ADU Impact Fees: Oxnard vs Ventura
How do adu impact fees rules compare between Oxnard, CA and Ventura, CA?
Oxnard and Ventura have similar restriction levels.
Oxnard, CA
Ventura County
Oxnard cannot impose impact fees on any ADU under 750 square feet — an absolute prohibition under Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(3)(A). ADUs of 750 sf or larger pay impact fees proportional in square footage to the primary dwelling. Building permit fees, plan-check fees, and school facilities fees on ADUs of 500 sf or larger (under Cal. Ed. Code §17620) still apply.
View full Oxnard rules →Ventura, CA
Ventura County
California law prohibits Ventura from charging impact fees on ADUs under 750 square feet (Gov. Code § 66477.5, formerly § 65852.2(f)(3)). ADUs of 750 sq ft or larger may be charged impact fees proportional to the primary dwelling's square footage.
View full Ventura rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Oxnard | Ventura |
|---|---|---|
| Governing Law | Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(3) | - |
| Under 750 sf | No impact fees - absolute waiver | - |
| 750+ sf | Proportional to primary dwelling | - |
| School Fees | Apply to ADUs >=500 sf (Ed. Code §17620) | - |
| Collected By | Oxnard Building Division | - |
| Impact fee exemption | - | ADUs < 750 sq ft pay $0 in impact fees (Gov. Code § 66477.5) |
| ADU ≥ 750 sq ft | - | Fee must be proportional to primary dwelling square footage |
| What counts | - | Development impact, capacity, connection charges; not actual utility connection labor |
| School fees | - | Subject to Ed. Code § 17620 / Gov. Code § 65995 proportional rules |
| Enforcement | - | HCD oversight under Gov. Code § 65852.2(j) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Oxnard FAQ
Will I pay impact fees on a small Oxnard ADU?
No. Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(3)(A) prohibits Oxnard from charging impact, connection, or capacity fees on any ADU under 750 sf. Plan-check and building permit fees based on construction valuation still apply, as do school facilities fees for ADUs at or above 500 sf.
What if my Oxnard ADU is 1,000 sf?
Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(f)(3)(B) caps the impact fee at an amount proportional in square footage to the primary dwelling's impact fee. The City cannot charge a flat ADU fee — it must be size-proportional. School fees still apply at the Level 1 rate under Cal. Ed. Code §17620.
Ventura FAQ
Will I pay impact fees on a 700 sq ft ADU in Ventura?
No. State law (Gov. Code § 66477.5) prohibits any impact fee on ADUs under 750 sq ft. You will still pay standard plan check and building permit fees.
What if my ADU is 900 sq ft?
The city may charge impact fees, but only in proportion to the primary dwelling — calculated as ADU square footage divided by primary square footage.
Does this include school fees and utility connections?
School impact fees are subject to the same proportionality rule. Utility connection fees that reflect actual labor costs are not 'impact fees' and may still be charged.
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