Accessory Structures in Pacifica, CA (2026)
6 verified accessory structures rules for Pacifica, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Pacifica allows one accessory dwelling unit on any site with a lawful single-family or multi-family home, reviewed ministerially rather than through a discretionary hearing. A detached ADU built from scratch can reach up to 1,200 square feet, with its own fifteen-foot front and four-foot side and rear setbacks, capped at twenty-five feet in height.
Pacifica Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.453(c)
(c)Detached accessory dwelling units from single-family dwelling units. ... (1)Floor area. The minimum and maximum floor area of a detached accessory dwelling unit shall be as follows: ... (ii)Maximum. Total floor area shall not exceed one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet.(2)Setbacks.(i)Front. Minimum front setback shall be fifteen (15′) feet.(ii)Side. Minimum side setback shall be four...
ADU Impact Fees
In the City of Pacifica, water and sewer agencies cannot charge any impact fee on an accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet. Municipal Code § 9-4.455(f) treats a smaller ADU as part of the existing residential use rather than a new connection, so utilities may not bill it as if it were a separate household.
Pacifica ADU Impact Fee Caps
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.455(f)
(f)Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units shall not be considered by a local agency, special district, or water corporation to be a new residential use for purposes of calculating connection fees or capacity charges for utilities, including water and sewer service, unless the accessory dwelling unit was constructed with a new single-family dwelling.(1)A local agency, speci...
ADU Owner Occupancy
A Pacifica property owner who builds a junior accessory dwelling unit must live in the primary single-family home as a primary residence for as long as a tenant occupies the JADU. The rule does not apply if the owner is a government agency, land trust, or housing organization rather than an individual.
Pacifica JADU Owner-Occupancy Requirement
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.454(a)(5)
(5)The site's owner may at any time offer for rent either the single-family dwelling unit or the junior accessory dwelling unit. The site's owner shall be required to reside in the single-family dwelling unit as its primary residence at any time while the junior accessory dwelling unit is occupied by a tenant.(i)A site's owner shall not allow occupancy of a junior accessory dwelling unit by a t...
ADU Rental Restrictions
A junior accessory dwelling unit in Pacifica cannot be rented for less than thirty consecutive days, which bars short-term rentals like Airbnb stays, and it can never be sold or conveyed separately from the main single-family home. Both limits are written directly into the zoning code governing JADUs.
Pacifica JADU 30-Day Rental Minimum
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.454(a)(6)-(7)
(6)A junior accessory dwelling unit may be rented but shall not be used for rentals of terms less than thirty (30) consecutive days.(7)A junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be sold or otherwise conveyed separate from the single-family dwelling unit.
Shed & Carport Rules
Pacifica Municipal Code Section 9-4.2704 sets the standards for detached accessory buildings, such as sheds and garages, in residential districts: at least five feet from the main house, no more than 12 feet tall in the rear setback, and a combined 600-square-foot cap on all detached nondwelling accessory structures placed in that setback.
Pacifica Accessory Building Setback and Size Limits
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.2704
Unless so attached, the following regulations shall apply to accessory buildings in all residential districts:(1)All portions of the accessory building shall be located at least five (5′) feet from any building existing or under construction on the same lot ... (2)No accessory building shall be located within any required front or side setback except as permitted below, nor within five (5′) fee...
Tiny Homes
In the City of Pacifica, tiny houses on permanent foundations are covered by Appendix BB, Tiny Homes, one of six appendices the City adopted along with the rest of the California Residential Code at Municipal Code Section 8-7.5.01. Pacifica has not written its own tiny-home ordinance or added local amendments to Appendix BB; it applies exactly as printed in the 2025 edition of the state code.
Tiny Homes Standards in Pacifica, CA
Light RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 8-7.5.01
Sec. 8-7.5.01. - Adoption of the California Residential Code. For the purpose of regulating the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, equipment, use, height, area, and maintenance of all buildings and structures and grading in the City of Pacifica, Chapters 1 through 10, including, Appendix BF ("Patio Covers") ... Appendix B ... B (...
Looking for San Mateo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pacifica city rules.
Accessory Structures in San Mateo County →