With state legislation now making it easier to construct accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, Placer County has adopted their ADU fees to comply with state laws.

State law now exempts dwelling units that are less than 750 square feet from impact fees. For those larger than that they must be charged proportionately in relation to primary dwelling unit.

Previously ADUs under 750 feet they would have been charged the full fee, around $10,000.

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“In December we already had people lined up waiting for this legislation to go into effect,” said Claudia Wade, Placer County engineering manager.

… 78% said design or permit applications are overly complicated and a challenge to understand, 67% said ADUs are too costly to build and 45% said their local community does not allow ADUs.

Last year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed six bills into law intended to make construction of accessory dwelling units easier.

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Those included Assembly Bill 670, created and sponsored by the town of Truckee, which forbids homeowner associations from prohibiting secondary units. Additionally the state has eliminated parking requirements for ADUs and changed zoning requirements to allow ADUs in multi-family zones.

In December, the Mountain Housing Council released a study highlighting the challenges of building ADUs in the Tahoe region.

In a survey included in the study more than 90 people responded with the main challenges they face building ADUs on their property. Of those, 78% said design or permit applications are overly complicated and a challenge to understand, 67% said ADUs are too costly to build and 45% said their local community does not allow ADUs.

Hannah Jones is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at 530-550-2652 or hjones@sierasun.com.