Tulare Zoning and ADU Guide for Homeowners

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

Accessory dwelling units, often called ADUs, are one of the most common reasons a Tulare owner has to think about zoning. A converted garage, a backyard cottage or a granny flat can add value, but only if it was built legally.

This guide explains what Tulare’s municipal code says about ADUs and junior ADUs, what the city’s ADU page offers owners, how state law fills in the gaps, and what it all means when you sell.

Tulare ADU rules at a glance

Topic	What Tulare’s code says
Maximum ADU size	1,200 square feet for all ADUs (Municipal Code 10.60.030(C))
Attached ADU	No more than 800 square feet or 50 percent of the existing living area of the main home, whichever is more
Junior ADU	No larger than 500 square feet (10.60.040(E))
Side and rear setbacks	A minimum of four feet regardless of zone
Parking	No off-street parking required for an ADU, and parking removed to create one need not be replaced
Owner occupancy	Not required for an ADU; required for a junior ADU
City contact	Community Development Department, (559) 684-4276

Size and setbacks

Section 10.60.030 of the Tulare Municipal Code sets the floor area limit for any ADU at 1,200 square feet. An attached ADU is held to 800 square feet or 50 percent of the existing living area of the principal dwelling, whichever is more.

The same section requires a minimum side and rear setback of four feet regardless of zone and adds that no lot coverage, floor area ratio, open space, minimum lot size or other development standard may prevent an ADU of up to 800 square feet.

If you are planning a detached unit, those two rules, the 4-foot setback and the 800 square foot protection, are the numbers that matter most.

Height and other zone standards

The code does not give a separate height number for ADUs. It says an ADU must meet the requirements of the zone district where it sits, including height of structures and rules on fences, walls and hedges, except where the section says otherwise.

State law sets minimum height allowances that a city cannot go below. The state ADU handbook describes a detached ADU height limit of 18 feet when the unit is within a half mile walking distance of a major transit stop.

Because the local code and state law can differ, ask Community Development which height limit applies to your parcel before you draw plans.

Parking and utilities

Tulare does not require off-street parking for an ADU, and parking spaces removed to build an ADU do not have to be replaced. A junior ADU created through a garage conversion is different: the code requires the primary unit’s parking spaces to be replaced on site.

For utilities, the code says an ADU must be provided with water, sewer and other utilities as determined by the Building Official, and it must meet the California Building Standards Code, including its alternative means and methods provisions.

Junior ADUs

Section 10.60.040 covers junior ADUs, which are units carved out of an existing or proposed single-family home.

Under the code a junior ADU is allowed in single-family zones where the owner lives on the property, it can be no larger than 500 square feet, and it must include a separate exterior entrance, a cooking facility with appliances, a food preparation counter and storage cabinets.

It may share a bathroom with the main house or have its own, and it is not required to connect to the main house on the inside.

Multifamily properties

For a parcel that is zoned to allow, and already has, a multifamily structure, the code allows two new-construction ADUs and at least one conversion ADU. Conversion ADUs within an existing multifamily structure can be added up to 25 percent of the number of existing dwellings, rounded up. Multifamily structures include duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings and condominium buildings.

What the city offers owners who want an ADU

The city’s ADU page offers pre-approved plan sets from an outside architect in four sizes: a 360 square foot studio, a 484 square foot one-bedroom, a 748 square foot two-bedroom and a 1,200 square foot three-bedroom.

The steps for an owner using one of these plans are to contact Community Development at (559) 684-4276 for the architect’s contact information, get the plans, obtain a signed Release and Waiver from the architect, fill out the Property Owner Application Package, and get all required building permits before construction.

Applications can be turned in at City Hall, 411 E. Kern Avenue, or through the city’s Building Digital Plan Submission page. Architects submit an Architect Submittal Application with plans, and all plans go through building permit plan check and require a plan check fee.

What state law adds

California’s ADU statutes override local rules that conflict with them, and they have changed often in recent years.

Among the points the state’s Housing and Community Development handbook stresses are that local agencies must approve or deny a complete ADU application within a set review period of 60 days, that no setback is required when an ADU is created within an existing structure, and that a city cannot use front setbacks or other standards to block an ADU of at least 800 square feet.

The city’s page does not publish a review timeline, so use the state timeline as the baseline and ask Community Development how it is applied in practice.

Garage conversions and the permit question

Garage conversions are the most common unpermitted dwelling in older Tulare neighborhoods. Turning a garage into living space without a permit usually means no inspection of electrical, plumbing or egress, and the code treats the space as an unpermitted dwelling.

Under the city’s permit list, even smaller jobs such as adding outlets or lights to a storage shed require an electrical permit, so a full conversion certainly does.

Our Tulare building permits guide explains how permits and inspections work, and our guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work covers disclosure.

ADUs, zoning and selling a Tulare house

• Permitted ADU: keep the permit, final inspection record and any certificate of occupancy. They support the value of the unit and help a buyer’s lender.
• Unpermitted unit: a buyer, appraiser or lender may not count the space. California sellers must disclose known unpermitted work.
• Rental income: if the ADU is rented, tenants have rights that a sale does not erase. See our page on selling a tenant-occupied house in Tulare.
• Property tax: new construction can be reassessed. See the Tulare County property tax guide.

How to sell a house in Tulare that has an ADU or conversion

1. Find the paperwork. Locate permits, final inspections and plans for any unit, garage conversion or addition.
2. Check the standards. Compare the unit with the size, setback and parking numbers above.
3. Ask the city. Call Community Development at (559) 684-4276 to confirm the status of the unit.
4. Price the options. Compare legalizing the unit, removing it, or selling as-is.
5. Sell as-is if that is faster. A cash buyer can purchase the house with the unit in its current condition and handle the compliance work later.

Related local pages: sell a house as-is in Tulare, sell my house fast in Tulare, we buy houses in Tulare and how the Tulare cash offer process works.

Frequently asked questions

How big can an ADU be in Tulare?

Tulare’s code limits an ADU to 1,200 square feet. An attached ADU is limited to 800 square feet or 50 percent of the main home’s living area, whichever is more.

What setbacks apply to an ADU in Tulare?

The code requires a minimum side and rear setback of four feet regardless of zone. No other development standard may prevent an ADU of up to 800 square feet.

Does Tulare require parking for an ADU?

No. The code says no off-street parking is required for an ADU, and parking removed to create one does not have to be replaced. A junior ADU made by converting a garage must replace the primary unit’s parking on site.

Do I have to live on the property to build an ADU?

Not for a regular ADU. The code says owner occupancy is not required. A junior ADU requires the owner to occupy the property.

Who do I call about an ADU in Tulare?

Call the Community Development Department at (559) 684-4276. The city also offers four pre-approved ADU plans and a digital plan submission page.

Can I sell a Tulare house with an unpermitted ADU?

Yes. You can sell as-is to a cash buyer. Traditional buyers and lenders may not count the unit, and you must disclose known unpermitted work.

More guides

• Tulare Building Permits Guide
• Tulare Code Enforcement Guide
• We Buy Houses in Tulare
• We Buy Houses in Tulare County
• Tulare County Property Tax Guide
• All California Guides

Sources

• Tulare Municipal Code, section 10.60.030, Accessory dwelling units
• City of Tulare, ADU Information
• California HCD, Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026)

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the city.