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Building an ADU in Berkeley, CA

Checked against the city's ADU pages on Oct 18, 2026.

Can I build one?
Yes, up to 1,200 sq ft Outside the Hillside Overlay an ADU can be 1,200 sq ft and 25 ft tall, 4 ft from side and rear lines. No parking required.[1]
What will the city charge?
10 fee lines or the city's Permit Fee Estimator. See every fee[2][3]
Who builds here?
9 licensed builders Each lists Berkeley on its own site and holds an active CSLB license. See the list
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Licensed ADU builders in Berkeley

Ranked by a public score anyone can check: license, years licensed, ADU types and cities shown on their own sites, a local office, and published prices. Nobody pays to move up. Quote requests go to our team with the builder you picked. How we rank

What Berkeley allows

  • Detached ADU, max size[1]

    1,200 sq ft; in the Hillside Overlay 850 sq ft (studio or 1-bed) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bed)

  • Attached ADU, max size[1]

    Same as detached: 1,200 sq ft, or 850/1,000 sq ft in the Hillside Overlay

  • Minimum size[1]

    190 sq ft

  • Junior ADU (inside the house)[1]

    Up to 500 sq ft

  • Height[1]

    Detached 25 ft (20 ft in the Hillside Overlay); attached 25 ft (Hillside: 25 ft or the existing building, whichever is lower)

  • Side and rear setbacks[1]

    4 ft side and rear; the ADU may sit in the front setback

  • Lot coverage and floor area[1]

    Up to 800 sq ft of ADU doesn't count toward lot coverage or floor area

  • Units on a single-family lot[1]

    1 conversion ADU + 1 new ADU + 1 JADU

  • Parking[1]

    None for an ADU or JADU; replacement parking is optional

  • Owner must live on site[1]

    No for an ADU; yes for a JADU that shares a bathroom
  • An ADU needs only a building permit. It can't be appealed. Neighbors get a courtesy notice within 10 working days.[3]
  • A deed restriction is recorded before the permit is issued, and every ADU except a JADU needs its own address.[3]
  • On an existing multifamily lot you can add up to 8 new ADUs (no more than the number of existing units) plus interior ADUs up to 25% of the units.[1]
ADU rules in Berkeley drawn on a typical lot Detached ADU, Berkeley rules (outside the Hillside Overlay): up to 1,200 square feet, 4 feet from side and rear lot lines, 25 feet tall. Parking: None required. Rear lot line Street Main house ADU up to 1,200 sq ft 25 ft tall 4 ft 4 ft Parking: none required
Detached ADU, Berkeley rules (outside the Hillside Overlay). Not to scale.

City fees for an ADU in Berkeley

Fee lines for an ADU in Berkeley
Building permit (valuation-based) $150 for the first $3,000 of valuation, plus $2.40 per $100 above that; $62.50 filing fee[2][3] Fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. The city's Permit Fee Estimator works from valuation.
Plan check 65% of the building permit fee[2][4] Pre-approved ADU plans pay half the regular plan check fee.
Surcharges on the building permit fee Access 12%, energy 12%, fire plan check 7%, community planning 6%, green building 6%; technology fee 6.5%[2]
Zoning plan check and neighbor notice $250 + $500[1][2]
Address assignment $250[3]
City impact fees $0[1] Berkeley's Land Use Planning does not charge impact fees on ADUs.
School fees (Berkeley Unified) $5.17 per sq ft, ADUs over 500 sq ft[1][5][6]
Sewer lateral permit (city) $152 per permit + $247 per month of inspection[2]
Water capacity charge (EBMUD) $19,527 per new residential meter 1 inch or smaller[7][8] EBMUD applies it to ADUs only as state law allows. Conversion ADUs and JADUs are exempt. Other single-family ADUs may pay a proportional charge and may share the main meter.
Wastewater capacity charge (EBMUD) $3,768 per new residential meter 1 inch or smaller[9][10] Imposed on ADUs only as state law allows.
School fee rates for districts in Berkeley (1)

Berkeley Unified charges new living space over 500 sq ft, including ADUs.[1][5]

  • Berkeley Unified School District[5][6]Charges new homes and additions of 500 sq ft or more. Res. 26-017 says residential includes ADUs. $5.17/sq ft
Total cost in Berkeley, fees plus building

How the permit works

  1. 1

    Check your lot against the ADU Information Sheet

    It lists size, height and setback limits, and which rules change in the Hillside Overlay.[1]

