ADU fees in Santa Clara: $9,572–$15,446 in modeled fees for 1,000 sq ft, before park and traffic impact fees over 750 sq ft
Santa Clara prices ADU building permits and plan review by square footage rather than valuation. City permit, review and planning fees come to about $4,300 at 499 sq ft and $5,700 at 750 sq ft, plus $747 for wastewater treatment capacity and, from 750 sq ft, sewer conveyance at $1.14 per sq ft. The schedule doesn’t spell out park or traffic impact fees for ADUs.
13 fee lines · 1 official sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 · Sources · Calculator
Totals leave out park and traffic impact fees over 750 sq ft.
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.
General Plan / Advanced Planning surcharge112.39% of the building permit and plan check fees.
$393
$527
$729
$784
Building permit & plan check
Building plan review (scaled by size)1$732 for the first 250 sq ft, then $292.80 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction; from 1,001 sq ft, $2,928 plus $146.40 per 100 sq ft over 1,000. Schedule section for single-family, duplex and additional dwelling units.
$1,610
$2,196
$3,074
$3,221
Building permit (scaled by size)1$812 for the first 250 sq ft, then $249.50 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction; from 1,001 sq ft, $2,684 plus $211.40 per 100 sq ft over 1,000.
Technology fee13.37% of the fees marked as subject to it in the schedule (permit, plan check, trade permits, issuance and the ADU architectural review).
$128
$168
$227
$245
Public works & encroachment
Cost Analysis for Development, minor (Public Works)1Listed for ADUs, single-family homes and up to 4 units; charged when Public Works prepares a development cost analysis.
Sanitary sewer conveyance fee (ADU 750 sq ft and larger)1$1.14 per sq ft for an ADU of 750 sq ft or more; the schedule notes no fee under 750 sq ft. Not charged for conversions of existing space.
n/a
$855
$1,140
$1,368
Wastewater treatment plant capacity fee (per ADU)1$747 per accessory dwelling unit (vs. $1,187 for a primary home). Not charged for conversions of existing space 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.3
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.3
Setbacks
State limit: no more than 4 ft side and rear. Local rule not captured yet.3
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.3
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.3
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.3
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
Santa Clara issued 140 ADU building permits in 2025
495 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.
The schedule doesn’t say whether park in-lieu or traffic impact fees apply to ADUs. State law makes any such fee $0 at 750 sq ft or less and proportional to the main home above.
Building Conformance Fee (valuation × $0.00032), Silicon Valley Power service fees and the sanitary sewer outlet charge per lot aren’t included.
Fees are rounded down to the nearest nickel under the July 7, 2026 amendment (Resolution 26-9584); we use the amounts printed in the schedule.
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 Santa Clara’s official fee schedules comes to $7,290–$11,819 at 750 sq ft and $9,572–$15,446 at 1,000 sq ft. These totals leave out park and traffic impact fees over 750 sq ft. Ranges show fees that may or may not apply to your project.
Does Santa Clara 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 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.
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