Lubbock, TX Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

020(e) of the Lubbock Unified Development Code governs accessory dwelling units (ADUs) citywide. New ADUs are permitted by right in the RE, SF-1, SF-2, and MDR zoning districts, and in Mixed Use districts when paired with House, Duplex, or Multiplex housing types, but only on a parcel where the property owner occupies either the primary residence or the accessory unit. Applicants must submit an affidavit with their application explaining why the property qualifies for owner-occupancy. Lubbock caps approvals at one primary dwelling and one accessory dwelling per lot, so a homeowner cannot add a second ADU once one is approved.

New ADUs require a minimum lot area of 10,000 square feet, dropping to 6,000 square feet inside the Neighborhood Infill Overlay or Community Infill Overlay districts, which cover older core neighborhoods platted before current lot-size standards. Each ADU adds a parking requirement of one off-street space on top of what the primary house already needs, and the ADU's floor area cannot exceed the floor area of the primary dwelling. Every ADU must meet the City's Building Code regardless of its owner-occupancy status. Once approved, an ADU may legally operate as a long-term rental, short-term rental, or guest house.

Approved status survives a change in ownership as long as the new owner continues to occupy either unit; it lapses if neither unit remains owner-occupied. Homes with an ADU built before the current UDC took effect (Ordinance 2023-O0054, adopted May 9, 2023) keep their status under a grandfather clause and are exempt from the current standards, though the Director of Planning may treat them as a legal nonconforming use or structure. Separately, the City's Reduction Overlay District, used for redevelopment sites, can strip ADU rights from a property even where the base zoning district would otherwise allow one.