Accessory Structures in Salem, OR (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Salem caps an accessory dwelling unit at 900 square feet or 75 percent of the main house's gross floor area, whichever is smaller, and limits detached ADUs to 25 feet in height. Only one ADU is allowed per lot, and it cannot be split off in separate ownership from the main house under SRC 700.007.
Salem Accessory Dwelling Unit Standards
Some RestrictionsSRC § 700.007(a), (b)
(2)Size. Accessory dwelling units shall not exceed 900 square feet, or 75 percent of the main building gross area, whichever is less.(3)Types of structures allowed. Accessory dwelling units shall only be allowed in lawfully-built dwelling units that meet building code requirements.(6)Other uses. Accessory dwelling units shall be prohibited from being used as short-term rentals or accessory shor...
ADU Impact Fees
Salem charges system development charges (SDCs), its impact fees for water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation, and parks capacity, on nearly every new development citywide, but SRC 41.150(a)(9) carves out a blanket exemption for 'any accessory dwelling unit.' A new ADU in Salem therefore owes no SDC at building permit issuance, unlike most other new residential construction, which pays the charge under SRC 41.110.
Salem ADUs Are Exempt From SDC Impact Fees
Few RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 41.110(a), 41.150(a)(9)
Sec. 41.110(a): "System development charges are hereby imposed upon all development within the City and on development outside the City where there is a connection to or use of a City capital improvement for which a methodology has been or is hereinafter adopted, except where development is exempt under the provisions of SRC 41.150." Sec. 41.150(a): "The charge imposed under this chapter shall ...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Salem bars accessory dwelling units from operating as short-term rentals or accessory short-term rentals. The rule sits in the special-use standards at SRC 700.007(a)(6), and applies to every ADU in the city regardless of zone once the unit is designated a special use.
Salem ADUs Cannot Be Short-Term Rentals
Significant RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 700.007(a)(6)
(6)Other uses. Accessory dwelling units shall be prohibited from being used as short-term rentals or accessory short-term rentals.
Shed & Carport Rules
In Salem's RS single-family zone, accessory structures such as sheds are capped at 15 feet in height and a combined 600 to 1,000 square feet depending on the main house's size, and must sit at least 5 feet from an interior side line and further from the street, under SRC 511.010's dimensional tables.
Salem Backyard Shed Size and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 511.010(d)-(f)
(f)Maximum square footage for all accessory structures. In addition to the maximum coverage requirements established in Table 511-4, accessory structures to single family and two family uses shall be limited to the maximum aggregate total square footage set forth in Table 511-5. TABLE 511-5. MAXIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR ALL ACCESSORY STRUCTURES. Main Building Gross Area: 1,200 square feet or less...
Looking for Marion County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.
Accessory Structures in Marion County →