What Is a JADU? Junior ADU Rules and Permits in Sacramento

A junior accessory dwelling unit, or JADU, is a small second home created inside an existing or planned house. It is easy to confuse with a full ADU, but the size cap, kitchen, bathroom and owner-occupancy rules differ. This guide covers the 2026 state rules, how the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County permit a JADU, which fees the law removes, and when a garage conversion ADU is the better fit.

The short answer

• Size and location: a JADU is no more than 500 sq ft of interior livable space and sits entirely inside a single-family home (Gov. Code 66313(d)). An attached garage counts as part of the home for this purpose (Gov. Code 66333(d)).
• What it must have: an efficiency kitchen and its own entrance; the bathroom may be shared (Gov. Code 66333(e) and (f)).
• Owner occupancy: since January 1, 2026, it applies only when the JADU shares the bathroom (Gov. Code 66333(b), as amended by AB 1154).
• Approval: ministerial, decided within 60 days of a complete application (Gov. Code 66335(a)).
• Fees and extras: no impact fees at 500 sq ft or less, no parking requirement, and a full ADU can be added on the same lot (Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(1), 66334(a), 66323(a)(1)).

What is a JADU?

In practice a JADU is a converted bedroom, part of the main floor or an attached garage that becomes a separate home with its own door. Gov. Code 66333 lists what a local JADU ordinance must require:

• One per lot. One JADU on a lot zoned for single-family homes with a house built or proposed to be built (66333(a)). The HCD ADU Handbook adds that a duplex on a single lot counts as multifamily and does not qualify.
• Inside the walls of the existing or proposed house, attached garage included (66333(d)). A detached garage cannot hold a JADU.
• Its own entrance, separate from the main one (66333(e)(1)). Without its own bathroom, it also needs an interior entry to the main living area (66333(e)(2)).
• An efficiency kitchen: a cooking facility with appliances, a food preparation counter and storage cabinets of reasonable size (66333(f)). Per the HCD ADU Handbook, a local agency cannot demand more, such as a 220V circuit.
• A recorded deed restriction that bars selling the JADU separately from the house and fixes its size and attributes (66333(c)).
• Rentals longer than 30 days if the unit is rented (66333(g)).

Junior ADU vs ADU: the differences that matter

	JADU	ADU
Where it goes	Inside a single-family home, including an attached garage	Attached, detached, or inside the house or an accessory structure such as a detached garage
Size	500 sq ft of interior livable space at most	Larger; under the City of Sacramento's local option, a detached ADU can reach 1,200 sq ft
Kitchen	Efficiency kitchen	Complete independent living facilities, including cooking (Gov. Code 66313(a))
Bathroom	Own or shared with the house	Its own
Owner occupancy	Only if the bathroom is shared (66333(b))	Cannot be required (Gov. Code 66315)
Impact fees	None at 500 sq ft or less	None at 750 sq ft or less (66311.5(c)(1))
Rentals	Longer than 30 days	Longer than 30 days for units approved under 66323 (66323(e))

Owner occupancy and the deed restriction

Under Gov. Code 66333(b), as amended by AB 1154 effective January 1, 2026, owner occupancy can be required only when the JADU shares a bathroom with the house, and the owner may live in either part. A JADU with its own bathroom has no owner-occupancy requirement. Sacramento County's guidelines apply the same split. The deed restriction under 66333(c) applies either way; in the City of Sacramento it must be recorded before the final building inspection.

Can you rent a JADU?

Yes, for terms longer than 30 days (Gov. Code 66333(g)). Sacramento County's guidelines bar JADU short-term rentals in any circumstance, and the City's ADU Resource Center lists them as prohibited for units under the state standards. A shared-bathroom JADU means the owner lives on site; one with its own bathroom can be rented with the owner living elsewhere.

Can you have an ADU and a JADU on the same lot?

Yes. Gov. Code 66323(a)(1) requires ministerial approval of one ADU and one JADU on a lot with a single-family home, and 66323(a)(2) adds a detached new-construction ADU in combination.

• City of Sacramento: under the state standards, one attached conversion, one JADU and one detached ADU; under the City's local standards, two units in any combination of attached, detached or JADU.
• Sacramento County (unincorporated areas): one detached new-construction ADU, one JADU, and one of a new attached ADU, an attached conversion or a detached conversion. ADUs and JADUs are not allowed in the Agricultural-Residential (AR) and Agricultural (AG) zones, which the County does not treat as single-family residential or mixed-use zones.

Fire sprinklers cannot be required when the main house does not need them (66323(d)), and approval cannot be conditioned on fixing nonconforming zoning conditions (66323(c)).

