Side by side · Kentucky
Compare ADU rules across Kentucky
Flexible on where you build? The same backyard cottage can be routine in one city and impossible in the next. This table puts 20 Kentucky cities side by side so you can shortlist the friendly ones before reading a single ordinance, or narrow it to just the cities you are deciding between. Every value is summarized from the city's own code; open a city's page for the full notes, citations, and fine print.
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| City | Detached ADU | Attached / internal | Max size | Owner occupancy | Extra parking | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | Ashland's zoning code allows a second dwelling on a single-family lot in one district only: in R-E Residential Estate, residential accessory uses "may also include secondary dwelling units (guest house, caretaker's quarters)" as a by-right accessory use. Every other district keeps the general rule of one single-family building plus its accessory structures per zoning lot, and the code has no accessory dwelling unit, accessory apartment or garage apartment use. R-E is a large-lot estate district (20,000 sq ft minimum lot, 100 ft width) meant for remote or steep land, so most city lots in R-12, R-6, R-5 and R-4 cannot add a detached unit. Ashland Code of Ordinances § 157.040(A)(9); § 157.006(D); § 157.207 (Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses)Full rules for Ashland Ordinance read October 2026 | The code has no attached or internal ADU use. In R-E the secondary dwelling unit allowance in § 157.040(A)(9) does not say whether the unit must be detached, so a guest or caretaker unit may be possible within or attached to the house there. Elsewhere the only route to a second unit inside a house is converting it to a two-family dwelling (duplex): permitted by right in R-5, R-4 and B-3 (on 2,500, 2,000 and R-4-equivalent lot area per unit), a Board of Zoning Adjustment conditional use in R-6 limited to lots at the fringe abutting incompatible uses, and not allowed in R-12. A duplex is two principal units, not an accessory unit. Ashland Code of Ordinances § 157.040(A)(9); § 157.207 (Dwelling, duplex row); § 157.183(H) (City PDF Article XIII.3.i); § 157.003 (Dwelling, two-family, duplex)Full rules for Ashland Ordinance read October 2026 | No unit size cap; subordinate to the principal dwelling; R-E: 25% lot coverage, 45 ft height | Not required | 1 off-street space per dwelling unit | Permitted use |
| Bowling Green | Allowed | Allowed | 50% of the principal structure's floor area; 2 bedrooms max | Required | 1 additional space | Permitted use |
| Covington | Allowed | Allowed | 1,000 sq ft or 50% of the principal dwelling's total square footage, whichever is less; carriage house footprint also capped at 50% of the principal building's footprint or 1,000 sq ft, and its height must be below the principal structure | Only detached ADUs carry an owner-occupancy rule, and only in some districts: in the RR, SR and mixed-use districts the owner must live in either the principal residence or the ADU. Among the districts that allow Carriage Houses, that covers RR, SR and TUR (a mixed-use district under Sec. 02.04.3), but not SU. Integrated ADUs have no owner-occupancy requirement in any district. The rule is written as a continuing use standard, not a one-time application test. Ordinance read October 2026 | 1 space in RR and SR; none in SU, TUR, CRM and DTC (maximum 1 space per ADU) | Permitted use |
| Elizabethtown | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft or 25% of the principal dwelling's floor area, whichever is greater; zone height limit (35 ft in R-1 to R-4) | Not required | 1 additional off-street space in R-1 to R-6 | Permitted use |
| Erlanger | Erlanger's zoning ordinance lists the accessory dwelling unit as a conditional use in every residential district (R-LLS, R-CVS, R-CPS, R-M, R-MF) and the MHP district, so a detached backyard or over-garage unit needs a conditional use permit from the Erlanger Board of Adjustment; it is a permitted use only in the MU (Mixed Use) district. §4.05.J.2.f allows the unit to be attached or detached, one per single-family or two-family lot, and only on lots of at least 5,000 square feet. A detached unit follows the setbacks for accessory structures and counts toward the cumulative accessory floor area limits (in R-CVS, R-CPS and R-M, 10 percent of the rear yard and never more than the primary structure's floor area). Ordinance read October 2026 | An attached or internal ADU takes the same route as a detached one: a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment