Can I Build an ADU on My Ventura Property?

Most single-family properties in Ventura County can have an ADU, and many can also have a Junior ADU. Whether yours can, and at what size, comes down to setbacks, lot coverage, existing structures, where your utilities run, parking, fire requirements and which jurisdiction you are in.

The honest answer is usually maybe

Anyone who tells you yes before looking at the parcel is selling. The state has removed a great many local barriers over the past several years, which is why the answer is usually positive, but the details still decide the size and the shape of what you can build.

What we check

• Lot size and configuration
• Setbacks
• Lot coverage
• Existing structures
• Garage and conversion possibilities
• Sewer and water
• Electrical service
• Fire requirements
• Parking requirements
• Flood and site conditions
• Local zoning
• City or unincorporated county

The constraints that surprise people most

Separation from the main house. The City of Ventura requires a minimum ten-foot separation between a new ADU and the main residence or other structures. On a shallow lot this rules out detached units that would otherwise clear the four-foot side and rear setbacks.

Where the sewer lateral runs. Not a permitting issue, a budget issue, and often the one that decides where the unit goes.

Whether the garage was permitted. An unpermitted structure may need to be legalized, upgraded or removed before it can become anything.

Your size cap may depend on your house. Santa Paula caps an ADU at 50 percent of the existing living area or 1,200 square feet, whichever is smaller.

Conversions clear hurdles new construction cannot

Across most Ventura County jurisdictions, converting a legally established existing structure is generally exempt from the setback standards applied to new construction. On a narrow lot where a new detached building cannot clear four feet on both sides, a garage conversion is frequently the project that is actually possible.

Start with the parcel

Find your jurisdiction: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oak View or unincorporated county.

ADU laws and local requirements can change. Information on this page is general and is not a guarantee that a specific project will be approved. Confirm current requirements for the property and jurisdiction before making project or financial decisions.