Accessory Structures in San Antonio, TX (2026)
3 verified accessory structures rules for San Antonio, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
San Antonio caps accessory dwelling units at 800 square feet, or up to 1,600 square feet if that stays under half the primary home's floor area, under UDC Sec. 35-371. Detached units need a permit, a 5-foot rear and side setback, one parking space over 800 square feet, and a maximum height of 25 feet or two stories.
San Antonio ADU Size and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Unified Development Code § 35-371(a)(3), (b)
(3)The accessory dwelling shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet or fifty (50) percent of the gross floor area (excluding covered porches) of the primary structure up to a maximum of sixteen hundred (1,600) square feet, in any single-family residential zoning district other than the "FR" zoning district, or one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet in the "RE" zoning district (excl...
ADU Owner Occupancy
San Antonio requires the property owner to live in either the main house or the accessory dwelling as a permanent residence under UDC Sec. 35-371(a)(1), and bars charging rent on the owner-occupied unit. Owners must sign a notarized affidavit and record a covenant binding future owners to the occupancy condition.
San Antonio ADU Owner-Occupancy Requirement
Significant RestrictionsSan Antonio Unified Development Code § 35-371(a)(1)-(2)
(a)Generally.(1)The property owner, which shall include title holders and contract purchasers, must occupy either the principal unit or the accessory dwelling as their permanent residence, and shall at no time receive rent for the owner-occupied unit. "Owner occupancy" means a property owner, as reflected in title records, makes his or her legal residence at the site, as evidenced by voter regi...
ADU Rental Restrictions
San Antonio bars pure rental income from accessory dwelling units: the property owner must live in either the main house or the ADU as a permanent residence and can never collect rent on the unit they occupy. A notarized affidavit and a covenant recorded with the county lock this rule to the deed, and any ADU rented short-term must separately clear UDC Section 35-374.01.
San Antonio ADU Owner-Occupancy Rental Rule
Significant RestrictionsSan Antonio Unified Development Code § 35-371
The property owner, which shall include title holders and contract purchasers, must occupy either the principal unit or the accessory dwelling as their permanent residence, and shall at no time receive rent for the owner-occupied unit. "Owner occupancy" means a property owner, as reflected in title records, makes his or her legal residence at the site, as evidenced by voter registration, vehicl...
Looking for Bexar County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Antonio city rules.
Accessory Structures in Bexar County →