Palmdale, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Attached ADUs may reach 850 sq ft (zero to one bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (two-plus bedrooms), or 50 percent of the existing primary home's floor area, whichever is larger; detached ADUs cap at 1,200 sq ft. No setback is required for ADUs converted from existing living area or accessory structures, or built in the same footprint as an existing structure; all others need a 4-ft minimum side/rear setback and, where feasible, a 10-ft separation from the primary dwelling. Height limits are 16 ft for a detached ADU generally, 18 ft within one-half mile of a major transit stop (plus 2 extra feet for a matching roof pitch), 18 ft on a multifamily/multistory lot, and 25 ft (or the primary dwelling's height limit, whichever is lower) for an attached ADU.

One parking space is required unless the ADU has no bedrooms or qualifies for an exemption, such as being within one-half mile of transit, in a historic district, near a car-share vehicle, or paired with a new single-family or multifamily permit. Multifamily lots may convert nonhabitable space into ADUs up to 25 percent of existing units, plus add up to 8 detached ADUs, capped at the number of existing units. Impact fees are waived for any ADU or JADU under 750 square feet, and fire sprinklers are never required solely because of an ADU under Government Code § 66314(d)(12).