Building an ADU in Temple City. Rules, costs, timeline.

Up to two ADUs plus a junior ADU. TCMC § 9-1T-13(C)(2)(a) reads “one accessory dwelling unit or a junior accessory dwelling unit” for internal units, and that is narrower than state law. Under Gov. Code § 66323(a)(1)–(2), confirmed by the HCD ADU Handbook (March 2026, p. 17), a single-family lot must be allowed one ADU converted from existing space in the house or an accessory structure, one JADU of up to 500 square feet inside the house, and one new detached ADU of up to 800 square feet.

Gov. Code § 66316 makes the state standard control, and subsection (H) of the ordinance defers to mandatory state law by its own terms. The Handbook adds at p. 18 that a city must also allow at least one ordinance ADU under Gov. Code § 66314 — the larger unit subsection (E)(3) sizes.

Per TCMC § 9-1T-13(E)(3), a one-bedroom ADU may be up to 850 square feet and an ADU with more than one bedroom up to 1,000 square feet. The same subsection caps a studio at 600 square feet, and subsection (C)(3)(b) caps a detached new-construction ADU at 800 square feet — both sit below the state floor.

Gov. Code § 66321(b)(2) bars a city from setting a maximum unit size below 850 square feet, or 1,000 square feet for an ADU with more than one bedroom, and the HCD ADU Handbook states that rule at p. 38. The ordinance’s own minimum is 220 square feet (subsection (E)(2)), a JADU is capped at 500 square feet (Gov. Code § 66313(d)), and a conversion of existing permitted space carries no square-foot cap at all (Gov. Code § 66323(a)(1)).

A detached ADU is capped at 16 feet, measured from natural grade to the highest roof ridge or parapet, with the top plate held to 9 feet (TCMC § 9-1T-13(C)(3)(c)). Sixteen feet is exactly the state floor in Gov. Code § 66321(b)(4)(A), so this is a single-story detached market.

State law adds two tiers the ordinance does not mention: 18 feet within half a mile of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor, plus 2 more feet to carry a roof pitch matching the main house (Gov. Code § 66321(b)(4)(B)), and 18 feet on a lot with an existing or proposed multistory multifamily dwelling (Gov. Code § 66321(b)(4)(C)). The ordinance is silent on attached-ADU height, so the state floor controls: the lesser of 25 feet or the zone’s height limit for the primary dwelling (Gov. Code § 66321(b)(4)(D)).

Often not. Per TCMC § 9-1T-13(E)(10), one open space is required only for a newly built detached ADU with at least one bedroom, and it may sit in tandem on the existing driveway. Subsection (E)(10)(e) then waives parking entirely in five situations that mirror Gov. Code § 66322: within half a mile of public transit, inside an architecturally and historically significant historic district, where the ADU is part of the proposed or existing primary residence or an accessory structure, where on-street permits are required but not offered to the occupant, and where a car-share vehicle sits within one block.

Demolishing or converting a garage, carport or covered parking structure for the ADU never triggers replacement parking (subsection (E)(10)(c); Gov. Code § 66314(d)(11)), and a city may not require parking for a JADU at all (Gov. Code § 66334(a)).

Not for an ADU. TCMC § 9-1T-13 imposes no owner-occupancy condition on a standard ADU, which matches Gov. Code § 66315 — a city may not require owner-occupancy for an ADU at all. For a junior ADU, subsection (C)(1)(d) requires the owner to occupy the property unless the owner is a governmental agency, land trust or housing organization, and subsection (C)(1)(h) records that condition in a deed restriction.

That text states the pre-2026 rule. AB 1154 amended Gov. Code § 66333(b) effective January 1, 2026 so JADU owner-occupancy may only be required where the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the primary dwelling. Give the JADU its own bathroom and the state rule controls, even though Temple City’s ordinance has not yet been amended to reflect it.

TCMC § 9-1T-13(F) carries thirteen of them, and they apply only “if feasible” — a standard is infeasible if applying it would physically prevent the ADU from being built. The list: the unit’s door may not be visible from the public right-of-way; a converted garage’s door must be removed and sealed to match the adjoining wall; the unit needs a covered front porch or recessed entry at least 3 feet deep; a 6-foot view-obscuring wall or fence runs along the nearest side and rear property lines, with 15-gallon privacy hedges planted 5 feet on center; 400 square feet of directly accessible open space with no dimension under 10 feet; the exterior matches the main dwelling’s architectural style; no more than one common living area and one exterior door; laundry inside the structure; and bathrooms may not outnumber bedrooms.

Two backstops limit them. Subsection (E)(4) bars floor-area ratio, lot coverage, the 50-percent-of-primary rule and open space from precluding an ADU of at least 800 square feet, matching Gov. Code § 66321(b)(3). And a unit built under Gov. Code § 66323 is subject only to that section’s own standards (Gov. Code § 66323(b); HCD ADU Handbook, pp. 16 and 19), which the Handbook confirms at p. 39 excludes local open-space and landscaping requirements.

