Glendale ADU rules and requirements

Yes, you can build an ADU on any residential lot in Glendale. A new backyard unit can be 850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft if it has two or more bedrooms. No parking is needed within a half-mile walk of a bus stop. City permit fees are set by construction value and run roughly $5,500 to $7,000 for an 800 sq ft unit, and the city has 60 days to decide once your application is complete.

Backyard unit: Up to 850 sq ft, or 1,000 with two bedrooms²¹
Parking: None within a half-mile of transit²
City permit fees: Roughly $5,500 to $7,000, set by construction value³
Decision: Within 60 days⁹

Figures read from the city's own documents, last checked 20 September 2026. Each number links to its source.

Who to call: Glendale Community Development Department, Planning Division, 818-548-2140. Permit Services Center, Municipal Services Building, 633 E. Broadway, Room 101, Glendale, CA 91206. Zoning@GlendaleCA.gov.¹⁴

Under state review. Glendale has its own ADU ordinance, but the state housing department found parts of it unlawful and the city agreed in October 2025 to change them. Until the change is adopted, the city has promised not to enforce the disputed rules, so you can build above a detached garage or add a detached unit even if you already have a pool house or guest room.⁶⁷⁸²

The rules at a glance

"City rule" means Glendale set the figure. "State rule" means the city applies the state minimum, which no city can go below.

ADU rules in Glendale
Backyard unit, max size City rule	850 sq ft for a new detached unit with one bedroom, or 1,000 sq ft if it has two or more bedrooms. That is more than the 800 sq ft the state guarantees, but anything over 800 sq ft has to fit the lot's normal floor-area, coverage and landscaping limits and the city's design rules. Converting a garage or guest house has no size cap beyond its existing footprint plus 150 sq ft. The city's code does not allow a new unit above a detached garage, but under its 2025 agreement with the state it is not enforcing that rule.²¹⁷
Attached unit, max size City rule	Half the floor area of the house, and never more than 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with two or more bedrooms). The half-the-house rule cannot be used to block an 800 sq ft unit.²¹
Junior unit, max size State rule	500 sq ft, built inside the existing house. It needs an efficiency kitchen and its own entrance, and can share a bathroom with the house. Not allowed on lots with more than one home.¹²¹⁰
Height State rule	16 ft for a detached unit, or 18 ft if the lot is within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or a frequent bus corridor (the city links a map), plus 2 ft to match the roof pitch of the house. An attached unit can go to 25 ft or the zone's limit, whichever is lower. Never more than two stories, no rooftop decks, and parapets count toward the height.²¹
Setbacks State rule	Four feet from the side and rear property lines for anything new. A garage or other building you convert, or rebuild in the same spot and size, keeps its current setback. A new unit cannot sit between the house and the street, and you cannot add a second driveway unless the lot backs onto an alley.²
Parking City rule	One space at most, and none at all if the lot is within a half-mile walk of a public transit stop, is a historic property, is a junior unit, is converted from existing space, or is a standard 800 sq ft unit built under the state's guaranteed rules. The space can be tandem or on the driveway. If you convert or demolish your garage for the unit, you do not have to replace its parking.²¹
Lot coverage and open space City rule	The first 800 sq ft of an ADU does not count toward the lot's floor-area, coverage, open-space or landscaping limits. A unit bigger than 800 sq ft has to fit inside those limits.²¹
Do you have to live there City rule	No, not for an ADU. For a junior unit the city's code requires the owner to live in the house or the junior unit and to record a covenant saying so before the permit is finalled. State law since January 2026 drops the owner-occupancy requirement when the junior unit has its own bathroom, so ask the planner which rule they are applying.²¹⁰
Renting it out State rule	Tenants must stay longer than 30 days. Nightly and weekly rentals of the unit are not allowed, and the unit cannot be sold separately from the house.²

Glendale ADU permit fees

City permit fees
Building permit, new single-family-lot ADU	Set by construction value. For a unit valued between $100,001 and $500,000: $1,756 plus $4.55 for each $1,000 above $100,000. At a $200,000 valuation that is $2,211. The city decides the valuation, so ask the Permit Services Center for yours. FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Building and Safety fees 232 and 235, effective 22 August 2026³
Plan review (building, planning, public works, water and power, fire)	Building plan review is 115% of the building permit fee; planning, public works, GWP and fire reviews add 5%, 15%, 5% and 15%. On a $2,211 permit that is about $3,400, for roughly $5,600 in permit and review fees before surcharges. FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Building and Safety fees 187 to 195, effective 1 July 2026³
Planning ADU review	$475 per review FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Planning fee 1, effective 22 August 2026³
Development impact fee (parks and library)	Nothing if the unit is under 750 sq ft. At 750 sq ft or more the city charges a fee scaled to the unit's size, capped at the schedule rate of $4,700 per ADU (the city's ADU page says roughly $5,000). GMC 30.34.080(D)(16); FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Development Impact Fees row 3, effective 1 July 2026²³¹
Covenant and agreement recording (junior units)	$530 at Building and Safety, plus $713 if Planning prepares it FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Building and Safety fee 169 and Planning fee 18, effective 22 August 2026³
Express plan check	150% of the regular plan check fee, on top of it FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Building and Safety fee 166³

How long it takes

Plan on the full 60 days plus a round of corrections, and clear the unit's location with Glendale Water and Power before you submit, because an easement conflict sends you back to the drawing board.⁹¹⁵

Completeness check: 15 business days for the city to tell you whether your application is complete
Decision: 60 days after that to approve or deny, or the unit is approved by default
Pre-approved plans: Faster review with a listed standard plan; no published target

Does an ADU fit your lot in Glendale?