in every residential district, by right only in MU. Attached units must keep the primary dwelling's front to a single entrance (a second entrance may go on the side or rear) and must meet the setbacks for primary structures. The 5,000 square foot minimum lot and one-unit-per-lot limit apply. Ordinance read October 2026 | 800 sq ft or 75% of the primary dwelling's living area, whichever is less; no taller than the primary structure; 5,000 sq ft minimum lot | Required | 1 off-street space for the ADU | In every residential district the ADU is a 'C' use, which §4.04.C.2 defines as a conditional use that must be approved by the Board of Adjustment, which may impose additional conditions under KRS 100.237; §13.08 gives the Board that power. Only in the MU (Mixed Use) district is the ADU a permitted use by right. Erlanger's Board of Adjustment holds public hearings on these requests (BOA-24-0008, 412 Hallam Avenue, 2024). PDS of Kenton County then issues zoning and building permits. Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Florence | Florence zones under the Boone County Zoning Regulations, which define an accessory dwelling unit to include one inside a structure accessory to a single-family home. In every ordinary residential district (RS, SR-1, SR-2, SR-3, R-1F, UR-1, UR-2, UR-3) a unit in an accessory structure is a conditional use that needs a permit from the Board of Adjustment after a public hearing, and the lot must be at least 1.5 times the district's minimum lot area. Only the RSE district (and the A-1 and A-2 agricultural districts) list the use as a plain accessory use. The unit is allowed only with a detached single-family home that is not a patio home, one per lot. Boone County Zoning Regulations §3114.A.1-3 and A.6; §505.2 Table 5-3; Art. 40 "Accessory Dwelling Unit"Full rules for Florence Ordinance read October 2026 | Allowed | 35% of the principal structure's floor area; detached units also need a lot at least 1.5 times the district minimum | Not required | 1 additional off-street space | An ADU inside the house is an accessory use approved with a zoning permit from the Planning Commission's Zoning Administrator, decided within seven working days. An ADU in an accessory structure is a conditional use in Florence's ordinary residential districts, so it needs a conditional use permit from the Florence Board of Adjustment after a public hearing under KRS 100.237, followed by a zoning permit. In RSE and the agricultural districts both types are accessory uses. Boone County Zoning Regulations §3114.A.6; §505.2 Table 5-3; §§202, 205, 400, 402Full rules for Florence Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Frankfort | Frankfort allows accessory dwelling units only as a conditional use in the two historic overlay-style districts: the Special Historic (SH) district (§4.403 L) and the Special Capitol (SC) district (Conditional Uses list under §4.412, item L). Ord. 14, 2025 Series (adopted 8-25-2025) added the ADU definition, which covers new stand-alone accessory structures and converted accessory structures, and these two use listings; staff called it a stopgap ahead of the full development code rewrite. The ordinary single-family districts (RE, RA, RB, RC) and every other district in the §4.05 land use table list no ADU use, so a backyard unit there is not allowed. City of Frankfort Zoning Regulations Art. 3 (DWELLING, ACCESSORY), §4.403 L, §4.41 Conditional Uses L (Ord. 14, 2025)Full rules for Frankfort Ordinance read October 2026 | The same definition counts converted portions of an existing home (internal ADUs) and additions (attached ADUs) as accessory dwellings, and they get the same treatment: a conditional use in the SH and SC districts only. Outside those districts the only route to a second unit in a house is a two-family dwelling, which the land use table permits by right in RD, RL, RH, CL, CH and UM, by conditional use in RC, PO and CG, and in RS only with Board of Zoning Adjustments approval (note 4); that is a duplex, not an ADU, and is not available in the RE, RA or RB single-family districts. Zoning Regulations Art. 3 (DWELLING, ACCESSORY); §4.403 L; §4.41 Conditional Uses L; §4.05 Land Use Table (Two-family dwellings) and §4.06 note 4Full rules for Frankfort Ordinance read October 2026 | No numeric cap; ARB sets bulk in SH and SC; 45 ft max height | Not required | None specific to ADUs; SH and SC residential parking may be on-street, at half the usual 2 spaces per unit | Every ADU needs a conditional use permit decided at a public hearing. Article 19 sends conditional uses to the Board of Zoning Adjustments under its general