No. TCMC § 9-1T-13(G)(1) prohibits rentals of less than a month for the ADU, the junior ADU, and the primary residential dwelling associated with either — a broader ban than most LA-area cities write, because it reaches the main house too.

That is not a local choice at the ADU end: Gov. Code § 66323(e) requires a local agency to impose a rental term longer than 30 days on a § 66323 unit, and Gov. Code § 66333(g) does the same for JADUs. The HCD ADU Handbook states the rule at p. 19. Month-to-month and annual leases are unaffected, and a furnished mid-term tenancy of 30 days or longer is compliant.

No. Selling an ADU separately as a condominium is possible only where a city has opted in under AB 1033, codified at Gov. Code § 66342, and Temple City’s municipal code contains no opt-in ordinance. For a junior ADU the prohibition is explicit: TCMC § 9-1T-13(C)(1)(h) requires a recorded deed restriction barring sale of the JADU separately from the single-family residence, enforceable against future purchasers.

Among LA-area cities only a handful have opted in — Santa Monica (SMMC § 9.31.026, 2025) and Culver City (CCMC § 17.400.096, 2026) among them. Build here for rental income, family housing or long-term value, not for a condominium exit.

Yes, and it is usually the shortest path. Per TCMC § 9-1T-13(C)(2), an ADU or JADU created within the existing space of a single-family dwelling or an accessory structure may expand up to 150 square feet purely to accommodate ingress and egress, and subsection (E)(5) lets the structure keep its existing side, street-side and rear setbacks.

The garage door must be removed and sealed with material matching the adjoining wall (subsection (F)(2)), and no replacement parking may be required for the stalls you lose (subsection (E)(10)(c); Gov. Code § 66314(d)(11)). A conversion carried out under Gov. Code § 66323(a)(1) has no square-foot cap at all.

Raise it with us before you assume the answer is no. TCMC § 9-1T-13(G)(2) says a garage or carport constructed after January 1, 2020 cannot be converted to an ADU or JADU unless the site is modified to meet the off-street parking requirement and the floor-area ratio.

That local condition sits in real tension with two state rules: Gov. Code § 66323(a)(1) gives a conversion within the existing space of an accessory structure a ministerial right of approval subject only to § 66323’s own standards, and Gov. Code § 66314(d)(11) bars a city from requiring replacement parking when a garage is converted. Where a local provision is narrower than state law, Gov. Code § 66316 makes the state standard control. It is a design and filing question, not a closed door.

The City must approve or deny a complete ADU or JADU application within 60 days, and the review is ministerial — no hearing, no discretionary design review, no neighbor sign-off (TCMC § 9-1T-13(B)(1)–(2); Gov. Code § 66317). Under SB 543, effective January 1, 2026, the City must also determine completeness and notify you in writing within 15 business days (Gov. Code § 66317(a)(2)(A)). One local wrinkle: subsection (B)(2)(b) lets the City defer acting on the ADU application if it is filed alongside a permit application for a new single-family dwelling, until that dwelling is approved.

On a pre-engineered Signature plan, expect roughly 2 weeks of plan preparation, a permit cycle measured in weeks rather than months, then 4 to 6 months of construction — about 6 to 9 months start to finish. Custom designs run longer on both ends.

Signature plan fees are fixed at $7,490 to $12,990, which includes architectural design and full permit processing. Building the unit with an independent licensed general contractor is estimated at roughly $180K–$420K across the lineup, depending on size.

City fees are separate: building-permit, plan-check and inspection charges come from the City of Temple City adopted Master Fees and Fines Schedule, which is published on the City’s website and should be checked for the fiscal year you file in. One local line item is set by the ordinance itself — an ADU of 750 square feet or more is subject to park construction fees, assessed in proportion to the square footage of the primary dwelling (TCMC § 9-1T-13(E)(7)).

Not below 750 square feet. An ADU containing 750 square feet or less of interior livable space pays no development impact fees anywhere in California (Gov. Code § 66311.5(c)(1)), and a JADU of 500 square feet or less is exempt as well. Above 750 square feet, impact fees must be charged proportionally to the square footage of the primary dwelling rather than flat per unit — which is exactly how TCMC § 9-1T-13(E)(7) writes the City’s park construction fee, triggered at 750 square feet and assessed in proportion to the main house.

An ADU or JADU under 500 square feet is not subject to school impact fees (Gov. Code § 66311.5(c)(3)). Keeping a unit under 750 square feet is the single cleanest way to hold fees down here.

Yes. The City publishes a Pre-Approved ADU Plans page listing plans it has already reviewed, with the designer’s contact details for each one, and it sets out the steps for submitting an application using a pre-approved standard plan. That program is the local answer to the statewide mandate in AB 1332, codified at Gov. Code § 65852.27, which required every local agency to have a pre-approved ADU plan program running by January 1, 2025.

A pre-approved plan moves quickly but is built as filed. CALI ADU does not participate in the program: our Signature plans are individually permitted on your lot and adapted to its setbacks, orientation, and the design standards in TCMC § 9-1T-13(F).