What the city allows, what it charges, and which licensed builders work here. Checked against the city's ADU pages on Oct 18, 2026.
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
Based in Pleasanton, Alameda County
CSLB #1094866 active Class B Licensed 4 years
Based in Campbell, Santa Clara County
CSLB #638333 active Class B Licensed 34 years
Based in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County
CSLB #1126603 active Class B Licensed 2 years
Based in Mill Valley, Marin County
CSLB #1117837 active Class B Licensed 2 years
5 Based in Livermore, Alameda County
CSLB #1081083 active Class B Licensed 5 years
Based in Lafayette, Contra Costa County
CSLB #580756 active Class B Licensed 36 years
Based in Redwood City, San Mateo County
CSLB #1119693 active Class B Licensed 2 years
8 Based in Santa Clara, Santa Clara County
CSLB #1104475 active Class B Licensed 3 years
Based in Beverly Hills, outside the Bay Area; serves Oakland from there
CSLB #1160077 active Class B Licensed under a year
Based in Berkeley, Alameda County
CSLB #1086540 active Class B Licensed 4 years
Based in Colorado, outside the Bay Area; serves Oakland from there
CSLB #1089992 active Class B Licensed 4 years
Detached ADU, max size[1]
Attached ADU, max size[1]
Conversion of existing space (Category 1)[3]
Junior ADU (inside the house)[1][3]
Height[1]
Side and rear setbacks[1]
Floor area and lot coverage[1]
Units on a single-family lot[1][3]
Parking[1]
Owner must live on site[1]
S-9 fire safety zone[1]
| Building plan review and inspection, new construction (R-3) | $10.60 plan review + $8.00 inspection per $1,000 of valuation[2] Add the 12.70% records and technology fee and the 7.20% General Plan surcharge. FY 2026-27 schedule, effective July 1, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Zoning review (Report Fee for ADU, Category I, II or III) | $878.58 per application[2] |
| City impact fees | $0[5] ADUs are exempt from Oakland's affordable housing, transportation and capital improvements impact fees. |
| School fees (Oakland Unified) | $5.17 per sq ft[6][7] Collected by the city for OUSD. The city page does not say how ADUs are charged. State law lets districts charge only ADUs over 500 sq ft. |
| New sewer lateral connection (city) | $1,798.93, up to 3 inspections[2][3] Detached ADUs need a sewer lateral permit. If your valuation is over $100,000 you also need an EBMUD Private Sewer Lateral certificate. |
| Water capacity charge (EBMUD) | $19,527 per new residential meter 1 inch or smaller[8][9] 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[10][11] Imposed on ADUs only as state law allows. |
| ADU amnesty application | $1,461.53[2] |
Submit a Zoning Worksheet in the Online Permit Center and wait for written Planning approval.[3]
Submit a Building Worksheet, pay the application fee, and file a recycling plan in Green Halo.[3]
Detached ADUs need a sewer lateral permit. Over $100,000 in valuation you need an EBMUD sewer lateral certificate. You may need a separate gas meter.[3]
Review time: With a city pre-approved plan, the building permit is issued within 10 business days once fees are paid and plan issues are fixed. Other projects vary; the city posts average turnaround times.[12][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.[7]
Apply at: Oakland Online Permit Center
Oakland has its own studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom detached ADU plan sets. With one, the building permit is issued within 10 business days once fees are paid and issues are resolved.[12][3]
Who qualifies: Your lot must be able to fit the ADU. You can use the plans as-is or customize them.
These are city plan sets, not vendor plans. The page gives no unit sizes or fee savings in dollars.
A new detached ADU can be 850 sq ft (studio or 1-bed) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bed), 20 ft tall, 4 ft from side and rear lines and 6 ft from other homes. You can have up to 3 ADUs on a single-family lot if one is a JADU.[1]
850 sq ft for a studio or 1-bedroom and 1,000 sq ft for 2 or more bedrooms. An attached ADU can instead be 50% of the main home, up to 1,200 sq ft. A JADU is up to 500 sq ft.[1]
The city publishes no total. Building fees are $10.60 plan review plus $8.00 inspection per $1,000 of valuation, plus surcharges, and zoning review is $878.58. ADUs pay no city impact fees, but EBMUD water and wastewater charges and OUSD's $5.17 per sq ft can apply.[2][5][8][6]
Not if your lot is inside the city's mapped no-parking area, which covers lots within 1/2 mile of transit and some other cases. Outside it, you need 1 space, and tandem parking is allowed.[1]
Yes. Oakland offers amnesty from Planning Code violations for ADUs built before Jan 1, 2021, an enforcement delay for units built before Jan 1, 2020, and the state AB 2533 legalization path for pre-2020 units. The amnesty application fee is $1,461.53.[13][2]
Every fact on this page links to one of these. We read each one on the date shown.