under section 2.7.3 of this ordinance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4988517; v32 updated 2026-07-30).
Full Breakdown
' There is no by-right permit path and no administrative building-permit shortcut: the request goes through the same process as any zoning change. 3 requires the owner or a representative to file a site plan application with the Community Development Department showing the tract's boundary lines and dimensions, the location, dimensions and size of all proposed buildings and structures, designated land use for each building area, off-street parking ratios, points of ingress and egress, existing easements recorded in the Dallas County Deed Records, and a landscaping plan when review calls for one.
The Planning and Zoning Commission holds a public hearing, then forwards its recommendation to the City Council, which may attach conditions and restrictions to protect public health, safety, and welfare before granting the S-P-1 zoning change. 5, plus a minimum 20-foot setback from any street right-of-way in every district.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying a guest or servant's quarters without the required S-P-1 rezoning is a UDC violation under § 1.8.1: a Class C misdemeanor, fined up to $2,000 when the violation is knowing or intentional and involves zoning, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The city attorney may also pursue injunctive relief in court to force removal or bring the structure into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a garage apartment in my Irving backyard without rezoning?
What does the S-P-1 rezoning application require?
How far from the property line must a guest quarters sit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irving
How Irving compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Irving to another location·View the Texas accessory structures overview
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ADU Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle adu rules.