ADU Builder in San Gabriel, CA: City Rules, Fees and Permits

What are the ADU rules in San Gabriel?

San Gabriel's zoning code has a section 153.047 that sets supplemental standards for new ADUs, converted ADUs and junior ADUs, and the city's 2021 draft housing element says those standards were updated in January 2020, when the city deleted its second unit rules and replaced them with an ADU ordinance written to match state law. The same element says the city handles ADUs through a streamlined site plan review that is consistent with state law. The state housing department told the city in October 2021 that the element should say whether ADUs are allowed in every zone where residential use is allowed, including commercial and mixed use zones, and that if it does not, the city should adopt a program to revise its ADU ordinance for compliance with state law. HCD found the adopted 2021 to 2029 element in full compliance in a February 2022 letter. Confirm the current ordinance with the city planning counter before you rely on any handbook.

How many ADU permits does San Gabriel actually issue?

The city's own numbers separate interest from permits. Table B-1 of its draft 2021 housing element lists approved ADU applications of 42 in 2018, 41 in 2019 and 75 in 2020, a total of 158 over those three years and an annual average of 52.67. The state housing department did not accept that count. In its October 2021 review the department wrote that the element was counting 52 ADUs a year for a total of 421, that the city's annual progress reports showed an average of 15 ADUs permitted per year between 2018 and 2020, and that the analysis and trends did not support a three-fold increase. The adopted element, reviewed in February 2022, projects 208 ADUs over the planning period and commits the city to monitor production every two years.

How long does it take to approve an ADU permit in San Gabriel?

State law sets the outer limit. A San Gabriel ADU application must be declared complete or rejected in writing within 15 business days of receipt, and the city must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days or the application is deemed approved (Gov. Code Section 66317). The city's own element gives its working estimates: design review handled by staff runs 30 to 60 days, and residential plan check is listed at 30 days. San Gabriel reviews ADU applications through a site plan review decision by the Community Development Director, with a Design Review Commission hearing if one is needed. Because approval is ministerial, a complete application that sits past 60 days is approved by operation of law, so the schedule that matters to you is the one the city publishes for site plan review.

How much does an ADU permit cost in San Gabriel?

Two state rules cap what the city can charge. State law bars an impact fee on an ADU of 750 square feet of interior livable space or less and on a junior ADU of 500 square feet or less, and any impact fee above 750 square feet has to be charged in proportion to the square footage of the primary dwelling (Gov. Code Section 66311.5). The same section says an ADU is not a new residential use for water and sewer connection fees or capacity charges unless it was built together with a new single family dwelling. The city sets its own site plan review fee by ordinance, so ask the planning counter for the current fee schedule before you put a permit number in a budget.

How much does an ADU cost in San Gabriel?

L Square publishes configured prefab unit prices the same way for every project: $180,000 for Model 600, $240,000 for Models 800A and 800B, $295,000 for Models 1000A and 1000B, and $354,000 for Model 1200. Those are unit prices, not a final project total for a specific house. A San Gabriel quote also carries the site work the lot needs, such as utility connections and trenching, grading on a sloped pad, drainage work and structural engineering. Write those line items into the proposal so you can see what the lot adds to the price.

What should I check on my San Gabriel lot before building an ADU?

Five things decide whether the plan fits. Size: state law caps a separate new build on the lot at 1,200 square feet, bars any local maximum below eight hundred fifty square feet of interior livable space or one thousand square feet for a unit with more than one bedroom, and requires the city to permit a unit with at least 800 square feet and four foot side and rear yard setbacks. Height: a separate unit must be allowed 16 feet, or 18 feet for a lot within one half of one mile walking distance of a major transit stop. Parking: the city may not require more than one space per unit or per bedroom, whichever is less, and no parking standard applies within one half of one mile of a transit stop. Utilities: an ADU is not a new residential use for water and sewer fees unless it was built with a new single family dwelling. Renting: you do not have to live in the unit, but the city can require rentals of 30 days or longer.

