Anaheim, CA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

Anaheim Municipal Code Sec. 140 (Conversion of Existing Structures) expressly authorizes converting a garage, attic, basement or other part of a residential property into an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or Junior ADU. Once converted, the space is exempt from the underlying zone's lot coverage, structural setback, structural height and building separation standards, so a garage sitting hard against a side property line does not need to be moved or rebuilt to qualify. 1402 removes the usual parking-replacement burden: when a garage, carport, covered parking structure or uncovered parking space is torn out to build an ADU, or is itself converted into the ADU, the City does not require the owner to replace that off-street parking space elsewhere on the lot.

There is one cosmetic catch. 0904, if the garage being converted has a garage door that faces a public right-of-way (not counting alleys), that door must be kept in place after conversion. The code does not require the door to still function, and it does not require a working garage, but the driveway leading up to that door must also remain, preserving the street-facing appearance of a garage even though the interior is now a bedroom, ADU unit or living area. Applications are reviewed by the Planning and Building Director under Sec.

150: completeness review runs 15 business days, with the same 15-day clock on any resubmittal, and a final approval or denial is due within 60 days of a complete application (extendable only if bundled with a new single-family or multifamily permit on the same lot). Appeals of a staff determination must be decided within 60 days. Sec. 160 sends any interpretation dispute to the Planning Commission rather than the Planning and Building Director alone, and Sec. 1506 bars the City from granting a variance or administrative-adjustment waiver from any Sec. 015 standard, including the garage-door and parking provisions described above.