Permits and timeline in Sacramento

State law. A JADU permit is ministerial, with no discretionary review or hearing (Gov. Code 66335(a)(1)). The agency has 15 business days to confirm the application is complete or list what is missing (66335(a)(2)), then 60 days to approve or deny when a house already exists (66335(a)(3)). A denial must come with written comments on how to fix it (66335(b)).

City of Sacramento. A building permit is required, with no separate planning approval first. An optional ADU zoning review (form CDD-0009) takes 1 to 3 weeks by the City's estimate. Building plan review takes roughly 1.5 to 2 months: 20 business days for the first cycle, 15 for a second and 5 for a third, not counting your time to answer corrections.

Sacramento County. The County repealed its ADU ordinance on October 22, 2026 at the request of the state housing department (HCD) and now applies administrative ADU and JADU guidelines, with state law prevailing and review only through the building permit. Without a local ordinance, state law requires ministerial approval of a compliant JADU (Gov. Code 66339).

Fees: what the law waives

• Impact fees: none for a JADU of 500 sq ft of interior livable space or less (Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(1)).
• School fees: none under 500 sq ft, which falls below the Education Code 17620 threshold (66311.5(c)(3)).
• Utility connections: no new or separate connection, connection fee or capacity charge for a JADU under 66323(a)(1) (66311.5(d)).
• Parking: none, even when the JADU replaces an attached garage (Gov. Code 66334(a)).
• What you still pay: permit and inspection fees (66335(c), 66334(b)). More in our Sacramento ADU fees and permits guide.

JADU or garage conversion ADU?

An attached garage can become either one; the choice depends on how the space will be used.

• A JADU fits when 500 sq ft is enough and sharing the main bathroom works, for example for family or a caregiver. No second bathroom and an efficiency kitchen mean less plumbing.
• A garage conversion ADU fits when you want a fully independent unit with a full kitchen and bathroom, or more than 500 sq ft. It is the only option for a detached garage, and an ADU converted from an accessory structure may add up to 150 sq ft for entry and exit, which a JADU cannot (Gov. Code 66323(a)(1)(A); HCD ADU Handbook).

Our garage conversion service page covers how that project runs, and the garage conversion cost guide breaks down what drives its price. For detached, attached and other ADU types, see our ADU services.

What a JADU costs

There is no published JADU price, because the scope varies widely: whether the JADU gets its own bathroom, how far the kitchen sits from existing plumbing, whether a new exterior door is needed, and whether the space starts as a finished bedroom or a bare garage. For reference, our published starting price for a permitted garage conversion into a self-contained living unit is $108,000. For a number for your house, request a written quote.

For full ADU pricing by size, see how much an ADU costs in Sacramento, and for ways to pay for it, our ADU financing guide. Local details for the city are on our Sacramento page.

FAQ

What is a JADU?

A junior accessory dwelling unit: up to 500 sq ft inside a single-family home, with an efficiency kitchen, its own entrance and an own or shared bathroom (Gov. Code 66313(d), 66333).

What is the difference between a junior ADU and an ADU?

A JADU stays inside the house, is capped at 500 sq ft, needs only an efficiency kitchen and may share a bathroom. An ADU can be attached or detached, larger, and fully independent.

What is the size limit for a JADU?

500 sq ft of interior livable space (Gov. Code 66313(d)). A JADU at that size or smaller owes no impact fees (66311.5(c)(1)).

Do I have to live on the property if I build a JADU?

Only if the JADU shares a bathroom with the house. Since January 1, 2026, a JADU with its own bathroom has no owner-occupancy requirement (Gov. Code 66333(b)).

Can you rent out a JADU?

Yes, for terms longer than 30 days (Gov. Code 66333(g)). Short-term rentals are not allowed, and a JADU cannot be sold separately from the house (66333(c)).

Can I have an ADU and a JADU on the same lot?

Yes (Gov. Code 66323(a)). In the City of Sacramento under the state standards and in unincorporated Sacramento County, a single-family lot can have up to three units including the JADU.

Sources: California Government Code 66313, 66315, 66311.5, 66323, 66333, 66334, 66335 and 66339 (as in effect January 1, 2026); Education Code 17620; California Department of Housing and Community Development, ADU Handbook (March 2026); City of Sacramento ADU Resource Center, About ADUs, Step 1 and Step 5: Development Application Submittal; Sacramento County, Appendix A: ADU and JADU Guidelines (added October 22, 2026) and Interim State Legislation Guide. Starting price is Result Construction's published rate as of October 2026 and excludes fees. Checked October 2026.