Sarasota County, FL Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

An ADU is a separate or attached dwelling sharing a lot with the principal house. Sarasota County permits only one per lot or parcel, and any guest house permitted before the ADU rule existed is now treated as an ADU. No ADUs are allowed on the Barrier Islands or within cluster subdivisions. The property owner must occupy either the principal dwelling or the ADU, and any rental restriction that applies to the district applies equally to the ADU. Floor area is capped at 750 square feet, unless the lot totals at least twice the district's minimum lot size, in which case the ADU may reach 50 percent of the principal dwelling's enclosed living area or 1,200 square feet, whichever is smaller.

An ADU-bearing subdivision still cannot exceed the district's maximum density (an ADU does not count toward density on its own, but the combined unit count is capped), and the principal home and ADU together cannot exceed the district's maximum building coverage. The ADU must meet the same setback and yard requirements as the principal structure and cannot exceed its height. It must also match the principal structure's architectural style, roof style, building materials and exterior finish, though not necessarily the roof material itself, meaning a stucco-finished house requires a stucco-finished ADU.

One additional off-street parking space is required for the ADU, though tandem parking and shell or grass surfacing are allowed for that space, and the ADU may include its own kitchen. The identical rule appears twice in the code, once for the RE Estate district and once for the RSF Single-Family district, so the same numbers govern both.