Official San Gabriel ADU sources

• San Gabriel's draft 2021 to 2029 housing element lists approved ADU applications of 42 in 2018, 41 in 2019 and 75 in 2020, a total of 158 with an annual average of 52.67, and assumes 52 to 53 approvals a year for 421 ADUs. Zoning Code section 153.047 sets supplemental standards for new, converted and junior ADUs, updated in January 2020 when the city replaced second unit rules with an ADU ordinance. The element estimates 30 to 60 days for design review handled by staff and 30 days for residential plan check. Official source
• In its October 19, 2021 review of San Gabriel's draft housing element, HCD wrote that the element was counting 52 ADUs per year for a total of 421 ADUs, that the city's annual progress reports showed an average of 15 ADUs permitted per year between 2018 and 2020, and that the analysis and trends did not support a three-fold increase. HCD also wrote that the element should clarify whether it allows ADUs in all zones where residential uses, including commercial and mixed use zones, are allowed, and if not should include a program to revise the ADU ordinance in compliance with state law. Official source
• In its February 1, 2022 review of San Gabriel's revised draft housing element, HCD wrote that Program 3 on accessory dwelling units should commit to monitoring ADU production every two years and, if needed, take appropriate actions such as revising assumptions or rezoning every two years throughout the planning period within a specified timeframe of six months. HCD noted the 6th cycle was due October 15, 2021, that the city had not completed the housing element process, and that the city's 5th cycle element no longer satisfied statutory requirements. Official source
• In its February 10, 2022 review of San Gabriel's adopted 2021 to 2029 housing element, HCD found the adopted element in full compliance with state housing element law and wrote that Program 3 on accessory dwelling units commits the city to monitoring ADU production every two years, that the city projects 208 ADUs throughout the planning period, and that the city will offer additional incentives or rezone additional sites if that production rate is not met. Official source
• San Gabriel's adopted 2013 to 2021 housing element defines a senior housing unit as an accessory dwelling unit of 640 square feet or less, attached or detached from the primary residence, where the primary occupant is 62 years of age or older and the unit is approved through a conditional use permit. The element states the normal processing time from submission of a complete application to hearing before the Planning Commission is 90 days. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66317 requires a permitting agency to give written notice of whether an application is complete no later than 15 business days after receiving it, to approve or deny a complete application within 60 days of receiving it, and if it has not acted within 60 days the application is deemed approved. If the applicant requests a delay the 60 day period is tolled for the delay, and approval is ministerial without a hearing. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66314 sets the state floor for city ADU rules: the total floor area for a separate new accessory dwelling unit may not exceed 1,200 square feet, no more than four feet of setback from the side and rear lot lines may be required, parking may not exceed one space per unit or per bedroom, and parking spaces demolished for an ADU need not be replaced. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66321 bars local size rules stricter than the state floor. A city may not set a maximum below eight hundred fifty square feet of interior livable space, or one thousand square feet for a unit that provides more than one bedroom, and it must permit a unit with at least 800 square feet of interior livable space and four foot side and rear yard setbacks. Local standards may not include a minimum lot size requirement, and height must allow at least 16 feet, or 18 feet near a major transit stop. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66311.5 says a local agency, special district or water corporation shall not impose an impact fee on the development of an accessory dwelling unit that has 750 square feet of interior livable space or less, or a junior accessory dwelling unit that has 500 square feet of interior livable space or less, and that an accessory dwelling unit shall not be treated as a new residential use for calculating water and sewer connection fees or capacity charges unless it was built with a new single family dwelling. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66322 says a local agency shall not impose any parking standards for an accessory dwelling unit where the unit is within one half of one mile walking distance of public transit, within an architecturally and historically significant historic district, part of the proposed or existing primary residence or an accessory structure, when on street parking permits are required but not offered to the occupant, or when a car share vehicle is located within one block of the unit. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66315 says no additional standards other than those provided in Section 66314 shall be used or imposed for an accessory dwelling unit, including an owner occupancy requirement, except that a local agency may require that the property may be used for rentals of terms 30 days or longer. Official source
• California Government Code Section 66323 requires a local agency to ministerially approve an application for a building permit to create one accessory dwelling unit and one junior accessory dwelling unit per lot with a proposed or existing single family dwelling, including one separate new construction accessory dwelling unit that does not exceed four foot side and rear yard setbacks. Official source