ADU Rules in Glendale (2026): What You Can Build

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a second, self-contained home on the same lot as your house, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. Glendale permits ADUs under California’s state ADU law (Government Code 66310–66342) and its own ordinance, Glendale Municipal Code 30.34.080, which sets the local caps on size, height and design. Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) serving homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County, and the headline fact for Glendale is this: a detached ADU on a single-family lot can be up to 1,000 sq ft, with a second bedroom required over 850 sq ft.

Who we are

Green Design and Build is led by Dekel Sofer. We have completed hundreds of projects and hold a 4.7-star rating across 146 Yelp reviews. We are a full-service residential general contractor and design-build remodeler, not an ADU specialist; ADUs and garage conversions are one part of the kitchens, bathrooms, additions and whole-home renovations we build. This page gives Glendale homeowners the rules straight from the city and state sources; our Glendale general contractor page covers the rest.

ADU rules in Glendale at a glance

Rule	Glendale (GMC 30.34.080)	State floor (Gov. Code 66310–66342)
Detached ADU, max size	1,000 sq ft; 850 sq ft with one bedroom (over 850 sq ft needs a second bedroom)	City may not cap below 850 sq ft (one bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (two or more)
Attached ADU, max size	Same 850 / 1,000 sq ft caps, and no more than 50 percent of the main house’s floor area	The 50 percent rule cannot block an 800 sq ft ADU with 4 ft side and rear setbacks
Junior ADU (JADU)	500 sq ft, entirely inside the single-family house	Same
Height, detached	16 ft; 18 ft within a half mile of public transit, plus 2 ft to match the house’s roof pitch; two stories maximum; no rooftop decks	16 ft; 18 ft near transit or on multistory multifamily lots
Height, attached	25 ft or the zone’s limit, whichever is lower; two stories	Same
Setbacks	4 ft side and rear; none added when converting or rebuilding an existing structure in the same footprint; ADU may not sit between the house and the street	4 ft side and rear; none for conversions
Parking	One space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, unless exempt (within a half mile of transit, historic property, inside an existing structure, permit-parking street, car share within a block, JADU, or built with a new house). No replacement parking when a garage is converted or demolished	Same exemptions; no replacement parking
Owner-occupancy	Not required for an ADU; required by recorded covenant for a JADU	Cities may not impose it on ADUs; JADU owner-occupancy applies when the JADU shares a bathroom with the house
Units on a single-family lot	City code lists one ADU plus one JADU	City must allow one ADU converted from existing space, one JADU and one new detached ADU up to 800 sq ft
Short-term rental	Rentals must be longer than 30 days	Same
Impact fees	Exempt under 750 sq ft (the city’s development impact fee is about $5,000); proportional parks and library fee at 750 sq ft and above	Same
Review timeline	Ministerial; approve or deny within 60 days of a complete application	Same; 15 business days to deem complete
Where to apply	Community Development Department, Permit Services Center, 633 E. Broadway, Room 101, Glendale, CA 91206; GlendalePermits online portal; zoning questions (818) 548-2140 or Zoning@GlendaleCA.gov	—

Size, height and setbacks

Glendale’s size caps sit exactly on the state minimums: 850 sq ft for a one-bedroom ADU, 1,000 sq ft with two bedrooms. An attached ADU must also stay within 50 percent of the main house’s floor area, but state law says no percentage or lot-coverage rule can stop an 800 sq ft ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and Glendale’s code excludes up to 800 sq ft of ADU floor area from its floor area ratio, lot coverage and open space calculations. Our ADU rules calculator shows that state-law floor for any lot.

Height is where the local rules bite: 16 feet for a detached ADU, 18 feet within a half mile of public transit plus 2 feet to match the house’s roof pitch, 25 feet or the zone limit for an attached unit, and never more than two stories. Glendale also applies objective design standards to new-construction ADUs: the roof form must match the house, street-facing walls need two cladding materials with stucco limited to 60 percent, windows must be recessed an inch, and each street-facing facade needs an 18-inch change in plane. Conversions are exempt.

Three local twists matter. In a historic district such as Rossmoyne or Ard Eevin Highlands, or on the Glendale Register, exterior changes for an ADU may not be visible from the street or alter a defining historic feature unless that would make the ADU impossible. Design review and hillside review do not apply to an ADU, because state law makes approval ministerial, but the building code does: a canyon lot in Chevy Chase or Glenoaks Canyon needs a soils report and engineered foundation, and a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone lot needs Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction. And Glendale Water & Power easements cross many rear yards, so the city asks applicants to clear the ADU’s location with GWP before drawing plans.

Garage conversions and JADUs in Glendale

A garage conversion is the most common Glendale ADU and the least restricted. Under the city’s ministerial conversion path, which mirrors Government Code 66323, an ADU inside an existing house or accessory structure skips the design standards, keeps the existing setbacks, and may expand up to 150 sq ft beyond the footprint solely for entry and exit. No replacement parking is required for the spaces you lose, and fire sprinklers follow the main house: if the house did not need them, the ADU does not either. What a conversion does need is a foundation check, because 1920s to 1950s Glendale garages usually sit on thin slabs without footings, plus insulation, egress windows and a sewer connection.

A junior ADU is capped at 500 sq ft inside the walls of the house, needs its own entrance and an efficiency kitchen, and may share a bathroom with the house. Glendale requires a recorded covenant before the permit is issued: the owner lives in the house or the JADU, and the JADU cannot be sold separately. State law as of 2026 drops owner-occupancy when a JADU has its own bathroom, so confirm with the Planning Division how the city applies that. A JADU needs no parking and can be built alongside an ADU.