criteria (§19.01), while the SC text says the Architectural Review Board 'may grant conditional use permits' for the listed uses, and in both districts the ARB also reviews construction (a certificate of appropriateness). Ord. 14, 2025 adds no ADU-specific criteria, so the general §19.01 findings apply, followed by a building permit. Zoning Regulations §4.04 E, §4.401, §4.403 L, §4.41 Conditional Uses (ARB may grant) L, §4.418, §19.01Full rules for Frankfort Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Georgetown | Not allowed | There is no attached or internal ADU use either. The only route to a second unit inside or attached to a house is a duplex (defined in §2.1 as 'a structure containing two dwelling units, each of which has direct access to the outside'), which is a permitted use only in R-2 Medium Density Residential (§4.3.5.1.b) and R-3 High Density Residential (§4.3.6.1.a, all residential uses meeting lot dimension standards), subject to the Schedule of Dimension and Area Regulations and the 12 (R-2) or 16 (R-3) units per gross acre density caps. R-1A, R-1B and R-1C permit only single-family dwellings; R-1B and R-1C (and R-2, R-3) do allow renting up to three sleeping rooms as an accessory use, but a sleeping room by definition lacks separate housekeeping and is not a dwelling unit. Ordinance read October 2026 | No ADU size standard (no ADU use in the city ordinance) | Not required | No ADU standard; a second unit falls under the residential table (1.5 spaces for a studio or 1 bedroom, 2.5 for 2 or more bedrooms) | Permitted use |
| Henderson | Not allowed | No district allows an accessory apartment inside a single-family home. The only route to a second unit in a house is a two-family dwelling (duplex), which §4.06 permits by right in R-2, R-3 and R-4, in a PUD and in the Audubon Residential district, subject to the district's two-family minimums: 10,000 sq ft and 75 ft of width in R-2, 9,000 sq ft in R-3 and 8,000 sq ft in R-4. The R-1 and R-5 single-family districts do not allow two-family dwellings, so a lot there would need a rezoning (Planning Commission hearing and City Commission ordinance). Henderson Zoning, Appendix A, §§4.06, 12.02(b), 31.03(1)(b), Art. XXVII Schedule AFull rules for Henderson Ordinance read October 2026 | No ADU size cap (no ADU use); duplex follows district bulk rules (R-2: 10,000 sq ft lot, 40% coverage, 30 ft height); accessory buildings 1 story/14 ft, combined floor area no larger than the house | Not required | 2 spaces per dwelling unit | Permitted use |
| Hopkinsville | Not allowed | There is no ADU use, but a house can lawfully hold a second unit by becoming a two-family dwelling (duplex), which the Schedule of Uses permits by right only in R-3, R-4 and R-5 (and B-1), and by conditional use in B-2, B-3, B-4 and P-1. Duplexes are not allowed at all in the EST-1, R-1 and R-2 single-family districts, which cover most single-family neighborhoods. The duplex route also carries larger lot minimums: 10,000 sq ft and 60 ft width in R-3 (against 7,500 sq ft for a house), 8,000 sq ft in R-4 and 7,000 sq ft in R-5. This is a duplex conversion, not an accessory unit, so it is recorded as conditional under the directory's no-ADU-use convention. Ch. 158, Appendix A, Schedule of Uses (Dwelling, two-family: R in R-3, R-4, R-5, B-1; CU in B-2, B-3, B-4, P-1); §§ 158.058(D), 158.059(D), 158.060(D)Full rules for Hopkinsville Ordinance read October 2026 | None (no ADU use). Duplex route: no per-unit cap; R-3 needs a 10,000 sq ft lot, 50% coverage and 35 ft height. Accessory buildings (which may not be dwellings): 1 story or 14 ft, at most 25% of a non-required yard and no larger than the house's ground floor | Not required | 1.5 off-street spaces per dwelling unit (duplex route), so a second unit adds 1.5 spaces | Permitted use |
| Independence | Section 4.05.J.2.f lets an ADU be attached to or detached from the primary dwelling, one per single-family or two-family lot of at least 5,000 sq ft. Which zones allow it was narrowed by Ordinance 2025-O-16 (second reading November 3, 2025), which revised the zones listing ADUs as permitted or conditional uses; as adopted it reportedly allows ADUs by right only in Residential Rural Estate (R-RE, 1-acre minimum lots), as a conditional use in Residential Large Lot Subdivision (R-LLS), and not at all in R-CVS, R-CPS and R-M. The online code has not absorbed that ordinance and still shows the 2020 table (permitted in R-RE, R-LLS and R-CVS, conditional in R-CPS and R-M), so the exact post-2025 zone split rests on the ordinance title plus contemporaneous reporting; the amended table (Attachment A) was not