Accessory Structures in Brentwood, CA (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Brentwood, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Chapter 17.715 lets one ADU and one JADU onto qualifying lots in the RE, R-1-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, COR, CR and PEC zones. Detached ADUs cap at 16 feet high (up to 20 near transit), size runs 850 to 1,000 square feet, and applications are approved ministerially within 60 days with no hearing.
Brentwood Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.715.050(E)(1), (F)(2), (M)(1)
Except as otherwise provided by subsections (E)(2) and (E)(3) below, a detached ADU created on a lot with an existing or proposed single-family or multifamily dwelling unit may not exceed sixteen feet in height. ... For detached or attached ADUs, maximum square footage is eight hundred fifty square feet for a studio/one bedroom unit and one thousand square feet for an ADU with two or more bedro...
ADU Impact Fees
Brentwood charges development impact fees on accessory dwelling units through its adopted development fee program, but waives them for any ADU under 750 square feet and for junior ADUs entirely. Larger ADUs pay fees prorated to the primary dwelling's square footage. The fee excludes water and sewer connection or capacity charges, which are billed separately under the ADU chapter's utility rules.
Brentwood ADU Development Impact Fees
Some RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.715.050(J)
J. Fees. 1. Impact Fees. Development impact fees for an ADU are as outlined in the city's adopted development fee program, as amended from time to time by city council resolution. Impact fees do not include any connection fee or capacity fee charge for water or sewer service. a. Impact fees are not required for an ADU that is less than seven hundred fifty square feet in total area or a JADU. b....
ADU Owner Occupancy
Brentwood requires the property owner to live on-site when a junior accessory dwelling unit is added, occupying either the main house or the JADU itself, but the same chapter imposes no owner-occupancy requirement on standalone ADUs. Government agencies, land trusts and housing organizations are exempt from the JADU rule.
Brentwood JADU Owner Occupancy Rule
Light RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.715.050(L)
L. Owner Occupancy. JADUs are subject to an owner occupancy requirement. The legal owner or owners shall reside in either the remaining portion of the single-family dwelling or the JADU. The owner occupancy restriction shall not be required if the owner is another governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization.
Shed & Carport Rules
Brentwood limits a portable shed in a rear or side yard to 120 square feet of floor area and a height no greater than the adjacent fence, up to 7 feet. Sheds cannot sit in the front yard, must leave a 3-foot gated path to the rear yard, and cannot block windows or exits. Larger accessory buildings top out at 15 feet and one story, and California Building Code permits apply.
Brentwood Portable Shed Size, Height and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.660.006(D), (F), (H), (I)
The maximum height of accessory buildings shall be one story and fifteen feet. ... Within a required rear and side yard a portable shed (as defined in Chapter 17.030) shall be permitted provided its height does not exceed the height of the adjacent fence up to seven feet in height, its floor area does not exceed one hundred twenty square feet, and provided there exists unobstructed access (clea...
Looking for Contra Costa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Brentwood city rules.
Accessory Structures in Contra Costa County →