Compact coastal city with most parcels in the Coastal Zone. The city ADU page publishes a clear zoning matrix and a city-prepared pre-approved plan set.
New detached ADU up to 1,200 sq ft. New attached ADU 50% of main residence up to 800 sq ft. Conversions up to 1,200 sq ft. JR ADU conversions up to 500 sq ft.
State guarantee: California requires every city to allow at least an 800 sq ft ADU exempt from local lot coverage, FAR, and front-setback rules.
Height baseline: 16 ft for detached, rising to 18 ft within ½ mile of major transit. Attached ADUs follow the primary home, capped at 25 ft.
Zoning table on the ADU page focuses on how many ADUs each zoning district allows. Confirm off-street parking with Planning, especially for coastal cases.
Coastal Zone projects may need a Coastal Development Permit before the building permit. The city distributes a coastal-specific ADU permit trigger handout.
State backstop: A complete ADU permit must receive a decision in 60 business days. If the city stalls past 30 business days, AB 253 lets you hire a certified private plan checker to force a 10-business-day decision.
Coastal handout covers coastal permit fees and review cadence.
SB 543: No impact fees on ADUs ≤750 sq ft. Above 750 sq ft, fees scale to the ratio of ADU size vs the main home.
Visit the official Imperial Beach ADU page (link in hero) for current eligibility and downloads.
Standard ADUs in Imperial Beach: no owner-occupancy required (made permanent in 2023).
JADUs: limited to 500 sq ft of interior livable space within an existing single-family home. Owner occupancy is required only when sanitation facilities are shared with the main house. JADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals (AB 1154 / SB 543).
Sketch a floorplan, walk through it in 3D, and have our planners review it for size, height, and setback compliance before you submit to Imperial Beach.
Heads up: Local rules change frequently. This page summarizes publicly available state law (California Government Code §§ 66310–66342) and current local guidance for general planning purposes. Always confirm specifics with the Imperial Beach planning desk before submitting plans. ADUMetrics does not provide legal advice.