Clovis, CA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

030(A)(1) expressly includes garages. On a single-family lot, that conversion counts toward the one ADU (plus one JADU) allowed per lot; no separate garage-specific cap applies beyond the standard 1,200-square-foot detached ADU ceiling and the 220-square-foot minimum. For properties with an existing multifamily building, the rule is more generous and more specific: the owner may either add two new detached ADUs or convert nonlivable space, defined in the code to include storage rooms, boiler rooms, passageways, attics, basements or garages, into ADUs, up to 25% of the number of existing multifamily dwelling units on the lot.

A four-unit apartment building could therefore convert one unit's worth of nonlivable garage space into an ADU. Because the converted space is treated as an ADU rather than as a garage, it must still meet the standard ADU building rules: architectural compatibility with the primary structure, water and sewer service adequate for the added occupancy as determined by the City Engineer, one parking space per ADU unless state law exempts the project, and fire sprinklers if the primary residence has them. The garage's loss as covered parking does not reduce the parking requirement for the primary dwelling; that requirement is calculated separately from the new ADU parking obligation.