Burbank ADU: Regulations, Costs & Permits

Burbank handles ADUs itself, not LA County or LADBS. The Planning Division runs zoning review, and Building & Safety runs plan check and issues the permit. Burbank Water and Power supplies both water and electricity, so BWP sizing forms are part of every submittal.

• Size: new attached and detached ADUs max out at 850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft with more than one bedroom, measured exterior wall to exterior wall.
• What counts toward size: covered porches, patios, and balconies count (except 25 sq ft over the main entry). Any area with an interior height over 12 ft counts twice, and attic or loft space over 5 ft tall counts too.
• Parking bonus: each extra code-compliant parking space beyond the minimum can add up to 120 sq ft to one ADU, capped at 120 sq ft total, with a recorded deed restriction keeping the parking.
• Height: a standalone detached ADU is capped at 17 ft, which is lower than many nearby cities. It rises to 18 ft within half a mile of major transit (plus 2 ft to match the main roof pitch). An ADU built over a garage can reach 20 ft to top of plate and 23 ft overall.
• Setbacks: 4 ft side and rear, with 5 ft of separation from other buildings. ADUs can't sit in front of the prevailing front setback unless an 800 sq ft unit won't fit anywhere else. Raised porches and second-story stairs need 4 ft setbacks too.
• FAR and lot coverage: ADUs are exempt from floor area ratio, lot coverage, open space, and minimum lot size rules.

• Garage conversions: the garage door has to go, replaced with windows or a residential entry door.
• Entrances: if a detached ADU is visible from the street, its front door must face the same way as the main house's or face a side property line.
• Mechanical equipment: AC units go on the ground or in an enclosed attic. Rooftop units are only allowed behind a parapet, out of sight from neighbors.
• Sprinklers: a new ADU needs fire sprinklers only if the main house does. Building one doesn't trigger sprinklers in the existing home.

• Mountain Fire Zone: on R-1 and R-1-H lots in the zone, the code allows one ADU (up to 800 sq ft) or one JADU, not both, and new units must meet brush clearance rules. The city posts fire zone maps on its ADU page.
• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone: Burbank Fire requires 200 ft of total clearance. Notices go out in May, clearance is due by the end of June, and inspections start in July.
• R-1-H horse-keeping zone: one ADU or JADU per lot, and no new ground-up construction. The unit has to come from converting a permitted garage, guest house, or space in the main house, and the rear 35 ft stays reserved for horses.
• Historic resources: a new ADU must be compatible with California Register-listed structures on the lot and nearby. ADUs in a designated historic district don't need parking.
• Trees: a new driveway or curb cut for ADU parking falls under the city's tree protection rules.

• Timeline: complete applications on lots with an existing home get a ministerial decision within 60 days, as state law requires.
• Submittal: plans go to Planning first, then building plan check runs through ProjectDox, the city's online plan review system. Email a complete application to eplancheck@burbankca.gov to get your ProjectDox invitation.
• BPAP (Burbank Preapproved ADU Program): the city's goal is permit issuance in 30 days using a preapproved plan. The library currently lists a 432 sq ft one-story studio. You buy the plan from the listed designer, and the city reviews only the site-specific pieces.
• Solar: per the BPAP requirements, any new ADU over 718 sq ft needs a new solar system, under its own permit.
• Stamped plans: one-story wood-frame ADUs designed to the prescriptive code don't need an architect's or engineer's stamp.

• Planning application: $1,728.42 for an ADU (FY 2026 to 2027 fee schedule).
• Impact fees: none under 750 sq ft. Larger ADUs pay proportionally to the size of the main house, and since January 2026 the city measures the ADU by interior livable space.
• School fees: Burbank Unified charges school fees on the whole ADU once it's over 750 sq ft, paid through BUSD's Facilitron portal. The receipt is required at submittal.
• Utility connections: a newly built ADU may need its own connection and capacity charge from BWP or Public Works. Conversions inside existing space usually avoid this.

• 90-day minimum: Burbank requires rentals longer than 90 days, stricter than the 30 days common elsewhere.
• No owner occupancy for ADUs: you don't have to live on site. JADUs are different: the owner must live in the main house or the JADU, with a recorded covenant.
• No separate sale: ADUs can be rented but not sold apart from the main house.

How big can an ADU be in Burbank?

850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft if it has more than one bedroom. Burbank counts covered porches and double-height space toward that total, so the livable area is often smaller than the cap.

How tall can a detached ADU be in Burbank?

17 ft for a standalone unit, 18 ft near major transit, and up to 23 ft for an ADU built over a garage.

Can I build an ADU in the Burbank hills or on a horse property?

Usually yes, with limits. In the Mountain Fire Zone the code allows one ADU or one JADU and requires brush clearance. In the R-1-H horse-keeping zone the unit has to be a conversion of an existing permitted structure. These local limits predate recent state law changes, so confirm with Burbank Planning before you design.

Can I use my Burbank ADU as a short-term rental?

No. Burbank requires ADU and JADU rentals to run longer than 90 days.

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