Accessory Structures in Yorba Linda, CA (2026)
5 verified accessory structures rules for Yorba Linda, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
In the City of Yorba Linda, every residential lot may build at least one 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit with four-foot side and rear setbacks, capped at 16 to 25 feet in height depending on type and transit proximity. Detached ADUs generally max out at 1,000 square feet unless attached and tied to the primary home's size.
Yorba Linda ADU Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsYorba Linda Municipal Code § 18.20.850
A. The following standards and criteria shall apply to all proposed accessory dwelling units. Notwithstanding these requirements, all residential lots shall be permitted to develop at least one 800 square foot attached or detached accessory dwelling unit that maintains side and rear yard setbacks of at least four feet and complies with the following height limits: 1. 16 feet for a detached ADU ...
ADU Impact Fees
In the City of Yorba Linda, an accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet pays no development impact fee at all. A larger ADU pays impact fees only in proportion to its square footage against the primary dwelling, not the full fee a new house would owe.
Yorba Linda ADU Impact Fee Rules
Light RestrictionsYorba Linda Municipal Code § 18.20.890(A)
A. The City shall not impose any impact fee upon the development of an accessory dwelling unit less than 750 square feet. Any impact fees charged for an accessory dwelling unit of 750 square feet or more shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling unit.
ADU Owner Occupancy
In the City of Yorba Linda, whoever owns a property with an accessory dwelling unit must live in either the main house or the ADU as their principal residence, recorded as a covenant that runs with the land. State law suspended that requirement only for ADUs permitted between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2025.
Yorba Linda ADU Owner Occupancy Rule
Some RestrictionsYorba Linda Municipal Code § 18.20.850(H)
H. Owner Occupancy Required. The owner of the property on which the accessory dwelling unit is located shall reside in either of the dwelling units on the property as the principal residence as long as the condition of the accessory dwelling unit remains on the property. This is a perpetual requirement that runs with the land, and a restrictive covenant establishing this requirement shall be re...
ADU Rental Restrictions
In the City of Yorba Linda, an accessory dwelling unit cannot be rented or leased for less than 30 consecutive days, and it can never be sold or owned apart from the primary dwelling. The rule bars ADUs from operating as short-term rentals or as separately titled units.
Yorba Linda ADU Rental Restrictions
Some RestrictionsYorba Linda Municipal Code § 18.20.850(G)
G. Same Ownership Required. Accessory dwelling units shall not be rented or leased for less than 30 consecutive days, and shall not be sold or owned separately from the primary dwelling.
Shed & Carport Rules
In the City of Yorba Linda, small accessory structures like gardening and tool sheds up to eight feet tall and 120 square feet must meet the main house's front-yard setback, a five-foot setback on street-adjacent side or rear yards, and a three-foot interior setback under Municipal Code Section 18.10.120(B); shipping containers are banned outright.
Yorba Linda shed size and setback rules
Some RestrictionsYorba Linda Municipal Code § 18.10.120(B)
Small accessory structures (e.g., gardening and tool sheds) which are single-story and not greater than eight feet in height, or greater than 120 square feet in area, shall maintain required setback for the main building within the front yard area, and shall maintain a minimum five-foot setback on a side or rear yard adjacent to a street, or from a City landscape easement. Within an interior si...
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Yorba Linda city rules.
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