Pismo Beach, CA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

Pismo Beach handles a garage conversion through its ADU rules, and both zoning codes printed under Title 17 define it the same way.

Definition. A conversion ADU is the conversion of any portion of a legal accessory structure, any portion of a single-family dwelling, or any garage, for the purpose of creating an ADU (§ 17.117.030(D) in the 1983 Zoning Ordinance, § 17.38.155(C)(4) in the 1998 Zoning Code). Conversion ADUs can include additions of no more than 150 square feet, and a conversion that exceeds those limits is treated as a new construction ADU. A structure converted from an existing accessory structure must have been built with all required permits or be legal nonconforming, and structures built without permits are not eligible and must be processed as new construction.

Parking. The 1983 Zoning Ordinance, § 17.117.070(A)(4), says that when a garage, carport or covered parking structure is demolished for an ADU or converted to an ADU, those off-street spaces are not required to be replaced, except for conversions within the Coastal Zone. In the Coastal Zone, one off-street space is required for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and two for a two-bedroom ADU, and the parking exceptions do not apply to properties west of U.S. Route 101 within one-quarter mile walking distance of a vertical beach access point, Coastal Trail segment, coastal park or coastal view area. Parking for the ADU is in addition to the primary unit's parking. The parking subsection of the 1998 Zoning Code, § 17.38.155(G), prints no comparable replacement sentence.

Size and siting. The 1983 text prints no maximum size for a conversion ADU, while the 1998 text caps it at fifty percent of the primary unit. Setbacks for a conversion must be sufficient for fire safety under the Building Code and Fire Code, and no setback is required when a structure is converted in the same location and to the same dimensions.

Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.