found posted. Independence Zoning Ordinance §4.05.J.2.c, d and f; Table 4.1 (§4.04) as amended by Ord. 2025-O-16 (passed 11-3-2025)Full rules for Independence Ordinance read October 2026 | Attached ADUs (inside or added onto the house) follow the same zone split as detached ones: after Ordinance 2025-O-16 they are by right only in R-RE and need a Board of Adjustment conditional use permit in R-LLS, and are not allowed in the conventional, compact or mixed subdivision zones where most city lots sit. An attached ADU may have only one entrance on the front of the house (a second entrance goes on the side or rear) and must meet primary-structure setbacks. The zone split is read from the ordinance title and reporting because the amended use table was not found online. Independence Zoning Ordinance §4.05.J.2.f and g; Table 4.1 as amended by Ord. 2025-O-16Full rules for Independence Ordinance read October 2026 | 800 sq ft or 75% of the primary dwelling's living area, whichever is less; no taller than the primary structure | Required | 1 space per ADU | Where Table 4.1 marks the ADU "P" (R-RE after Ordinance 2025-O-16) it is a use by right needing only a zoning permit, subject to the Section 4.05 standards; where it is "C" (R-LLS) it needs a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment after a hearing under KRS 100.237, and the Board may attach conditions. The split between by-right and conditional zones holds under both the codified 2020 table and the 2025 amendment; only which zones fall where changed. Independence Zoning Ordinance §4.04.C (symbols), §13.08; Table 4.1 as amended by Ord. 2025-O-16Full rules for Independence Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Kenton County | Not allowed | No attached or internal ADU use exists. The closest route is a two-family dwelling, a permitted use only in the R-1BB, R-1DD and R-1EE zones (on larger lots than a single-family home: three-quarter acre in R-1BB, 13,500 sq ft in R-1DD, 11,500 sq ft in R-1EE) and in the R-2 and R-3 multi-family zones. Two-family dwellings are not allowed in the A-1, A-2, R-RE, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-1D, R-1E, R-1F or R-1G zones that cover most rural unincorporated land. R-1BB also allows quarters for live-in domestic help inside the house, which is staff housing, not a rentable unit. Official Zoning Ordinance of Unincorporated Kenton County, Sections 10.4A (R-1BB), 10.7 (R-1DD), 10.9 (R-1EE), 10.11 (R-2), 10.12 (R-3), Article VII definition of Dwelling, Two-FamilyFull rules for Kenton County Ordinance read October 2026 | No ADU size cap (no ADU use). Two-family route: no per-unit cap; minimum lot 3/4 acre (R-1BB), 13,500 sq ft (R-1DD), 11,500 sq ft (R-1EE); 35 ft height | Not required | No ADU standard. Two-family route: 4 spaces total (2 per unit), versus 2 for a single-family home | Permitted use |
| Lexington | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft (no cap for a basement conversion within the footprint); detached units also limited to 625 sq ft or 50% of the house, whichever is greater; detached height 20 ft at mid-gable and not above the house | Not required | None | Permitted use |
| Louisville | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft or 30% of the principal structure's gross floor area, whichever is greater; height no taller than the principal structure | Required | No ADU-specific rule; Chapter 9 applies (no minimum in Traditional, Downtown and Urban Center Neighborhood form districts; Suburban form districts list 2 spaces per single-family or duplex unit) | Permitted use |
| Murray | Murray's Zoning Code defines an accessory dwelling unit as an accessory structure (a guest house, pool house, mother-in-law suite or carriage house), so the use is a detached building by definition. In the R-1 and R-2 single-family districts it is a conditional use that needs a Board of Zoning Adjustments conditional use permit; in the Agricultural (AG) district it is permitted by right. No other district lists it. Accessory buildings must sit in the rear yard at least 5 feet from all lot lines. Murray Zoning Code §156.004 ('Dwelling Unit, Accessory'); §156.035(D)(2) and (F)(8); §156.042(B)(5); §156.045 Use Classification Table (August 28, 2026 edition)Full rules for Murray Ordinance read October 2026 | There is no attached or internal ADU use: the accessory dwelling unit is defined as an accessory structure, and accessory structures are by definition detached from the principal building. A second unit inside or attached to a house is therefore a two-unit (multi-family) dwelling, which is permitted by right in R-3, R-4 and R-5 and, per