The rules above are the city's. Whether they work on your lot depends on the lot. Type your address and we tell you yes, no, or yes with conditions, then connect you with one licensed builder who works in Glendale. Free, and nobody calls unless you ask.

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Things to know before you build in Glendale

Size drives the rules. An 800 sq ft unit with 4 ft setbacks and a 16 ft roof is guaranteed and skips the design standards; going to 850 or 1,000 sq ft means the unit must fit your lot's coverage and floor-area limits and match the house's roof form and cladding.
Stay under 750 sq ft and the city charges no impact fee. At 750 sq ft and over the parks and library fee applies, scaled to size, up to $4,700.
Before you draw anything, get clearance from Glendale Water and Power (electric 818-548-3921, water 818-548-2062). Easements and power-line clearances have stopped projects, including garage conversions.
Glendale's code still says no ADU above a detached garage and no detached ADU if you have a pool house or guest quarters. The city agreed with the state in October 2025 not to enforce those rules, so if a planner cites them, point to the city's own statement on the agreement.

Overlays that change the answer

Historic properties and historic district overlay zones. Exterior changes for the unit must not be visible from the street or sidewalk and must not remove a defining historic feature. Historic properties are also exempt from the parking requirement. Talk to historic preservation staff first.²¹
High Quality Transit Area. Within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or frequent bus corridor the height limit rises from 16 ft to 18 ft (plus 2 ft for roof pitch) and no parking space is required. The city links a map; you are responsible for checking it.¹²

Pre-approved ADU plans in Glendale

Available One plan so far: a one-story, 740 sq ft, one-bedroom, one-bath design by YD Group, which you buy from the firm. Two more slots on the city's list say 'coming soon'. The city says a permit application using a listed plan gets a faster review but publishes no target time. The program contact is Lea Issagholian, 818-937-8139.¹

Questions people ask

How big can an ADU be in Glendale?

A new unit can be 850 sq ft with one bedroom or 1,000 sq ft with two or more. A converted garage or guest house can keep its full footprint plus 150 sq ft. A junior unit inside the house can be 500 sq ft.

Do I need parking for an ADU in Glendale?

Not if the lot is within a half-mile walk of a transit stop, is historic, or the unit is a conversion, a junior unit, or a standard 800 sq ft unit. Otherwise one space, which can be tandem or on the driveway.

How much are ADU permit fees in Glendale?

Fees are based on the construction value the city assigns. For an 800 sq ft unit valued at $200,000, the building permit is about $2,200 and plan reviews add about $3,400, plus a $475 planning review. Units under 750 sq ft pay no impact fee.

How long does an ADU permit take in Glendale?

The city has 15 business days to tell you whether your application is complete and 60 days after that to decide, or the unit is approved by default. The city publishes no typical review time.

Does Glendale have pre-approved ADU plans?

Yes, one so far: a 740 sq ft one-bedroom plan by YD Group that you buy from the firm. The city says using it speeds the review but gives no target time.

Can I build an ADU above my garage in Glendale?

The city's code says no, but since October 2025 the city has agreed with the state housing department not to enforce that rule while it rewrites the ordinance. Ask the planner to confirm before you design one.

What changed

1 July 2026 New Citywide Fee Schedule adopted 23 June 2026; building and planning fees changed on 1 July, 23 July and 22 August 2026.
31 March 2026 Deadline under the HCD agreement for the council to vote on an amended ADU ordinance. The published code still shows the December 2024 version; check whether the amendment passed.
1 January 2026 AB 1154 took effect: a junior unit with its own bathroom no longer requires the owner to live on the property under state law.
1 January 2026 SB 543 took effect: a 15-business-day completeness check and 60-day deemed approval under Gov. Code 66317.
7 November 2025 The city updated its ADU page, including the 850 and 1,000 sq ft caps and the standard plan program.
3 October 2025 The city and HCD signed a memorandum of understanding: the city will stop enforcing three disputed rules and bring an amended ordinance to council by March 2026.
15 August 2025 HCD sent a follow-up notice of violation saying the ordinance still breaks state law in three ways.
3 December 2024 Ordinance 6034 amended the ADU section of the code in response to HCD's findings.

Sources

Accessory Dwelling Units page, updated 7 November 2025 (rules, standard plan program, contacts), City of Glendale Community Development. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Glendale Municipal Code section 30.34.080, Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units (as amended by Ord. 6034, 3 December 2024), City of Glendale, hosted on ecode360. Accessed 20 September 2026.
FY 2026-27 Citywide Fee Schedule, Fees, Fines, Rates and Charges (adopted 23 June 2026), City of Glendale Finance Department. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Development Services page (Permit Services Center address and hours), City of Glendale Community Development. Accessed 20 September 2026.
GWP approval requirements for ADUs and other projects, Glendale Water and Power. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Follow-up Notice of Violation, City of Glendale ADU ordinance, 15 August 2025, California Department of Housing and Community Development. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Memorandum of Understanding between HCD and the City of Glendale, 3 October 2025, California Department of Housing and Community Development. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Statement on Memorandum of Understanding between HCD and the City of Glendale, City of Glendale. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66317, permit timelines (SB 543), State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66333, junior accessory dwelling units, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.

Nearby

Los Angeles County · Burbank · Pasadena · Los Angeles

Educational guidance drawn from the city's published rules, not a permit determination or a quote. Rules change; the date at the top is when these were last checked. Spotted a wrong figure? Tell us.