Accessory Structures in Glendale, CA (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Glendale, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Glendale must approve accessory dwelling units on any lot zoned for single or multi-family housing as a ministerial building permit under Municipal Code § 30.34.080, with no discretionary hearing. New detached units are capped at 850 square feet, or 1,000 square feet with a second bedroom, and interior setbacks shrink to as little as four feet once the standard yard requirements would otherwise block construction.
Glendale ADU and JADU Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsGlendale Municipal Code § 30.34.080(D)(4), (D)(6)
No additional setback shall be required for an existing living area or accessory building or a building constructed in the same location and to the same dimensions as an existing building that is converted to an accessory dwelling unit, and a setback of no more than four feet from an interior lot line shall be required for an accessory dwelling unit that is not converted from an existing buildi...
ADU Impact Fees
Glendale exempts small ADUs from development impact fees entirely and prorates the fee for larger ones. Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(16) waives the parks and libraries fee for any ADU under 750 square feet and scales it by size for units at or above that threshold, overriding Chapter 4.10's standard fee schedule.
Glendale ADU Development Impact Fee Rules
Some RestrictionsGlendale, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(16)
Notwithstanding Chapter 4.10 and any development impact fee resolutions adopted thereunder: a. Any accessory dwelling unit under seven hundred fifty square feet shall be exempt from any development impact fee, including, but not limited to, the parks and libraries development impact fee; and b. Any accessory dwelling unit of seven hundred fifty square feet or greater shall be charged a parks an...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Glendale bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units built under its ADU ordinance: any lease must run longer than thirty days. Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(11) locks ADUs and junior ADUs into long-term housing stock, closing off the vacation-rental route that home-sharing rules already forbid on ADU properties.
Glendale ADU Rental Term Rules
Some RestrictionsGlendale, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(11)
Any rental of an accessory dwelling unit created pursuant to this section shall be for a term longer than thirty days. 12. Except as provided in Government Code Section 66341 or otherwise allowed by state or local law, an accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold separately from the residential dwelling(s). A junior accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold separately from the sale of the single-f...
Shed & Carport Rules
A backyard shed, workshop or other accessory building in Glendale's residential zones is capped at 500 square feet of floor area under Table 30.11-A in § 30.11.020, and at 12 feet of height, or 15 feet with a pitched roof, under Table 30.11-B in § 30.11.030. A separate 15-foot cap applies to non-building accessory structures.
Glendale Accessory Building Size and Height
Some RestrictionsGlendale Municipal Code § 30.11.020, Table 30.11-A; § 30.11.030, Table 30.11-B
Accessory buildings or structures, other than garages or carports, not to exceed 500 sq. ft. of floor area ... No accessory building shall exceed a height of 12 feet, or 15 feet where a minimum roof pitch of 3 feet in 12 feet is provided, pursuant to the definition of height set forth in this title. ... Accessory structures shall not exceed a height of 15 feet pursuant to the definition of heig...
Looking for Los Angeles County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Glendale city rules.
Accessory Structures in Los Angeles County →