ADUs in Riverside
Backyard homes for Riverside, priced before you sign.
We design, permit and build standard ADU models in the City of Riverside and across the Inland Empire. 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. All four are under the City's 1,200 sq ft limit for a detached ADU. See what's included.
Around Riverside
Buildoly projects in Riverside.
Each pin is a Buildoly project in the Riverside area. See the full map.
Riverside ADU rules in plain English
What you can build in the City of Riverside.
The basics for a single-family lot in the City of Riverside. Every lot is different, so we confirm each of these for your address before we price anything.
How many
Two ADUs and a junior ADU
On a single-family lot: one attached ADU, one detached ADU or movable ADU, and one junior ADU inside the house.
RMC 19.442.030(E)(1)(a)Size
Up to 1,200 sq ft
A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft. An attached ADU is held to half the house's floor area or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less, but can always be at least 850 sq ft with one bedroom or 1,000 sq ft with more.
RMC 19.442.030(D)(1), (D)(2)Height
20 ft for one story
A one-story detached ADU can be 20 ft tall. A two-story detached ADU, or one on the second floor of an existing accessory building, can be 30 ft. In the RC zone it's 20 ft and one story. An attached ADU follows the zone's height limit.
RMC 19.442.030(G)(1)-(4)Setbacks
4 ft for a one-story ADU
A new one-story ADU under 16 ft tall needs 4 ft from the side and rear lot lines. The City's code puts a taller ADU on the zone's side and rear setbacks, and we confirm with the City how it applies that to your plan. Converting an existing structure needs no new setback.
RMC 19.442.030(C)(1)-(3)Parking
None required
The City requires no parking for an ADU or junior ADU. A garage or carport converted to an ADU doesn't have to be replaced.
RMC 19.442.030(H)Owning and renting
Rent for more than 30 days
You don't have to live on the property to have an ADU. Rentals must be for terms longer than 30 days, and an ADU can't be sold apart from the house unless a qualifying nonprofit built both.
RMC 19.442.030(A)(5), (A)(9), (F)(a)Worth knowing in Riverside
The City's code allows a junior ADU only if the owner lives in the house or the junior ADU. State law requires that only when the junior ADU shares a bathroom with the house, so we confirm how the City applies it to your plan.
There's no minimum lot size for an ADU, its floor area doesn't count toward lot coverage, and it doesn't need fire sprinklers unless your house has them.
In November 2025 the City adopted a further ADU change (Ordinance 7743) that takes effect only if Riverside voters approve it. No vote has been held, so the rules above apply.
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: Riverside Municipal Code 19.442.030, as amended by Ordinance No. 7701, in effect March 27, 2025; Ordinance No. 7743 (adopted November 4, 2025, not in effect without voter approval); California Government Code sections 66310 to 66342; SB 1117 and AB 956 (2026). Checked November 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 Riverside 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.
Riverside ADU questions
What Riverside 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.
A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft. An attached ADU is held to half the house's floor area or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less, but the City can't hold it below 850 sq ft with one bedroom or 1,000 sq ft with more. All four of our models are under 1,200 sq ft. We check the exact limit for your lot.
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.
No. The City of Riverside requires no parking for an ADU, a movable ADU or a junior ADU, and a garage or carport converted to an ADU doesn't have to be replaced.
You can rent it out for terms longer than 30 days, and you don't have to live on the property. An ADU can't be sold separately from the main house, unless a qualifying nonprofit or faith-based housing organization built both.
Yes. We build across the Inland Empire, as well as Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Diego. 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 a Riverside ADU.
Pick a model and tell us your address. After the site assessment you get one all-in number, before you sign.