California ADU rules · Madera County
Can I Build an ADU in Chowchilla?
Yes — you can build an ADU in Chowchilla. California's statewide ADU law requires every city, including Chowchilla, to approve a qualifying accessory dwelling unit by right, plus a junior ADU (JADU) on a single-family lot. What varies city to city are the local specifics below.
Can you build one?
ADUs allowed
CA state lawYes — by right
ADUs and JADUs are allowed by right in all residential and mixed-use zones; ministerial approval, no hearing.
Units on a single-family lot
Local rule1 attached ADU + 1 detached ADU + 1 JADU (within primary dwelling, max 500 sq ft)
Allows both 1 attached and 1 detached ADU plus 1 JADU on a single-family lot.
Units on a multifamily lot
Local ruleConversions: at least 1, up to 25% of existing units; Detached: up to 8 (not to exceed number of existing units); up to 2 on proposed multifamily lot
Detached ADUs on multifamily lots capped at 8 or number of existing units, whichever is less.
Junior ADU (JADU)
Local ruleAllowed
JADUs allowed only within single-family homes.
Size & height
Max detached ADU size
Local rule1,200 sq ft
Local maximum for detached ADUs is 1,200 sq ft.
Max attached ADU size
Local rule50% of primary dwelling or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less
Attached ADUs capped at 50% of primary or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less.
Guaranteed minimum size
CA state law800 sq ft
An 800 sq ft ADU must be allowed regardless of FAR/lot-coverage caps; a city also cannot cap an attached ADU below 850 sq ft (1,000 for 2+ bedrooms).
Max JADU size
CA state law500 sq ft
Max height
CA state law16 ft
16 ft baseline; cities must allow 18 ft within ½ mi of a major transit stop or where the primary dwelling is two-story, and 20 ft on a lot with a multistory multifamily building.
Setbacks
Side setback
CA state law4 ft
A city cannot require more than 4 ft side or rear setback; conversions of existing structures are exempt.
Rear setback
CA state law4 ft
Front setback
CA state lawNo front setback may block the mandatory 800 sq ft / 16-ft / 4-ft-setback ADU; otherwise per base zone
Separation from main house
Local rule10 ft
General minimum distance between structures is 10 ft unless building code allows less.
Parking
Parking required
CA state lawUp to 1 space
At most 1 space per ADU (or per bedroom, whichever is less) — and waived in the common cases below.
Transit parking exemption
CA state lawYes — no parking required near transit & for conversions
No parking may be required within ½ mi walking distance of transit, in a historic district, for an ADU within an existing structure, within one block of car-share, or in certain permit-parking areas.
Garage-conversion replacement parking
CA state lawNot required
When a garage/carport is demolished or converted to build an ADU, replacement parking cannot be required.
Approval, timeline & cost
Approval path
CA state lawMinisterial (by right)
No public hearing or discretionary design review for a qualifying ADU.
Approval timeline
CA state law60 days
The agency must act within 60 days of a complete application — and the ADU is deemed approved if it does not.
Owner-occupancy
CA state lawOnly for a JADU
No owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs (the prior sunset was removed). A JADU may require owner-occupancy, principally where it shares sanitation with the main house.
Impact-fee waiver
CA state lawWaived under 750 sq ft
An ADU of 750 sq ft or less pays no impact fees (the 750 sq ft threshold itself is exempt under § 66311.5); larger ADUs pay fees proportional to the primary dwelling. JADUs (≤ 500 sq ft) are exempt.
Permits required
CA state lawBuilding permit
Only a ministerial building permit — no conditional use permit or discretionary design review for a qualifying ADU.
Chowchilla allows both an attached and a detached ADU plus a JADU on single-family lots, with a local cap of 1,200 sq ft for both attached and detached ADUs. Detached ADU height and multifamily detached ADU count have specific local rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build an ADU in Chowchilla?
Yes. California's statewide ADU law requires Chowchilla to approve a qualifying accessory dwelling unit ministerial (by right), plus a junior ADU (JADU) on a single-family lot.
How big can an ADU be in Chowchilla?
A detached ADU of at least 1,200 sq ft must be allowed, and an ADU of 800 sq ft can never be zoned out by floor-area or lot-coverage limits. A JADU can be up to 500 sq ft.
What are the setback requirements for an ADU in Chowchilla?
Side and rear setbacks are limited to 4 ft. No front setback may block the mandatory 800 sq ft / 16-ft / 4-ft-setback ADU; otherwise per base zone.
Is parking required for an ADU in Chowchilla?
Up to 1 space. No parking can be required within ½ mile of transit, for conversions, or for units inside the primary home. When a garage is converted, replacement parking is not required.
How long does ADU approval take in Chowchilla?
A complete application must be acted on within 60 days, with ministerial (by right) — no public hearing or discretionary design review for a qualifying ADU.
Do I have to live on the property to build an ADU in Chowchilla?
Owner-occupancy: only for a jadu. ADUs under 750 sq ft are also exempt from impact fees.
Sources
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030 (Ord. No. 529-25, § 1(Exh. A), 6-24-2025)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030(C)(1)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030(C)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030(C)(1)(c)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030(D)(2)(a)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.60.030(D)(1)(a)
- Chowchilla Zoning Code § 18.12.080
- Cal. Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342 (ADU Law)
- HCD 2025 Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66317 (ministerial approval, 60-day deadline)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66321 (size minimums & height)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66333 (junior ADUs)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66323 (by-right ADU/JADU, 800 sq ft, 4-ft setbacks)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66322 (ADU parking; § 66334 covers JADU parking)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66314 (local ordinance standards)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66315 (owner-occupancy)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 66311.5 (impact fees: none for an ADU ≤ 750 sq ft or JADU ≤ 500 sq ft)
Last updated 2026-06-25. This is an AI-assisted summary of Chowchilla's ADU rules, drawn from its published ordinance and California ADU law — general information, not legal advice, and it may be incomplete or out of date. Verify the controlling rule for your specific parcel with Chowchilla Planning before relying on it.
Will an ADU work on your Chowchilla lot?
Ask GoCodebook about your address and get the size, setback, parking and permit rules that actually apply to your parcel — with the exact citation.
Check my parcel free