ADUs in Anaheim
Backyard homes for Anaheim, priced before you sign.
We design, permit and build standard ADU models across Orange County, Anaheim included. You pick a model, we assess your lot, and you get one all-in price before you sign.
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The models
Four standard homes, each with a price up front.
Starting prices include design, permitting and construction with standard finishes. Site work and utilities generally run $15,000 to $35,000 and are priced after we see your lot, and city permit fees are billed at cost. Model S, Model 1 and Model 2 are all 800 sq ft or less, Anaheim's simpler size tier. See what's included.
Around Orange County
Buildoly projects across Orange County.
Each pin is a Buildoly project in Orange County. See the full map.
Anaheim ADU rules in plain English
What you can build in the City of Anaheim.
The basics for a single-family lot in Anaheim, under the ADU rules the City adopted in 2026. Every lot is different, so we confirm each of these for your address before we price anything.
Size
800 sq ft, or up to 1,200
Anaheim has two tiers. An ADU of 800 sq ft or less isn't held to lot coverage or a set distance from the house. Over 800 sq ft, a detached ADU can reach 1,200 sq ft but counts toward the limit on all accessory buildings on the lot, and an attached one is tied to the size of your house.
AMC 18.38.015, Table 38-A; 18.04.080.020Setbacks
4 ft from the side and rear
A detached ADU also can't sit closer to the street than the front wall of your house, unless it's a garage conversion. Converting a legally permitted structure needs no new setbacks.
AMC 18.38.015, Table 38-A; 18.38.015.140Height
18 ft, plus 2 for a pitched roof
A detached ADU can be 18 ft tall plus 2 ft for a roof pitch, or as tall as your house if that is higher. An attached ADU follows your zone's height limit.
AMC 18.38.015, Table 38-AParking
None for a studio
An ADU with a bedroom needs one space, unless it's within a half-mile walk of a transit stop, within a block of a car-share station, in a historic district, part of the house or an existing accessory building, or built where a garage was torn down or converted. That garage parking doesn't have to be replaced.
AMC 18.42.030.070; 18.38.015.1402Living on site
Not required for an ADU
Anaheim repealed its ADU owner-occupancy rule in 2026. A junior ADU is different: before its permit, the owner records a covenant that keeps it legal only while the owner lives in the house or the junior ADU.
Ord. 6620; AMC 18.38.015.115, .1152Renting and selling
Rent it, don't sell it separately
An ADU can be rented, but generally not as a short-term rental of 30 days or less. In Anaheim it generally can't be sold apart from the main house.
Gov. Code 66323(e); AMC 18.38.015.105, .120Worth knowing in Anaheim
In letters in May and September 2026, the state housing department (HCD) told the City it can't require a road dedication or street improvements because an ADU is proposed. The City disagreed. We ask Public Works early whether your lot will be asked for either.
Fire sprinklers aren't required in an ADU if your house doesn't need them, and adding an ADU doesn't mean adding sprinklers to the house, unless they're needed as another way to meet fire access or water supply requirements.
Changing on January 1, 2027
SB 1117 limits the impact fee on an ADU over 750 sq ft to the area above 750 sq ft, in proportion to the main house, for up to two ADUs on a lot. ADUs of 750 sq ft or less still pay no impact fee.
AB 956 lets you build two new detached ADUs on a single-family lot through the state's approval path. On that path a city can cap each one at 800 sq ft.
Sources: Anaheim Municipal Code 18.38.015 (with Table 38-A) and 18.42.030.070, as amended by Ordinance No. 6620, in effect February 12, 2026; HCD letters to the City of Anaheim of March 24, 2025, May 8, 2026 and September 1, 2026; California Government Code sections 66310 to 66342; SB 1117 and AB 956 (2026). Checked October 2026.
How it works
From your lot to move-in.
Step 1
Pick a model
Choose a model and finishes online, or book a free consultation to talk it through.
Step 2
Site assessment
We visit your lot, check utilities, access and the City's rules, and give you one all-in price before you sign.
Step 3
Design and permits
We finish the plans and run the permit with the City of Anaheim's Planning and Building Department from submittal to approval.
Step 4
Build and move in
We build on site and manage the job through final inspection and your certificate of occupancy.
Typical timeline: 8 to 12 months from start to finish. About 1 month of design, 2 to 4 months of permits and 3 to 5 months of construction. Your lot and the City's review times can move it.
Anaheim ADU questions
What Anaheim homeowners ask us.
Our models start at $165,000 for Model S, $195,000 for Model 1, $270,000 for Model 2, $360,000 for Model 3. Those are all-in starting prices for design, permitting and construction. Site work and utilities generally run $15,000 to $35,000, and we price yours after the site assessment, before you sign. City permit fees are separate: your city sets them and we bill them at cost. You start with $1,000, credited in full to your contract, and many of our clients finance the whole build through our lending partners, subject to credit approval. See what's included in the price.
Anaheim sets two tiers. An ADU of 800 sq ft or less isn't held to lot coverage or a set distance from the house. Over 800 sq ft, a detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft but counts toward the limit on all accessory buildings on the lot, and an attached ADU is tied to the size of your house. We check the exact limit for your lot. Model S, Model 1 and Model 2 are all in the 800 sq ft tier.
Our typical timeline is 8 to 12 months from start to finish: about 1 month of design, 2 to 4 months of permits and 3 to 5 months of construction. Your lot and the City's review times can move it either way, and we give you a schedule for your address after the site assessment.
A studio ADU needs none. An ADU with a bedroom needs one off-street space, unless it is within a half-mile walk of a transit stop, within one block of a car-share station, in a historic district, part of the house or an existing accessory building, or built where a garage or carport was demolished or converted. A junior ADU needs no parking, and garage parking lost to an ADU doesn't have to be replaced.
You can rent it out, but generally not as a short-term rental of 30 days or less. Anaheim generally doesn't allow an ADU to be sold separately from the main house, and never a junior ADU.
Yes. We build across Orange County, as well as Los Angeles County, San Diego and the Inland Empire. Each city has its own ADU rules and plan check, and we confirm them for your address. Enter your address in our quote tool to check that you're in our service area.
Where we build
We also build in these cities.
Each city page covers that city's ADU rules and who issues the permit. All cities.
Los Angeles County
Orange County
San Diego County
Inland Empire
See your price for an Anaheim ADU.
Pick a model and tell us your address. After the site assessment you get one all-in number, before you sign.