Accessory Structures in Davis, CA (2026)
5 verified accessory structures rules for Davis, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Davis Municipal Code Section 40.26.450 implements state ADU law (Gov. Code Section 65852.2) with local development standards: detached ADUs generally cap at 850 square feet (1,000 for two or more bedrooms), height at 16 feet, and side/rear setbacks at 4 feet, while an 800-square-foot ADU meeting those limits is deemed to satisfy lot coverage and open space rules.
Davis ADU Size and Height Standards
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 40.26.450(e)(2)(A)-(C)
Size Restrictions. If there is an existing primary dwelling, an Attached ADU shall not exceed fifty percent of the gross floor area for the primary dwelling. A detached ADU shall not exceed eight hundred fifty square feet in gross floor area, or one thousand square feet in gross floor area if the ADU provides more than one bedroom. In no case shall an ADU be less than two hundred twenty square ...
ADU Impact Fees
Davis Municipal Code Section 40.26.450(h)(3) waives impact fees entirely for ADUs under 750 square feet, matching state law, and charges larger ADUs a fee proportional to the ADU's square footage relative to the primary dwelling rather than the flat fee applied to a new house.
Davis ADU Impact Fee Proration
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 40.26.450(h)(3)
The owner of an ADU shall be subject to the payment of all sewer, water and other applicable fees, including impact fees set forth in Government Code Section 66000 et seq., except as follows: (A) ADUs that are less than seven hundred fifty square feet shall not be subject to impact fees. (B) ADUs that are seven hundred fifty square feet or more shall be charged impact fees that are proportional...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Davis requires a recorded covenant before issuing a certificate of occupancy for any ADU or JADU, and Municipal Code Section 40.26.450(g) bars renting either unit for less than thirty consecutive days. The unit also cannot be sold separately from the primary home, and a JADU requires owner-occupancy of the property.
Davis ADU 30-Day Rental Minimum
Significant RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 40.26.450(g)
Covenant required. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the ADU or JADU, the property owner shall record a declaration of restrictions, in a form approved by the city attorney, placing the following restrictions on the property, the property owner, and all successors in interest: (1) The ADU or JADU shall not be sold, transferred, or assigned separately from the primary dwell...
Shed & Carport Rules
Davis caps a freestanding backyard shed at one hundred twenty square feet and eight and a half feet of height under Section 40.26.010(d)(6) of the zoning code, and requires sheds to sit inside the rear or interior side yard setback, behind the front of the house.
Davis Backyard Shed Size and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 40.26.010(d)(6)
(6) Small Storage Sheds. A small storage shed (as defined in Section 40.01.010 of the Davis Municipal Code) shall be no larger than one hundred twenty square feet and may be located within the required rear yard and interior side yard setbacks parallel with or behind the front of the primary structure. Maximum shed height, as measured from grade, shall be eight and one-half feet to the roof pea...
Tiny Homes
Davis has no standalone tiny house ordinance. It instead incorporates Appendix BB of the 2025 California Residential Code and the matching Appendix R of the Plumbing Code by reference into Article 8.01, so a tiny house on a permanent foundation is built, permitted, and inspected under those state appendices rather than a separate city rule.
Davis Tiny House Building Code
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.01.010(a)(2), (a)(6)
The 2025 Edition of the California Residential Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, including Chapter 1, Appendix BF (Patio Covers), Appendix BB (Tiny Houses), Appendix BO (Existing Buildings and Structures) and Appendix CJ (Emergency Housing), with the amendme...
Looking for Yolo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Davis city rules.
Accessory Structures in Yolo County →