Junior ADU (JADU) · checked Oct 18, 2026
Junior ADU fees in Salinas: $4,969 for a 500 sq ft JADU
A junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft inside the house pays no impact fees, no school fees and no new utility connection charge under state law. What’s left in Salinas is permit and review work: building permit & plan check $3,865, planning & zoning $1,104.
Salinas’s schedule
What Salinas’s documents say about junior ADUs
- Planning inspection (ADU & JADU) — Per inspection; we show one.
Planning Inspection Fee-per inspection Residential: 1-9 Units, ADU & JADU $ 336.75
We model a junior ADU as a conversion of space inside the home, using the same schedule lines as an ADU. Where the City charges a JADU less, that’s noted above.
Line by line: junior ADU vs new detached ADU at 500 sq ft
Law in force today. The detached column is for comparison only.
| Fee | Junior ADU, 500 sq ft | New detached ADU, 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & zoning | ||
| General Plan / Zoning Maintenance Fee | Est.$598 | Est.$598 |
| Planning: building permit review | $170 | $170 |
| Planning inspection (ADU & JADU) | Est.$337 | Est.$337 |
| Building permit & plan check | ||
| Combination building permit (incl. electrical, mechanical, plumbing) | Est.$2,178 | Est.$2,178 |
| Building plan check | Est.$1,307 | Est.$1,307 |
| Energy plan check | $196 | $196 |
| Technology surcharge (TrakIt) | $184 | $184 |
| Impact fees | ||
| City development and traffic impact fees | $0 | $0 |
| School district fee | ||
| School fee (district; statewide cap shown) | Exempt | Exempt |
| Modeled total | $4,969 | $4,969 |
State law
The rules for a junior ADU
One per single-family lot, inside the house (an attached garage counts), up to 500 sq ft with an efficiency kitchen. No extra parking; owner occupancy only if it shares a bathroom.
Gov. Code §66313(d)
“Junior accessory dwelling unit” means a unit that is no more than 500 square feet of interior livable space in size and contained entirely within a single-family residence.
Gov. Code §66333(a)
Limit the number of junior accessory dwelling units to one per residential lot zoned for single-family residences with a single-family residence built, or proposed to be built, on the lot.
Gov. Code §66333(d)
For purposes of this subdivision, enclosed uses within the residence, such as attached garages, are considered a part of the proposed or existing single-family residence.
Gov. Code §66333(f)
Require the permitted junior accessory dwelling unit to include an efficiency kitchen
Gov. Code §66334(a)
A junior accessory dwelling unit ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 66333 shall not require additional parking as a condition to grant a permit.
Gov. Code §66333(b)
Owner-occupancy shall not be required if the junior accessory dwelling unit has separate sanitation facilities, or if the owner is another governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization.
Quoted from Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13 (Accessory Dwelling Units), incl. §66311.5 (opens in new tab), checked Oct 18, 2026.
FAQ
Questions about junior ADUs in Salinas
How much are junior ADU fees in Salinas?
Our model of Salinas’s official schedules comes to $4,969 for a 500 sq ft junior ADU, compared with $4,969 for a new detached ADU of the same size.
Do junior ADUs pay impact or school fees?
No. State law bars impact fees on a junior ADU of 500 sq ft or less (Gov. Code §66311.5(c)(1)), and school fees apply only when a project adds more than 500 sq ft of assessable space (Ed. Code §17620; Gov. Code §66311.5(c)(3)).
Can I build a junior ADU and an ADU on the same lot?
Yes. On a single-family lot, state law requires cities to approve one ADU and one junior ADU, plus a detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft (Gov. Code §66323(a)).
Do I have to live on the property?
Only if the junior ADU shares a bathroom with the main house. With its own bathroom, no owner-occupancy rule applies (Gov. Code §66333(b)).
Not modeled yet
What these totals leave out
- Monterey One Water’s one-time sewer capacity fee isn’t modeled; the City says to get an estimate from the agency.
- Valuation uses the City’s minimum for Type VB wood-frame homes; another construction type or a higher signed contract changes the permit fees.
- Fire plan check, supplemental reviews and Public Works encroachment permits aren’t included.
More
Keep going
Sources
Official sources
Every figure comes from these documents; each line’s quoted text is on the Salinas page.
- City of SalinasFY 2026/27 City-Wide Schedule of Fees and Service Charges (opens in new tab)
- City of Salinas Community DevelopmentAccessory Dwelling Units (ADU's) (opens in new tab)
- City of SalinasCommunity Development Planning Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025) (opens in new tab)
- California State Allocation Board (Department of General Services, OPSC)State Allocation Board item: 2026 adjustment to the Level I developer fee (meeting of January 28, 2026) (opens in new tab)
- California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13 (Accessory Dwelling Units), incl. §66311.5 (opens in new tab)
- HCD via data.ca.govHousing Element Annual Progress Report (APR) data, Table A2: ADU building permits by year (opens in new tab)