Pre-approved plans, fees and utilities

Glendale’s Pre-Approved Standard Plans Program currently offers one plan: a one-story, 740 sq ft, one-bedroom, one-bath detached ADU. It still goes through plan check for site, foundation and utilities, but review of the building itself is done. The City of Los Angeles has a far larger catalog, covered on our Los Angeles ADU standard plans page.

Fee categories are building permit and plan check, planning, the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, Glendale Water & Power connection charges and, at 750 sq ft or more, the parks and library impact fee calculated in proportion to the main house. The city gives fee estimates at (818) 548-3200; we do not quote amounts because the schedule changes. School districts may charge fees on ADUs over 500 sq ft, which covers most new-construction units but not a JADU.

Under Government Code 66324, a conversion ADU cannot be required to have a separate GWP connection or pay a connection fee or capacity charge. A new-construction ADU may get a separate meter, and any charge must be proportionate to the unit’s burden. We have GWP confirm service capacity early, because a 100-amp panel on a 1950s house rarely carries a second kitchen, water heater and heat pump; see our electrical page.

The permit process in Glendale, step by step

1. Zoning check. Confirm zone, historic status, fire zone and transit distance with the Planning Division at (818) 548-2140 or Zoning@GlendaleCA.gov, and have GWP confirm easements.
2. Design. Site plan, floor plan, elevations, roof plan, sections and the photo survey Glendale requires, drawn to the city’s objective standards from the first sketch.
3. Engineering and energy. Structural calculations, Title 24 energy compliance, a soils report on sloped lots, and the recorded covenant for a JADU.
4. Submit through the GlendalePermits portal as a single-family building combination permit. The city has 15 business days to deem the application complete, then 60 days to approve or deny it, or state law deems it approved.
5. Plan check corrections from Building, Planning, Fire and GWP, usually one or two rounds.
6. Permit and construction, with inspections from foundation through framing, rough trades, insulation, drywall and final.
7. Certificate of occupancy, issued after final inspection and never before the main house has one.

End to end, a Glendale ADU runs six months to a year. Our ADU service page explains how we manage each stage.

What an ADU costs in Glendale

Our published figures apply in Glendale as they do across Los Angeles County: a garage conversion ADU $100,000 to $200,000; a detached 500 sq ft ADU $180,000 to $260,000; 700 to 800 sq ft $225,000 to $350,000; 1,000 sq ft $300,000 to $450,000 or more. The rule of thumb is $300 to $450 per square foot all-in, and $500 or more per square foot on difficult lots. These are budgeting ranges, not a quote.

Two Glendale-specific drivers push projects toward the top of those ranges: canyon and foothill lots in north Glendale, which add a soils report, engineered footings, retaining walls and drainage, and street-facing new construction, which carries the cost of the city’s design standards. For the full breakdown, including a real project that went from $180,000 to $265,000, read how much it costs to build an ADU on your property.

Frequently asked questions

How big can an ADU be in Glendale?

A detached or attached ADU in Glendale can be up to 1,000 sq ft on a single-family lot, but the city requires a second bedroom in any unit over 850 sq ft, so a one-bedroom unit is capped at 850 sq ft. An attached ADU is also limited to 50 percent of the main house’s floor area. State law guarantees at least an 800 sq ft ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks regardless of Glendale’s lot coverage rules.

How tall can a detached ADU be in Glendale?

A detached ADU in Glendale is limited to 16 feet, or 18 feet if the lot is within a half mile of public transit, with up to 2 additional feet allowed to match the roof pitch of the main house. An attached ADU can reach 25 feet or the zone’s height limit, whichever is lower. No Glendale ADU may exceed two stories, and rooftop decks are not permitted.

Do I need to add parking for an ADU in Glendale?

Glendale’s code asks for one parking space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, but state-law exemptions remove that requirement for most projects: an ADU within a half mile of public transit, inside an existing house or garage, on a historic property, or near a car-share vehicle needs no space. A junior ADU never needs parking. If you convert or demolish a garage to build the ADU, Glendale cannot require you to replace the lost spaces.

Can I convert my garage into an ADU in Glendale?

Yes, a garage conversion ADU is approved ministerially in Glendale as long as it stays within the existing structure, with an allowance to expand up to 150 sq ft for entry and exit. It keeps the garage’s existing setbacks, is exempt from the city’s design standards and parking requirement, and needs fire sprinklers only if the main house has them. Glendale garage conversions typically run $100,000 to $200,000.

Do I have to live on the property to have an ADU in Glendale?

No, Glendale does not require owner-occupancy for an ADU, and state law prohibits cities from imposing one. A junior ADU is different: Glendale requires a recorded covenant that the owner lives in either the main house or the JADU, and state law applies that requirement when the JADU shares a bathroom with the house. Either type of unit may be rented only for terms longer than 30 days.

How long does ADU plan check take in Glendale?

Glendale must decide whether an ADU application is complete within 15 business days and must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days, with no hearing or discretionary review, because state law makes ADU approval ministerial. Applications are filed through the GlendalePermits online portal. Including design, engineering, plan check and construction, a Glendale ADU takes six months to a year from start to finish.

Find out what your Glendale lot allows before you spend on drawings

Tell us the address and whether you are thinking garage conversion, detached unit or JADU, and we will check the zone, transit distance, historic status and GWP easements, then give you a written, itemized estimate that reflects Glendale's actual rules.