Ventura, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

The City of Ventura regulates accessory dwelling units through Chapter 24.430 of the zoning code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-013 and amended by Ordinance No. 2024-012. Section 24.430.050(A) confines ADUs to lots in a residential or mixed-use zone, while junior ADUs are limited to lots zoned for single-family residences, tracking Government Code Section 66333(a). A conforming ADU or JADU cannot be deemed inconsistent with the general plan or the city's local coastal program, cannot be counted against the lot's allowable density, and cannot be used to force correction of a preexisting nonconforming zoning condition, per Section 24.430.030.

Community Development processes most ADUs ministerially: Section 24.430.040(A) allows a building permit alone, with no discretionary review or public hearing, for a converted unit within an existing house or accessory structure plus one JADU, for a detached new-construction ADU up to 800 square feet with four-foot side and rear setbacks, or for converted and detached units on multifamily lots. The department must approve or deny a complete ADU application within 60 days under Section 24.430.040(C), and an application neither approved nor denied within that window is deemed approved.

Height limits under Section 24.430.050(B) cap a detached ADU at 18 feet (20 feet if matching the primary roof pitch) and an attached ADU at 25 feet and two stories. Properties in the coastal zone need a coastal exemption, exclusion, or development permit processed under Chapter 24.515, and ADUs are barred outright in designated very high fire hazard severity zones under Section 24.430.050(K), though JADUs remain allowed there.