Pismo Beach, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Chapter 17.117 of the 1983 Zoning Ordinance and § 17.38.155 of the 1998 Zoning Code carry parallel ADU rules. Section numbers below are the 1983 ones unless noted.

Where and how many. ADUs and JADUs are allowed on lots zoned for single-family or multifamily use where the development standards are met (§ 17.117.040). A single-family lot gets up to one ADU and one JADU. A multifamily lot gets up to two detached ADUs plus conversion ADUs for up to twenty-five percent of the units. They are not allowed in mobile home subdivisions, mobile home parks or RV parks, in the R-1 zone above Longview Avenue and Stratford Street in the Pismo Heights planning area, or on a slope exceeding twenty percent.

Permits. Outside the Coastal Zone a zoning clearance and building permit are required and review is ministerial, with no public hearing (§ 17.117.050(A)). In the Coastal Appeal Zone a coastal development permit is required, and the action is final unless appealed to the California Coastal Commission within ten days of its receipt of the notice of final action. The city must approve or send a notice of deficiency within sixty days of a complete application.

Size and siting. Minimum size is 150 square feet and a JADU tops out at 500. A new construction ADU is capped at 850 square feet for a studio or one bedroom, 1,000 for two bedrooms, or fifty percent of the primary unit, whichever is smaller, but an ADU of at least 800 square feet must be allowed. The 1983 text prints no maximum for a conversion ADU; the 1998 text caps it at fifty percent of the primary unit. Side and rear setbacks are four feet or the district setback, whichever is less, and height is not less than sixteen feet.

Occupancy and parking. Rentals under thirty days are prohibited, and owner residency with a recorded deed restriction applies to JADUs and to ADUs not permitted between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2025. Outside the Coastal Zone one space per unit is required; in the Coastal Zone one space for a studio or one-bedroom and two for a two-bedroom (§ 17.117.070).

Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.