the use table, conditional in R-1 and R-2, although the R-1/R-2 district text itself lists no multi-family conditional use. A conversion must also meet the district's lot size, yard and parking rules for new construction. Murray Zoning Code §156.004 ('Structure, Accessory'; 'Multi-Family Residential'); §156.011(G); §156.035(D) and (E)(1); §156.036(B); §156.045Full rules for Murray Ordinance read October 2026 | 600 sq ft or 25% of the principal structure, whichever is larger | Not required | No ADU-specific rule; 2 spaces per dwelling unit if the ADU is counted as one | In R-1 and R-2, where most single-family homes sit, an ADU requires a conditional use permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustments after a public hearing, with mailed notice to all adjoining owners at least 14 days ahead and a newspaper notice. The Board may approve, modify or deny the request and attach time limits or continuing conditions; the Zoning Official reviews open conditional use permits annually. The fee schedule lists $100 for a conditional use permit plus $5 recording. In the Agricultural district an accessory dwelling is permitted by right with a building permit. Murray Zoning Code §156.035(D)(2); §156.080(E)(6); §156.081; §156.042(B)(5); Appendix C feesFull rules for Murray Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Nicholasville | Not allowed | No zone allows an accessory apartment inside a single-family home. The only route to a second unit in a house is a two-family dwelling (duplex), which is a by-right principal use only in the R-2 Two Family Residential district (8,000 sq ft minimum lot, or two lots of at least 3,429 sq ft split on a common wall). R-2 prohibits new single-family dwellings, so a lot must already be zoned R-2 or be rezoned through a Planning Commission hearing and City Commission ordinance. R-3 also keeps existing two-family dwellings. In the R-1 districts a resident family may take in up to two roomers or boarders, but that is not a separate dwelling unit. Nicholasville Zoning Ordinance, Article 7, R-2 district (Principal Uses 1-3; Prohibited Uses 1-2; lot requirements a), R-1A Accessory Uses 5, Article 13Full rules for Nicholasville Ordinance read October 2026 | No ADU size cap (no ADU use); R-2 duplex: 35% lot coverage, 35 ft height; R-1 accessory buildings capped at 650 sq ft combined | Not required | 2 spaces per dwelling unit | Permitted use |
| Oldham County | A detached accessory dwelling unit (a separate building, including a garage apartment joined to the house only by a breezeway) needs a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustments after a public hearing. It is available in the AG-1, CO-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2 and R-2A districts (the AG-2 use table also lists it as a conditional use), not in R-3, R-4, R-4A, T or the commercial districts. The unit must meet the setbacks for a primary structure, stand at least 5 feet from the house, sit behind it, and counts as a whole dwelling unit toward the district's density limit. The county board granted such permits on 6-18-2026 and heard two more on 10-15-2026. Oldham County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance §250-040.E.1-8 and §250-040.B.3; district use tables §020-040, §030-040, §040-040, §050-040, §060-040, §070-040Full rules for Oldham County Ordinance read October 2026 | Allowed | Detached: 25% of the primary structure's square footage; attached: 30% of the primary structure's finished square footage; interior: no stated cap; no taller than the primary structure | Required | Yes: off-street parking must be provided for the ADU (no space count specified) | Interior and attached units are by right with a building permit (staff review plus the owner-occupancy affidavit). Detached units require a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustments after a public hearing with mailed and newspaper notice, and no certificate of land use issues until the board's minutes are approved at its next meeting. Applications in the unincorporated county and Crestwood go to the Oldham County Board of Adjustments; La Grange keeps its own Board of Adjustments for land inside its limits. Oldham County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance §250-040.C.1, §250-040.D.1, §250-040.E.1-2; §260-020; Division 350Full rules for Oldham County Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Owensboro | Since Ordinance 16-2026 (second reading and adoption 8-18-2026), a detached accessory dwelling unit is a conditional use in the A-R, A-U, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-1T and R-4DT zones, so every