Solana Beach pairs the state ADU baseline with a published PADU Processing Guide. The entire city is in the Coastal Zone, so Coastal Commission approval applies before the building permit.
Per the PADU Processing Guide: max 800 sq ft floor area, 16 ft height from grade. Full ADU limits in Ordinance 525.
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.
Off-street parking standards in SBMC Chapter 17.52. Minor exception pathway available for parking design standards.
Email planning@cosb.org with the Residential Development Worksheet. PADU designers email counter@cosb.org for pre-submittal meetings. Coastal Commission approval required.
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.
CalHFA ADU Grant Program info linked. Housing Affordability Tracking Form requested from applicants.
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 Solana Beach ADU page (link in hero) for current eligibility and downloads.
Standard ADUs in Solana 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 Solana 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 Solana Beach planning desk before submitting plans. ADUMetrics does not provide legal advice.