ADU fees in Berkeley: $1,062–$6,442 in modeled fees for 1,000 sq ft, plus valuation-based permits
Berkeley charges no planning impact fees on ADUs. The cost is mostly building permit fees, figured from your project's construction valuation: $150 plus $2.40 per $100 over $3,000, with plan check and percentage surcharges on top. Flat items include a $500 neighbor notice and a $250 address assignment.
14 fee lines · 3 official sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 · Sources · Calculator
Totals leave out valuation-based building fees. Enter a construction valuation in the calculator to include them.
Modeled fees by ADU size
Detached ADU, 2,000 sq ft main home (example assumption), law in force today. Bars: solid = fees that apply, hatched = fees that may apply.
Each fee with its official source (numbers link to the source list). Est. = computed by us from the official rate; May apply = high total only; Up to = statewide cap, district may charge less.
Building permit fee ($150 + $2.40 per $100 of value over $3,000)1Based on your project's value of improvements. Enter a valuation in the calculator to compute it.
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Plan check (65% of building permit fee)165% of the building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permit fees. We apply it to the building fee only, because the trade permits are itemized. Pre-approved ADU plans pay 50% of this.
Berkeley's Land Use Planning Division does not charge impact fees. 2
Water & sewer
Sewer lateral and EBMUD water connection charges aren't on the City schedule and aren't modeled. 2
Rules
What you can build in Berkeley
Maximum size
State floor: cities must allow at least 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with 2+ bedrooms); detached ADUs can be capped at 1,200 sq ft. Local rule not captured yet.5
Height
State floor: 16 ft detached (18 ft near transit or on a multifamily lot, +2 ft for roof pitch); 25 ft attached. Local rule not captured yet.5
Setbacks
State limit: no more than 4 ft side and rear. Local rule not captured yet.5
Parking
State limit: at most 1 space per ADU or bedroom, and none within ½ mile of transit and in other cases. Local rule not captured yet.5
Owner occupancy
Not required for an ADU. With a JADU, the owner must live in the main home or the JADU. 3
Pre-approved plans
A gallery of ADU designs pre-approved by the City; plan check for these is 50% of the regular fee. 2
Approval process
Ministerial building permit, no public hearing; approved ADU permits can't be appealed. Neighbors get a courtesy notice. 2
State law
Why a 750 sq ft ADU pays no impact fees
California bars impact fees on ADUs of 750 sq ft or less of interior livable space. Above that, they must be proportional to the main home’s size; we assume 2,000 sq ft unless you enter yours. School fees start at 500 sq ft. From January 1, 2027, SB 1117 limits impact fees to the area over 750 sq ft. How the state rules work →
ADU permits issued
Berkeley issued 117 ADU building permits in 2025
827 from 2018 to 2025, as the jurisdiction reported to the state in its Housing Element Annual Progress Reports (Table A2, ADU rows; may include JADUs). “–” means no ADU rows were reported that year.
Building permit fees depend on your construction valuation (no per-sq-ft valuation published), so modeled totals leave them out; the calculator computes them from a valuation you enter.
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits (itemized).
Size, height and setback limits: see the City's ADU Information Sheet (state limits shown on our state-law page).
The Governor approved SB 1117 (Chapter 809, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. It amends Gov. Code 66311.5: on lots with up to two ADUs, impact fees on an ADU over 750 sq ft must still be proportional to the primary home, and may only be charged on the area over 750 sq ft. Regular 2026 statutes take effect January 1, 2027. Until then, fees on a larger ADU are figured on its full size. Our calculator has a 2027 setting that shows the difference.
Berkeley's fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 lists the ADU neighborhood notice ($500), the ADU zoning plan check ($250), and plan check at 50% of the regular fee for pre-approved ADU plans.
The Department of Housing and Community Development updated its ADU Handbook to reflect the laws that took effect January 1, 2026. Its proportional-fee example: a 1,000 sq ft ADU next to a 2,000 sq ft home pays 50% of the fee a new home would pay. Our models use 2,000 sq ft as the example primary-home size unless you enter your own.
On January 28, 2026 the State Allocation Board raised the statewide maximum Level 1 developer fee for residential construction from $5.17 to $5.38 per sq ft (+4.06%). School districts collect it on ADUs of 500 sq ft or more, at their own adopted rate up to this cap (higher Level 2/3 fees need extra findings). Where we haven't confirmed a district's rate, we use $5.38 as the upper bound.
For a detached ADU with a 2,000 sq ft main home (an example assumption), our model of Berkeley’s official fee schedules comes to $1,062–$5,098 at 750 sq ft and $1,062–$6,442 at 1,000 sq ft. These totals leave out valuation-based building fees. Ranges show fees that may or may not apply to your project.
Does Berkeley charge impact fees on a 750 sq ft ADU?
No. California Government Code section 66311.5 bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft of interior livable space or less (500 sq ft or less for a JADU). Above 750 sq ft, impact fees must be proportional to the size of the main home.
Do school fees apply to an ADU?
Only at 500 sq ft or more. School districts charge their adopted developer fee per sq ft, capped at the State Allocation Board’s Level 1 maximum ($5.38 per sq ft since January 28, 2026) unless they qualify for higher levels.
A local agency, special district, or water corporation shall not impose any impact fee upon the development of an accessory dwelling unit that has 750 square feet of interior livable space or less