ADU Rules in Santa Cruz County, California

We track 1 city in Santa Cruz County. Each city writes its own ADU ordinance on top of California law, so size limits, fees, and design rules differ from one city to the next.

Cities

Max Detached Size

1,200 sq ft

Build Costs From

$195,000

Pre-approved Plans

0 of 1 cities

Santa Cruz County Cities Compared

City	Max detached	Height	Permit fees	Build cost
Santa Cruz	1,200 sq ft	22 ft to the roof peak (detached, with 4 ft side and rear setbacks)	$9,000 – $18,000	$195,000 – $395,000

Santa Cruz ADU rules

Santa Cruz has run an ADU program since 2003, and current rules are in Part 2 of Chapter 24.16 of the municipal code. ADUs are allowed on any residential or mixed-use lot, the city's ADU page links to pre-approved plans, and UC Santa Cruz keeps rental demand high. Coastal Zone lots may need Coastal Act review.

Rules that apply in every California city are summarized in our California ADU law guide. See all California cities or compare every city side by side.