Accessory Structures in San Clemente, CA (2026)
6 verified accessory structures rules for San Clemente, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
San Clemente reviews ADU applications ministerially within 60 days, no hearing required, under Section 17.28.270. Detached ADUs are capped at 16 feet in height, rising to 18 or 20 feet near a major transit stop, while an attached ADU can reach 25 feet but never more than two stories.
San Clemente Accessory Dwelling Unit Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.28.270(D)(3)(a), (E)(1)-(2)
An ADU permit application is considered ministerially, without any discretionary review or a hearing. ... 1.Zoning.a.An ADU or JADU subject only to a building permit under Subsection D.1 above may be created on a lot in a residential or mixed-use zone.b.An ADU subject to an ADU permit under Subsection D.2 above may be created on a lot that is zoned to allow single-family dwelling residential us...
ADU Impact Fees
San Clemente charges no impact fee at all on an ADU under 750 square feet. Larger ADUs pay an impact fee, but only proportional to the ADU's floor area versus the primary home's, under Section 17.28.270(D)(4).
San Clemente ADU Impact Fee Exemption
Light RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.28.270(D)(4)(a)
4.Impact and Utility Fees. The following requirements apply to all ADUs and JADUs that are approved under Subsection D.1 or D.2 above.a.Impact Fees.i.No impact fee is required for an ADU that is less than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet in size. For purposes of this Subsection D.4.a, "impact fee" means a "fee" under the Mitigation Fee Act (Government Code Section 66000(b)) and a fee under...
ADU Owner Occupancy
ADUs permitted before January 1, 2025 in San Clemente carry no owner-occupancy requirement, but any ADU permitted on or after that date, and every junior ADU regardless of date, requires the title holder to live on the property as their legal domicile under Section 17.28.270(E)(7).
San Clemente ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.28.270(E)(7)
7.Owner Occupancy.a.An ADU that is permitted after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2025, is not subject to any owner-occupancy requirement.b.Unless applicable law requires otherwise, all ADUs that are permitted on or after January 1, 2025 are subject to an owner-occupancy requirement. A natural person with legal or equitable title to the property must reside on the property as the person...
ADU Rental Restrictions
An ADU or JADU in San Clemente can never be rented for less than 30 days, regardless of when it was built, and it can never be sold or conveyed apart from the main lot and primary home, under Section 17.28.270(E)(4)-(5).
San Clemente ADU Rental Term Limits
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.28.270(E)(4)-(5)
4.Rental Term. No ADU or JADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than thirty (30) days. This prohibition applies regardless of when the ADU or JADU was created.5.No Separate Conveyance. An ADU or JADU may be rented, but, except as otherwise provided in Government Code Section 65852.26, no ADU or JADU may be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the lot and the primary dwelling (in th...
Shed & Carport Rules
San Clemente's Municipal Code sets specific setback and height limits for detached sheds and accessory buildings under Section 17.24.040. A shed of 450 square feet or less can sit at the property line in the rear half of a lot, but height tops out at 15 feet unless a Development Permit raises it to the zone limit.
San Clemente Accessory Building Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.24.040
C.Standards for Detached Accessory Buildings and Structures ... in Residential Zones ... 1.Setbacks. ... a detached accessory building/structure shall adhere to the following general setbacks:a.When located wholly in the front one-half of the lot, a detached accessory building/structure shall follow the setbacks for the primary building, as prescribed by the zone.b.Except for through lots as de...
Garage Conversions
Converting an existing garage into an ADU in San Clemente needs only a building permit, no separate ADU permit, if it keeps within the garage's existing footprint plus up to 150 square feet for entry access, has independent exterior access, and meets fire-safe setbacks under Section 17.28.270(D)(1)(a).
San Clemente Garage-to-ADU Conversion Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 17.28.270(D)(1)(a), (D)(3)(d)
a.Converted on Single-family Lot: One (1) ADU as described in this Subsection D.1.a and one (1) JADU on a lot with a proposed or existing single-family dwelling on it, where the ADU or JADU:i.Is either: within the space of a proposed single-family dwelling; within the existing space of an existing single-family dwelling; or (in the case of an ADU only) within the existing space of an accessory ...
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Clemente city rules.
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