Long Beach, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Long Beach, CA, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 25 ft. and 2 stories, or district limit
- Side yard setback
- 5 ft. or district standard, less
- Min lot size
- 4,800 sq. ft.
- Max unit size
- 800 sq. ft. or 50% of GFA
- Min lot width
- 27 ft.
- Usable open space
- 30% of ADU floor area
Summary
Accessory dwelling units in Long Beach must meet the same zoning standards as the underlying district, parking, height, setbacks, lot coverage and floor area ratio, under LBMC § 21.51.276(D), plus ADU-specific caps in Table 51.276-1: height tops out at 25 feet and two stories, side yards can shrink to 5 feet, and unit size is capped at 50% of the primary home's floor area or 800 square feet, whichever is less.
An accessory dwelling unit shall conform to all development standards of the zone in which the property is located, including but not limited to, parking, height limits, setbacks, projections, lot coverage, landscape, open space, and floor area ratio (FAR), except as specifically provided by this Section, and shall be subject to the following standards, and the provisions of Tables 51.276-1 and 51.276-2 ... Maximum Unit Size 50% of GFA of the primary dwelling, or 800 sq. ft., whichever is less.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
276(D)'s baseline rule that an ADU otherwise follows the same parking, height, setback, lot-coverage and FAR standards as the underlying zoning district. Setbacks: the front yard matches the district standard, side yards follow the district or 5 feet, whichever is less, and a detached ADU's rear yard is 5 feet (measured to the alley centerline where one exists). Height is capped at the district limit or 25 feet and two stories, whichever is less, except in the PD-11 Rancho Estates Planned Development District, where it drops to 13 feet and one story.
A Conforming ADU needs a minimum lot size of 4,800 square feet, whether inside or outside the Coastal Zone, and a minimum lot width of 27 feet. Usable open space equal to 30% of the ADU's gross floor area is required in addition to what the primary dwelling must provide. Unit size is capped at 50% of the primary dwelling's gross floor area or 800 square feet, whichever is less, though a primary dwelling under 1,280 square feet unlocks an ADU up to 640 square feet.
Minimum sizes run 300 square feet for a studio Conforming ADU (180 square feet for a Limited ADU), 450 square feet for one bedroom, and 750 square feet for two bedrooms. A Limited ADU, one built entirely from existing floor area with no new construction, is exempt from most of these setback, height and lot-size figures, which apply instead to Conforming ADUs that add new floor area.
Violations & Fines
An ADU built outside the setback, height, lot-size or unit-size figures in Table 51.276-1 without qualifying as an exempt Limited ADU is out of compliance with § 21.51.276(D) and can be denied a certificate of occupancy or ordered corrected by Development Services before the unit can be legally occupied or rented.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a Long Beach ADU be?
What's the maximum size of an ADU in Long Beach?
How close to my side property line can I build an ADU?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
How Long Beach compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle adu rules.