Sacramento offers pre-approved plans to help homeowners build ADUS faster and at lower cost

Sacramento, CA (Jan. 20, 2023) - Homeowners looking to add an accessory dwelling unit can now access free, permit-ready plans offered by the City to help get their projects done faster and without the added expense of hiring an architect.

The studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom plans are available on the City’s ADU Resource Center, which contains a wealth of information to guide interested property owners through the ADU process. In addition to the plans, you can use a virtual tool to explore the possible placement of an ADU on your lot.

The plans comply with California’s 2022 building code and are 100 percent electric. Homeowners need only prepare a site plan showing where the unit will be placed on the property.

“Our goal is to provide a product that will make ADU ownership and construction more accessible to all homeowners in Sacramento,” said Garrett Norman, senior planner with the City of Sacramento. “The plans remove the need to hire a design professional or navigate complex building codes and will help streamline building permit approvals. They were designed to be easily constructible for the do-it-yourself homeowner with easy-to-find building materials to further help reduce costs.”

Sacramento has greatly streamlined the production of ADUs in an effort to encourage more affordable housing units of various types. Property owners are allowed to build up to two ADUs as long as their lot size permits, and units under 750 square feet pay no impact fees.

The number of ADUs built in the city jumped 123 percent in 2021— to 170 units from 76 in 2020.

“I’m proud of our city staff for finding innovative ways to encourage more housing production,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “It’s this kind of effort that shows why we were the first in the state to win the state’s designation as a “Pro-Housing” city.”