detached unit needs a conditional use permit from the Owensboro Metropolitan Board of Adjustment. It must sit in a side or rear yard, meet principal-structure setbacks and the Kentucky Building Code, and only one ADU is allowed per parcel. The multi-family zones (R-2MF, R-3MF) are not listed. Before the 2026 amendment the ordinance allowed accessory dwellings only above or behind business, office and industrial uses. Owensboro Metropolitan Zoning Ordinance Art. 8, §8.2 Zones and Uses Table (uses 2A, 2B) and §8.4 notes /2A and /2D, as amended by Owensboro Ord. 16-2026 (adopted 8-18-2026)Full rules for Owensboro Ordinance read October 2026 | Allowed | 50% of the principal structure's footprint (attached and detached); height per underlying zone (36 ft in R-1A to R-1T, no limit in A-R/A-U) | Required | 1 additional off-street space | Attached ADUs are principally permitted in the agricultural and single-family zones, so they go through OMPC zoning review and a building permit with the attorney's covenant letter (and Health Department approval on septic). Detached ADUs are conditionally permitted and need a conditional use permit from the Owensboro Metropolitan Board of Adjustment after a public hearing, with septic approval required before the CUP application is filed. Under §8.2 'C' uses are 'permitted only with Board of Adjustment approval.' Owensboro Metropolitan Zoning Ordinance §8.2 (P and C definitions; uses 2A and 2B), §8.4 /2A(8)-(9), /2D(8)-(9)Full rules for Owensboro Ordinance read October 2026 |
| Paducah | Allowed | Since Ord. 2022-10-8752 (10-25-2022) struck the words "if not contained within the footprint of the home," §126-98(2) reads "ADUs are permitted in the rear yard only," so the ADU section no longer carves out an internal unit; a rear addition sitting in the rear yard reads as permitted, while a basement or interior conversion inside the existing footprint is not clearly an ADU. A second unit inside the house can instead be built as a two-family dwelling, a principal permitted use in R-1, R-2 and R-3 (and R-4), but that route carries the two-family lot-area minimums (7,000 sq ft per unit in R-1, 6,000 sq ft per unit in R-2). Ask the Planning Division how it classifies an internal unit before designing one. Paducah Code of Ordinances §126-98(2); §§126-102(1), (3), 126-103(1), (4); Ord. 2022-10-8752Full rules for Paducah Ordinance read October 2026 | 50% of the rear yard behind the principal dwelling, capped at the principal dwelling's ground floor area; height no taller than the principal dwelling | Required | 1 additional space | Permitted use |
| Richmond | Not allowed | There is no ADU use, so an internal or attached second unit is possible only by making the house a two-family (duplex) dwelling. Duplex dwellings are permitted by right in R-2 (Two Family Residential), R-3 (Multi-Family) and PUD zones, and are not allowed in the R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, RE, MP or AG zones that cover most single-family neighborhoods. The duplex must meet the district's lot standards (8,500 sq ft minimum site in R-2; 6,500 sq ft for the first unit plus 2,800 sq ft per additional unit in R-3). Basement and loft apartments are listed only in the B-2 Central Business District (conditional use) and B-3 (loft apartments for business personnel only). Richmond Code of Ordinances §157.009 (DWELLING definitions) and §157.041(C), (D), (E)Full rules for Richmond Ordinance read October 2026 | No ADU size rule (no ADU use); a duplex follows the district's dimensional standards (35 ft height in R-1 and R-2, 65 ft in R-3) | Not required | Duplex: 2 spaces per unit (up to 3 bedrooms), 3 per unit for 4 to 5 bedrooms | Permitted use |
Summarized from each city's ordinance text, most recently read October 2026. Tap a value marked with an info icon to see exactly what it depends on, straight from the ordinance. Nearly every value has zone, lot-size, or process caveats beyond that; the per-city pages carry the full notes and code citations. Treat this as orientation, not a permit determination.
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Reading the table
- Detached ADU is the make-or-break column for backyard cottages: minimum lot sizes (often 8,000 to 14,500 sq ft) hide behind many of the "Allowed" values, so check your lot before celebrating.
- Attached / internal (basement apartments, additions) is legal almost everywhere and is usually the path of least resistance.
- Approval: "Permitted use" means staff-level sign-off; "Conditional use" means a public hearing, which adds time, cost, and uncertainty.
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