  2. 2

    Prepare plans or pick a pre-approved design

    The city's ADU Plans Gallery has detached designs from studio to 3 bedrooms. Using one cuts plan check to half the regular fee.[4][2]

  3. 3

    Apply for a building permit

    Apply through Permits Online or book an in-person appointment at the Permit Service Center. Zoning plan check is part of the building permit.[1][3]

  4. 4

    Neighbor notice, deed restriction and address

    The city mails a courtesy notice to neighbors within 10 working days. Record the deed restriction and get a new address before the permit is issued.[3]

  5. 5

    Build and pass inspections

    The new address must be issued before the final inspection.[3]

State deadline: State law gives the city 15 business days to say if your application is complete and 60 days to approve or deny a complete one.[11]

Apply at: Berkeley Permits Online

Preapproved plans

Berkeley's ADU Plans Gallery lists pre-approved detached designs from studio to 3 bedrooms. If you use one, plan check costs half the regular fee.[4][2]

The gallery is an interactive app we could not read, so designers, sizes and prices are not listed here.

Common questions

What are the Berkeley ADU requirements?

Outside the Hillside Overlay an ADU can be 1,200 sq ft and 25 ft tall, 4 ft from side and rear lines, with no parking. You only need a building permit, and it can't be appealed.[1][3]

How big can an ADU be in Berkeley?

1,200 sq ft outside the Hillside Overlay. In the overlay it's 850 sq ft for a studio or 1-bedroom and 1,000 sq ft for 2 or more bedrooms. The minimum is 190 sq ft, and a JADU can be up to 500 sq ft.[1]

How much does an ADU permit cost in Berkeley?

The city publishes no total, but its Permit Fee Estimator works from your valuation. Zoning fees are $250 plus a $500 neighbor notice, and there are no city impact fees. Berkeley Unified charges $5.17 per sq ft over 500 sq ft, and EBMUD water and wastewater charges can apply.[3][1][5][7]

Do I need parking for an ADU in Berkeley?

No. Berkeley requires no parking for an ADU or JADU, and replacing parking you remove is optional.[1]

Does Berkeley have an ADU amnesty program?

Yes. Through Dec 31, 2028, single-family owners can legalize an ADU or JADU built before Jan 1, 2020. Consultations before you apply are free and confidential. The application fee is $590, which covers the filing, application, first inspection and technology fees.[12]

Nearby cities

What we couldn't confirm

  • The city publishes no ADU fee total; we did not run its Permit Fee Estimator.
  • No review timeline is published beyond the 10-working-day neighbor notice.
  • The pre-approved ADU Plans Gallery could not be read, so designers and sizes are missing.
  • EBMUD does not publish the proportional ADU charge in dollars.
  • BMC 23.306 itself was blocked; rules come from the city's ADU Information Sheet (v. 8/20/2026).

Sources

Every fact on this page links to one of these. We read each one on the date shown.

  1. 1. City of Berkeley Standards table, fees $250/$500, no impact fees, parking none, BUSD >500 sq ft Checked Oct 18, 2026
  2. 2. City of Berkeley Valuation-based building fee, surcharges, ADU zoning fees, amnesty fees Checked Oct 18, 2026
  3. 3. City of Berkeley Process steps, $500 notice, $250 address, fee estimator, not appealable Checked Oct 18, 2026
  4. 4. City of Berkeley Gallery link Checked Oct 18, 2026
  5. 5. Berkeley Unified School District Reaffirms $5.17 effective Aug 11, 2024 Checked Oct 18, 2026
  6. 6. Berkeley Unified School District $5.17/sq ft residential >=500 sq ft increase Checked Oct 18, 2026
  7. 7. EBMUD SCC per meter Checked Oct 18, 2026
  8. 8. EBMUD Exempt vs non-exempt ADUs, metering, proportional charges Checked Oct 18, 2026
  9. 9. EBMUD WCC residential <=1" $3,768 Checked Oct 18, 2026
  10. 10. EBMUD WCC applies in Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, Stege SD Checked Oct 18, 2026
  11. 11. California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) All state ADU/JADU rules used in state_baseline.md (sizes, heights, setbacks, parking, owner-occupancy, JADU, Checked Oct 18, 2026
  12. 12. City of Berkeley Re-read of S163 Checked Oct 18, 2026