ADU fees in Capitola: $545–$6,328 in modeled fees for 1,000 sq ft, plus valuation-based permits
Capitola's ADU costs are mostly building fees figured from construction valuation: a combination permit at 1.5 times Table 1-A, with plan check, technology and green building charges on top. The City gives away pre-approved ADU plans at no cost. Its FY 2026-27 schedule lists no ADU-specific impact fee.
8 fee lines · 2 official sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 · Sources · Calculator
Totals leave out valuation-based building fees and general plan maintenance fee. 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.
Fee
499 sq ft
750 sq ft
1,000 sq ft
1,200 sq ft
Planning & zoning
General Plan maintenance fee (0.75%)1Listed as 0.75%, but the schedule doesn't say of what (permit fee or valuation), so we leave it out of the total.
Combination building permit (1.5 × Table 1-A on valuation)1An ADU's work spans building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes, so we assume the combination permit (1.5 × Table 1-A). Based on construction valuation, which the City doesn't publish per sq ft; enter yours in the calculator.
Green Building Educational Resource Fund (0.25% of valuation)1
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Needs valuation
Public Works improvement plan review (residential single family)1Listed for single-family building permits; whether an ADU pays it isn't stated. High total only.
May apply$403
May apply$403
May apply$403
May apply$403
School district fee
School fees (Soquel Union Elementary / Santa Cruz City High School districts)3
Exempt
Up to$4,035
Up to$5,380
Up to$6,456
Modeled total
$545–$948
$545–$4,983
$545–$6,328
$545–$7,404
Rules
What you can build in Capitola
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.4
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.4
Setbacks
State limit: no more than 4 ft side and rear. Local rule not captured yet.4
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.4
Owner occupancy
State law: cities can't require the owner to live on site for an ADU (JADUs: owner on site if sanitation is shared). Local rule not captured yet.4
Pre-approved plans
Free pre-approved ADU plans: five floor plans and three exterior styles, building-code approved by the City's Building Official. 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
Capitola issued 18 ADU building permits in 2025
96 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 fees depend on construction valuation (not published per sq ft), so modeled totals leave them out; the calculator computes them from a valuation you enter.
General Plan maintenance fee (0.75%): basis not stated.
Whether the affordable housing impact fee ($25 per sq ft for small for-sale developments) can apply to an ADU. We assume not, since state law exempts ADUs of 750 sq ft or less from impact fees and an ADU isn't a for-sale development.
Sewer (Santa Cruz County Sanitation District) and Soquel Creek Water District connection charges.
Size, height and setback limits: Capitola Municipal Code chapter 17.74 (state limits 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.
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.
SB 543 (Chapter 520, Statutes of 2025) took effect January 1, 2026. It restates the impact-fee rule in Gov. Code 66311.5: no impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft of interior livable space or less, or a JADU of 500 sq ft or less; above that, fees must be proportional to the primary home. It also caps JADUs at 500 sq ft of interior livable space. Many city documents still cite the older section numbers (65852.2 or 66324).
For a detached ADU with a 2,000 sq ft main home (an example assumption), our model of Capitola’s official fee schedules comes to $545–$4,983 at 750 sq ft and $545–$6,328 at 1,000 sq ft. These totals leave out valuation-based building fees and general plan maintenance fee. Ranges show fees that may or may not apply to your project.
Does Capitola 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.
the City of Capitola has made available free of charge ADU plans that have been reviewed and are building code approved by Capitola's Building Official.
The program offers five floor plans and three exterior design styles
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