Town of Los Gatos - Santa Clara ADU

Wondering if your community has pre-approved ADU plans? See more details here

Wondering if your community has pre-approved ADU plans? See more details here

A project of the Santa Clara County Planning Collaborative

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Local ADU Rules

Town of Los Gatos

Last Updated September 30, 2025

ADU Contact:

planning@losgatosca.gov

General Information	Details
ADU resources	https://www.losgatosca.gov/2481/Accessory-Dwelling-Unit-Information
Pre-Approved Plans
Planning	https://www.losgatosca.gov/897/Planning
Building	https://www.losgatosca.gov/220/Building
School District	Los Gatos Union School District https://www.lgusd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=222278&type=d&pREC_ID=497973
Utilities	PG&E https://www.pge.com/en_US/small-medium-business/building-and-property/building-and-maintenance/building-and-renovation.page For Water, San Jose Water Company https://www.sjwater.com/ For Sewer, West Valley Sanitation District http://www.westvalleysan.org/ For Trash & Recycling, West Valley Collection & Recycling https://westvalleyrecycles.com/
County Departments	Santa Clara County Office of the Clerk-Recorder https://clerkrecorder.sccgov.org/home
ADU Ordinance	Los Gatos Municipal Code, Division 7 https://library.municode.com/ca/los_gatos/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CO_CH29ZORE_ARTIINGE_DIV7ACDWUN

Standards and Rules	Details
Process Overview	See the ADU Building Permit Application https://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20952/ADUJADU-Application See an overview of the Streamlined ADU Permit Process https://www.losgatosca.gov/2481/Accessory-Dwelling-Unit-Information
Zones allowed	R-1, R-D, R-M, R-1D, RMH, HR, and RC
Minimum ADU Size	150 square feet
Maximum ADU Size	1200 square feet
Number of ADUs/Bedrooms	On Single-Family Properties: A minimum of one ADU and one JADU are permitted per lot, as long as the lot meets size and location requirements On Multi-Family Properties: Two detached ADUs allowed. Can convert up to 25% of non-living space to ADUs
Maximum ADU Height	Detached ADUs: Up to 16 feet tall on any lot, or Up to 18 feet tall, if property is within one-half mile walking distance of a major transit stop or on a high-quality transit corridor, plus two additional feet for a sloped roof. Up to 18 feet tall, if property already has or is proposing multi-family building with multiple stories. Above a garage can be whatever the zoning code allows if the garage complies with setbacks and the main home complies with parking laws Attached ADUs Up to 25 feet tall, or the maximum allowed by your zoning code – whatever is lower
Setbacks	Front and street-side setbacks must comply with zoning regulations for the primary dwelling Side and rear setbacks must be 4 feet Detached ADUs must have a 5 ft separation from any other structure Setback regulations may default to State Law as required
Lot or Location Restrictions	See 29.10.320 (b) of the Los Gatos Municipal Code
Parking Requirements	ADU parking requirements default to State Law Internal ADUs/JADUs do not require new parking Attached and detached ADUs do not require additional parking if they are: Within 1/2-mile walking distance to transit (including a ferry) In an architecturally or historically significant district One block from car-share access Located in an area where on-street parking permits are required but not provided to the occupant Built as a part of new a home
Other Requirements
Owner Occupancy	JADUs: Owner must occupy either the JADU or the primary house
Deed Restrictions	None
Renting Regulations	Generally, ADUs and JADUs cannot be rented for fewer than 30 days at a time
Departments and Agencies Involved in Permitting
Fees for ADUs	See the ADU Building Permit Application: https://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20952/ADUJADU-Application
Sample Fees From Recently Built Projects

Wondering what you can build?

Make sure you check out our Learning the Rules page for more step-by-step details