Norwalk, CA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

210(O)(7) governs the design of any ADU or JADU converted from a garage or other existing accessory building: the garage door must be removed and replaced with building doors, windows, or similar design features, and a three-foot-wide planter of drought-tolerant plants must go between the converted unit and any driveway. The rest of the section's design standards apply too, including exterior materials, colors, and roof pitch that match the primary dwelling, enclosed stairwells, no upper-story balconies or elevated decks, and shielded, downward-directed exterior lighting. 210(L)(3) removes the usual replacement obligation: when a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished for, or converted into, an ADU, the City does not require the lost off-street covered parking to be replaced.

210(C)(6). Because the conversion uses an existing structure, there is no maximum unit size cap under subsection (H)(5), unlike new-construction ADUs, which top out at 850 or 1,000 square feet. If it is infeasible to meet every design requirement in subsections (O)(1) through (12), including the garage-door standard, the Community Development Director may grant a waiver under subsection (O)(13).