Camarillo ADU: Regulations, Costs & Permits

• Planning Division: issues the ADU Zone Clearance, the first approval. The city says compliant plans can clear in a few days.
• Building & Safety: issues the building permit. Plans must be professionally prepared.
• Ventura County Fire Department: reviews fire safety and tells you whether the ADU needs fire sprinklers.
• All online: since July 1, 2025, Camarillo accepts no paper plans. Zone Clearance, building permits, payments, and inspections all run through the city's OpenGov portal. The city also has an online ADU Navigator questionnaire.

• State-exempt units: ADUs that meet state minimums (such as an 800 sq ft detached unit with 4 ft side and rear setbacks) are approved with no other local standards.
• Other ADUs: 850 sq ft with one bedroom or less, 1,000 sq ft with more bedrooms, and 1,200 sq ft on lots of an acre or more. A detached ADU paired with a JADU is capped at 800 sq ft, so if you want the bigger detached unit you may need to skip the JADU.
• Height: detached ADUs are 16 ft, or 18 ft (plus 2 ft for roof pitch) within half a mile of major transit. Attached ADUs can reach 25 ft. No ADU can exceed two stories.
• Setbacks: the zone's setbacks apply, with at least 4 ft side and rear. Lot coverage, FAR, front setback, and open space rules can't block an 800 sq ft ADU. Conversions need no added setback.
• Solar: the city notes new detached ADUs need a solar electric system.

• Matching: for ADUs beyond the state-exempt type, roof color, slope, and material, and wall color and material, must match the main house.
• Entrances: an attached or internal ADU needs its own entrance on the side or rear of the house, and exterior stairs should be at the side or rear too.
• Driveway: the ADU shares the main house's driveway unless you have alley access or a qualifying corner lot.
• Historic homes: an attached ADU added to a designated or potential historic resource must be inset, or joined by a connector set back at least 18 inches from the historic wall.
• Variances: exceptions to ADU standards go to the Planning Commission, not staff.

In March 2025, California's housing department (HCD) found Camarillo's ADU ordinance out of line with state law on 11 points. The city's May 2025 amendment fixed most of them: owner occupancy for ADUs and the ADU deed restriction are gone, and JADUs are now allowed in attached garages. Two items HCD objected to remain in the code for larger ADUs, the unit-combination limit and the side or rear entrance rule. Under state law you can still build a converted ADU, a detached ADU, and a JADU on one lot, so if a city limit looks stricter than that, ask Planning which applies.

• Attached or detached ADU: one space, and tandem on the driveway is fine.
• Internal ADUs, JADUs, and state-exempt units: no parking required.
• Exemptions: none within half a mile of the Metrolink station or a qualifying bus route, in historic districts, for conversions, and when filed with a new home. No replacement is needed when you convert a garage.

• Fire: Ventura County Fire adopted the state's 2025 fire hazard severity zone maps effective July 1, 2025. Check your parcel on the VCFD map viewer early, since a high hazard zone brings construction requirements.
• Faults and floodplains: the city notes some lots sit in seismic fault zones or special flood hazard areas, which add review steps.

• Zone Clearance: $174.46, plus a 17.89% General Plan maintenance surcharge and an 11.34% technology surcharge (effective July 1, 2025).
• School fees: ADUs under 500 sq ft are exempt. At 500 sq ft and up you pay full fees to Pleasant Valley School District and Oxnard Union High School District.
• Building and Public Works fees: these depend on site conditions, and the city doesn't publish a fixed figure.

• Water: Camarillo has several water providers depending on the neighborhood: City of Camarillo water, Camrosa Water District, Crestview Mutual, Pleasant Valley Mutual, or California American Water. Confirm yours before you budget utility connections.
• Sewer: the Camarillo Sanitary District or Camrosa, depending on location. A new sewer connection needs a district permit and connection charges, and the city warns utility connections can delay approval.

• JADU: one per single-family lot, up to 500 sq ft inside the home (an attached garage counts), with its own entrance and an efficiency kitchen. A recorded deed restriction bars separate sale, and owner occupancy is required only if the JADU shares a bathroom with the house.
• Rentals: state-exempt ADUs and all JADUs must be rented for more than 30 days.
• No condo sales: Camarillo hasn't opted into state law allowing ADUs to be sold separately as condos.

How long does ADU approval take in Camarillo?

The city says compliant plans can get Planning Zone Clearance in a few days. The building permit follows, and utility connections can add time.

How big can an ADU be in Camarillo?

Up to 850 sq ft with one bedroom, 1,000 sq ft with more, and 1,200 sq ft on lots of an acre or more. A detached ADU paired with a JADU is limited to 800 sq ft.

Do I pay school fees on a Camarillo ADU?

Not if it's under 500 sq ft. At 500 sq ft and up, full fees go to Pleasant Valley School District and Oxnard Union High School District.

Can I still submit paper plans in Camarillo?

No. Since July 1, 2025 every submittal goes through the city's OpenGov online portal.

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