Irvine ADU Regulations

• ✓IrvineReady! portal workflow with prescribed project type
• ✓Hold-harmless affidavit, recorded covenant, school fee and TCA forms bundled
• ✓Pre-Approved ADU Plans Program (AB 1332)
• ✓HOA design review separate from city — confirm with your association

City requires the RADU application package with an ADU Verification Form. Numeric limits live in the zoning code and Development Standards Checklist.

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.

Follow the Planning/Building submittal package requirements.

Mandatory online submittal via the IrvineReady! Online Permit Submittal Portal. Project type "For Permitting—Other".

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.

Fees invoiced after completeness review (~two business days). See the city Fee Schedule page.

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 Irvine ADU page (link in hero) for current eligibility and downloads.

Standard ADUs in Irvine: 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).