San Clemente, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

22 and is reviewed with no discretionary hearing: the City must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days, and an unanswered application is deemed approved unless the applicant requested a delay. An ADU or JADU that meets the section's standards cannot be treated as inconsistent with the general plan or zoning, cannot be counted against allowable density, and cannot be required to fix an unrelated nonconforming condition on the lot. Height is tiered by lot type: a detached ADU on a single-family or multifamily lot is capped at 16 feet; that rises to 18 feet, with two more feet allowed for a matching roof pitch (20 feet total), if the lot sits within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor; a detached ADU on a multifamily lot with more than one story above grade is capped at 18 feet; and an ADU attached to the primary dwelling can reach 25 feet or the underlying zone's height limit, whichever is lower, but never more than two stories.

Building-permit-only ADUs (converted within existing space, or one detached unit under 800 square feet with 4-foot side and rear setbacks) skip the separate ADU permit entirely. Fire sprinklers are only required in an ADU if the primary residence already requires them, and building an ADU never triggers a sprinkler retrofit on the main house. ADUs that do not meet these objective standards can still be approved through a discretionary Development Permit or Cultural Heritage Permit.