ADU fees in Sacramento: $11,208–$16,972 in modeled fees for 1,000 sq ft, before County sewer fees
Sacramento prices an ADU’s building permit from its own valuation table ($170.80 per sq ft of new living space, $101.16 for a garage conversion), so City permit, review and planning fees come to roughly $4,000–$5,000 for a typical ADU. Above 750 sq ft, park, flood-control and transportation impact fees add several thousand dollars. County sewer fees aren’t modeled.
19 fee lines · 3 official sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 · Sources · Calculator
Totals leave out County sewer fees and sacramento transportation authority mitigation fee.
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 Fee1$2.60 per $1,000 of valuation; the City’s ADU estimate counts each started $1,000.
Building permit fee (valuation table)1From the City’s residential fee schedule, using its valuation table: $170.80 per sq ft of new living area, or $101.16 per sq ft for a garage conversion. Over $100,000 of valuation: $1,078 plus $0.006787 per dollar.
$973
$1,269
$1,559
$1,790
Building plan review fee1From the same table; over $100,085 of valuation it is 42% of the building permit fee.
$409
$533
$655
$752
Technology surcharge110% of the building permit and plan review fees.
Fire Department inspection2$0.11 per sq ft, minimum $294.
$294
$294
$294
$294
Fire Department plan review2$260 per hour of review; the City’s ADU estimate shows one hour.
$260
$260
$260
$260
Public works & encroachment
Public Works review (deposit)2$205 deposit, then hourly.
$205
$205
$205
$205
Utilities review (deposit)2$205 deposit, then $205 per hour.
$205
$205
$205
$205
Construction taxes
City Business Operations Tax (contractor-pulled permits)1Valuation × 0.0004, charged only when a contractor applies for the permit; not charged to owner-builders.
May apply$34
May apply$51
May apply$68
May apply$82
Construction Excise Tax20.008 × valuation of new square footage, using the City’s older ICBO value table. The City’s ADU estimate shows $591.00 at 750 sq ft and $945.60 at 1,200 sq ft ($0.788 per sq ft); our per-sq-ft rate comes from those figures.
Est.$393
Est.$591
Est.$788
Est.$946
Residential Construction Tax (3+ bedrooms)2Applies to units with three or more bedrooms.
May apply$315
May apply$315
May apply$315
May apply$315
Impact fees
Park Development Impact Fee2The City’s ADU estimate shows $2,617.50 at 750 sq ft and $4,188.00 at 1,200 sq ft ($3.49 per sq ft). State law bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft or less, so we show $0 there.
Exempt
Exempt
Est.$3,490
Est.$4,188
SAFCA flood control Development Impact Fee2The City’s ADU estimate shows $1,575.00 at 750 sq ft and $2,520.00 at 1,200 sq ft ($2.10 per sq ft); $0 at 750 sq ft or less under state law.
Exempt
Exempt
Est.$2,100
Est.$2,520
Sacramento Transportation Authority mitigation fee2The City’s ADU estimate shows $1,154.64 at 750 sq ft and $1,415.76 at 1,200 sq ft (including a 2% admin fee) without a per-sq-ft rule we can apply to other sizes; $0 at 750 sq ft or less under state law.
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
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.5
Pre-approved plans
State law: every city must run a program to pre-approve ADU plans (Gov. Code 65852.27). Local rule not captured yet.5
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 apply only above 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
Sacramento issued 378 ADU building permits in 2025
1,894 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.
Regional San and County sewer development fees (‘check with County’) and water development or meter fees aren’t modeled.
The City’s ADU estimate shows park, flood-control and transportation impact fees at exactly 750 sq ft. State law (Gov. Code §66324(c)(1)) bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 sq ft or less, so we show $0 at that size.
The STA transportation fee is quoted only at 750 and 1,200 sq ft, so other sizes over 750 sq ft show it as not modeled.
Green Building fee ($1 per $25,000 of valuation), C&D recycling processing fee, hourly re-reviews and special district fees aren’t included.
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 Sacramento’s official fee schedules comes to $4,854–$9,255 at 750 sq ft and $11,208–$16,972 at 1,000 sq ft. These totals leave out County sewer fees and sacramento transportation authority mitigation fee. Ranges show fees that may or may not apply to your project.
Does Sacramento 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. At 1,000 sq ft, the impact fees we model for Sacramento come to at most $5,590.
Do school fees apply to an ADU?
Only above 500 sq ft. 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.
City Council adopted Resolution 2026-0121 on May 12, 2026, approving the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Citywide Fee and Charge Adjustments. Most fee changes take effect on July 1, 2026, with Building and Planning fee adjustments effective on July 12, 2026.
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