Cedar Park, TX Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

Converting a garage (attached or detached) into living space in Cedar Park requires a building permit issued by the Development Services Department under the city's adopted building codes (Chapter 3, Building Regulations). The work must comply with Cedar Park's adopted International Residential Code provisions for egress, ceiling height, light, ventilation, smoke/CO alarms, and energy code, as well as Chapter 11 zoning. Critically, Cedar Park Chapter 11, Article 11.04, Division 4 (Conditional and Special Uses) requires that an ADU 'shall not be located in a detached garage conversion,' which forecloses converting a stand-alone garage into a rental or independent dwelling unit. ADUs that are otherwise allowed must be 400–600 sq ft of first-floor living area (650 gross sq ft max) and located only in the rear yard of the principal dwelling, only in Development Reserve, Estate Reserve, Estate Residential, and Suburban Residential districts as a conditional use. Even non-ADU garage conversions (e.g., converting an attached garage into a den or bedroom) must still satisfy Chapter 11 minimum off-street parking requirements for the underlying dwelling — typically two enclosed/covered spaces — which often forces homeowners to add a replacement garage or covered carport elsewhere on the lot. Texas SB 673 (89th Leg., 2025), if enacted in current form, would limit some local ADU regulation but does not override fire/building code or the express detached-garage-conversion prohibition unless and until amended.