Pawtucket, RI Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Amended August 21, 2024 by Ch. No. 3302, § 410-46B implements Rhode Island's state ADU mandate locally: one ADU meeting RIGL § 45-24-31 and § 45-24-73(a) is a permitted use in all residential zoning districts and goes through an administrative building permit process only, with no discretionary review. Size caps scale with bedroom count: a studio or one-bedroom ADU may not exceed 900 square feet or 60% of the principal dwelling's floor area, whichever is less, and a two-bedroom ADU tops out at 1,200 square feet or that same 60% cap.

An ADU must meet the same setback and height requirements as the principal dwelling, provide at least one off-street parking space, and connect to the same water, sewer and electrical utilities as the principal dwelling unless a state agency or building code requires separate connections. A newly built detached ADU must sit in the rear yard consistent with § 410-46A(4)'s spacing rules, cannot exceed the zoning district's accessory-structure height limit, and must meet the district's lot-coverage standard. Property owners apply for a zoning certificate through the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement before a building permit is reviewed, per § 410-46B(8).