🏗️ Accessory Structures Guides
ADU rules, shed permits, and garage conversion regulations.
Featured Articles
Most ADU-Friendly Cities in America (2026)
Accessory dwelling units are transforming housing across the country. These cities make it easiest to build one on your property.
Can You Build an ADU? What the Rules Actually Say
Accessory dwelling units are one of the hottest topics in residential development, but the rules governing them are a maze of state mandates and local regulations. Here is what you need to know.
California ADU Rules: What Homeowners Need to Know (2026)
California leads the nation in ADU-friendly legislation. Here is what homeowners need to know about building an accessory dwelling unit in 2026.
Washington State ADU and Backyard Cottage Rules (2026)
Washington has embraced ADU-friendly legislation. Here is what homeowners need to know about building an accessory dwelling unit in 2026.
ADU and Granny Flat Rules in 2026: What Has Changed
Accessory dwelling unit regulations are evolving fast. Here is what homeowners need to know about building an ADU under the latest rules.
What Happens If You Build Without a Permit? The Real Consequences
Skipping the permit process seems like a way to save time and money. Here is why it usually costs you more in the long run.
Garage Conversion to ADU: What Your City Requires
Converting a garage into a living space is one of the most popular ADU projects, but permitting and building requirements vary dramatically by city. Here is what to expect.
When Do You Need a Permit for a Shed? A City-by-City Guide
That backyard shed might need a building permit depending on its size, your city, and where you place it. Here is how to figure out whether your shed project requires one.
ADU Rules: Can You Build a Granny Flat in Your Backyard?
Accessory dwelling units are legal in more places than ever, but the rules on size, parking, and permits vary dramatically between cities.
Do I Need a Permit for a Shed? Size Limits and Rules by City
That prefab shed from the hardware store might need a building permit. The threshold varies by city, and getting it wrong can mean tearing it down.
ADU Laws Coast to Coast: Where You Can Build an Accessory Dwelling Unit in 2026
Accessory dwelling unit law in 2026 is a study in divergence: a handful of West Coast and New England states now guarantee ADUs by right, while most Southern states still leave the decision entirely to local councils. Here is the full map of where you can build, what you can build, and what your city still controls.
Texas ADU Rules by City: Where You Can Build in 2026
Texas has no statewide accessory dwelling unit law. Unlike California, Oregon, or Washington, the Texas Legislature has refused to preempt local zoning on ADUs — meaning the rules in Austin look almost nothing like the rules in Plano, Fort Worth, or Lubbock. This is the city-by-city guide to where Texans can legally build a backyard cottage, garage apartment, or granny flat in 2026.
Washington ADU and DADU Rules by City: HB 1337 and the Two-ADU Rule
Washington passed the most aggressive accessory dwelling unit statute in the United States in 2023. HB 1337 forces every city and county inside an urban growth area to allow two ADUs on every residential lot, caps impact fees, voids most parking mandates near transit, and protects garage conversions from setback enforcement. Here is how the state law works and how Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, and the rest of urban Washington have rewritten their codes to comply.
New Jersey ADU and Affordable Housing Rules by City: The Mount Laurel Legacy in 2026
New Jersey is the only state in the country where a court — not the legislature — created the constitutional duty to build affordable housing. Fifty years after Mount Laurel I, the 2024 Affordable Housing Reform Bill rewrote the framework, but municipalities still control ADUs entirely. Here is how the Mount Laurel doctrine, COAH, and the new court-run round shape what gets built in Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, Princeton, and the rest of the state.
Accessory Structures Rules by City
Detailed guides covering all accessory structures rules for each city.